Cover story

• 来源期刊: 中国药学（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2014,（1）
• 页码范围: 4
• 页数: 1页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Mutations (dots in upper panel) of voltage-gated KCNQ channels (central panel) lead to neuronal hyper-excitability (from left panel to right panel) and epilepsy.Suppression of neuronal hyper-excitability (from right panel to left panel) by KCNQ2/3 channels opener retigabine (lower panel) serves the basis for treatment of epilepsy.M-type potassium current (IM) was initially isolated from sympathetic neurons in 1980 and named as it was inhibited by muscarinie.In 1998,the molecular identity of M-current was revealed to be heterotetramers of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 subunits.As shown in the central panel,two KCNQ2 and two KCNQ3 subunits co-assemble into a functional tetrameric KCNQ/M channel.