Newest Articles
Elevated cAMP improves rod signal-to-noise ratioVertebrate photoreceptors need to distinguish light signals from background noise to convey visual information to downstream bipolar cells. By affecting both signal and noise, Astakhova et al. find that increases in intracellular cAMP can improve the signal-to-noise ratio by twofold.
Na/K pump inactivation and restricted Na spacesThe Na/K pump exports cytoplasmic Na ions while importing K ions, and its activity is thought to be affected by restricted intracellular Na diffusion in cardiac myocytes. Lu and Hilgemann find instead that the pump can enter an inactivated state and that inactivation can be relieved by cytoplasmic Na.
ICC Ca2+ transient clusteringElectrical slow waves in the small intestine are generated by pacemaker cells called interstitial cells of Cajal. Drumm et al. record clusters of Ca2+ transients in these cells that are entrained by voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry and which define the duration of the electrical slow waves.
M4 segment in iGluR functionAMPA and NMDA receptors are ionotropic glutamate receptors that make fundamental contributions to synaptic activity in the brain in different ways. Amin et al. show that their respective M4 segments, located on the periphery of their pore domains, contribute to their functional diversity.
Sex- and vessel-specific AKAP150–TRPV4 organizationVascular smooth muscle tone can be regulated by angiotensin II, which enhances TRPV4 channel activity via AKAP150-bound protein kinase C. Tajada et al. show that the effect of AKAP150 on TRPV4 channels is inversely proportional to the distance between them, which varies with sex and arterial bed.
Osmotic fitness in Pseudomonas aeruginosaPseudomonas aeruginosa is resistant to drastic osmotic changes because of its ability to quickly jettison small osmolytes through osmotic release channels. Çetiner et al. reveal that it uses one MscL-like and at least two types of MscS-like channels during its osmotic response.
Isoflurane modulates NaChBac gatingThe pharmacological effects of inhaled anesthetics on ion channel function are poorly understood. Sand et al. analyze macroscopic gating of the prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel, NaChBac, using a six-state kinetic scheme and demonstrate that isoflurane modulates microscopic gating properties.
Sachse et al. highlight work that reveals a Na+-dependent inactivation mechanism in the Na+/K+ pump.