Biophysical analysis of thermosensitive TRP channels with a special focus on the cold receptor TRPM8
نویسندگان
چکیده
Mammals maintain homeostatic control of their body temperature. Therefore, these organisms are expected to have adaptations that confer the ability to detect and react to both self and ambient temperature. Temperature-activated ion channels have been discovered to be the primary molecular determinants of thermosensation. The most representative group of these determinants constitutes members of the transient receptor potential superfamily, TRP, which are activated by either low or high temperatures covering the whole range of physiologically relevant temperatures. This review makes a critical assessment of existing analytical methods of temperature-activated TRP channel mechanisms using the cold-activated TRPM8 channel as a paradigm.
منابع مشابه
Scraping through the ice: uncovering the role of TRPM8 in cold transduction.
The proper detection of environmental temperatures is essential for the optimal growth and survival of organisms of all shapes and phyla, yet only recently have the molecular mechanisms for temperature sensing been elucidated. The discovery of temperature-sensitive ion channels of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily has been pivotal in explaining how temperatures are sensed in vi...
متن کاملThermal gating of TRP ion channels: food for thought?
Members of the family of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels mediate a wide range of sensory modalities, including thermosensation and taste. Among the "thermo-TRPs," some, such as TRPV1, are activated by warm temperatures, whereas others, such as TRPM8, are activated by cold. How is temperature able to have such strong and opposing effects on these related channels? Although at a s...
متن کاملThermosensitive TRP ion channels mediate cytosolic calcium response in human synoviocytes.
The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are important membrane sensors, responding to thermal, chemical, osmotic, or mechanical stimuli by activation of calcium and sodium fluxes. In this study, three distinct TRP channels were detected and their role established in mediating cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](cyt)) response in tumor-derived SW982 synoviocytes and primary cu...
متن کاملHow cold is it? TRPM8 and TRPA1 in the molecular logic of cold sensation
Recognition of temperature is a critical element of sensory perception and allows us to evaluate both our external and internal environments. In vertebrates, the somatosensory system can discriminate discrete changes in ambient temperature, which activate nerve endings of primary afferent fibers. These thermosensitive nerves can be further segregated into those that detect either innocuous or n...
متن کاملTemperature-sensitive transient receptor potential channels in corneal tissue layers and cells.
We here provide a brief summary of the characteristics of transient receptor potential channels (TRPs) identified in corneal tissue layers and cells. In general, TRPs are nonselective cation channels which are Ca(2+) permeable. Most TRPs serve as thermosensitive molecular sensors (thermo-TRPs). Based on their functional importance, the possibilities are described for drug-targeting TRP activity...
متن کامل