TMEM16A and TMEM16B channel proteins generate Ca2+-activated Cl- current and regulate melatonin secretion in rat pineal glands.

Pinealocytes regulate circadian rhythm by synthesizing and secreting melatonin. These cells generate action potentials; however, the contribution of specific ion channels to melatonin secretion from pinealocytes remains unclear. In this study, the involvement and molecular identity of Ca2+-activated Cl- (ClCa) channels in the regulation of melatonin secretion were examined in rat pineal glands. Treatment with the ClCa channel blockers, niflumic acid or T16Ainh-A01, significantly reduced melatonin secretion in pineal glands. After pineal K+ currents were totally blocked under whole-cell patch clamp conditions, depolarization and subsequent repolarization induced a slowly activating outward current and a substantial inward tail current, respectively. Both of these current changes were dependent on intracellular Ca2+ concentration and inhibited by niflumic acid and T16Ainh-A01. Quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, and immunocytochemical analyses revealed that TMEM16A and TMEM16B were highly expressed in pineal glands. siRNA knockdown of TMEM16A and/or TMEM16B showed that both channels contribute to ClCa currents in pinealocytes. Conversely, co-expression of TMEM16A and TMEM16B channels or the expression of this tandem channel in HEK293 cells mimicked the electrophysiological characteristics of ClCa currents in pinealocytes. Moreover, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, FRET, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments suggested that TMEM16A and TMEM16B can form heteromeric channels, as well as homomeric channels. In conclusion, pineal ClCa channels are composed of TMEM16A and TMEM16B subunits, and these fluxes regulate melatonin secretion in pineal glands.