Complexity Digest 2002.11 - 11.02
18-Mar-2002
Excerpts: The first study (...) reports the
identification of a receptor for cold. The authors cloned a receptor from
trigeminal sensory neurons that is activated both by cool or cold stimuli and
by menthol, which is often used in studies of cold because it gives a similar
sensation. The 'cold- and menthol-sensitive receptor', or CMR1, is a member of
the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of excitatory ion channels. When
CMR1 is activated by menthol or cold, it opens and allows the influx of
calcium ions, leading to depolarization and the generation of action
potentials.
