Hyperpolarizing vasodilators activate ATP-sensitive K+ channels in arterial smooth muscle

Vasodilators are used clinically for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. The effects of some vasodilators seem to be mediated by membrane hyperpolarization. The molecular basis of this hyperpolarization has been investigated by examining the properties of single K+ channels in arterial smooth muscle cells. The presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive K+ channels in these cells was demonstrated at the single channel level. These channels were opened by the hyperpolarizing vasodilator cromakalim and inhibited by the ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker glibenclamide. Furthermore, in arterial rings the vasorelaxing actions of the drugs diazoxide, cromakalim, and pinacidil and the hyperpolarizing actions of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and acetylcholine were blocked by inhibitors of the ATP-sensitive K+ channels, suggesting that all these agents may act through a common pathway in smooth muscle by opening ATP-sensitive K+ channels.     

Glycolysis preferentially inhibits ATP-sensitive K+ channels in isolated guinea pig cardiac myocytes

In heart, glycolysis may be a preferential source of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for membrane functions. In this study the patch-clamp technique was used to study potassium channels sensitive to intracellular ATP levels in permeabilized ventricular myocytes. Activation of these K+ channels has been implicated in marked cellular K+ loss leading to electrophysiological abnormalities and arrhythmias during myocardial ischemia. The results showed that glycolysis was more effective than oxidative phosphorylation in preventing ATP-sensitive K+ channels from opening. Experiments in excised inside-out patches suggested that key glycolytic enzymes located in the membrane or adjacent cytoskeleton near the channels may account for their preference for glycolytic ATP.     

Functional conversion between A-type and delayed rectifier K+ channels by membrane lipids

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels control action potential repolarization, interspike membrane potential, and action potential frequency in excitable cells. It is thought that the combinatorial association between distinct alpha and beta subunits determines whether Kv channels function as non-inactivating delayed rectifiers or as rapidly inactivating A-type channels. We show that membrane lipids can convert A-type channels into delayed rectifiers and vice versa. Phosphoinositides remove N-type inactivation from A-type channels by immobilizing the inactivation domains. Conversely, arachidonic acid and its amide anandamide endow delayed rectifiers with rapid voltage-dependent inactivation. The bidirectional control of Kv channel gating by lipids may provide a mechanism for the dynamic regulation of electrical signaling in the nervous system.     

Glucose, sulfonylureas, and neurotransmitter release: role of ATP-sensitive K+ channels

Sulfonylurea-sensitive adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-regulated potassium (KATP) channels are present in brain cells and play a role in neurosecretion at nerve terminals. KATP channels in substantia nigra, a brain region that shows high sulfonylurea binding, are inactivated by high glucose concentrations and by antidiabetic sulfonylureas and are activated by ATP depletion and anoxia. KATP channel inhibition leads to activation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release, whereas KATP channel activation leads to inhibition of GABA release. These channels may be involved in the response of the brain to hyper- and hypoglycemia (in diabetes) and ischemia or anoxia.     

Crystal structure of the human K2P TRAAK, a lipid- and mechano-sensitive K+ ion channel

TRAAK channels, members of the two-pore domain K(+) (potassium ion) channel family K2P, are expressed almost exclusively in the nervous system and control the resting membrane potential. Their gating is sensitive to polyunsaturated fatty acids, mechanical deformation of the membrane, and temperature changes. Physiologically, these channels appear to control the noxious input threshold for temperature and pressure sensitivity in dorsal root ganglia neurons. We present the crystal structure of human TRAAK at a resolution of 3.8 angstroms. The channel comprises two protomers, each containing two distinct pore domains, which create a two-fold symmetric K(+) channel. The extracellular surface features a helical cap, 35 angstroms tall, that creates a bifurcated pore entryway and accounts for the insensitivity of two-pore domain K(+) channels to inhibitory toxins. Two diagonally opposed gate-forming inner helices form membrane-interacting structures that may underlie this channel's sensitivity to chemical and mechanical properties of the cell membrane.     

Potassium ion: is the bulk of intracellular K+ adsorbed?

When a major portion of the intracellular K(+) in frog muscle is reversibly replaced by Na(+), the extra Na(+) gained by the cells does not show the nuclear magnetic resonance signal that free Na(+) does. The data contradict the membrane theory but are in accord with the concept that the bulk of intracellular K(+) is adsorbed.     

Structure of the cytoplasmic beta subunit-T1 assembly of voltage-dependent K+ channels

The structure of the cytoplasmic assembly of voltage-dependent K+ channels was solved by x-ray crystallography at 2.1 angstrom resolution. The assembly includes the cytoplasmic (T1) domain of the integral membrane alpha subunit together with the oxidoreductase beta subunit in a fourfold symmetric T1(4)beta4 complex. An electrophysiological assay showed that this complex is oriented with four T1 domains facing the transmembrane pore and four beta subunits facing the cytoplasm. The transmembrane pore communicates with the cytoplasm through lateral, negatively charged openings above the T1(4)beta4 complex. The inactivation peptides of voltage-dependent K(+) channels reach their site of action by entering these openings.     

Structure and function of voltage-sensitive ion channels

Voltage-sensitive ion channels mediate action potentials in electrically excitable cells and play important roles in signal transduction in other cell types. In the past several years, their protein components have been identified, isolated, and restored to functional form in the purified state. Na+ and Ca2+ channels consist of a principal transmembrane subunit, which forms the ion-conducting pore and is expressed with a variable number of associated subunits in different cell types. The principal subunits of voltage-sensitive Na+, Ca2+, and K+ channels are homologous members of a gene family. Models relating the primary structures of these principal subunits to their functional properties have been proposed, and experimental results have begun to define a functional map of these proteins. Coordinated application of biochemical, biophysical, and molecular genetic methods should lead to a clear understanding of the molecular basis of electrical excitability.     

Mutations affecting programmed cell deaths in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Mutations in two nonessential genes specifically block the phagocytosis of cells programmed to die during development. With few exceptions, these cells still die, suggesting that, in nematodes, engulfment is not necessary for most programmed deaths. Instead, these deaths appear to occur by cell suicide.     

Principles of selective ion transport in channels and pumps

The transport of ions across the membranes of cells and organelles is a prerequisite for many of life's processes. Transport often involves very precise selectivity for specific ions. Recently, atomic-resolution structures have been determined for channels or pumps that are selective for sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride: four of the most abundant ions in biology. From these structures we can begin to understand the principles of selective ion transport in terms of the architecture and detailed chemistry of the ion conduction pathways.     

黄曲条跳甲双孔道钾离子通道基因序列特征及不同组织的表达量分析

昆虫细胞膜钾离子通道与多种生命活动密切相关。结合转录组测序及荧光定量PCR技术,鉴定和分析黄曲条跳甲(Phyllotreta striolata(Fabricius))钾离子通道基因的序列特征及不同组织器官的mRNA表达谱。结果表明:所获得的钾离子通道蛋白基因(twk)cDNA的开放阅读框为1 137 bp,共编码378个氨基酸残基。蛋白结构分析表明:其含有4个钾离子通道蛋白的跨膜区(M1～M4)和2个孔道结构域(1P～2P),分别位于M1与M2、M3与M4之间,即双孔道钾离子通道。序列保守性分析表明:1P的核心序列为甘氨酸-酪氨酸-甘氨酸(GYG)模体,2P的核心序列为甘氨酸-亮氨酸-甘氨酸(GLG)模体。荧光定量PCR分析表明,twk在黄曲条跳甲雌雄成虫的不同部位中都有表达,但是在精巢或卵巢、中肠和头部的表达量相对较高;雌、雄成虫各组织器官之间的相对表达量没有显著差异。     

A monoclonal antibody to the alpha subunit of Gk blocks muscarinic activation of atrial K+ channels

The activated heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding (G) protein Gk, at subpicomolar concentrations, mimics muscarinic stimulation of a specific atrial potassium current. Reconstitution studies have implicated the alpha and beta gamma subunits as mediators, but subunit coupling by the endogenous G protein has not been analyzed. To study this process, a monoclonal antibody (4A) that binds to alpha k but not to beta gamma was applied to the solution bathing an inside-out patch of atrial membrane; the antibody blocked carbachol-activated currents irreversibly. The state of the endogenous Gk determined its susceptibility to block by the antibody. When agonist was absent or when activation by muscarinic stimulation was interrupted by withdrawal of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) in the presence or absence of guanosine diphosphate (GDP), the effects of the antibody did not persist. Thus, monoclonal antibody 4A blocked muscarinic activation of potassium channels by binding to the activated G protein in its holomeric form or by binding to the dissociated alpha subunit.     

HCN2 ion channels play a central role in inflammatory and neuropathic pain

The rate of action potential firing in nociceptors is a major determinant of the intensity of pain. Possible modulators of action potential firing include the HCN ion channels, which generate an inward current, I(h), after hyperpolarization of the membrane. We found that genetic deletion of HCN2 removed the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-sensitive component of I(h) and abolished action potential firing caused by an elevation of cAMP in nociceptors. Mice in which HCN2 was specifically deleted in nociceptors expressing Na(V)1.8 had normal pain thresholds, but inflammation did not cause hyperalgesia to heat stimuli. After a nerve lesion, these mice showed no neuropathic pain in response to thermal or mechanical stimuli. Neuropathic pain is therefore initiated by HCN2-driven action potential firing in Na(V)1.8-expressing nociceptors.     

The coupling of neurotransmitter receptors to ion channels in the brain

Recent studies on the action of neurotransmitters on hippocampal pyramidal cells indicate that different neurotransmitter receptors that use either the same or different coupling mechanisms converge onto the same ion channel. Conversely, virtually all of the neurotransmitters act on at least two distinct receptor subtypes coupled to different ion channels on the same cell. The existence of both convergence and divergence in the action of neurotransmitters results in a remarkable diversity in neuronal signaling.     

低钾条件下pH值和NH+4对作物幼苗K+吸收的影响

在低K~ 、添加K~ 通道抑制剂以及5种pH值(4．5、5．5、6．5、7．5、8．5)的条件下,采用水培法研究大豆、小麦根系对K~ 吸收及其与吸收液中H~ 浓度的关系。结果表明:溶液pH值对作物K~ 的吸收有明显的影响,高pH值有利于大豆对K~ 的吸收,不利于小麦对K~ 的吸收;作物吸收的K~ 最终会引起溶液中H~ 浓度的增加。K~ 吸收量与H~ 分泌量之比不是定值,它随溶液pH值的变化而变化,该比值大豆小于小麦;NH_4~ 可降低作物对K~ 的吸收速率,就小麦而言,pH值对NH_4~ 减少K~ 吸收的影响更为强烈。     

钾离子对水稻亚铁毒害的缓解作用

采用溶液培养法研究了250 mg.L-1Fe2 胁迫下,不同K 水平对粳稻Asom inori(耐亚铁毒基因型)和籼稻IR24(亚铁毒敏感基因型)以及以IR24为背景的Asom inori与IR24的染色体片段置换系L ine22(亚铁毒敏感基因型)的株高、根长、地上部鲜重、根鲜重、叶片棕色化指数和叶片叶绿素含量的影响。结果表明,与正常培养液相比,高Fe2 胁迫抑制了水稻地上部和根系的生长,降低了叶片叶绿素含量,水稻叶片出现了棕色化斑点。随着外源供K 水平的提高,水稻地上部和根系生长受Fe2 胁迫抑制程度减弱,叶片叶绿素含量增加,叶片棕色化指数有所下降。K 对Fe2 敏感品系IR24和L ine22的缓解作用比对耐性品系Asom inori强,表明K 对水稻亚铁毒害的缓解作用存在基因型的差异。K 在一定程度上对提高水稻的耐Fe2 毒害具有重要作用。     

Mitogens and oncogenes can block the induction of specific voltage-gated ion channels

The mechanisms underlying the ontogeny of voltage-gated ion channels in muscle are unknown. Whether expression of voltage-gated channels is dependent on mitogen withdrawal and growth arrest, as is generally true for the induction of muscle-specific gene products, was investigated in the BC3H1 muscle cell line by patch-clamp techniques. Differentiated BC3H1 myocytes expressed functional Ca2+ and Na+ channels that correspond to those found in T tubules of skeletal muscle. However, Ca2+ and Na+ channels were first detected after about 5 days of mitogen withdrawal. In order to test whether cellular oncogenes, as surrogates for exogenous growth factors, could prevent the expression of ion channels whose induction was contingent on mitogen withdrawal, BC3H1 cells were modified by stable transfection with oncogene expression vectors. Expression vectors containing v-erbB, or c-myc under the control of the SV40 promoter, delayed but did not prevent the appearance of functional Ca2+ and Na+ channels. In contrast, transfection with a Val12 c-H-ras vector, or cotransfection of c-myc together with v-erbB, suppressed the formation of functional Ca2+ and Na+ channels for greater than or equal to 4 weeks. Potassium channels were affected neither by mitogenic medium nor by transfected oncogenes. Thus, the selective effects of certain oncogenes on ion channel induction corresponded to the suppressive effects of mitogenic medium.     

NMDA receptor-mediated K+ efflux and neuronal apoptosis

Neuronal death induced by activating N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been linked to Ca2+ and Na+ influx through associated channels. Whole-cell recording from cultured mouse cortical neurons revealed a NMDA-evoked outward current, INMDA-K, carried by K+ efflux at membrane potentials positive to -86 millivolts. Cortical neurons exposed to NMDA in medium containing reduced Na+ and Ca2+ (as found in ischemic brain tissue) lost substantial intracellular K+ and underwent apoptosis. Both K+ loss and apoptosis were attenuated by increasing extracellular K+, even when voltage-gated Ca2+ channels were blocked. Thus NMDA receptor-mediated K+ efflux may contribute to neuronal apoptosis after brain ischemia.