Since the first TRP ion channel was discovered in Drosophila melanogaster in 1989, the progress made in this area of signaling research has yielded findings that offer the potential to dramatically impact human health and wellness. Involved in gateway activity for all five of our senses, TRP channels have been shown to respond to a wide range of stimuli from both within and outside the cell body. How we sense heat and cold, how we taste food, how eggs are fertilized, how the heart expands and contracts is each dependent on the function of these channels. While no single book could possibly cover all the research being undertaken, TRP Ion Channel Function in Sensory Transduction and Cellular Signaling Cascades presents the most advanced compilation of work in this area to date. All 31 chapters are written by international pioneers working at the vanguard of TRP ion channel research. They explain much about the pivotal function and behavior of these channels, which are most exquisitely tuned to their specific tasks, and delve into how researchers are putting this knowledge to use in the development of novel pharmaceuticals, which may well prove effective in ameliorating treatment-resistant conditions including cancer, heart disease, inflammation, and immune system dysfunctions. Individual chapters shed light on selected topics of interest in the TRP arena, such as signal transduction in axonal path-finding, and in vascular, renal, and auditory functions, as well as pain. The text also covers subjects as diverse as mating and fertilization, inflammatory pain, and mechanisms of pheromone detection in mammals. While the book presents much new insight and explores findings that will be of interest to those involved with advanced research, it also includes significant background material for those looking to familiarize themselves with this exceptionally promising path of inquiry.

Table of Contents:
Expression-cloning of TRPV1 and Role In Vivo. Role of the TRPV1 Gene in Live Animals. Chemical Genetics Approaches to Identify Functional Properties of TRPV1. Structure-Function Studies of TRPV1 and Related Channels. Activation of TRPV2 by Thermal Stimuli. Activation of TRPV2 by Growth-Factors and Osmo-Mechanical Stimuli. Activation of TRPV3 by Thermal Stimuli in Keratinocytes. Mechanisms of Activation of TRPV3. Role of TRPV3 in Sensory Transduction in Nociception. Role of TRPV4 in Live Animals in Transduction of Osmotic and Mechanical Stimuli. Physiological Role of TRPV4 in Epithelial Cells. Mechanisms of Activation of TRPV4. Molecular Mechanisms of TRPV4 Activation by Lipid Mediators. Expression Cloning of TRPV5 and 6. Function of TRPV5 in Epithelial Cells. Role of TRPM5 in Transduction of Taste Stimuli. Function of TRPM5 in Live Animals. Expression Cloning of TRPM8. Functional Properties of TRPM8. Role of TRPV Channels in Sensory Physiology of C. elegans. Rescue of C. elegans TRPV Mutants by Mammalian TRPV Channels: Insights into Evolutionary Function. Deafness in Flies due to TRPV Channel Mutations. NompC Channel in Invertebrate MEchanotransduction. Molecular Mechanisms of Inner Ear Function in Fish. Forwards Genetics Screening for Nociception in Drosophila. Inner Ear Function and TRP Channels. Molecular Mechanisms of Olfactory and Pheromone Transduction. TRP Channels in Renal Physiology and Disease. Functional Properties of PKD-2 TRP-like Channel. Role of TRP-like Channels in C. elegans Mating Behavior. Role of TRP and TRP-like Channels in Male Reproductive Function. Phototransduction in Drosophila: Re-assessment of the Role of TRP Ion Channels. Molecular Mechanisms of Activation of TRPC1 in the Nervous System. Molecular Mechanisms of Modulation of TRP Channel Activity by Lipid Modulators. TRP Channel Proteomics. Are TRP Ion Channels Store-Operated Ca-channels? Modes of Activation of TRPC Channels. Voltage-Dependence of Thermo-TRPs. Structural Investigations of TRP Channels and Commonalities to K+ Channels. Intracellular Trafficking and Exocytosis of TRP Ion Channels.