Emerging roles for ether-a-go-go-related gene potassium channels in the brain.

摘要

Voltage-activated ether-a-go-go-related gene (ERGla, Kvll) potassium channels play a prominent role in regulating cardiac excitability and in heart disease. Recently, ERG channels were found to be widely distributed in brain (Papa etal. 2003; Guasti et al. 2005), although little is currently known regarding their functional role in the nervous system. In this issue of The Journal of Physiology, Pessia and colleagues (Pessia et al. 2008) describe the contribution made by these channels to the spike-generating mechanisms of medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurones in C57/BL/6 mice. Here, we discuss these new findings in the context of the more established roles of ERG channels in the heart.