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Chemical biology

Sticky spices

Nature volume 445, pages 491–492 (2007)Cite this article

The spiciness of foods such as horseradish is perceived through sensory neurons of the pain pathway. The lingering pungency of some such foods results from chemical modification of the channels that trigger these neurons.

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Figure 1: TRPA1 activators.
Figure 2: Structure of one TRPA1 channel subunit.

Notes

  1. This article and the paper concerned5 were published online on 21 January 2007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Biological Chemistry and Neuroscience, and the Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, 21205, Maryland, USA

    Michael J. Caterina

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  1. Michael J. Caterina
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Caterina, M. Sticky spices. Nature 445, 491–492 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05565

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