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Nature Neuroscience 11, 528–529 (1 May 2008) | doi:10.1038/nn0508-528

Fire in the hole: pore dilation of the capsaicin receptor TRPV1

Diana Bautista & David Julius

Ion channels are generally described by bedrock characteristics that include such parameters as ionic selectivity, conductance, voltage sensitivity, sensitization and inactivation, and pharmacological profiles, among others. Although many of these properties are subject to modulation, ion selectivity is generally considered to be an invariant functional fingerprint that does not change in response to different physiological conditions.