Ion channel profile of TRPM8 cold receptors reveals a role of TASK-3 potassium channels in thermosensation.

ABSTRACT: Animals sense cold ambient temperatures through the activation of peripheral thermoreceptors that express TRPM8, a cold- and menthol-activated ion channel. These receptors can discriminate a very wide range of temperatures from innocuous to noxious. The molecular mechanism responsible for the variable sensitivity of individual cold receptors to temperature is unclear. To address this question, we performed a detailed ion channel expression analysis of cold-sensitive neurons, combining bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenesis with a molecular-profiling approach in fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-purified TRPM8 neurons. We found that TASK-3 leak potassium channels are highly enriched in a subpopulation of these sensory neurons. The thermal threshold of TRPM8 cold neurons

SUBMITTER: Morenilla-Palao C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5724366 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature