The TRPM7 channel kinase: rekindling an old flame or not?

Far from being an accidental evolutional step, the fusion of a channel pore with a kinase domain within the TRPM7 molecule represents an optimized and integrated unit, able to couple extracellular sensing to intracellular signalling. The article by Rios et al. strongly implicates both TRPM7 kinase and Mg2+ homeostasis in cardiovascular health, but before these findings may achieve translational relevance, it is imperative to dissect all the underlying molecular mysteries.