The short transient receptor potential channel 4 (TrpC4), also known as Trp-related protein 4, is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''TRPC4''

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

Function

TrpC4 is a member of the

transient receptor potential cation channel Transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels) are a group of ion channels located mostly on the plasma membrane of numerous animal cell types. Most of these are grouped into two broad groups: Group 1 includes TRPC ( "C" for canonical), TRP ...

s. This protein forms a non-selective calcium-permeable cation channel that is activated by Gαi-coupled receptors, Gαq- coupled receptors and

tyrosine kinase A tyrosine kinase is an enzyme that can transfer a phosphate group from ATP to the tyrosine residues of specific proteins inside a cell. It functions as an "on" or "off" switch in many cellular functions. Tyrosine kinases belong to a larger cla ...

s, and plays a role in multiple processes including

endothelial The endothelium (: endothelia) is a single layer of squamous endothelial cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. The endothelium forms an interface between circulating blood or lymph in the lumen and the res ...

permeability,

vasodilation Vasodilation, also known as vasorelaxation, is the widening of blood vessels. It results from relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, in particular in the large veins, large arteries, and smaller arterioles. Blood vessel wa ...

neurotransmitter A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a Chemical synapse, synapse. The cell receiving the signal, or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell. Neurotra ...

release and cell proliferation.

Tissue distribution

The nonselective cation channel TrpC4 has been shown to be present in high abundance in the cortico-

limbic The limbic system, also known as the paleomammalian cortex, is a set of brain structures located on both sides of the thalamus, immediately beneath the medial temporal lobe of the cerebrum primarily in the forebrain.Schacter, Daniel L. 2012. ''P ...

regions of the brain. In addition, TRPC4 mRNA is present in midbrain

dopaminergic Dopaminergic means "related to dopamine" (literally, "working on dopamine"), a common neurotransmitter. Dopaminergic substances or actions increase dopamine-related activity in the brain. Dopaminergic pathways, Dopaminergic brain pathways facil ...

neurons in the

ventral tegmental area The ventral tegmental area (VTA) (tegmentum is Latin for ''covering''), also known as the ventral tegmental area of Tsai, or simply ventral tegmentum, is a group of neurons located close to the midline on the floor of the midbrain. The VTA is th ...

and the

substantia nigra The substantia nigra (SN) is a basal ganglia structure located in the midbrain that plays an important role in reward and movement. ''Substantia nigra'' is Latin for "black substance", reflecting the fact that parts of the substantia nigra a ...

Roles

Deletion of the ''trpc4'' gene decreases levels of sociability in a social exploration task. These results suggest that TRPC4 may play a role in regulating social anxiety in a number of different disorders. However deletion of the trpc4 gene had no impact on basic or complex strategic learning. Given that the trpc4 gene is expressed in a select population of midbrain dopamine neurons, it has been proposed that it may have an important role in dopamine related processes including addiction and attention.

Clinical significance

Single nucleotide polymorphism In genetics and bioinformatics, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP ; plural SNPs ) is a germline substitution of a single nucleotide at a specific position in the genome. Although certain definitions require the substitution to be present in ...

s in this gene may be associated with

generalized epilepsy Generalized epilepsy is a form of epilepsy characterized by generalized seizures that occur with no obvious cause. Generalized seizures, as opposed to focal seizures, are a type of seizure that manifests as impaired consciousness, bilateral moto ...

with

photosensitivity Photosensitivity is the amount to which an object reacts upon receiving photons, especially visible light. In medicine, the term is principally used for abnormal reactions of the skin, and two types are distinguished, photoallergy and phototoxicit ...

Interactions

TRPC4 has been shown to interact with

ITPR1 Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ITPR1'' gene. Interactions ITPR1 has been shown to interact with: * AHCYL1, * CA8, * EPB41L1 * FKBP1A, * MRVI1, * PRKG1, * RHOA Tran ...

TRPC1 Transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''TRPC1'' gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of n ...

, and TRPC5.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Trpc4 Ion channels