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| Title | Functional and structural basis of a hypermorphic TRPC3 variant. |
|---|---|
| Journal, issue, pages | Sci Adv, Vol. 12, Issue 13, Page eaec9284, Year 2026 |
| Publish date | Mar 27, 2026 |
Authors | Briar Bell / Angela M Jaramillo-Granada / Luis O Romero / Irene A Gutierrez / Venkata K P S Mallampalli / Guizhen Fan / Sameer Varma / Matthew L Baker / Irina I Serysheva / Valeria Vásquez / Julio F Cordero-Morales / ![]() |
| PubMed Abstract | Cerebellar ataxias are characterized by impaired motor coordination resulting from neuronal dysfunction within the cerebellum. The mechanisms underlying this pathology and its cerebellar-specific ...Cerebellar ataxias are characterized by impaired motor coordination resulting from neuronal dysfunction within the cerebellum. The mechanisms underlying this pathology and its cerebellar-specific neurodegeneration remain unknown. We uncover how a gain-of-function canonical transient receptor potential member 3 (TRPC3) mutation, coupled with a cerebellum-specific isoform, stabilizes the channel's open state, resists the leading inhibitor Pyr3, and drives calcium-dependent cell death. Restoring calcium homeostasis by expressing a Purkinje cell calcium pump improves cell viability. Transgenic expression of the TRPC3 hypermorphic variant in induces neurodegeneration, confirming its pathogenicity across species. Cryo-electron microscopy and molecular simulations reveal the structural basis for the stabilization of the cerebellar-specific TRPC3 variant in its open state and uncover a druggable allosteric inhibitory binding site. These findings provide an explanation for the vulnerability of cerebellar neurons in TRPC3-associated ataxias and highlight a site for therapeutic intervention. |
External links | Sci Adv / PubMed:41880503 / PubMed Central |
| Methods | EM (single particle) |
| Resolution | 2.5 - 3.3 Å |
| Structure data | EMDB-70595, PDB-9olk: EMDB-70596, PDB-9oll: EMDB-70597, PDB-9olm: EMDB-70601, PDB-9olx: EMDB-70724, PDB-9opu: |
| Chemicals | ![]() ChemComp-CPL: ![]()
ChemComp-UNL: ![]() PDB-1ccx: |
| Source |
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Keywords | MEMBRANE PROTEIN / TRPC3 / cerebellar ataxia / moonwalker |
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homo sapiens (human)
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