Potassium currents in developing neurons.
In Xenopus spinal neurons, delayed rectifier type voltage-dependent potassium currents (IKv) are developmentally regulated. These currents play a pivotal role in maturation of the action potential from a long-duration calcium-dependent impulse to a brief sodium-dependent one. Although spinal neurons are heterogeneous, IKv undergoes a synchronized and homogeneous developmental functional up-regulation across this diverse population of motor, sensory, and interneurons. This finding suggested that the diverse population of neurons expressed a common potassium channel. Thus, recent efforts have been directed towards cloning the relevant potassium channel gene. However, these molecular studies reveal an unsuspected heterogeneity in the molecular components of voltage-dependent potassium channels. Further, synchronous differentiation of IKv is achieved via heterogeneous Kv channel gene expression.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA. Angie.Ribera@UCHSC.edu
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D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D015221:Potassium Channels; D011188:Potassium