Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Channels / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Transient receptor potential (TRP) protein is a superfamily of cation channels which have 6 transmembrane 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 transducers. Especially, TRP channels have key roles in thermosensation, mechanosensation, taste, trigeminal olfaction and nociception. Therefore, TRP channels can be important subjects of research in ENT field.