Abstract < /h3 > < p class= " a-plus-plus " > Discovered during the 1990s and in the beginning regarded as passive membrane pores, the family of two-pore domain potassium (K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > )-channels initially received only little attention. Today the view on this channel family comprising 15 ubiquitously expressed members in mammals has gr..."> Abstract < /h3 > < p class= " a-plus-plus " > Discovered during the 1990s and in the beginning regarded as passive membrane pores, the family of two-pore domain potassium (K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > )-channels initially received only little attention. Today the view on this channel family comprising 15 ubiquitously expressed members in mammals has gr..." /> Abstract < /h3 > < p class= " a-plus-plus " > Discovered during the 1990s and in the beginning regarded as passive membrane pores, the family of two-pore domain potassium (K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > )-channels initially received only little attention. Today the view on this channel family comprising 15 ubiquitously expressed members in mammals has gr..." />

TASK, TREK & amp; Co.: a mutable potassium channel family for diverse tasks in the brain

< h3 class= " a-plus-plus " > Abstract < /h3 > < p class= " a-plus-plus " > Discovered during the 1990s and in the beginning regarded as passive membrane pores, the family of two-pore domain potassium (K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > )-channels initially received only little attention. Today the view on this channel family comprising 15 ubiquitously expressed members in mammals has greatly changed. K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > -channels carry potassium outward current that counterbalances membrane depolarization and stabilizes the resting membrane potential. Thereby they are important regulators for the excitability and the firing behaviour especially in neurons. The long list of modulating mechanisms underlines the channels ’ relevance. K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > -channels in the thalamus contribute to the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. They also mediate the effect of volatile anaesthetics by supporting the thalamic activity mode that is also typical for sleep. This review summarizes our knowledge about K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > -channel physiology in the brain, provides an idea of the role of these channels in neurological diseases and lists open questions as well as technical challenges in K < sub class= " a-plus-plus " > 2P < /sub > -channel research. < /p >
Source: e-Neuroforum - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research