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New sites of action for GIRK and SK channels

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 10, pages 475–480 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

It was recently discovered that two different types of voltage-insensitive K+ channels, G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) and small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels, are located on dendritic branches, spines and shafts in the postsynaptic densities of excitatory synapses in many central neurons. Together with increases in our knowledge of how these channels are regulated through stable protein–protein interactions in multi-protein complexes, this has added another layer of complexity to our understanding of synaptic transmission and plasticity.

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Figure 1: The structure of GIRK channels and SK channels.
Figure 2: Gating, modulation and trafficking of GIRK and SK channels.
Figure 3: Postsynaptic GIRK and SK channels.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Lin for valuable discussions and comments on the manuscript. R.L. is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (BFU-2006-01896/BFI and CONSOLIDER CSD2008-00005) and Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (PAI08-0174-6,967). Grants from the US National Institutes of Health support J.M. (MH081860) and J.P.A. (MH076752 and NS038880).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rafael Luján is at the Departamento de Ciencias Médicas, Facultad de Medicina & Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Biosanitario, C/ Almansa 14, 02006 Albacete, Spain.,

    Rafael Luján

  2. James Maylie is at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and John P. Adelman is at the Vollum Institute, of the Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.,

    James Maylie & John P. Adelman

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Correspondence to Rafael Luján.

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Localization of and putative roles for presynaptic GIRK channels in GABAB–mediated regulation of glutamate release. (PDF 220 kb)

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Luján, R., Maylie, J. & Adelman, J. New sites of action for GIRK and SK channels. Nat Rev Neurosci 10, 475–480 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2668

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