6533b870fe1ef96bd12d067f

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Mini-Review: Two Brothers in Crime – The Interplay of TRESK and TREK in Human Diseases

Niklas HuntemannTobias RuckStefanie BockSven G. MeuthStefan Bittner

subject

endocrine systemPain syndromePotassium ChannelsGeneral NeuroscienceContext (language use)BiologyMini reviewFunctional diversityPotassium Channels Tandem Pore DomainNeuroinflammatory DiseasesHumansProtein Multimerizationhuman activitiesNeuroscience

description

Abstract TWIK-related spinal cord potassium (TRESK) and TWIK-related potassium (TREK) channels are both subfamilies of the two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel group. Despite major structural, pharmacological, as well as biophysical differences, emerging data suggest that channels of these two subfamilies are functionally more closely related than previously assumed. Recent studies, for instance, indicate an assembling of TRESK and TREK subunits, leading to the formation of heterodimeric channels with different functional properties compared to homodimeric ones. Formation of tandems consisting of TRESK and TREK subunits might thus multiply the functional diversity of both TRESK and TREK activity. Based on the involvement of these channels in the pathophysiology of migraine, we here highlight the role as well as the impact of the interplay of TRESK and TREK subunits in the context of different disease settings. In this regard, we focus on their involvement in migraine and pain syndromes, as well as on their influence on (neuro-)inflammatory processes. Furthermore, we describe the potential implications for innovative therapeutic strategies that take advantage of TRESK and TREK modulation as well as obstacles encountered in the development of therapies related to the aforementioned diseases.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2021-07-12Neuroscience Letters
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136376