Understanding the role of Ca(2+) via transient receptor potential (TRP) channel in viral infection: Implications in developing future antiviral strategies

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a superfamily of cation-specific permeable channels primarily conducting Ca(2+)ions across various membranes of the cell. The perturbation of the Ca(2+) homeostasis is the hallmark of viral infection. Viruses hijack the host cell Ca(2+) signaling, employing tailored Ca(2+) requirements via TRP channels to meet their own cellular demands. This review summarizes the importance of Ca(2+) across diverse viruses based on the Baltimore classification and focuses on the associated role of Ca(2+)-conducting TRP channels in viral pathophysiology. More emphasis has been given to the role of the TRP channel in viral life-cycle events such as viral fusion, viral entry, viral replication, virion maturation, and egress. Additionally, this review highlights the TRP channel as a store-operated channel which has been discussed vividly. The TRP channels form an essential aspect of host-virus interaction by virtue of its Ca(2+) permeability. These channels are directly involved in regulating the viral calcium dynamics in host cells and thereby affect the viral infection. Considering its immense potential in regulating viral infection, the TRP channels may act as a target for antiviral therapeutics.