Linked Life Data

11253789

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11253789

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-3-19
pubmed:abstractText
The stunning sensations produced by electric fish, particularly the electric eel, Electrophorus electricus, have fascinated scientists for centuries. Within the last 50 years, however, electric cells of Electrophorus have provided a unique model system that is both specialized and appropriate for the study of excitable cell membrane electrophysiology and biochemistry. Electric tissue generates whole animal electrical discharges by means of membrane potentials that are remarkably similar to those of mammalian neurons, myocytes and secretory cells. Electrocytes express ion channels, ATPases and signal transduction proteins common to these other excitable cells. Action potentials of electrocytes represent the specialized end function of electric tissue whereas other excitable cells use membrane potential changes to trigger sophisticated cellular processes, such as myofilament cross-bridging for contraction, or exocytosis for secretion. Because electric tissue lacks these functions and the proteins associated with them, it provides a highly specialized membrane model system. This review examines the basic mechanisms involved in the generation of the electrical discharge of the electric eel and the membrane proteins involved. The valuable contributions that electric tissue continues to make toward the understanding of excitable cell physiology and biochemistry are summarized, particularly those studies using electrocytes as a model system for the study of the regulation of membrane excitability by second messengers and signal transduction pathways.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
1095-6433
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
119
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
225-41
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1998
pubmed:articleTitle
Electrophorus electricus as a model system for the study of membrane excitability.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0576, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Review