Data from: Epithelial magnesium transport by TRPM6 is essential for prenatal development and adult survival

Mg2+ regulates many physiological processes and signalling pathways.
However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the organismal
balance of Mg2+. Capitalizing on a set of newly generated mouse models, we
provide an integrated mechanistic model of the regulation of organismal
Mg2+ balance during prenatal development and in adult mice by the ion
channel TRPM6. We show that TRPM6 activity in the placenta and yolk sac is
essential for embryonic development. In adult mice, TRPM6 is required in
the intestine to maintain organismal Mg2+ balance, but is dispensable in
the kidney. Trpm6 inactivation in adult mice leads to shortened lifespan,
growth deficit and metabolic alterations indicative of impaired energy
balance. Dietary Mg2+ supplementation not only rescues all phenotypes
displayed by Trpm6-deficient adult mice, but also may extend the lifespan
of wildtype mice. Hence, maintenance of organismal Mg2+ balance by TRPM6
is crucial for prenatal development and survival to adulthood.