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  • 45494731324266422752366233064510921136891548PublicAssets/3747The TRPA1 protein is responsible for the burn you feel when you taste a bite of sushi topped with wasabi. Known therefore informally as the "wasabi receptor," this protein forms pores in the membranes of nerve cells that sense tastes or odors. Pungent chemicals like wasabi or mustard oil cause the pores to open, which then triggers a tingling or burn on our tongue. This receptor also produces feelings of pain in response to chemicals produced within our own bodies when our tissues are damaged or inflamed. Researchers used cryo-EM to reveal the structure of the wasabi receptor at a resolution of about 4 angstroms (a credit card is about 8 million angstroms thick). This detailed structure can help scientists understand both how we feel pain and how we can limit it by developing therapies to block the receptor. For more on cryo-EM see the blog post <a href="https://biobeat.nigms.nih.gov/2016/02/cryo-electron-microscopy-reveals-molecules-in-ever-greater-detail/">Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Molecules in Ever Greater Detail</a>.Jean-Paul Armache, UCSFJean-Paul Armache and Yifan Cheng, HHMI, UCSFIllustration

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    Chemistry, Biochemistry, and PharmacologyMolecular StructuresTools and Techniques

    Cryo-electron microscopy revealing the "wasabi receptor"

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    The TRPA1 protein is responsible for the burn you feel when you taste a bite of sushi topped with wasabi. Known therefore informally as the "wasabi receptor," this protein forms pores in the membranes of nerve cells that sense tastes or odors. Pungent chemicals like wasabi or mustard oil cause the pores to open, which then triggers a tingling or burn on our tongue. This receptor also produces feelings of pain in response to chemicals produced within our own bodies when our tissues are damaged or inflamed. Researchers used cryo-EM to reveal the structure of the wasabi receptor at a resolution of about 4 angstroms (a credit card is about 8 million angstroms thick). This detailed structure can help scientists understand both how we feel pain and how we can limit it by developing therapies to block the receptor. For more on cryo-EM see the blog post Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Molecules in Ever Greater Detail.

    Source

    Jean-Paul Armache, UCSF

    Credit Line

    Jean-Paul Armache and Yifan Cheng, HHMI, UCSF

    Record Type

    Illustration

    ID

    3747

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