Physiological roles of the TRPM4 channel extracted from background currents.

Calcium-activated nonselective cationic currents have been known for 30 years, but their physiological implications have remained unresolved until the recent cloning of the TRPM4 ion channel. Since then, TRPM4 has been identified as a key modulator of numerous calcium-dependent mechanisms such as the immune response, insulin secretion, cerebral artery constriction, respiratory rhythm, and cardiac conduction.