The Neuroscientist

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
1073858408315041v1
14/3/276    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1)
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kim, J.
Right arrow Articles by Hoffman, D. A.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kim, J.
Right arrow Articles by Hoffman, D. A.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
This version was published on June 1, 2008
The Neuroscientist, Vol. 14, No. 3, 276-286 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1073858408315041

Potassium Channels: Newly Found Players in Synaptic Plasticity

Jinhyun Kim

Molecular Neurophysiology and Biophysics Unit, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, kimj{at}janelia.hhmi.org

Dax A. Hoffman

Molecular Neurophysiology and Biophysics Unit, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, hoffmand{at}mail.nih.gov

One of the major issues for modern neuroscience research concerns the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the acquisition, storage, and recollection of memories by the brain. Regulation of the strength of individual synaptic inputs (synaptic plasticity) has, for decades, been the front-running candidate mechanism for cellular information storage, with some direct supporting evidence recently obtained. Research into the molecular mechanisms responsible for changing synaptic strength has, to date, primarily focused on trafficking and properties of the neurotransmitter receptors themselves (AMPARs and NMDARs). However, recent evidence indicates that, subsequent to receptor activation, synaptic inputs are subject to regulation by synaptically located K+ channels. It is therefore critical to understand the biophysical properties and subcellular localization (density and distribution) of these channels and how their properties are modulated. Here we will review recent findings showing that two different classes of K+ channels (A-type and small conductance, Ca2+ -activated K+ channels), beyond their traditional role in regulating action potential firing, contribute to the regulation of synaptic strength in the hippocampus. In addition, we discuss how modulation of these channels' properties and expression might contribute to synaptic plasticity. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(3):276–286, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858408315041

Key Words: Potassium channel • Kv4.2 • SK • Trafficking • Synaptic plasticity


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Neurosci.Home page
R. S. Hammond, L. Lin, M. S. Sidorov, A. M. Wikenheiser, and D. A. Hoffman
Protein Kinase A Mediates Activity-Dependent Kv4.2 Channel Trafficking
J. Neurosci., July 23, 2008; 28(30): 7513 - 7519.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]