TRP ÑHANNELS IN THE ENDOSOMAL PATHWAY.

The TRP (transient receptor potential) superfamily consists of a wide range of cation channels with different physiological functions and different cellular distribution. The TRP channels are implicated in pain perception, hearing and temperature sensation, photoreception, mechanotransduction, Ca2+-(re)absorption, cell proliferation and differentiation. Initially it was believed that TRP channels exist exclusively in the plasma membrane of the cells. Now this view is changing, since many members of this superfamily were found in the intracellular organelles where they successfully fulfill their conductive function. This review presents the current data concerning the members of the superfamily of TRP, which are integrated into the intracellular compartments. The role of TRP channels in the complicated and multicomponent machinery of endosomal pathways is analyzed.