Immunohistochemical analysis of KCNQ2 potassium channels in adult and developing mouse brain

The syndrome of benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is characterized by seizures starting within the first days of life and disappearing within weeks to months. BFNC is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the potassium channels KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 which can well explain the resulting neuronal hyperexcitability. However, it is not understood why seizures predominantly occur in the neonatal period. A potential explanation might be a change in the expression pattern of these channels during development. We therefore performed an immunohistochemical analysis of mouse brain slices at different stages of postnatal development using an antibody recognizing the C-terminus of the KCNQ2 chann…