the-aps.org>meetings>eb

Temperature Sensing by TRP Channels
Sponsored by APS Cell and Molecular Physiology Section
Channels and Transporters Track

The sensation of temperature has been one of the least understood sensory modalities, partially because the molecular detectors of thermal stimuli had remained elusive.  However, intense study into the molecular mechanisms that underlie thermosensation has recently identified a number of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels that likely serve as the major temperature detectors in thermoreceptive cells.  The cloning of these thermoTRPs has accelerated our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying thermosensation at the molecular and cellular levels.  Moreover, identification of these channels has significantly benefited research at the system level, as well as the search for therapeutics that treat disorders of temperature regulation and pain.  Progress in this field has come to a stage where diverse paradigms are being proposed based on these fresh discoveries, as novel techniques are introduced and new data are quickly accumulated.  This symposium will provide a platform to update the latest research developments on TRP channels and their role in temperature sensing.