ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

TRP Channels: Mechanisms, Functions, and Therapeutic Implications

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2025) | Viewed by 1228

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ophthalmology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Interests: transient receptor potential (TRP) channels; calcium signaling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Receptor activation induces downstream events that elicit a variety of responses in diverse cell types. Transient changes in intracellular calcium levels serve as second messengers in mediating the receptor control of cellular processes that are essential for maintaining cells’ function and longevity. For cells to maintain tissue homeostasis, they must express membrane-delimited ion permeation pathways, pumps, and exchangers, which, in concert, enable calcium to serve as a second messenger as long as its intracellular levels are maintained within a certain physiological range. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a class of non-selective ion channels that play a critical role, acting as sensors that enable Ca2+ to serve their essential function as a second messenger. These channels are found in numerous tissues and cell types and are phylogenetically very old; they sense temperature, pain, touch, vision, taste, and smell, and also regulate different cell processes. The function of most TRP channels, especially in non-excitable cells, requires further study. For this Special Issue of IJMS, we seek research and review articles that focus on the functional and pathophysiological roles of TRP channels in normal tissues and in tumorous pathophysiological conditions.

Dr. Stefan Mergler
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • transient receptor potential (TRP) channels
  • calcium signaling
  • ion channels
  • tissue homeostasis
  • receptor activation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 1031 KB  
Article
Determinants for Activation of the Ion Channel TRPV3 by Weak Acids
by Daniel Rudolf, Inês C. A. Pombeiro Stein, Toni Sturhahn, Julian Wunder, Axel Hage and Andreas Leffler
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(17), 8275; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26178275 - 26 Aug 2025
Viewed by 834
Abstract
Several transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channels are proton-sensitive, and recent structural studies have identified poorly conserved mechanisms for the proton sensitivity of TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPV5. While such detailed studies are lacking for TRPV3, three distinct intracellular motifs were suggested to [...] Read more.
Several transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channels are proton-sensitive, and recent structural studies have identified poorly conserved mechanisms for the proton sensitivity of TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPV5. While such detailed studies are lacking for TRPV3, three distinct intracellular motifs were suggested to be required for a direct channel activation by cytosolic acidification. In this study, we investigated if these mechanisms are also relevant for the activation of TRPV3 by weak acids. Wildtype (WT) and several mutants of human TRPV3 transiently expressed in HEK 293T cells were investigated by whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology. Cells expressing TRPV3-WT generated membrane currents induced by acetic acid (HOAc), formic acid and carbonic acid at pH 5.0. Activation induced by HOAc was concentration-dependent and increased with decreasing pH values. HOAc also strongly potentiated TRPV3-mediated responses to carvacrol and heat. Among the three suggested motifs for the binding of intracellular protons, only the mutant TRPV3-Asp512Ala exhibited an almost complete loss of HOAc sensitivity. The mutation of two C-terminal charged residues (Gln689/Asp727) even resulted in a clear gain of function for both HOAc and heat, and the mutation of the 2-APB-binding site His426 did not significantly abrogate HOAc sensitivity. Finally, insertion of the recently identified binding site in TRPV2 for the weak acid probenecid into TRPV3 (Glu216His) resulted in an increased HOAc sensitivity. To conclude, our data confirm that TRPV3 is sensitized and activated by several weak acids. While Asp512 appears to be a critical intracellular proton-modulating site, a more profound understanding of the mechanisms dictating the proton sensitivity of TRPV3 may require structural studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue TRP Channels: Mechanisms, Functions, and Therapeutic Implications)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop