Potassium currents play an essential role in integrating neuronal signals by modulating the excitability of neurons and determining the action potential waveforms and firing patterns. Previously, Cooper and colleagues characterized voltage-gated K currents in neonatal neurons from the rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG). They demonstrated a positive correlation between the appearance of fast-inactivated currents (IAf) and the mRNA levels for the Kv4.2 voltage-gated potassium channel gene. Particularly, in cultured postnatal day 1 (P1) SCG neurons, both IAf and Kv4.2 mRNA decrease to very low levels after 14 days in culture. However, mRNA levels for other Kv genes that could also be responsible for Af currents on SCG neurons remained to be determined. My hypothesis was that Kv4.2 encodes K channel subunits underlying IAf in sympathetic neurons. To test this hypothesis, I built an adenoviral construct with a Kv4.2 insert to manipulate Kv4.2 expression in these neurons and compare the electrophysiological and pharmacological profiles of native IAf and Kv4.2-induced currents. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.31556 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Virard, Isabelle. |
| Contributors | Cooper, Ellis (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Physiology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001802226, proquestno: MQ70525, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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