Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Recording and Modulation of Epileptiform Activity in Rodent Brain Slices Coupled to Microelectrode Arrays
Published on: May 15, 2018
Brief seizure activity alters Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II dephosphorylation and subcellular
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Medical College of Ohio, 3035 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614-5804, USA.
Abstract:
The effect of a brief pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) convulsive seizure on rat cerebral cortical Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) was investigated. By immunoblot, it was found that a single PTZ seizure, lasting less than a minute, caused translocation of CaMKII alpha-subunit (alpha-CaMKII) from the particulate to the soluble fraction for several hours, paralleled by a dramatic loss of alpha-CaMKII Thr286 phosphorylation. The reduced alpha-CaMKII Thr286 phosphorylation apparently resulted from enhanced phosphatase activity following PTZ seizure, especially in the particulate fraction. CaMKII translocation and phosphatase activation following a brief seizure episode can both contribute to long-lasting CaMKII regulation far outlasting the immediate effects of the seizure on neuronal function.
Related Concept Videos
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Seizures l: Introduction
Seizures ll: Types
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...

