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Thermosensitive TRPM2: The regulatory mechanisms of its temperature sensitivity and physiological functions
1Department of Cell Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan.
Abstract:
Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is a non-selective cation channel with high Ca2+ permeability. TRPM2 exhibits temperature sensitivity, detecting warm to noxious high temperatures. This temperature sensitivity is regulated by several endogenous factors, including reactive oxygen species, adenosine diphosphate ribose, Ca2+ ions, and TRPM2 phosphorylation by protein kinase C, which alter TRPM2 activity at body temperature. Consequently, at core body temperature, TRPM2 regulates the physiological functions of TRPM2-expressing cells and tissues, such as immunocytes, pancreatic β cells, and the brain. In contrast, TRPM2 in sensory neurons detects warm temperatures. The current review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of TRPM2 and its roles in physiological processes, focusing on temperature-dependent phenomena.
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