Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

A Simple and Inexpensive Method for Determining Cold Sensitivity and Adaptation in Mice
Published on: March 17, 2015
A temperature-sensitive TRP ion channel, Painless, functions as a noxious heat sensor in fruit flies
Takaaki Sokabe1, Makoto Tominaga
1Section of Cell Signaling; Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience (National Institute for Physiological Sciences); National Institutes of Natural Sciences; Okazaki, Japan.
Abstract:
Animals must be capable of sensing hazardous temperatures to avoid physical injury. Recent progress has revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying this capability. This essential function requires a subset of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channel family in both mammals and Drosophila. We recently showed that a Drosophila TRP channel, dubbed Painless, possesses heat sensitivity that is essential for avoidance of noxious heat. The temperature threshold for Painless activation is consistent with the temperatures that cause avoidance behaviors in vivo, indicating that Painless acts as a primary noxious heat detector in Drosophila. In this review, we summarize the properties of temperature-sensitive TRP channels, including Painless, in fruit flies.
Related Concept Videos
Thermosensation
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
Pain
Sensory Functions of the Skin
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Nociception
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.

