TRPV4 Antibody #65893

TRPV4 is a member of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) family of ion channels, and functions as a Ca²⁺-permeant non-selective cation channel. TRPV4 channels are expressed in many cell types, with particular abundance in sensory and spinal neurons (1). TRPV4 channels play a role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, by facilitating transmembrane Ca²⁺ transport in response to various stimuli, including thermal stress, fatty acid metabolites, and hypotonicity (2). Mutations in the TRPV4 gene have consequently been attributed to a variety of pathological conditions. For example, constitutively active TRPV4 mutants can lead to excess Ca²⁺ influx, resulting in toxicity and degeneration of peripheral nerves (3). TRPV4-dependent Ca²⁺ influx was also shown to mediate strain-induced and TGFβ1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggesting a mechanistic role for TRPV4-mediated Ca²⁺ transport in fibrosis and oncogenesis (4). Consistent with this, studies in capillary endothelial cells showed that mechanical strain-induced Ca²⁺ influx through TRPV4 promote focal adhesion and stress fiber remodeling, mediated specifically through integrins, PI3K, and downstream kinases including Rho and ROCK (5).