Gianluca Tomasello’s Post

View profile for Gianluca Tomasello, graphic

Molecular Illustrator | Founder & Developer at 3D Protein Imaging

Who doesn’t like spicy food? How do you feel when you accidentally bite into a hot chili? The burning sensation comes from capsaicin, a compound that induces thermogenesis, tricking our body into thinking it's experiencing a real burn. Capsaicin, part of the vanilloid family, binds as an agonist to the TRPV1 receptor, a transmembrane ion channel. TRPV1 is also stimulated by temperature changes, pH changes, physical abrasion, and endogenous lipids. When activated, it starts a depolarization cascade, allowing sodium and calcium ions to flow in. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that capsaicin can flip from extracellular to intracellular, entering the TRPV1 binding site. In mammals, high temperature detection is carried out by primary afferent neurons expressing TRP channels. Some species, like the 13-lined ground squirrel, have evolved to withstand high environmental heat by modifying TRPV1.  TRP channels are polymodal molecular sensors involved in many physiological processes and human diseases. Here, the structure of the full-length thirteen-lined ground squirrel TRPV1 in complex with capsaicin, solved by cryo-EM, reveals how the S5-P-loops form an extracellular cap domain critical for channel conductance, open probability, and ion selectivity. The C-terminus of TRPV1 stabilizes the intracellular skirt through numerous interactions. Given their role in various physiological and pathophysiological processes, TRPV channels are promising drug targets. (PDB:7LR0) Rendering by Suhaila Rahman (@sophie.rheave) made with #proteinimager 3D view: https://lnkd.in/d8k2GJ2E #sciart #cryoem #ionchannel #capsaicin #TRPV1 #structuralbiology #molecularart

  • No alternative text description for this image
Dinah Farrington

Biochemist researcher, Physical sciences Teacher

7mo

The zest & ZING of spicy Chiles, well explained!

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics