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Published on: January 10, 2011
Fatty acid-sensitive two-pore domain K+ channels
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA. Donghee.kim@finchcms.edu
Abstract:
K(+) channels that are activated by free fatty acids (here called K(FA) channels) are found throughout the CNS and in some peripheral tissues. In addition to free fatty acids, membrane stretch (cell swelling), changes in intracellular pH and volatile anaesthetic agents also activate K(FA) channels. Neurotransmitters that bind to G(s)-protein-coupled receptors inhibit K(FA) current via cAMP-mediated phosphorylation. K(FA) channels are native members of the TREK-TRAAK family, which belongs to the tandem-pore class of K(+) (K(2P)) channels. The unique properties of K(FA) channels indicate that they are well suited to sensing various types of stress that occur in the cell.
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