Editorial: Ion Channels of Mature Human Erythrocytes

Abstract

Ion channels in the plasma membrane serve multiple functions such as setting the membrane potential, adjusting the cell volume and the intracellular electrolyte concentrations or eliciting versatile cytosolic Ca signals. Channel activities regulate many basic cellular processes. Among those are cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptotic cell death. Although devoid of nuclei and mitochondria, mature mammalian erythrocytes maintain a full set of functional ion channels in their plasma membrane.