Product Code Database
TRPN is a member of the transient receptor potential channel protein family of , which is a diverse group of proteins thought to be involved in mechanoreception. The TRPN gene was given the name no mechanoreceptor potential C ( nompC) when it was first discovered in fruit flies, hence the N in TRPN. Since its discovery in fruit flies, TRPN protein homology have been discovered and characterized in worms, frogs, and zebrafish.
Studies in worms have shown that TRPN mutants have locomotion defects, as well as a decreased basal slowing response, which is a reduction in rate of motion that is induced by contact with a food source. This result further strengthens the hypothesis that TRPN is vital to proprioception. Electrophysiological studies of single channels in worms have shown that TRPN responds to mechanical stimuli and has a preference for sodium ions, although a complete ion selectivity profile has yet to be identified.
Studies in zebrafish larvae have also shown that morpholino-mediated Gene knockdown of TRPN function result in deafness as well as imbalance, suggesting a dual role in hearing as well as proprioception. Immunostaining studies in frog embryos have shown localization of TRPN at the tips of mechanosensory cilia in the lateral line, and ciliated epidermal cells, suggesting a role in a variety of mechanosensory functions. TRPN localizes to the kinocilia, not stereocilia, of amphibian hair cells, suggesting the presence of two distinct classes of mechanosensitive channel.
TRPN has the capability of performing a variety of roles in mechanosensory systems.
The following is a list of genes encoding TRPN organized by the organism in which they are found. Gene names are specific to the organism and to the way in which they were discovered, which is why the gene name may not explicitly be "TRPN". Links to the NCBI Gene database are included whenever possible.
|
|
