Physiology and Therapeutic Potential of SK, H, and M Medium AfterHyperPolarization Ion Channels

Deepanjali Dwivedi; Upinder S Bhalla

doi:10.3389/fnmol.2021.658435

Physiology and Therapeutic Potential of SK, H, and M Medium AfterHyperPolarization Ion Channels

Front Mol Neurosci. 2021 Jun 3:14:658435. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.658435. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Deepanjali Dwivedi^{1

2

3}, Upinder S Bhalla¹

Affiliations

¹ National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India.
² Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
³ Stanley Center at the Broad, Cambridge, MA, United States.

Abstract

SK, HCN, and M channels are medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP)-mediating ion channels. The three channels co-express in various brain regions, and their collective action strongly influences cellular excitability. However, significant diversity exists in the expression of channel isoforms in distinct brain regions and various subcellular compartments, which contributes to an equally diverse set of specific neuronal functions. The current review emphasizes the collective behavior of the three classes of mAHP channels and discusses how these channels function together although they play specialized roles. We discuss the biophysical properties of these channels, signaling pathways that influence the activity of the three mAHP channels, various chemical modulators that alter channel activity and their therapeutic potential in treating various neurological anomalies. Additionally, we discuss the role of mAHP channels in the pathophysiology of various neurological diseases and how their modulation can alleviate some of the symptoms.

Keywords: HCN and M channels; SK; advances and challenges; ion channels; neuropsychaitric disorders; therapeutic targets.

Publication types

Review