TRP channel classification

Abstract

The transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are named after the discovery of the photo-transducted channels in Drosophila. TRPs, activated by various extracellular and intracellular stimuli, play a plethora of physiological and pathological roles. There are seven families of TRPs including TRPC (canonical), TRPV (vanilloid), TRPM (melastatin), TRPA (ankyrin), TRPP (polycystin), TRPML (mucolipin), and TRPN (Drosophila NOMPC) in mammals. In yeast, the eighth TRP family was recently identified and named as TRPY. We here briefly summarize the classification and function of TRP cation channel superfamily.