Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
09:37
Dopamine Release at Individual Presynaptic Terminals Visualized with FFNs
Published on: August 31, 2009
25.4K
Presynaptic BK channels control transmitter release: physiological relevance and potential therapeutic implications
Marilena Griguoli1, Martina Sgritta1, Enrico Cherubini1,2
1European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) 'Fondazione Rita Levi-Montalcini', Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
The Journal of Physiology
|March 13, 2016
Summary
Large conductance potassium (BK) channels regulate neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter release. Dysfunction in these channels is linked to neurological disorders, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Channelopathies
Background:
- Large conductance potassium (BK) channels are crucial for neuronal function, regulating Ca(2+) sensitivity and voltage dependence.
- These channels, co-assembled with auxiliary subunits, are abundant in the CNS and activated by voltage and intracellular calcium.
- Their unique properties allow them to modulate action potential duration and neurotransmitter release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the role of BK channels in regulating neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter release.
- To investigate the functional consequences of BK channel mutations in neurological disorders.
- To identify BK channels as potential therapeutic targets for CNS diseases.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings to study BK channel gating and function.
- Molecular biology techniques to investigate BK channel subunit interactions and mutations.
- Analysis of BK channel involvement in synaptic transmission and action potential dynamics.
Main Results:
- BK channels tightly couple with voltage-dependent calcium channels (Cav) at presynaptic active zones to control calcium influx and neurotransmitter release.
- BK channel dysfunction, particularly gain-of-function mutations in α and β3 subunits, is associated with epilepsy.
- These channels can exert negative control on transmitter release or, in specific contexts, increase firing rate and release.
Conclusions:
- BK channels play a critical role in regulating neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission.
- Altered BK channel function is implicated in various neurological disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism.
- BK channels represent promising drug targets for therapeutic interventions in neurological diseases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
14.6K
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
14.6K
01:26Chemical Synapses
12.4K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
12.4K
01:26Chemical Synapses
8.1K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
8.1K
01:26Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
3.9K
Neurochemical transmission, the conduction of electrical impulses between neurons mediated by neurotransmitters, plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Autonomic drugs exert their effects by modulating neurotransmission within the autonomic nervous system. For instance, drugs such as hemicholinium block the precursor uptake necessary for synthesizing acetylcholine, an essential autonomic neurotransmitter. Following synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles. Metyrosine...
3.9K
02:47The Synapse
137.4K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
137.4K
01:23Cholinergic Neurons: Neurotransmission
6.1K
Cholinergic neurotransmission involves the synthesis and the release of acetylcholine (ACh) in order to transmit nerve impulses across the synapse. The process begins with the synthesis of acetyl CoA, a precursor for ACh, from ATP, acetate, and coenzyme A in the mitochondria. Choline, another vital precursor, is transported inside the neuron through choline transporters, including high-affinity choline transporter CHT1, low-affinity choline transporter CTL1, and lower-affinity choline...
6.1K