Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Channels

Abstract

Transient receptor potential (TRP) protein is a superfamily of cation channels which have 6 trans-membrane domains and mainly pass calcium ion through themselves. There are seven types of subfamilies in the TRP superfamily. TRP channels can be activated by various kinds of stimuli. Some TRP channels are polymodal receptors because two or more types of stimuli can activate the same type of TRP channels. TRP proteins can play roles in a living organism as receptors for sensing outside stimuli or inside local stimuli of itself, as signal conductors, or as signal trans-ducers. Especially, TRP channels have key roles in thermosensation, mechanosensation, taste, tri-geminal olfaction and nociception. Therefore, TRP channels can be important subjects of re-search in ENT field.