Article
Cell Biology
Antonio Michelucci, Luigi Sforna, Angela Di Battista, Fabio Franciolini, Luigi Catacuzzeno
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly brain tumor that invades healthy brain tissue through cell migration and invasion. The precise nature of the K+ channels involved in cell volume regulation in this type of tumor has remained uncertain. This study found that hypotonic-induced cell swelling in GBM U87-MG cells triggers the opening of calcium-activated K+ channels, particularly BKCa and IKCa, which play a key role in the regulatory volume decrease following hypotonic shock.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlos Ancaten-Gonzalez, Ignacio Segura, Rosangelina Alvarado-Sanchez, Andres E. Chavez, Ramon Latorre
Summary: BK channels are large conductance potassium channels that play crucial roles in regulating neuronal excitability and synaptic communication in the brain. Their dysfunction has been implicated in various neurological disorders. Here, we discuss the physiological importance of BK channels and their contribution to the pathophysiology of different neurological disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiang-Qun Hu, Lubo Zhang
Summary: Adequate uteroplacental blood supply is crucial for the development and growth of the placenta and fetus during pregnancy. The regulation of uteroplacental blood flow, controlled by Ca2+-activated K+ (K-Ca) channels, is vital for the well-being of the mother and fetus. However, the regulation of uteroplacental vascular function by K-Ca channels is compromised in pregnancy complications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the roles of K-Ca channels in the regulation of the uteroplacental circulation under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Willy Carrasquel-Ursulaez, Ignacio Segura, Ignacio Diaz-Franulic, Felipe Echeverria, Yenisleidy Lorenzo-Ceballos, Nicolas Espinoza, Maximiliano Rojas, Jose Antonio Garate, Eduardo Perozo, Osvaldo Alvarez, Fernando D. Gonzalez-Nilo, Ramon Latorre
Summary: This study demonstrates that two arginines in the transmembrane segment S4 function as the gating charges of BK channels, and the energy landscape of gating particles is tuned by a network of salt bridges in the voltage sensor domain (VSD). Unlike Kv channels, the charge movement in BK seems limited to a small displacement of the guanidinium moieties of R210 and R213.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Valentina Back, Amir Asgari, Aleksandra Franczak, Max Saito, Diego Castaneda Zaragoza, Shaun L. Sandow, Frances Plane, Paul Jurasz
Summary: This study investigated the role of platelet IKCa channels in platelet function and NO generation. The results showed that activation of IKCa channels can inhibit platelet aggregation by reducing calcium signaling and granule secretion. This finding provides a new target for the development of antiplatelet drugs that limit atherothrombosis.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Razan Orfali, Nora Albanyan
Summary: The Ca2+ ion is widely used as an intracellular signaling molecule, and Ca2+-activated potassium channels have evolved to receive and propagate Ca2+ signals. These channels are activated by increases in cytosolic calcium, which can be caused by Ca2+ influx via permeable channels or Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. The Ca2+ sensitivity of these channels allows internal Ca2+ to regulate cell membrane activity. This review discusses the Ca2+ sensitivity of two well-studied groups of Ca2+-sensitive potassium channels: large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, K(Ca)1.1, and small/intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, K(Ca)2.x/K(Ca)3.1.
Article
Neurosciences
Giedrius Kanaporis, Lothar A. Blatter
Summary: This study investigates the effects of SK channel activation on alternans in cardiac myocytes. The results demonstrate that SK channel activation can prevent or reduce pacing-induced alternations in CaT and APD, presenting a potential intervention for arrhythmia prevention and therapy.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Srikanth Dudem, Pei Xin Boon, Nicholas Mullins, Heather McClafferty, Michael J. Shipston, Richard D. A. Wilkinson, Ian Lobb, Gerard P. Sergeant, Keith D. Thornbury, Irina G. Tikhonova, Mark A. Hollywood
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that LINGO2 plays a role in modulating BK channels. Coexpression of LINGO2 and BK channels resulted in rapid inactivating currents with shifted activation compared to BK alpha currents. The oxidation of BK:LINGO2 currents abolished inactivation, and this effect was resistant to treatment with a reducing agent specific for cysteine residues. The molecular modeling further revealed that methionine oxidation reduces the lipophilicity of the LINGO2 tail, preventing it from occluding the pore of BK channels.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Ilsbeth G. M. van Herck, Vincent Seutin, Bo H. Bentzen, Neil V. Marrion, Andrew G. Edwards
Summary: The functional properties of two unrelated SK channel inhibitors, apamin and AP14145, in atrial fibrillation treatment are poorly understood. This study investigated their impact on SK channel function and found that both inhibitors induce long-lived channel closures and alter gating kinetics and unitary current. These unique effects are crucial for understanding the functional differences of each inhibitor in the context of cyclical Ca2+-dependent channel activation in vivo.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Young-Woo Nam, Myles Downey, Mohammad Asikur Rahman, Meng Cui, Miao Zhang
Summary: Small- and intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, known as SK/IK channels, play important roles in human body. Mutations in the K(Ca)2.x/K(Ca)3.1 channels are associated with various diseases, including neurodevelopmental disorders and hereditary conditions. This review article discusses the physiological significance, pathophysiology, structure-function relationship, and potential pharmacological therapeutics of K(Ca)2.x/K(Ca)3.1 channels.
ACTA PHARMACOLOGICA SINICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Gergo Bitay, Noemi Toth, Szilvia Deri, Jozefina Szlovak, Zsofia Kohajda, Andras Varro, Norbert Nagy
Summary: Sinus pacemaking relies on the interaction between intracellular Ca2+ handling and surface membrane ion channels, with the small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+-channel (I-SK) potentially playing a significant role. This study investigated the role of I-SK in rabbit SAN cells and found that under normal conditions, I-SK has no impact on pacemaking, but it moderately contributes to SAN automaticity under beta-adrenergic activation.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Weiliang Bai, Mei Liu, Qinghuan Xiao
Summary: TMEM16A is a calcium-activated chloride channel protein that plays diverse roles in inflammation, including promoting the release of inflammatory mediators, increasing vascular permeability, and sensing pain. In different inflammatory diseases, TMEM16A exerts varied pathological effects in a cellular environment-dependent manner.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bilal Singh, Firas Khattab, Patrick Gilon
Summary: The study reveals that glucose controls alpha-cell [Ca2+](c) and glucagon secretion through multiple mechanisms. Increasing glucose concentration modestly decreases [Ca2+](c) in alpha-cells independently of their K-ATP channels and partly via somatostatin (SST). The changes in [Ca2+](c) parallel changes in glucagon release. Glucose also attenuates the efficacy of Ca2+ on exocytosis.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ran Guo, Miao Cui, Xiaojing Li, Mengqi Wu, Fei Xu, Yining Zhang, Chun Wang, Penglei Feng, Jianchao Wang, Sijia Huo, Zijun Luo, Ruijuan Xing, Jianmin Gu, Xiaowei Shi, Yi Liu, Lei Wang
Summary: This article describes a new pyrrolopyrimidine derivative that selectively activates SK2-a channels and has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Hongliang Li, Jin Ryeol An, Mi Seon Seo, Minji Kang, Ryeon Heo, Seojin Park, Seo-Yeong Mun, Young Min Bae, Eun-Taek Han, Jin-Hee Han, Wanjoo Chun, Sung Hun Na, Won Sun Park
Summary: The study found that BKCa channel function in umbilical arterial smooth muscle cells of GDM patients was impaired, leading to reduced vasorelaxation activity, primarily due to decreased expression levels of BKCa channels rather than the influence of protein kinases.
Article
Cell Biology
Ioana Alesutan, Jakob Voelkl, Florian Stoeckigt, Sobuj Mia, Martina Feger, Uwe Primessnig, Mentor Sopjani, Carlos Munoz, Oliver Borst, Meinrad Gawaz, Burkert Pieske, Bernhard Metzler, Frank Heinzel, Jan Wilko Schrickel, Florian Lang
CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2015)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
M. Sopjani, M. Rinnerthaler, J. Kruja, M. Dermaku-Sopjani
CURRENT MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2015)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mentor Sopjani, Vjollca Konjufca, Mark Rinnerthaler, Rexhep Rexhepaj, Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2016)
Article
Oncology
Simon Auer, Mark Rinnerthaler, Johannes Bischof, Maria Karolin Streubel, Hannelore Breitenbach-Koller, Roland Geisberger, Elmar Aigner, Janne Cadamuro, Klaus Richter, Mentor Sopjani, Elisabeth Haschke-Becher, Thomas Klaus Felder, Michael Breitenbach
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2017)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani, Sokol Abazi, Caterina Faggio, Jehona Kolgeci, Mentor Sopjani
JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY
(2014)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zohreh Hosseinzadeh, Dong Luo, Mentor Sopjani, Shefalee K. Bhavsar, Florian Lang
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Physiology
Ahmad Almilaji, Mentor Sopjani, Bernat Elvira, Jose Borras, Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani, Carlos Munoz, Jamshed Warsi, Undine E. Lang, Florian Lang
KIDNEY & BLOOD PRESSURE RESEARCH
(2014)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mentor Sopjani, Lulzim Millaku, Dashnor Nebija, Merita Emini, Arleta Rifati-Nixha, Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2019)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Berat Krasniqi, Shpetim Thaci, Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani, Arleta Rifati-Nixha, Sokol Abazi, Mentor Sopjani
EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
(2020)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani, Mentor Sopjani
Summary: COVID-19 is a new public health crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus originating from bats and spreading to humans through intermediary animals in China. The virus has resulted in over 43.4 million confirmed cases and approximately 1.16 million deaths worldwide, posing a serious threat to global public health. The disease is transmitted through inhalation or direct contact, with an incubation period of 1 to 14 days and symptoms including cough and fatigue, potentially leading to multi-organ dysfunction in severe cases.
CURRENT MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani, Mentor Sopjani
Summary: ACE2 and ACE share some homologies, but they are inhibited by different inhibitors. ACE2 metabolizes Ang II into vasodilatory Ang-(1-7). COVID-19 Pandemic highlights the importance of ACE2, and the differences in ACE2 among patients may lead to different responses to the virus.
CURRENT PROTEIN & PEPTIDE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Shpetim Thaci, Berat Krasniqi, Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani, Arleta Rifati-Nixha, Sokol Abazi, Mentor Sopjani
Summary: This study describes the relaxing effects of Vitex agnus-castus extract on isolated rabbit arterial rings. The extract demonstrated calcium channel blocking activities and its vasodilator effect was mainly endothelium-dependent and mediated by NO/cGMP and prostaglandins synthesis. These findings suggest that Vitex agnus-castus extract may have potential therapeutic benefits for cardiovascular disorders.
EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Faton Sermaxhaj, Besim Latifaj, Besim Sermaxhaj, Mentor Sopjani
Summary: We present a case of malignant melanoma in the middle ear in a 63-year-old woman with severe pain, tinnitus, photophobia, and hemorrhagic discharge from the right ear. After conservative treatment, a metastatic lymph node was found in the neck, and further examination confirmed melanoma. Surgery revealed a tumoral lesion in the middle ear with bone infiltration, and the patient responded well to Nivolumab treatment.
ENT-EAR NOSE & THROAT JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mentor Sopjani, Shpetim Thaci, Berat Krasniqi, Miranda Selmonaj, Mark Rinnerthaler, Miribane Dermaku-Sopjani
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2017)
Article
Cell Biology
Johannes Bischof, Manuel Salzmann, Maria Karolin Streubel, Jiri Hasek, Florian Geltinger, Jutta Duschl, Nikolaus Bresgen, Peter Briza, Danusa Haskova, Renata Lejskovas, Mentor Sopjani, Klaus Richter, Mark Rinnerthaler
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2017)