TRP channels entering the structural era.
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are important in many neuronal and non-neuronal physiological processes. The past 2 years have seen much progress in the use of structural biology techniques to elucidate molecular mechanisms of TRP channel gating and regulation. Two approaches have proven fruitful: (i) a divide-and-conquer strategy has provided high-resolution structural details of TRP channel fragments although it fails to explain how these fragments are integrated in the full channel; and (ii) electron microscopy of entire TRP channels has yielded low-resolution images that provide a basis for testable models of TRP channel architecture. The results of each approach, summarized in this review, provide a preview of what the future holds in TRP channel structural biology.
Gaudet
Rachelle
R
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 01238, USA. gaudet@mcb.harvard.edu
D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D050052:TRPC Cation Channels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
D050052:TRPC Cation Channels