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The Role of Kv3-type Potassium Channels in Cerebellar Physiology and Behavior

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Abstract

Different subunits of the Kv3 subfamily of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels (Kv3.1–Kv3.4) are expressed in distinct neuronal subpopulations in the cerebellum. Behavioral phenotypes in Kv3-null mutant mice such as ataxia with prominent hypermetria and heightened alcohol sensitivity are characteristic of cerebellar dysfunction. Here, we review how the unique biophysical properties of Kv3-type potassium channels, fast activation and fast deactivation that enable cerebellar neurons to generate brief action potentials at high frequencies, affect firing patterns and influence cerebellum-mediated behavior.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Drs. Kim Huber and John Welsh for critical input to the manuscript. This work was supported in part by NIH grant NS42210 (RHJ).

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  1. Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390-9111, USA

    Rolf H. Joho & Edward C. Hurlock

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  1. Rolf H. Joho
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Correspondence to Rolf H. Joho.

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Joho, R.H., Hurlock, E.C. The Role of Kv3-type Potassium Channels in Cerebellar Physiology and Behavior. Cerebellum 8, 323–333 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-009-0098-4

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