Transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs) are known as candidate molecular correlates of receptor-activated or store-operated calcium entry. While functional roles for most TRPCs have been suggested, the physiological relevance of TRPC2 remains obscure. Whereas human and bovine TRPC2 are candidate pseudogenes, full-length rodent TRPC2 transcripts have been reported. There is, however, considerable controversy concerning mRNA splicing, tissue distribution and the function of these proteins. We report the molecular cloning of two novel murine TRPC2 splice variants, mTRPC2α and mTRPC2β. mTRPC2α RNA is expressed at low levels in many tissues and cell systems, while mTRPC2β is exclusively and abundantly expressed in the vomeronasal organ (VNO). When expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells, mTRPC2 did not enhance receptor- or store-activated calcium entry. In order to investigate the basis of such a functional defect, mTRPC2–green fluorescent protein fusion proteins were examined by confocal microscopy. Fusion proteins were retained in endomembranes when expressed in HEK-293 or other cells of epithelial or neuronal origin. Co-expression of TRPC2 with other TRPCs did not restore plasma-membrane trafficking. We conclude that TRPC2 may form functional channels in the cellular context of the VNO, but is unlikely to have a physiological function in other tissues.
The sequences of mTRPC2α and mTRPC2β have been submitted to GenBank under the accession numbers AF230802 and AF230803 respectively.
