The inner workings of a dynamic duo

TY - JOUR

T1 - The inner workings of a dynamic duo

AU - Poulsen, Hanne

AU - Nissen, Poul

PY - 2012/1/27

Y1 - 2012/1/27

N2 - More than 60 years ago, Hodgkin and Huxley showed that neurons maintain their negative resting membrane potential by leaking potassium ions (1). In most cells, the Na+- and K+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na+, K+-ATPase) builds up high concentrations of extracellular sodium and intracellular potassium, and because the membrane is more permeable to potassium, there is a net flow of positive ions out of the cell. The channels responsible for the permeability were much later identified to be the twoépore domain potassium (K2P) channels (2). On pages 432 and 436 of this issue, Miller and Long (3) and Brohawn et al. (4) report the structures of the human K2P channels TWIK-1 and TRAAK.

AB - More than 60 years ago, Hodgkin and Huxley showed that neurons maintain their negative resting membrane potential by leaking potassium ions (1). In most cells, the Na+- and K+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na+, K+-ATPase) builds up high concentrations of extracellular sodium and intracellular potassium, and because the membrane is more permeable to potassium, there is a net flow of positive ions out of the cell. The channels responsible for the permeability were much later identified to be the twoépore domain potassium (K2P) channels (2). On pages 432 and 436 of this issue, Miller and Long (3) and Brohawn et al. (4) report the structures of the human K2P channels TWIK-1 and TRAAK.

KW - Animals

KW - Humans

KW - Potassium Channels

KW - Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain

U2 - 10.1126/science.1217679

DO - 10.1126/science.1217679

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22282800

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 335

SP - 416

EP - 417

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6067

ER -