Physiological Roles and Therapeutic Potential of Ca 2+ Activated Potassium Channels in the Nervous System

Within the potassium ion channel family, calcium activated potassium (K ) channels are unique in their ability to couple intracellular Ca signals to membrane potential variations. K channels are diversely distributed throughout the central nervous system and play fundamental roles ranging from regul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers in molecular neuroscience Vol. 11; p. 258
Main Authors Kshatri, Aravind S, Gonzalez-Hernandez, Alberto, Giraldez, Teresa
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland 2018
Subjects
IK channels
nervous system
SK channels
drug discovery
neurological disease
BK channels
modulators
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Summary:Within the potassium ion channel family, calcium activated potassium (K ) channels are unique in their ability to couple intracellular Ca signals to membrane potential variations. K channels are diversely distributed throughout the central nervous system and play fundamental roles ranging from regulating neuronal excitability to controlling neurotransmitter release. The physiological versatility of K channels is enhanced by alternative splicing and co-assembly with auxiliary subunits, leading to fundamental differences in distribution, subunit composition and pharmacological profiles. Thus, understanding specific K channels' mechanisms in neuronal function is challenging. Based on their single channel conductance, K channels are divided into three subtypes: small (SK, 4-14 pS), intermediate (IK, 32-39 pS) and big potassium (BK, 200-300 pS) channels. This review describes the biophysical characteristics of these K channels, as well as their physiological roles and pathological implications. In addition, we also discuss the current pharmacological strategies and challenges to target K channels for the treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
ISSN:1662-5099
1662-5099