Structurally, members of this family possess a number of similar characteristics, including 3 or 4 ankyrin repeats near the N-terminus and a TRP box motif containing the invariant EWKFAR sequence at the proximal C-terminus.
The TRPC channels are suspected of responding to an overload of hormonal and mechanical stimulation in cardiovascular disease, contributing to pathological remodelling of the heart.
[7] TRPC1 channels are activated by receptors coupled to phospholipase C (PLC), mechanical stimulation, and depletion of intracellular calcium stores.
[7] TRPC1 channels mediate smooth muscle proliferation in the presence of pathological stimuli which contributes to hypertension.
[7] Both these TRPC channel types play a role in cardiac hypertrophy and vascular disease like TRPC1.
[9] Pathological stress or hypertrophic agonists will trigger G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and activates PLC to form DAG and inositol triphosphate (IP3).
This creates a positive feedback loop, leading to a state of hypertrophic gene expression and thus, cardiac growth and remodelling of the heart.
[9] TRPC channel's involvement in well studied signaling pathways and significance in gene impact on human diseases make it a potential target for drug therapy.