Journal
NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 102, Issue 1, Pages 209-215Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/S0306-4522(00)00486-3
Keywords
small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel; SK3; in situ hybridization; immunohistochemistry
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels are voltage independent potassium channels which modulate the firing patterns of neurons by activating the slow component of the afterhyperpolarization. The genes encoding a family of small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels have been cloned and up to now three known members have been described and named small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel type 1, small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel type 2 and small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel type 3; the distribution of their messenger RNA in the rat CNS has already been performed but only in a limited detail. The present study represents the first detailed analysis of small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel type 3 mRNA distribution in the adult rat brain and resulted in a strong to moderate expression of signal in medial habenular nucleus, substantia nigra compact part, suprachiasmatic nucleus, ventral tegmental area, lateral septum, dorsal raphe and locus coeruleus. Immunohistological experiments were also performed and confirmed the presence of small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel type 3 protein in medial habenular nucleus, locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe. Given the importance of dorsal raphe, locus coeruleus and substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area for serotonergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic transmission respectively, our results pose the morphological basis for further studies on the action of small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel type 3 in serotonergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic transmission. (C) 2001 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available