Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
10:12
Enrichment of Mammalian Tissues and Xenopus Oocytes with Cholesterol
Published on: March 25, 2020
BK channel and alcohol, a complicated affair
1Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
International Review of Neurobiology
|September 4, 2010
Summary
Alcohol rapidly affects behavior by acting on BK channels, a type of potassium channel highly sensitive to alcohol. This review explores BK channel function and their role in mediating alcohol
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Alcohol exerts rapid behavioral effects, suggesting early molecular targets like ion channels.
- Voltage-gated potassium channels, particularly BK channels, exhibit high sensitivity to alcohol.
- BK channels are characterized by large conductance and synergistic activation by membrane potential and calcium.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the structure and function of BK channels.
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which BK channels mediate alcohol's effects on neuronal function.
- To understand BK channel involvement in alcohol-induced behavioral changes in the striatum.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on BK channel structure, function, and alcohol interaction.
- Analysis of research linking BK channel activity to neuronal excitability and behavior.
- Focus on studies investigating BK channels in the striatum, a key brain region for reward and motor control.
Main Results:
- BK channels are uniquely sensitive to alcohol, contributing to its rapid effects.
- Alcohol modulates BK channel activity, influencing neuronal firing patterns.
- Evidence suggests BK channels in the striatum play a significant role in alcohol's behavioral impacts.
Conclusions:
- BK channels are critical mediators of alcohol's acute effects on the nervous system.
- Understanding BK channel modulation by alcohol provides insights into alcohol's neurobiological underpinnings.
- Targeting BK channels may offer novel therapeutic strategies for alcohol-related disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
02:31Protection of Alcohols
This lesson delves into the concept of protection and deprotection of a functional group fundamental to synthetic organic chemistry. These phenomena are explained in the context of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols.
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...
01:27Production of Alcohol
Continuous fermentation is a key strategy in industrial ethanol production, particularly when efficiency, scalability, and high yields are essential. This approach allows for uninterrupted operation and optimized resource utilization. The primary feedstock, corn starch, undergoes enzymatic hydrolysis facilitated by α-amylase and glucoamylase. These enzymes break down the starch into fermentable sugars such as glucose, which are readily assimilated by fermentative microorganisms.Fermentation...
02:15Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions
Overview
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
02:36Acidity and Basicity of Alcohols and Phenols
Like water, alcohols are weak acids and bases. This is attributed to the polarization of the O–H bond making the hydrogen partially positive. Moreover, the electron pairs on the oxygen atom of alcohol make it both basic and nucleophilic. Protonation of an alcohol converts hydroxide, a poor leaving group, into water—a good one. The two acid–base equilibria corresponding to ethanol are depicted below.
01:28Depressants
Depressant drugs, including alcohol and sedative-hypnotics, diminish central nervous system activity by enhancing the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that reduces brain activity and promotes relaxation. These substances can have various therapeutic uses but also pose significant risks, especially when misused or combined.
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...