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J Neurophysiol (February 28, 2007). doi:10.1152/jn.00742.2006
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00742.2006v1
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Submitted on July 18, 2006
Accepted on February 15, 2007

Characterization of Na+-activated K+ currents in larval lamprey spinal cord neurons

Dietmar Hess1, Evanthia Nanou2, and Abdeljabbar El Manira1*

1 Neuroscience, Karolinska Inst, Stockholm, Sweden
2 Department of Neuroscience, Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology, Stockholm, Sweden

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: abdel.elmanira{at}ki.se.

Potassium channels play an important role in controlling neuronal firing and synaptic interactions. Na+-activated K+ (KNa) channels have been shown to exist in neurons in different regions of the CNS, but their physiological function has been difficult to assess. In this study, we have examined if neurons in the spinal cord possess KNa currents. We used whole-cell recordings from isolated spinal cord neurons in lamprey. These neurons display two different KNa currents. The first was transient and activated by the Na+ influx during the action potentials and it was abolished when Na+ channels were blocked by tetrodotoxin. The second KNa current was sustained and persisted in tetrodotoxin. Both KNa currents were abolished when Na+ was substituted with choline or NMDG, indicating that they are indeed dependent on Na+ influx into neurons. When Na+ was substituted with Li+, the amplitude of the inward current was unchanged while the transient KNa current was reduced but not abolished. This suggests that the transient KNa current is partially activated by Li+. These two KNa currents have different roles in controlling the action potential waveform. The transient KNa appears to act as a negative feedback mechanism sensing the Na+ influx underlying the action potential and may thus be critical for setting the amplitude and duration of the action potential. The sustained KNa current has a slow kinetic of activation and may underlie the slow Ca+-independent afterhyperpolarization mediated by repetitive firing in lamprey spinal cord neurons.




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P. Wallen, B. Robertson, L. Cangiano, P. Low, A. Bhattacharjee, L. K. Kaczmarek, and S. Grillner
Sodium-dependent potassium channels of a Slack-like subtype contribute to the slow afterhyperpolarization in lamprey spinal neurons
J. Physiol., November 15, 2007; 585(1): 75 - 90.
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