Browsing by Author "Engbers, Jordan D .T."

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    Intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channels modulate summation of parallel fiber input in cerebellar Purkinje cells
    (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012-02-14) Engbers, Jordan D .T.; Anderson, Dustin M.; Asmara, Hadhimulya; Rehak, Renata; Mehaffey, W. Hamish; Hameed, Shahid; McKay, Bruce E.; Kruskic, Mirna; Zamponi, Gerald W.; Turner, Ray W.
    Encoding sensory input requires the expression of postsynaptic ion channels to transform key features of afferent input to an appropriate pattern of spike output. Although Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels are known to control spike frequency in central neurons, Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels of intermediate conductance (KCa3.1) are believed to be restricted to peripheral neurons. We now report that cerebellar Purkinje cells express KCa3.1 channels, as evidenced through single-cell RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, pharmacology, and single-channel recordings. Furthermore, KCa3.1 channels coimmunoprecipitate and interact with low voltage-activated Cav3.2 Ca(2+) channels at the nanodomain level to support a previously undescribed transient voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependent current. As a result, subthreshold parallel fiber excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) activate Cav3 Ca(2+) influx to trigger a KCa3.1-mediated regulation of the EPSP and subsequent after-hyperpolarization. The Cav3-KCa3.1 complex provides powerful control over temporal summation of EPSPs, effectively suppressing low frequencies of parallel fiber input. KCa3.1 channels thus contribute to a high-pass filter that allows Purkinje cells to respond preferentially to high-frequency parallel fiber bursts characteristic of sensory input.