Low threshold Ca2+ currents mediated by T-type channels underlie burst spike activities of relay neurons in the thalamus. We have previously reported that knock-out mice for T-type channels show an enhanced nociceptive response to visceral pain, accompanied by an increase in tonic spikes in the absence of burst spikes in thalamic relay neurons. These results raised a possibility that T-type cha...

A number of environmental conditions including drought, low humidity, cold and salinity subject plants to osmotic stress. A rapid plant response to such stress conditions is stomatal closure to reduce water loss from plants. From an external stress signal to stomatal closure, many molecular components constitute a signal transduction network that couples the stimulus to the response. Numerous s...

Abscisic acid (ABA) induces production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), elevation of the cytosolic free calcium ion concentration ([Ca(2+)](cyt)) and cytosolic pH (pH(cyt)), and activation of S-type anion channels in guard cells, causing stomatal closure. To investigate whether Arabidopsis Two pore channel 1 (AtTPC1) that encodes the slow vacuolar (SV) channel is involved...

Thiamine is required for both plant growth and development. Here, the involvement of a thiamine thiazole synthase, THI1, has been demonstrated in both guard cell abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and the drought response in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). THI1 overexpressors proved to be more sensitive to ABA than the wild type with respect to both the activation of guard cell slow type anion c...

Recent reports have shown that GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) are present in plants but have given limited indication as to their site of action. G-proteins in animal cells transduce extracellular signals into intracellular or membrane-mediated events, including the regulation of ion channels. Using whole-cell patch clamp, we provide evidence that a G-protein in guard cells of fava bean regu...

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a key role in the control of stomatal aperture by regulating ion channel activities and water exchanges across the plasma membrane of guard cells. Changes in cytoplasmic calcium content and activation of anion and outward-rectifying K(+) channels are among the earliest cellular responses to ABA in guard cells. In Arabidopsis suspension cells, we have demonstrated that ...

Low threshold Ca2+ currents mediated by T-type channels underlie burst spike activities of relay neurons in the thalamus. We have previously reported that knock-out mice for T-type channels show an enhanced nociceptive response to visceral pain, accompanied by an increase in tonic spikes in the absence of burst spikes in thalamic relay neurons. These results raised a possibility that T-type cha...

In this paper we consider low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes for the classic bursty channel. We present lower bounds on the maximum resolvable erasure burst length, Lmax, for arbitrary LDPC codes and then present constructions for LDPC codes with good burst erasure correction performance for channels with and without the presence of noise in the guard band.

Potassium channels are trans-membrane proteins, which selectively transport K+ ions across cell membranes and play a key role in regulating the physiology of excitability cells and signal transduction pathways. Bothutous Schach (BS) scorpion venom consists of several polypeptides that could modulate ion channels. In this study, the effects of BS crude venom on passive and active electrophysiolo...