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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques
Published on: September 27, 2011
[ANALYSIS OF THE DINOFLAGELLATE PROROCENTRUM MINIMUM TRANSCRIPTOME: IDENTIFYING THE MEMBERS OF THE VOLTAGE-GATED
Abstract:
Dinoflagellates are an ecologically important group of aquatic single-cell eukaryotes. At the present time relatively little is known about physiological features that determine the role of these protists in natural ecosystems. Lack of knowledge on the diversity, structure, and functioning of dinoflagellate ion channels significantly hampers the interpretation of physiological reactions and adaptations in these microorganisms. We performed the analysis of the translated transcriptome databases that belong to two strains of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum in order to identify the members of the voltage-gated cation channels superfamily. We found out that transcriptomes of these potentially toxic microorganisms contained the homologues of: 1) inwardly rectifying potassium channels (K(ir)), 2) voltage-gated potassium channels (K(v)), 3) calcium-activated potassium channels (K(Ca)), 4) cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (EAG and HCN/CNG), 5) TRPV and TRPP channels, 6) two-pore calcium channels TPC, 7) voltage-gated sodium (Na(v)) and calcium (Ca(v)) channels, 8) voltage-gated proton channels (H(v)).
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