Key Amino Acids Influence Cold Sensitivity in Salamander TRPM8 Channels

Research published in FEBS Open Bio indicates that the transient receptor potential channel TRPM8 from several salamander species, which prefer cooler environments, exhibits significantly diminished cold sensitivity compared to TRPM8 from frogs, which prefer warmer climates. This channel is involved in sensing environmental temperature.

Investigators at the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Japan, determined that 8 amino acids at the N-terminus of the TRPM8 protein in cold-preferring salamanders influence the channel's low temperature sensitivity. Further work is needed to understand how these specific amino acids regulate the cold-induced opening of the TRPM8 channel.

The findings provide initial insights into the amino acid-level changes in temperature-sensing channels linked to the reduced cold sensitivity in tailed amphibians.

Co-corresponding author Osamu Saitoh stated that the research is expected to contribute to clarifying the mechanisms by which animal diversity has evolved in various temperature environments. Co-corresponding author Shogo Hori noted the paper's novel findings regarding the characteristic evolutionary adaptation of TRPM8 cold sensitivity in salamanders.