title: Kv7.5 is the primary Kv7 subunit expressed in C-fibers.
abstract: Kv7 (KCNQ) potassium channel openers (enhancers) decrease neuropathic pain in experimental models. Here we show that C-fibers, and their associated small-diameter neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (both IB4- and TrkA-positive), expressed Kv7.5. In contrast, C-fibers did not express detectable levels of Kv7.2 or Kv7.3, which are instead localized to nodes of Ranvier and the cell bodies of large sensory neurons. These data suggest that Kv7.5 provides the primary M current in nociceptive neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. chking@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Chih H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051656:KCNQ Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000378:metabolism; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D053675:Versicans
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D006023:Glycoproteins; D051656:KCNQ Potassium Channels; C501028:Kcnq5 protein, rat; D037102:Lectins; D015222:Sodium Channels; C508324:Vcan protein, rat; D053675:Versicans; D020917:Receptor, trkA