Potassium channels
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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes
Published on: January 10, 2011
Stephen J Korn1, Josef G Trapani
1Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. stephen.korn@uconn.edu
Abstract:
Potassium channels are integral membrane proteins that selectively transport K+ across the cell membrane. They are present in all mammalian cells and have a wide variety of roles in both excitable and nonexcitable cells. The phenotypic diversity required to accomplish their various roles is created by differences in conductance, the timecourse and mechanisms of different gating events, and the interaction of channels with a variety of accessory proteins. Through the integration of biophysical, molecular, structural, and theoretical studies, significant progress has been made toward understanding the structural basis of K+ channel function, and diseases associated with K+ channel dysfunction.
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