In article <3ukh36$rp8 at fiona.umsmed.edu> Jim Hutchins,
hutchins at fiona.umsmed.edu writes:
>I'm just doing this from memory, but I think it stands for anomalous
This isn't quite right. The I-V relationship for most neurons shows
strong outward rectification: there's a roughly exponential growth in
*outward* current as the membrane potential is stepped in the positive
direction, because voltage-dependent potassium channels (like the delayed
rectifier) are activated at potentials positive to rest. The anomalous
rectifiers are anomalous because they do just the opposite: they pass
more current in the inward direction and at negative potentials. Currents
like the H-current (for "hyperpolarised") and Q-current (for "queer", I
think), and many of the ligand-activated G-protein coupled channels (like
the 5-HT1A and GABA-B coupled channel) are inward or anomalous
rectifiers.
The A-current is a normal outward rectifier. I have no idea why it's
called the A-current. Maybe it's named after one of Chuck Stevens' kids
(there's a rumor that the T, N and L-type calcium channels are named
after Dick Tsien's kids).
-Matt Jones