Thrilling moment of an inhibitory channel.
Long thought to be potassium channels with calming influence quietly working away in the background, in this issue of Neuron, Thomas et al. demonstrate that K(2P)2.1 (TREK-1) channels have two endogenous isoforms due to a mechanism called alternative translation initiation (ATI). Hence, they can actually be excitable.
Yang
Shi-Bing
SB
Department of Physiology and Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Jan
Lily Y
LY
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010442:Peptide Chain Initiation, Translational / Q000502:physiology; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C103742:potassium channel protein TREK-1