Calcium-impermeable monovalent cation channels: a TRP connection?

The TRP superfamily of cation channels.

The transient receptor potential (TRP) protein superfamily consists of a diverse group of cation channels that bear structural similarities to Drosophila TRP. TRP channels play important roles in nonexcitable cells; however, an emerging theme is that many TRP-related proteins are expressed predominantly in the nervous system and function in sensory physiology. The TRP superfamily is divided int...

Regulation of TRP channels: a voltage-lipid connection.

TRP (transient receptor potential) channels respond to a plethora of stimuli in a fine-tuned manner. We show here that both membrane potential and the level of PI (phosphatidylinositol) phosphates are efficient regulators of TRP channel gating. Recent work has shown that this regulation applies to several members of the TRPV (TRP vanilloid) subfamily (TRPV1 and TRPV5) and the TRPM (TRP melastat...

A unified nomenclature for the superfamily of TRP cation channels.

The TRP superfamily includes a diversity of non-voltagegated cation channels that vary significantly in their selectivity and mode of activation. Nevertheless, members of the TRP superfamily share significant sequence homology and predicted structural similarities. Currently, most of the genes and proteins that comprise the TRP superfamily have multiple names and, in at least one instance, two ...

Calcium Channels Formed by Mammalian Trp Homologues.

Homologues of Drosophila trp genes have been isolated from mammalian species in hope that they may constitute the molecular basis of capacitative Ca(2+) entry. Expression of Trps suggests that they form Ca(2+) influx channels regulated by either store depletion or a more upstream event. Store-operated Trp channels can be formed by heteromultimerization.

TRP channels and calcium entry in human platelets.