The multiple personalities of h-channels
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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components
Published on: February 8, 2011
1Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Abstract:
Concepts regarding the function of the hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) in shaping the excitability of single cells and neuronal ensembles have been evolving rapidly following the recent cloning of genes that encode the underlying 'h-channels' - the HCN genes. This article reviews new information about the transcriptional regulation of these channels, highlighting novel studies that demonstrate short- and long-term modulation of HCN expression, and linking this modulation to mechanisms of neurological diseases.
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