Electrophysiology of the phagocyte respiratory burst. Focus on "Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel activity is absent in human and mouse neutrophils and is not required for innate immunity"

What is it about?

This provides the context for the study: Essin, K., B. Salanova, R. Kettritz, M. Sausbier, F.C. Luft, D. Kraus, E. Bohn, I.B. Autenrieth, A. Peschel, P. Ruth, and M. Gollasch. (2007). Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel activity is absent in human and mouse neutrophils and is not required for innate immunity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 293 C45-C54. Essin and colleagues thoroughly evaluate the "BK hypothesis" of Ahluwalia et al (2004) and find no evidence to support it. Among new tests not done by Femling et al (2006) below, they used BK channel KO mice, and found their neutrophils normal in every respect, with no evidence for BK channel expression or function. Another study that further disproves the BK hypothesis by Essin et al has also appeared.

Featured Image