Receptor-activated non-selective cation channel involved in detection of sensations such as coolness, by being activated by cold temperature below 25 degrees Celsius. Activated by icilin, eucalyptol, menthol, cold and modulation of intracellular pH. Involved in menthol sensation. Permeable for monovalent cations sodium, potassium, and cesium and divalent cation calcium. Temperature sensing is tightly linked to voltage-dependent gating. Activated upon depolarization, changes in temperature resulting in graded shifts of its voltage-dependent activation curves. The chemical agonists menthol functions as a gating modifier, shifting activation curves towards physiological membrane potentials. Temperature sensitivity arises from a tenfold difference in the activation energies associated with voltage-dependent opening and closing. Interacts (via N-terminus and C-terminus domains) with TCAF1; the interaction stimulates TRPM8 channel activity. Interacts (via N-terminus and C-terminus domains) with TCAF2; the interaction inhibits TRPM8 channel activity (By similarity). Homotetramer. Localizes to membrane rafts but is also located in the cell membrane outside of these regions where channel response to cold is enhanced compared to membrane rafts. Expressed in dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia. Specifically expressed in a subset of pain- and temperature-sensing neurons. Not expressed in heavily myelinated neurons. Not expressed in neurons expressing TRPA1 or TRPV1. The coiled coil region is required for multimerization. N-glycosylation is not essential for but facilitates cell surface expression, multimerization, association with lipid rafts and ion channel activity. Belongs to the transient receptor (TC 1.A.4) family. LTrpC subfamily. TRPM8 sub-subfamily.