POTASSIUM CHANNELS ACTIVATED BY SODIUM

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Abstract
Na+‐activated K+ currents have been reported in snail neurones, crayfish giant motoneurones, cardiac myocytes, and in ganglion cells and brain stem cells from chick embryos. Such currents are seen in voltage‐clamp experiments, following depolarization‐induced Na+ influx. A variety of experiments have shown that the currents through the conductance pathways are indeed carried by K+ ions and that they are quantitatively dependent upon Na+ influx into the cells. Theoretical calculations indicate that such currents must make a substantial contribution to action potential repolarization. The conductances are activated by Li+ in invertebrate neurones, but not in the embryonic vertebrate neurones. Single‐channel recordings from vertebrate brain stem cells reveal channels with conductances of about 50 pS, activated by Na+ concentrations in the 10‐100 mM range.

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