Introducing Generally Physiological

Physiology is generally considered to consist of that branch of biology concerned with the function of liv­ ing organisms and the underlying physicochemical processes, with gen­ eral physiology specifically concerned with the analytical investigation of the molecular and cellular mecha­ nisms of fundamental physiologi­ cal processes. The Journal of General Physiology (the JGP) was founded by Jacques Loeb in 1918 with the mission of publishing research elucidating " basic biological mechanisms of broad physiological significance using the tools of chemistry and physics " (Andersen, 2004). The JGP has con­ tinued to pursue that mission for nearly 100 years. As Andersen noted in " A Brief History of The Journal of General Physiology, " the initial an­ nouncement specified that " the ed­ itors invite contributions relating to the physico­chemical explanation of life phenomena, no matter in what field of science they originate. " Arti­ cles published that first year spanned such varied areas as photosynthesis, respiration, endocrinology, muscle tone in heliotropic insects, biolumi­ nescence, and bacterial decomposi­ tion in bread. The propagating excitement about electrophysiological research that exploded in the 1950s and 1960s— together with a growing apprecia­ tion of the crucial and fundamental roles of ion channels in physiologi­ cal processes—was accompanied by a shift in the focus of the JGP toward electrophysiology and the biophysi­ cal analysis of ion channel structure and function. Indeed, despite our ongoing publication of outstanding research in many other areas of physiology, the JGP has become so well known for its articles on ion channels that a perception has arisen in some quarters that other aspects of physiology may be outside of the Journal's scope. Although we remain excited about biophysical analyses of ion channels and will certainly continue to publish work in this area, we also welcome submissions of material pertaining to all other aspects of general physiol­ ogy. As executive editor of the JGP, I will be highlighting research that catches my eye—and other matters of interest—in this column. In this first installment of Generally Physiological, I'd like to draw your attention to four recent studies that provide insight into disparate aspects of neurophysi­ ology. They concern an unexpected role for vitamin K 2 that may have implications for the therapy of Par­ kinson's disease, explorations of interactions between calcium and chloride fluxes in vomeronasal sen­ sory neurons and neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus, and mech­ anisms whereby an auxiliary …