Ion channels open and close in a stochastic fashion, following the laws of probability. However, distinct from tossing a coin or a die, the probability of finding the channel closed or open is not a fixed number but can ...

Ion channels lie at the heart of gamete signaling. Understanding their regulation will improve our knowledge of sperm physiology, and may lead to novel contraceptive strategies. Sperm are tiny (~ 3 μm diameter) and, until ...

Background: Odor transduction, occurring in the chemosensory cilia of vertebrate olfactory sensory neurons, is triggered by guanosine triphosphate-coupled odor receptors and mediated by a cyclic adenosine monophosphate ...

Enhancement of α7 nicotinic receptor (nAChR) function by positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) is a promising therapeutic strategy to improve cognitive deficits. PAMs have been classified only on the basis of their macroscopic ...

Ion channels are transmembrane proteins that mediate ion transport across biological membranes. Ion channel function is traditionally characterized by electrical parameters acquired with techniques such as patch-clamping ...

The mechanism of eupalmerin acetate (EUAC) actions on the embryonic muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in BC3H-1 cells was studied by using whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp current measurements. With ...

It has previously been proposed that a Ca2+-dependent K + conductance is implicated in the inhibitory odourant response in rat and toad olfactory receptor neurons. Previous whole-cell and single-channel measurements on ...

Nuclear calcium appears to have an important role in the regulation of gene expression in many cells, but the mechanisms involved in controlling nuclear Ca2+ signaling are controversial and still poorly understood. We have ...