Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow specific...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.
Cellular Injury IV: Necrosis01:16

Cellular Injury IV: Necrosis

Necrosis is a form of irreversible cell death caused by severe injury such as ischemia, toxins, or trauma. Unlike programmed cell death, it is an uncontrolled, pathological process that typically provokes inflammation in surrounding tissues.Pathophysiologic ChangesNecrosis begins when cells sustain critical damage, leading to swelling of organelles, particularly mitochondria, and rapid ATP depletion. As energy levels decline, membrane ion pumps fail, leading to calcium influx and eventually,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Management of COVID-19 Pandemic Data in India: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learnt.

Frontiers in big data·2021
Same author

Trends in Breast Cancer Mortality Between 2001 and 2017: An Observational Study in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

JCO global oncology·2021
Same author

FDA Approval Summary: Sotorasib for KRAS G12C-Mutated Metastatic NSCLC.

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research·2021
Same author

A 39-Year-Old Woman With Synchronous Endobronchial and Adrenal Tumors.

Chest·2021
Same author

COVID-19 testing, timeliness and positivity from ICMR's laboratory surveillance network in India: Profile of 176 million individuals tested and 188 million tests, March 2020 to January 2021.

PloS one·2021
Same author

A randomized comparative study of methylcobalamin, methylcobalamin plus pregabalin and methylcobalamin plus duloxetine in patients of painful diabetic neuropathy.

Indian journal of pharmacology·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Recording of Inward Rectifying K+ Currents in Freshly Isolated Basilar Artery Smooth Muscle Cells by Patch Clamp Technique
07:19

Recording of Inward Rectifying K+ Currents in Freshly Isolated Basilar Artery Smooth Muscle Cells by Patch Clamp Technique

Published on: February 7, 2025

Intracellular BK(Ca) (iBK(Ca)) channels.

Harpreet Singh1, Enrico Stefani, Ligia Toro

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

The Journal of Physiology
|August 30, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channels (BK(Ca)) are found inside cells, not just on the surface. Research is exploring their roles in organelles like mitochondria and the nucleus.

More Related Videos

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes
10:19

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Published on: January 10, 2011

Contractions of Human-iPSC-derived Cardiomyocyte Syncytia Measured with a Ca-sensitive Fluorescent Dye in Temperature-controlled 384-well Plates
07:42

Contractions of Human-iPSC-derived Cardiomyocyte Syncytia Measured with a Ca-sensitive Fluorescent Dye in Temperature-controlled 384-well Plates

Published on: October 18, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Recording of Inward Rectifying K+ Currents in Freshly Isolated Basilar Artery Smooth Muscle Cells by Patch Clamp Technique
07:19

Recording of Inward Rectifying K+ Currents in Freshly Isolated Basilar Artery Smooth Muscle Cells by Patch Clamp Technique

Published on: February 7, 2025

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes
10:19

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Published on: January 10, 2011

Contractions of Human-iPSC-derived Cardiomyocyte Syncytia Measured with a Ca-sensitive Fluorescent Dye in Temperature-controlled 384-well Plates
07:42

Contractions of Human-iPSC-derived Cardiomyocyte Syncytia Measured with a Ca-sensitive Fluorescent Dye in Temperature-controlled 384-well Plates

Published on: October 18, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • Ion Channel Physiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channel (BK(Ca)) is crucial for cellular functions like excitability and Ca(2+) homeostasis.
  • Previous studies have indicated the presence of BK(Ca) channels within intracellular organelles, termed intracellular BK(Ca) (iBK(Ca)).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of intracellular BK(Ca) channels (iBK(Ca)).
  • To explore the potential functions and molecular correlates of iBK(Ca) in various organelles.
  • To highlight challenges in understanding iBK(Ca) targeting and modulation.

Main Methods:

  • Summary of immunochemical, biochemical, and pharmacological studies.
  • Review of literature on iBK(Ca) localization and proposed functions.

Main Results:

  • iBK(Ca) has been localized to mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus, and Golgi apparatus.
  • Mitochondrial iBK(Ca) may protect the heart from ischemic injury.
  • Nuclear iBK(Ca) may regulate nuclear Ca(2+), membrane potential, and eNOS expression.

Conclusions:

  • The functional roles of most iBK(Ca) channels remain largely unknown.
  • Identifying molecular correlates and organelle-specific targeting mechanisms for iBK(Ca) are key research challenges.
  • Further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise functions and regulation of iBK(Ca) channels.