Structure of C. elegans TMC-2 complex suggests roles of lipid-mediated subunit contacts in mechanosensory transduction

Mechanotransduction is the process by which a mechanical force, such as touch, is converted into an electrical signal. Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins are an evolutionarily-conserved family of ion channels whose function has been linked to a variety of mechanosensory processes, including hearing and balance sensation in vertebrates and locomotion in Drosophila. The molecular features that tune homologous TMC ion channel complexes to diverse mechanical stimuli are unknown. Caenorhabditis elegans express two TMC homologs, TMC-1 and TMC-2, both of which are the likely pore-forming subunits of mechanosensitive ion channels but differ in their expression pattern and functional role in the worm. Here we present the single particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of the native TMC-2 complex isolated from C. elegans. The complex is composed of two copies each of the pore-forming TMC-2 subunit, the calcium and integrin binding protein CALM-1 and the transmembrane inner ear protein TMIE. Comparison of the TMC-2 complex to the recently published cryo-EM structure of the C. elegans TMC-1 complex reveals differences in subunit composition and highlights conserved protein-lipid interactions, as well as other structural features, that together suggest a mechanism for TMC-mediated mechanosensory transduction. Significance StatementOne mechanism by which organisms sense their environment is through the perception of mechanical stimuli such as sound, touch, and vibration. Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins are ion channels whose function has been linked to a variety of mechanosensitive processes, including hearing and balance in vertebrates and touch sensation in worms. The molecular mechanisms by which TMCs respond to mechanical stimuli are unknown. Here we present the structure of the TMC-2 complex isolated from worms. Comparison of the TMC-2 complex to the recently solved structure of the worm TMC-1 complex highlights common structural features that are likely important for sensing mechanical stimuli yet also illuminates key differences that may explain the distinct functional roles of TMC-1 and TMC-2 in the worm.