title: Thermodynamic implications of high Q 10 of thermo-TRP channels in living cells.
abstract: The activity of thermo-transient receptor potential (TRP) channels is highly dependent on temperature, and thus thermo-TRP reactions have a high temperature coefficient Q 10. In thermodynamics, a high value of Q 10 indicates the existence of a large activation energy (i.e., a large enthalpy) over a short period during the transition process between the closed and open states of the channels. The Gibbs free energy equation shows that a large entropy is required to compensate for this large enthalpy and permit activation of the channels, suggesting a large conformational change of the channels. These large values of enthalpy and entropy seem to be a match for the values of the unfolding process of globular proteins. We outline these thermodynamic issues in thermo-TRPs.
authors: Kagawa School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Sanuki 769-2193, Japan.
authors: Etsuro
authors: E
authors: Ito
authors: Faculty of Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan.
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Ikemoto
authors: Graduate Institute of Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
authors: Tohru
authors: T
authors: Yoshioka
keywords: Q10; TRP channel; enthalpy; entropy; temperature dependency