title: Examining potassium channel function in astrocytes.
abstract: Electrophysiologically, astrocytes are characterized by a high K(+) resting conductance and a hyperpolarized resting membrane potential. Both features are due to the activity of astrocytic potassium channels. Astrocytes express a variety of voltage-dependent and leak potassium channels on the plasma membrane that contribute to the hyperpolarized resting membrane potential and other cellular processes. This chapter focuses on measuring K(+) channel function in astrocytes, focusing on Kir4.1, an inwardly rectifying potassium channel. We and others have demonstrated that Kir4.1 contributes significantly to the high-resting K(+) conductance and the hyperpolarized resting membrane potential. This channel is also implicated in channel-mediated regulation of extracellular potassium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. molsen@uab.edu
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D025802:Electric Capacitance; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006652:Histological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D000098854:Kcnj10 Channel
chemical_list: D000098854:Kcnj10 Channel; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying