Year: 1971
Type: article
Abstract: Voltage clamp currents from medium sized ganglion cells of Helix pomatia have a fast transient outward current component in addition to the usually observed inward and outward currents. This component is inactivated at normal resting potential. The current, which is carried by K+ ions, may surpass leakage currents by a factor of 100 after inactivation has been removed by hyperpolarizing conditioning pulses. Its kinetics are similar to those of the inward current, except that it has a longer time constant of inactivation. It has a threshold close to resting potential. This additional component is also present in giant cells, where however, it is less prominent. Pacemaker activity is controlled by this current. It was found that inward currents have a slow inactivating process in addition to a fast, Hodgkin-Huxley type inactivation. The time constants of the slow process are similar to those of slow outward current inactivation.
DOI: 10.1085/jgp.58.1.36
Author: Erwin Neher
Institutions: Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2031920967