Activation of TRP Channels in Mammalian Systems

Excerpt

Cation channels encoded by the gene superfamily of transient receptor potentials (TRPs) are characterized by a wide variety of activation triggers that act from outside and inside the cell.^, Because of the molecular identification of Drosophila TRP, functional characterizations of recombinant TRP homologues and gene knockout mice have indeed revealed a plethora of stimuli that activate TRP channels (Table 3.1). In addition, respective TRP homologues are susceptible to multiple activation triggers and can function as multimodal sensors. This diversity in activation properties likely contributes to widening the body’s ability to react and adapt to different forms of environmental change by sensing and integrating information. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the activation triggers for mammalian TRP channels and discuss the physiological significance of activation sensitivity. Because we concentrate on “mammalian” TRPs here, readers who are interested in activation of invertebrate TRPs are referred to Chapters 20 and 21 of this book and other excellent reviews.^–