Nature Neuroscience8, 51 - 60 (2004)
Published online: 19 December 2004; | doi:10.1038/nn1375
Conditional transgenic suppression of M channels in mouse brain reveals functions in neuronal excitability, resonance and behavior
H Christian Peters1, 3, Hua Hu2, 3, Olaf Pongs1, Johan F Storm2
& Dirk Isbrandt1
1
Institut für Neurale Signalverarbeitung, Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie Hamburg, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
2
Department of Physiology, Institute of Basal Medical Sciences, and Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, University of Oslo, PB 1103, Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway.
In humans, mutations in the KCNQ2 or KCNQ3 potassium-channel genes are associated with an inherited epilepsy syndrome. We have studied the contribution of KCNQ/M-channels to the control of neuronal excitability by using transgenic mice that conditionally express dominant-negative KCNQ2 subunits in brain. We show that suppression of the neuronal M current in mice is associated with spontaneous seizures, behavioral hyperactivity and morphological changes in the hippocampus. Restriction of transgene expression to defined developmental periods revealed that M-channel activity is critical to the development of normal hippocampal morphology during the first postnatal weeks. Suppression of the M current after this critical period resulted in mice with signs of increased neuronal excitability and deficits in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory. M-current-deficient hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons showed increased excitability, reduced spike-frequency adaptation, attenuated medium afterhyperpolarization and reduced intrinsic subthreshold theta resonance. M channels are thus critical determinants of cellular and neuronal network excitability, postnatal brain development and cognitive performance.
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