A NOMPC-dependent membrane-microtubule connector is a candidate for the gating spring in fly mechanoreceptors.
Liang X, Madrid J, Gärtner R, Verbavatz JM, Schiklenk C, Wilsch-Bräuninger M, Bogdanova A, Stenger F, Voigt A, Howard J
Mechanoreceptors contain compliant elements, termed "gating springs," that transfer macroscopic stimuli impinging on the cells into microscopic stimuli that open the mechanosensitive channels. Evidence for gating springs comes from mechanical experiments; they have not been identified molecularly or ultrastructurally.