Abstract

Temperature activated TRP channels or thermoTRPs are among the only proteins that can directly convert temperature changes into changes in channel open probability. In spite of a wealth of functional and structural information, the mechanism of temperature activation remains unknown. We have carefully characterized the repeated activation of TRPV1 by thermal stimuli and discovered a previously unknown inactivation process, which is irreversible. We propose that this form of gating in TRPV1 channels is a consequence of the heat absorption process that leads to channel opening.

Data availability

Summary data for Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 have been provided as source data files. The electrophysiological recordings will be made available upon request to the corresponding author.

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Ana Sánchez-Moreno

    Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  2. Eduardo Guevara-Hernández

    Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  3. Ricardo Contreras-Cervera

    Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  4. Gisela Rangel-Yescas

    Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  5. Ernesto Ladrón-de-Guevara

    Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  6. Tamara Rosenbaum

    Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    Competing interests
    No competing interests declared.
  7. Leon D Islas

    Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
    For correspondence
    leon.islas@gmail.com
    Competing interests
    Leon D Islas, Reviewing editor, eLife.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-7461-5214

Funding

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CB-2015-252644)

  • Leon D Islas

DGAPA-PAPIIT-UNAM (IN209515)

  • Leon D Islas

DGAPA-PAPIITT-UNAM (IN200717)

  • Tamara Rosenbaum

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CB-2014-01-238399)

  • Tamara Rosenbaum

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Fronteras de la Ciencia 77)

  • Tamara Rosenbaum
  • Leon D Islas

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

© 2018, Sánchez-Moreno et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.36372

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