Mechanotransduction, the conversion of mechanical forces into biological signals, plays
critical roles in various physiological and pathophysiological processes in mammals, such
as conscious sensing of touch, pain, and sound, as well as unconscious sensing of blood
flow-associated shear stress, urine flow, and bladder distention. Among the various
molecules involved in mechanotransduction, mechanosensitive (MS) cation channels have
long been postulated to represent one critical class of mechanotransducers that directly and …