Striatal cellular properties conserved from lampreys to mammals.

摘要

Non-technical summary The striatum is a structure in the forebrain that plays an important role in the control of movements. Diseases that affect this region lead to severe movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. We show here in the lamprey, the oldest vertebrate group to emerge, that the characteristic cellular properties of neurons in striatum in many respects are similar to those of mammals. Our results show how specific ion channels, including particular potassium channels (Kir) that are open at very negative membrane potentials help shape the way these cells respond to and transmit neuronal signals. These specific features are thus conserved throughout vertebrate evolution, and contribute thereby to our understanding of the mode of operation of striatum, at a cellular level, and how movements are controlled.