Role of Spatially Distributed Ion Channels in Single Neuron Computation

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Schwindt

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Liedtke


Author(s):  
Stefan Gründer

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated Na+ channels. Being almost ubiquitously present in neurons of the vertebrate nervous system, their precise function remained obscure for a long time. Various animal toxins that bind to ASICs with high affinity and specificity have been tremendously helpful in uncovering the role of ASICs. We now know that they contribute to synaptic transmission at excitatory synapses as well as to sensing metabolic acidosis and nociception. Moreover, detailed characterization of mouse models uncovered an unanticipated role of ASICs in disorders of the nervous system like stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pathological pain. This review provides an overview on the expression, structure, and pharmacology of ASICs plus a summary of what is known and what is still unknown about their physiological functions and their roles in diseases.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vandit Shah ◽  
Sandip Patel ◽  
Jigna Shah


Author(s):  
Lovel Kukuljan ◽  
Franci Gabrovšek ◽  
Matthew D. Covington ◽  
Vanessa E. Johnston

AbstractUnderstanding the dynamics and distribution of CO2 in the subsurface atmosphere of carbonate karst massifs provides important insights into dissolution and precipitation processes, the role of karst systems in the global carbon cycle, and the use of speleothems for paleoclimate reconstructions. We discuss long-term microclimatic observations in a passage of Postojna Cave, Slovenia, focusing on high spatial and temporal variations of pCO2. We show (1) that the airflow through the massif is determined by the combined action of the chimney effect and external winds and (2) that the relationship between the direction of the airflow, the geometry of the airflow pathways, and the position of the observation point explains the observed variations of pCO2. Namely, in the terminal chamber of the passage, the pCO2 is low and uniform during updraft, when outside air flows to the site through a system of large open galleries. When the airflow reverses direction to downdraft, the chamber is fed by inlets with diverse flow rates and pCO2, which enter via small conduits and fractures embedded in a CO2-rich vadose zone. If the spatial distribution of inlets and outlets produces minimal mixing between low and high pCO2 inflows, high and persistent gradients in pCO2 are formed. Such is the case in the chamber, where vertical gradients of up to 1000 ppm/m are observed during downdraft. The results presented in this work provide new insights into the dynamics and composition of the subsurface atmosphere and demonstrate the importance of long-term and spatially distributed observations.



2015 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 730-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saikat Saha ◽  
Keka Talukdar ◽  
Amit K. Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  


2014 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 151a
Author(s):  
Sagar Chittori ◽  
Janesh Kumar ◽  
Suvendu Lomash ◽  
Huaying Zhao ◽  
Peter Schuck ◽  
...  


1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 1381-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changhai Cu ◽  
Robert Bähring ◽  
Mark L. Mayer


2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (8) ◽  
pp. 1059-1061
Author(s):  
Jonathan T. Pierce

The role of ion channels in cell excitability was first revealed in a series of voltage clamp experiments by Hodgkin and Huxley in the 1950s. However, it was not until the 1970s that patch-clamp recording ushered in a revolution that allowed physiologists to witness how ion channels flicker open and closed at angstrom scale and with microsecond resolution. The unexpectedly tight seal made by the patch pipette in the whole-cell configuration later allowed molecular biologists to suck up the insides of identified cells to unveil their unique molecular contents. By refining these techniques, researchers have scrutinized the surface and contents of excitable cells in detail over the past few decades. However, these powerful approaches do not discern which molecules are responsible for the dynamic control of the genesis, abundance, and subcellular localization of ion channels. In this dark territory, teams of unknown and poorly understood molecules guide specific ion channels through translation, folding, and modification, and then they shuttle them toward and away from distinct membrane domains via different subcellular routes. A central challenge in understanding these processes is the likelihood that these diverse regulatory molecules may be specific to ion channel subtypes, cell types, and circumstance. In work described in this issue, Bai et al. (2018. J. Gen. Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.201812025) begin to shed light on the biogenesis of UNC-103, a K+ channel found in Caenorhabditis elegans.



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