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Updated: May 11, 2026

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes
Published on: January 10, 2011
Transduction of voltage and Ca2+ signals by Slo1 BK channels
T Hoshi1, A Pantazis, R Olcese
1Department of Physiology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Abstract:
Large-conductance Ca2+ -and voltage-gated K+ channels are activated by an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and/or depolarization. The channel activation mechanism is well described by an allosteric model encompassing the gate, voltage sensors, and Ca2+ sensors, and the model is an excellent framework to understand the influences of auxiliary β and γ subunits and regulatory factors such as Mg2+. Recent advances permit elucidation of structural correlates of the biophysical mechanism.
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