Intracellular trafficking of TRP channels

Thirteen years ago, it was suggested that exocytotic insertion of store-operated channels into the plasma membrane lead to increased Ca2+ entry in non-excitable cells upon G protein-coupled or tyrosine kinase receptor stimulation. Since the discovery of the TRP channel superfamily and their involvement in receptor-induced Ca2+ entry, many studies have shown that different members of the TRP superfamily translocate into the plasma membrane upon stimulation. While the exact molecular mechanism by which TRP channels insert into the plasma membrane is unknown, TRP-binding proteins have been shown to directly regulate this trafficking. This review summarizes recent advances related to the mechanism of TRP channel trafficking, focusing on the role of TRP-binding proteins. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.