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A Simple and Inexpensive Method for Determining Cold Sensitivity and Adaptation in Mice
Published on: March 17, 2015
Cold sensitivity of recombinant TRPA1 channels
Yosuke Sawada1, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Aiko Hori
1Division of Biological Information, Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Brain Research
|June 26, 2007
Summary
Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channels are activated by deep cooling. This study confirms TRPA1
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, including TRPM8 and TRPA1, are implicated in thermosensation.
- TRPM8 is accepted as a moderate cooling receptor, but TRPA1's role in deep cooling sensation remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thermal sensitivity of TRPA1 channels in response to deep cooling.
- To determine if TRPA1 functions as a deep cooling-activated receptor.
Main Methods:
- Utilized calcium (Ca2+) imaging and patch-clamp recordings.
- Examined primary cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and mouse TRPA1-expressing human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells.
- Tested responses to deep cooling (5-18°C) and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a TRPA1 agonist.
Main Results:
- Deep cooling and AITC activated TRPA1 channels in both DRG neurons and HEK293 cells, evidenced by increased intracellular Ca2+ levels and whole-cell currents.
- In excised patches, AITC and deep cooling activated the same channels, which were inhibited by camphor.
- Deep cooling increased the open probability of TRPA1 channels below 18°C.
Conclusions:
- TRPA1 is confirmed as a deep cooling-activated ion channel.
- The findings support previous research suggesting TRPA1's role in sensing deep cold stimuli.
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