Interspecies difference in activation of TRPA1 by ferulic acid analogues

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrated the activation of human and mouse TRPA1s (hTRPA1 and mTRPA1, respectively) by ferulic acid and its 6 analogues. Among them, methyl ferulate (MF) and ethyl ferulate (EF) activated both hTRPA1 and mTRPA1 with hTRPA1 being activated at lower concentration ranges. Mutations at V875G in hTRPA1 and G878V in mTRPA1, which have been shown to be involved in species differences in the TRPA1-activation by menthol, had no effect on the affinity of MF and EF to hTRPA1 and mTRPA1. These results suggest that MF and EF interacts with amino acid residue(s) different from those crucial in the case of menthol.