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Review
. 2015 May 26;2(2):178-87.
doi: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1040604. eCollection 2015 Apr-Jun.

TRP ion channels in thermosensation, thermoregulation and metabolism

Hong Wang  1 , Jan Siemens  1
Affiliations
Review

TRP ion channels in thermosensation, thermoregulation and metabolism

Hong Wang et al. Temperature (Austin). .

Abstract

In humans, the TRP superfamily of cation channels includes 27 related molecules that respond to a remarkable variety of chemical and physical stimuli. While physiological roles for many TRP channels remain unknown, over the past years several have been shown to function as molecular sensors in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. In particular, TRP channels are now known to constitute important components of sensory systems, where they participate in the detection or transduction of osmotic, mechanical, thermal, or chemosensory stimuli. We here summarize our current understanding of the role individual members of this versatile receptor family play in thermosensation and thermoregulation, and also touch upon their immerging role in metabolic control.

Keywords: BBB, blood-brain barrier; CFO, circumferential organ; DRG, dorsal root ganglion; POA/AH, preoptic area and anterior hypothalamus; TG, trigeminal ganglion; TRP ion channels; TRP, transient receptor potential; Tb, body core temperature; dorsal root ganglion; hypothalamus; nociception; somatosensation; temperature homeostasis; thermoregulation; thermosensation.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Temperature Sensitive (TRP) Ion Channels. (A) The cartoon illustrates the different ion-selectivity and current directionality of temperature-sensitive ion channels that reside in primary afferent sensory neurons detecting warm and cold temperatures, respectively. Modified with permission from ref. 51. (B) The graphs schematically depict temperature activation curves of warm/hot sensitive ion channels (upper panel) and cold sensitive channels (lower panel) that are found in primary afferent temperature-sensitive sensory neurons as depicted in (A).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Simplified cartoon depicting thermoregulatory pathways. Peripheral thermoreceptors detect environmental and visceral temperatures and report these to the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic temperature receptors detect internal temperature. The thermoregulatory center initiates heat-loss or heat-gain responses in peripheral organs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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