Voltage-operated potassium channels and mechanisms controlling their activity

The fundamental mechanisms of functioning of the potassium channels (molecular structures providing the potassium current through the plasma membrane) are discussed in the review. These channels have been identified in practically all types of cells of prokaryotes and eukaryotes; they are involved in a number of crucially important vital processes.Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 322–329, July–August, 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.