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Related Concept Videos

Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

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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....
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Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

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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...
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Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

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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...
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Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

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Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when a ligand attaches to the binding site.
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...
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Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

7.5K
Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
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The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

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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....
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THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2019/20: Ion channels.

Stephen P H Alexander1, Alistair Mathie2, John A Peters3

  • 1School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.

British Journal of Pharmacology
|November 12, 2019
PubMed
Summary

The Concise Guide to Pharmacology 2019/20 offers a comprehensive overview of 1800 human drug targets, emphasizing selective pharmacology and providing links to an extensive online knowledgebase for detailed information.

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Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Drug Discovery
  • Biomedical Sciences

Background:

  • The Concise Guide to Pharmacology is a biennial publication.
  • It serves as a critical resource for understanding human drug targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide concise overviews of nearly 1800 human drug targets.
  • To emphasize selective pharmacology and link to a detailed online knowledgebase.
  • To offer a permanent, citable record of drug target information.

Main Methods:

  • Compilation of data on human drug targets.
  • Emphasis on selective pharmacology where available.
  • Inclusion of links to the open-access knowledgebase (www.guidetopharmacology.org).

Main Results:

  • Overview of 1800 human drug targets, including ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, and more.
  • Information on selective pharmacology and links to detailed online resources.
  • Official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature provided for human drug targets.

Conclusions:

  • The Concise Guide to Pharmacology 2019/20 is a valuable, up-to-date resource for researchers.
  • It facilitates comparison of related targets and provides essential pharmacological information.
  • The guide, in conjunction with the online knowledgebase, supports drug discovery and development.