Potassium channels represent the most complex class of voltage-gated ion channels from both functional and structural standpoints. Their diverse functions include regulating neurotransmitter release, heart rate, insulin secretion, neuronal excitability, epithelial electrolyte transport, smooth muscle contraction, and cell volume. Four sequence-related potassium channel genes - shaker, shaw, shab, and shal - have been identified in Drosophila, and each has been shown to have human homolog(s)

This gene encodes an enzyme which catalyzes the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This gene product is a characteristic feature of cholinergic neurons, and changes in these neurons may explain some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Polymorphisms in this gene have been associated with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Mutations in this gene are associated with congenital myasthenic syndrome associated with episodic apnea. Multiple transcript variants

The protein encoded by this gene is a vesicle-bound, sodium-dependent phosphate transporter that is specifically expressed in the neuron-rich regions of the brain. It is preferentially associated with the membranes of synaptic vesicles and functions in glutamate transport. The protein shares 82% identity with the differentiation-associated Na-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter and they appear to form a distinct class within the Na+/Pi cotransporter family. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 20

Neurofilaments can be defined as the intermediate or 10nm filaments found in specifically in neuronal cells. When visualised using an electron microscope, neurofilaments appear as 10nm diameter fibres of indeterminate length that generally have fine wispy protrusions from their sides. They are particularly abundant in axons of large projection neurons. They probably function to provide structural support for neurons and their synapses and to support the large axon diameters required for rapid

A novel murine and human gene, TBR-1, encodes a putative transcription factor related to the Brachyrury (T) gene that is expressed only in postmitotic cells. T-brain-1 (TBR-1) mRNA is largely restricted to the cerebral cortex, where, during embryogenesis, it defines different regions that give rise to the palecortex, limbic cortex and neocortex (1-3). TBR-1, Pax-6 and Emx-1 are expressed in the mouse and chicken pallium. The pallio-subpallial boundary lies at the interface between the TBR-1

The protein encoded by this gene is a serine-threonine kinase, belonging to the glycogen synthase kinase subfamily. It is involved in energy metabolism, neuronal cell development, and body pattern formation. Polymorphisms in this gene have been implicated in modifying risk of Parkinson disease, and studies in mice show that overexpression of this gene may be relevant to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found