Rectifying rectifier channels in Huntington disease

Abstract

Neuronal abnormalities in neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington disease, Alzheimer disease or Parkinson disease have been the primary focus of decades of research. However, increasing evidences indicate that glial cells and more specifically astrocytes could be as important players as their big brother. It is now particularly evident in Huntington disease where astrocytal potassium channels have emerged as a likely key factor in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Keywords: :

• Huntington disease
• Huntingtin
• HTT
• channel
• potassium
• Kir4.1
• glutamate
• NMDA receptor
• neuron
• excitability

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Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Acknowledgments

J.P. is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.