title: Matching molecules to function: neuronal Ca2+-activated K+ channels and afterhyperpolarizations.
abstract: Potassium channels regulate the membrane excitability of neurons, play a major role in shaping action potentials, determining firing patterns and regulating neurotransmitter release, and thus significantly contribute to neuronal signal encoding and integration. This review focuses on the molecular and cellular basis for the specific function of small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) in the nervous system. SK channels are activated by an intracellular increase of free calcium during action potentials. They mediate currents that modulate the firing frequency of neurons. Three SK channel subunits have been cloned and form channels, which are voltage-insensitive, activated by submicromolar intracellular calcium concentrations, and are blocked, with different affinities, by a number of toxins and organic compounds. Different neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system express distinct subsets of SK channel subunits. Recent progress has been made in relating cloned SK channels to their native counterparts. These findings argue in favour of regulatory mechanisms conferring to native SK channels with specific subunit compositions distinct and specific functional profiles in different neurons.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. m.stocker@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirzel
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'hoedt
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedarzani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051640:Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated; D051640:Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D002118:Calcium