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10 0 - EleA@UniSA - Università degli Studi di Salerno

10 0 - EleA@UniSA - Università degli Studi di Salerno

10 0 - EleA@UniSA - Università degli Studi di Salerno

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The origin of the <strong>di</strong>scovery of the TRP (Transient receptor potential) channels<br />

can be traced back to the 1960s, when a Drosophila mutant was found to show<br />

a transient response to prolonged bright light . The trp gene was cloned in 1989,<br />

and was shown to encode a light-activated Ca2+ channel (TRP) in Drosophila.<br />

Later stu<strong>di</strong>es provided evidence for the existence of many <strong>di</strong>fferent TRP<br />

homologues. The mammalian TRP channel family contains ∼30 members,<br />

which can be <strong>di</strong>vided into at least seven subfamilies (TRPA, TRPC, TRPM,<br />

TRPML, TRPN, TRPP and TRPV1-4). Thermo-TRPs currently comprise nine<br />

members from the TRPV (TRPV1–4), TRPM (M2 to M8) and TRPA (TRPA1)<br />

subfamilies.<br />

Each thermo-TRP is activated over a specific temperature range, and when<br />

working together in vivo they cover a wide cumulative temperature range from<br />

noxious heat (>52 C°) to noxious cold (

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