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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

The Use of the Patch-Clamp Technique to Study the Thermogenic Capacity of Mitochondria
Published on: May 3, 2021
Involvement of thermosensitive TRP channels in energy metabolism
Kunitoshi Uchida1,2,3, Katsuya Dezaki4, Takeshi Yoneshiro5
1Division of Cell Signaling, Okazaki Institute for Integrative Biosciences (National Institute for Physiological Sciences), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan. uchida@college.fdcnet.ac.jp.
Abstract:
To date, 11 thermosensitive transient receptor potential (thermo-TRP) channels have been identified. Recent studies have characterized the mechanism of thermosensing by thermo-TRPs and the physiological role of thermo-TRPs in energy metabolism. In this review, we highlight the role of various thermo-TRPs in energy metabolism and hormone secretion. In the pancreas, TRPM2 and other TRPs regulate insulin secretion. TRPV2 expressed in brown adipocytes contributes to differentiation and/or thermogenesis. Sensory nerves that express TRPV1 promote increased energy expenditure by activating sympathetic nerves and adrenaline secretion. Here, we first show that capsaicin-induced adrenaline secretion is completely impaired in TRPV1 knockout mice. The thermogenic effects of TRPV1 agonists are attributable to brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation in mice and humans. Moreover, TRPA1- and TRPM8-expressing sensory nerves also contribute to potentiation of BAT thermogenesis and energy expenditure in mice. Together, thermo-TRPs are promising targets for combating obesity and metabolic disorders.
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