title: The capsaicin receptor: a heat-activated ion channel in the pain pathway.
abstract: Capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient in 'hot' chilli peppers, elicits a sensation of burning pain by selectively activating sensory neurons that convey information about noxious stimuli to the central nervous system. We have used an expression cloning strategy based on calcium influx to isolate a functional cDNA encoding a capsaicin receptor from sensory neurons. This receptor is a non-selective cation channel that is structurally related to members of the TRP family of ion channels. The cloned capsaicin receptor is also activated by increases in temperature in the noxious range, suggesting that it functions as a transducer of painful thermal stimuli in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0450, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Caterina
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Julius
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000737:chemistry; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002212:Capsicum; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011522:Protons; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011522:Protons; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; C063169:trp protein, Drosophila; D002211:Capsaicin; D002118:Calcium