2019 Volume 59 Issue 1 Pages 005-008
Thermal perception is an essential physiological system for responding to ambient temperature fluctuations, and thus likely plays crucial roles in evolutionary adaptation. Thermosensitive transient receptor potential (thermoTRP) channels serve as temperature sensors. They are multimodal receptors that are activated by thermal stimuli as well as various chemicals. The properties of thermoTRP channels have varied among diverse animal species. In addition, comparative analyses among closely related species inhabiting different thermal niches revealed that property of thermoTRP channels changed during adaptation processes. Here we introduce evolutionary changes and their structural basis for the functional diversity of thermoTRP channels.
