Abstract:
Ion channels are membrane proteins that selectively conduct ions across the cell membrane.
The flux of ions through ion channels drives electrical and biochemical processes
in cells and plays a critical role in shaping the electrical properties of neurons. During the
past three decades, extensive research has been carried out to characterize the molecular,
structural, and biophysical properties of ion channels. This research has begun to
elucidate the role of ion channels in neuronal function and has subsequently led to the
development of computational models of ion channel function. Although there have been
substantial efforts to consolidate these findings into easily accessible and coherent online
resources, a single comprehensive resource is still lacking. The success of these initiatives
has been hindered by the sheer diversity of approaches and the variety in data
formats. Here, we present “Channelpedia” (http://channelpedia.net), which is designed
to store information related to ion channels and models and is characterized by an efficient
information management framework. Composed of a combination of a database and a
wiki-like discussion platform Channelpedia allows researchers to collaborate and synthesize
ion channel information from literature. Equipped to automatically update references,
Channelpedia integrates and highlights recent publications with relevant information in
the database. It is web based, freely accessible and currently contains 187 annotated ion
channels with 45 Hodgkin–Huxley models.
Keywords: ion channel, kinetics, Hodgkin–Huxley model, datab
