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Whelan SCM, Mutchler SM, Han A, Priestley C, Satlin LM, Kleyman TR, Shi S. Kcnma1 alternative splicing in mouse kidney: regulation during development and by dietary K + intake. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2024; 327:F49-F60. [PMID: 38779757 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00100.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The pore-forming α-subunit of the large-conductance K+ (BK) channel is encoded by a single gene, KCNMA1. BK channel-mediated K+ secretion in the kidney is crucial for overall renal K+ homeostasis in both physiological and pathological conditions. BK channels achieve phenotypic diversity by various mechanisms, including substantial exon rearrangements at seven major alternative splicing sites. However, KCNMA1 alternative splicing in the kidney has not been characterized. The present study aims to identify the major splice variants of mouse Kcnma1 in whole kidney and distal nephron segments. We designed primers that specifically cross exons within each alternative splice site of mouse Kcnma1 and performed real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) to quantify relative abundance of each splice variant. Our data suggest that Kcnma1 splice variants within mouse kidney are less diverse than in the brain. During postnatal kidney development, most Kcnma1 splice variants at site 5 and the COOH terminus increase in abundance over time. Within the kidney, the regulation of Kcnma1 alternative exon splicing within these two sites by dietary K+ loading is both site and sex specific. In microdissected distal tubules, the Kcnma1 alternative splicing profile, as well as its regulation by dietary K+, are distinctly different than in the whole kidney, suggesting segment and/or cell type specificity in Kcnma1 splicing events. Overall, our data provide evidence that Kcnma1 alternative splicing is regulated during postnatal development and may serve as an important adaptive mechanism to dietary K+ loading in mouse kidney.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We identified the major Kcnma1 splice variants that are specifically expressed in the whole mouse kidney or aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron segments. Our data suggest that Kcnma1 alternative splicing is developmentally regulated and subject to changes in dietary K+.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephanie M Mutchler
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Agnes Han
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Catherine Priestley
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Lisa M Satlin
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
| | - Thomas R Kleyman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Shujie Shi
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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Echeverría F, Gonzalez-Sanabria N, Alvarado-Sanchez R, Fernández M, Castillo K, Latorre R. Large conductance voltage-and calcium-activated K + (BK) channel in health and disease. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1373507. [PMID: 38584598 PMCID: PMC10995336 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1373507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Large Conductance Voltage- and Calcium-activated K+ (BK) channels are transmembrane pore-forming proteins that regulate cell excitability and are also expressed in non-excitable cells. They play a role in regulating vascular tone, neuronal excitability, neurotransmitter release, and muscle contraction. Dysfunction of the BK channel can lead to arterial hypertension, hearing disorders, epilepsy, and ataxia. Here, we provide an overview of BK channel functioning and the implications of its abnormal functioning in various diseases. Understanding the function of BK channels is crucial for comprehending the mechanisms involved in regulating vital physiological processes, both in normal and pathological conditions, controlled by BK. This understanding may lead to the development of therapeutic interventions to address BK channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Echeverría
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Naileth Gonzalez-Sanabria
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Rosangelina Alvarado-Sanchez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Miguel Fernández
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Karen Castillo
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Ramon Latorre
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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Bae EJ, Jo H, Kim SS, Shin DS, Yang JY, Bae MA, Jeong P, Park CS, Ahn JH. Novel Thioxothiazolo[3,4- a]quinazolin-5(4 H)-one Derivatives as BK Ca Channel Activators for Urinary Incontinence. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1052-1061. [DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eun Jung Bae
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Heeji Jo
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Soon Kim
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Dae-Seop Shin
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Jung Yoon Yang
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Myung Ae Bae
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Pyeonghwa Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Chul-Seung Park
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hee Ahn
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
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Polymicrogyria in a child with KCNMA1-related channelopathy. Brain Dev 2022; 44:173-177. [PMID: 34674900 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACK GROUND Polymicrogyria is a malformation of cortical development with overfolding of the cerebral cortex and abnormal cortical layering. Polymicrogyria constitutes a heterogenous collection of neuroimaging features, neuropathological findings, and clinical associations, and is due to multiple underlying etiologies. In the last few years, some glutamate and sodium channelopathies have been associated with cortical brain malformations such as polymicrogyria. The potassium calcium-activated channel subfamily M alpha 1 (KCNMA1) gene encodes each of the four alpha-subunits that make up the large conductance calcium and voltage-activated potassium channel "Big K+". KCNMA1-related channelopathies are associated with various neurological abnormalities, including epilepsy, ataxia, paroxysmal dyskinesias, developmental delay and cognitive disorders. CASE REPORT We report the observation of a patient who presented since the age of two months with drug-resistant epilepsy with severe developmental delay initially related to bilateral asymmetric frontal polymicrogyria. Later, exome sequencing revealed a de novo heterozygous variation in the KCNMA1 gene (c.112delG) considered pathogenic. CONCLUSION This first case of polymicrogyria associated with KCNMA1-related channelopathy may expand the phenotypic spectrum of KCNMA1-related channelopathies and enrich the recently identified group of developmental channelopathies with polymicrogyria.
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Miller JP, Moldenhauer HJ, Keros S, Meredith AL. An emerging spectrum of variants and clinical features in KCNMA1-linked channelopathy. Channels (Austin) 2021; 15:447-464. [PMID: 34224328 PMCID: PMC8259716 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2021.1938852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
KCNMA1-linked channelopathy is an emerging neurological disorder characterized by heterogeneous and overlapping combinations of movement disorder, seizure, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. KCNMA1 encodes the BK K+ channel, which contributes to both excitatory and inhibitory neuronal and muscle activity. Understanding the basis of the disorder is an important area of active investigation; however, the rare prevalence has hampered the development of large patient cohorts necessary to establish genotype-phenotype correlations. In this review, we summarize 37 KCNMA1 alleles from 69 patients currently defining the channelopathy and assess key diagnostic and clinical hallmarks. At present, 3 variants are classified as gain-of-function with respect to BK channel activity, 14 loss-of-function, 15 variants of uncertain significance, and putative benign/VUS. Symptoms associated with these variants were curated from patient-provided information and prior publications to define the spectrum of clinical phenotypes. In this newly expanded cohort, seizures showed no differential distribution between patients harboring GOF and LOF variants, while movement disorders segregated by mutation type. Paroxysmal non-kinesigenic dyskinesia was predominantly observed among patients with GOF alleles of the BK channel, although not exclusively so, while additional movement disorders were observed in patients with LOF variants. Neurodevelopmental and structural brain abnormalities were prevalent in patients with LOF mutations. In contrast to mutations, disease-associated KCNMA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms were not predominantly related to neurological phenotypes but covered a wider set of peripheral physiological functions. Together, this review provides additional evidence exploring the genetic and biochemical basis for KCNMA1-linked channelopathy and summarizes the clinical repository of patient symptoms across multiple types of KCNMA1 gene variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob P Miller
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hans J Moldenhauer
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sotirios Keros
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrea L Meredith
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Hunsberger MS, Mynlieff M. BK potassium currents contribute differently to action potential waveform and firing rate as rat hippocampal neurons mature in the first postnatal week. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:703-714. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00711.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This work describes the early developmental trends of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channel activity. Early developmental trends in expression of BK channels, both total expression and relative isoform expression, have been previously reported, but little work describes the effect of these changes in expression patterns on excitability. Here, we show that early changes in BK channel expression patterns lead to changes in the role of BK channels in determining the action potential waveform and neuronal excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle Mynlieff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Sánchez-Aguilera A, Monedero G, Colino A, Vicente-Torres MÁ. Development of Action Potential Waveform in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons. Neuroscience 2020; 442:151-167. [PMID: 32634531 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
CA1 pyramidal neurons undergo intense morphological and electrophysiological changes from the second to third postnatal weeks in rats throughout a critical period associated with the emergence of exploratory behavior. Using whole cell current-clamp recordings in vitro and neurochemical methods, we studied the development of the somatic action potential (AP) waveform and some of the underlying channels in this critical period. At the third postnatal week, APs showed a more hyperpolarized threshold, higher duration and amplitude. Subthreshold depolarization broadened APs and depolarized their peak overshoots more pronouncedly in immature neurons (2 weeks old). These features were mimicked by pharmacologically blocking the fast-inactivating A-type potassium current (IA) and matched well with the higher concentrations of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 and the lower concentrations of BK and Kv1.2 channels detected by Western blotting. Repetitive stimulation with high frequency trains (50 Hz) reproduced AP broadening associated to inactivation of the A-type current in immature cells. Moreover, repetitive firing showed changes in AP amplitude consistent with the inactivation of both sodium and potassium subthreshold currents, which resulted in higher AP amplitudes in the more immature neurons. We propose that maturation of AP waveform and excitability in this critical developmental period could be related to the onset of exploratory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Sánchez-Aguilera
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM); IdISSC, Avda Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Avda Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Gonzalo Monedero
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM); IdISSC, Avda Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Asunción Colino
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM); IdISSC, Avda Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Vicente-Torres
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM); IdISSC, Avda Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Tamadon H, Ghasemi Z, Ghasemi F, Hosseinmardi N, Vatanpour H, Janahmadi M. Characterization of Functional Effects of Two New Active Fractions Isolated From Scorpion Venom on Neuronal Ca 2+ Spikes: A Possible Action on Ca 2+-Dependent Dependent K + Channels. Basic Clin Neurosci 2019. [PMID: 31031893 PMCID: PMC6484188 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.9.10.352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It is a long time that natural toxin research is conducted to unlock the medical potential of toxins. Although venoms-toxins cause pathophysiological conditions, they may be effective to treat several diseases. Since toxins including scorpion toxins target voltage-gated ion channels, they may have profound effects on excitable cells. Therefore, elucidating the cellular and electrophysiological impacts of toxins, particularly scorpion toxins would be helpful in future drug development opportunities. METHODS Intracellular recording was made from F1 cells of Helix aspersa in the presence of calcium Ringer solution in which Na+ and K+ channels were blocked. Then, the modulation of channel function in the presence of extracellular application of F4 and F6 toxins and kaliotoxin (KTX; 50 nM and 1 μM) was examined by assessing the electrophysiological characteristics of calcium spikes. RESULTS The two active toxin fractions, similar to KTX, a known Ca2+-activated K+ channel blocker, reduced the amplitude of AHP, enhanced the firing frequency of calcium spikes and broadened the duration of Ca2+ spikes. Therefore, it might be inferred that these two new fractions induce neuronal hyperexcitability possibly, in part, by blocking calcium-activated potassium channel current. However, this supposition requires further investigation using voltage clamping technique. CONCLUSION These toxin fractions may act as blocker of calcium-activated potassium channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanieh Tamadon
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Research Center,
School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Ghasemi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tarbiat
Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ghasemi
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Research Center,
School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Hosseinmardi
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Research Center,
School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Vatanpour
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of
Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahyar Janahmadi
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Research Center,
School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Corresponding Author: Mahyar
Janahmadi, PhD.Address: Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Research
Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Tel: +98 (21) 22439971
E-mail:;
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Xin F, Cheng Y, Ren J, Zhang S, Liu P, Zhao H, Huang H, Wang W. The extracellular loop of the auxiliary β1-subunit is involved in the regulation of BKCa channel mechanosensitivity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2018; 315:C485-C493. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00037.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The large conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BKCa) channel is activated by stretch. The stress-regulated exon (STREX) in α-subunits is known to affect the mechanosensitivity of BKCa channels. However, in human colonic smooth muscle cells (HCoSMCs), we found that the α-subunits without STREX (ZERO-BK) and β1-subunits could be detected yet the cells were mechanosensitive. Whether the β1-subunit is involved in the regulation of BKCa mechanosensitivity is unclear. In the present study, ZERO-BK and β1-subunits were individually expressed or coexpressed in HEK293 cells and cell-attached patch-clamp techniques were used to measure BKCa currents defining mechanosensitivity. Single-channel patch-clamp recordings from HEK293 cells cotransfected with ZERO-BK and β1-subunits showed stretch sensitivity, but there was no mechanosensitivity in HEK293 cells transfected only with ZERO-BK. We also showed that expression of the β1-subunit could increase mechanosensitivity of the STREX-type α-subunits (STREX-BK). To identify the domain in β1-subunits responsible for affecting stretch sensitivity, we expressed β1- LoopDel (chimeric β1-subunits without the extracellular loop) or β1- C TermDel (chimeric β1-subunits without COOH terminus) with ZERO-BK in HEK293 cells. The data showed that deletion of the extracellular loop but not the COOH terminus of β1-subunits virtually abolished the mechanosensitivity. These results suggest that the extracellular loop of the β1-subunit is involved in the regulation of BKCa channel mechanosensitivity and that role is independent of STREX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Xin
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Ren
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disorders Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sitao Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Zhao
- Yanjing Medical College, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haixia Huang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Metabolic Disorders Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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Bisen S, Simakova MN, Dopico AM, Bukiya AN. Large conductance voltage- and calcium-gated potassium channels (BK) in cerebral artery myocytes of perinatal fetal primates share several major characteristics with the adult phenotype. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203199. [PMID: 30212531 PMCID: PMC6136719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Large conductance voltage- and calcium-gated channels (BK) control fundamental processes, including smooth muscle contractility and artery diameter. We used a baboon (Papio spp) model of pregnancy that is similar to that of humans to characterize BK channels in the middle cerebral artery and its branches in near-term (165 dGa) primate fetuses and corresponding pregnant mothers. In cell-attached patches (K+pipette = 135 mM) on freshly isolated fetal cerebral artery myocytes, BK currents were identified by large conductance, and voltage- and paxilline-sensitive effects. Their calcium sensitivity was confirmed by a lower Vhalf (transmembrane voltage needed to reach half-maximal current) in inside-out patches at 30 versus 3 μM [Ca2+]free. Immunostaining against the BK channel-forming alpha subunit revealed qualitatively similar levels of BK alpha protein-corresponding fluorescence in fetal and maternal myocytes. Fetal and maternal BK currents recorded at 3 μM [Ca2+]free from excised membrane patches had similar unitary current amplitude, and Vhalf. However, subtle differences between fetal and maternal BK channel phenotypes were detected in macroscopic current activation kinetics. To assess BK function at the organ level, fetal and maternal artery branches were pressurized in vitro at 30 mmHg and probed with the selective BK channel blocker paxilline (1 μM). The degree of paxilline-induced constriction was similar in fetal and maternal arteries, yet the constriction of maternal arteries was achieved sooner. In conclusion, we present a first identification and characterization of fetal cerebral artery BK channels in myocytes from primates. Although differences in BK channels between fetal and maternal arteries exist, the similarities reported herein advance the idea that vascular myocyte BK channels are functional near-term, and thus may serve as pharmacological targets during the perinatal-neonatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivantika Bisen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Maria N. Simakova
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Alex M. Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Anna N. Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
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11
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Beining M, Mongiat LA, Schwarzacher SW, Cuntz H, Jedlicka P. T2N as a new tool for robust electrophysiological modeling demonstrated for mature and adult-born dentate granule cells. eLife 2017; 6:e26517. [PMID: 29165247 PMCID: PMC5737656 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Compartmental models are the theoretical tool of choice for understanding single neuron computations. However, many models are incomplete, built ad hoc and require tuning for each novel condition rendering them of limited usability. Here, we present T2N, a powerful interface to control NEURON with Matlab and TREES toolbox, which supports generating models stable over a broad range of reconstructed and synthetic morphologies. We illustrate this for a novel, highly detailed active model of dentate granule cells (GCs) replicating a wide palette of experiments from various labs. By implementing known differences in ion channel composition and morphology, our model reproduces data from mouse or rat, mature or adult-born GCs as well as pharmacological interventions and epileptic conditions. This work sets a new benchmark for detailed compartmental modeling. T2N is suitable for creating robust models useful for large-scale networks that could lead to novel predictions. We discuss possible T2N application in degeneracy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Beining
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck SocietyFrankfurtGermany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced StudiesFrankfurtGermany
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience CenterGoethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
- Faculty of BiosciencesGoethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | - Lucas Alberto Mongiat
- Instituto de Investigación en Biodiversidad y MedioambienteUniversidad Nacional del Comahue-CONICETSan Carlos de BarilocheArgentina
| | | | - Hermann Cuntz
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck SocietyFrankfurtGermany
- Frankfurt Institute for Advanced StudiesFrankfurtGermany
| | - Peter Jedlicka
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience CenterGoethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
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Pchelintseva E, Djamgoz MBA. Mesenchymal stem cell differentiation: Control by calcium-activated potassium channels. J Cell Physiol 2017; 233:3755-3768. [PMID: 28776687 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in modern medicine for which understanding the mechanisms controlling their differentiation is fundamental. Ion channels offer novel insights to this process because of their role in modulating membrane potential and intracellular milieu. Here, we evaluate the contribution of calcium-activated potassium (KCa ) channels to the three main components of MSC differentiation: initiation, proliferation, and migration. First, we demonstrate the importance of the membrane potential (Vm ) and the apparent association of hyperpolarization with differentiation. Of KCa subtypes, most evidence points to activity of big-conductance channels in inducing initiation. On the other hand, intermediate-conductance currents have been shown to promote progression through the cell cycle. While there is no information on the role of KCa channels in migration of MSCs, work from other stem cells and cancer cells suggest that intermediate-conductance and to a lesser extent big-conductance channels drive migration. In all cases, these effects depend on species, tissue origin and lineage. Finally, we present a conceptual model that demonstrates how KCa activity could influence differentiation by regulating Vm and intracellular Ca2+ oscillations. We conclude that KCa channels have significant involvement in MSC differentiation and could potentially enable novel tissue engineering approaches and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Pchelintseva
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Neuroscience Solution to Cancer Research Group, London, UK.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Mustafa B A Djamgoz
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Neuroscience Solution to Cancer Research Group, London, UK
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Voltage-Sensitive Potassium Channels of the BK Type and Their Coding Genes Are Alcohol Targets in Neurons. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 248:281-309. [PMID: 29204711 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Among all members of the voltage-gated, TM6 ion channel superfamily, the proteins that constitute calcium- and voltage-gated potassium channels of large conductance (BK) and their coding genes are unique for their involvement in ethanol-induced disruption of normal physiology and behavior. Moreover, in vitro studies document that BK activity is modified by ethanol with an EC50~23 mM, which is near blood alcohol levels considered legal intoxication in most states of the USA (0.08 g/dL = 17.4 mM). Following a succinct introduction to our current understanding of BK structure and function in central neurons, with a focus on neural circuits that contribute to the neurobiology of alcohol use disorders (AUD), we review the modifications in organ physiology by alcohol exposure via BK and the different molecular elements that determine the ethanol response of BK in alcohol-naïve systems, including the role of an ethanol-recognizing site in the BK-forming slo1 protein, modulation of accessory BK subunits, and their coding genes. The participation of these and additional elements in determining the response of a system or an organism to protracted ethanol exposure is consequently analyzed, with insights obtained from invertebrate and vertebrate models. Particular emphasis is put on the role of BK and coding genes in different forms of tolerance to alcohol exposure. We finally discuss genetic results on BK obtained in invertebrate organisms and rodents in light of possible extrapolation to human AUD.
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Abstract
Large conductance Ca(2+)- and voltage-activated K(+) (BK) channels are widely distributed in the postnatal central nervous system (CNS). BK channels play a pleiotropic role in regulating the activity of brain and spinal cord neural circuits by providing a negative feedback mechanism for local increases in intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations. In neurons, they regulate the timing and duration of K(+) influx such that they can either increase or decrease firing depending on the cellular context, and they can suppress neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals. In addition, BK channels located in astrocytes and arterial myocytes modulate cerebral blood flow. Not surprisingly, both loss and gain of BK channel function have been associated with CNS disorders such as epilepsy, ataxia, mental retardation, and chronic pain. On the other hand, the neuroprotective role played by BK channels in a number of pathological situations could potentially be leveraged to correct neurological dysfunction.
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15
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King BL, Shi LF, Kao P, Clusin WT. Calcium activated K⁺ channels in the electroreceptor of the skate confirmed by cloning. Details of subunits and splicing. Gene 2015; 578:63-73. [PMID: 26687710 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Elasmobranchs detect small potentials using excitable cells of the ampulla of Lorenzini which have calcium-activated K(+) channels, first described in 1974. A distinctive feature of the outward current in voltage clamped ampullae is its apparent insensitivity to voltage. The sequence of a BK channel α isoform expressed in the ampulla of the skate was characterized. A signal peptide is present at the beginning of the gene. When compared to human isoform 1 (the canonical sequence), the largest difference was absence of a 59 amino acid region from the S8-S9 intra-cellular linker that contains the strex regulatory domain. The ampulla isoform was also compared with the isoform predicted in late skate embryos where strex was also absent. The BK voltage sensors were conserved in both skate isoforms. Differences between the skate and human BK channel included alternative splicing. Alternative splicing occurs at seven previously defined sites that are characteristic for BK channels in general and hair cells in particular. Skate BK sequences were highly similar to the Australian ghost shark and several other vertebrate species. Based on alignment of known BK sequences with the skate genome and transcriptome, there are at least two isoforms of Kcnma1α expressed in the skate. One of the β subunits (β4), which is known to decrease voltage sensitivity, was also identified in the skate genome and transcriptome and in the ampulla. These studies advance our knowledge of BK channels and suggest further studies in the ampulla and other excitable tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L King
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, ME 04672, United States
| | - Ling Fang Shi
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Peter Kao
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - William T Clusin
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
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Activation of large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels inhibits glutamate-induced oxidative stress through attenuating ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Neurochem Int 2015; 90:28-35. [PMID: 26163046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2015.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels (BK channels) are widely expressed throughout the vertebrate nervous system, and are involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and neuronal excitability. Here, the neuroprotective effects of NS11021, a selective and chemically unrelated BK channel activator, and potential molecular mechanism involved have been studied in rat cortical neurons exposed to glutamate in vitro. Pretreatment with NS11021 significantly inhibited the loss of neuronal viability, LDH release and neuronal apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. All these protective effects were fully antagonized by the BK-channel inhibitor paxilline. NS11021-induced neuroprotection was associated with reduced oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation and preserved activity of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, NS11021 significantly attenuated the glutamate-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium release and activation of ER stress markers, including glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase-12. Pretreatment with NS11021 also mitigated the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, cytochrome c release, and preserved mitochondrial Ca(2+) buffering capacity and ATP synthesis after glutamate exposure. Taken together, these results suggest that activation of BK channels via NS11021 protects cortical neurons against glutamate-induced excitatory damage, which may be dependent on the inhibition of ER stress and preservation of mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Wan XJ, Zhao HC, Zhang P, Huo B, Shen BR, Yan ZQ, Qi YX, Jiang ZL. Involvement of BK channel in differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by mechanical stretch. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2015; 59:21-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2014.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel (BKCa) α-subunit splice variants in resistance arteries from rat cerebral and skeletal muscle vasculature. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98863. [PMID: 24921651 PMCID: PMC4055454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies report functional differences in large conductance Ca2+ activated-K+ channels (BKCa) of smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from rat cerebral and cremaster muscle resistance arteries. The present studies aimed to determine if this complexity in BKCa activity may, in part, be due to splice variants in the pore-forming α-subunit. BKCa variants in the intracellular C terminus of the α-subunit, and their relative expression to total α-subunit, were examined by qPCR. Sequencing of RT-PCR products showed two α-subunit variants, ZERO and STREX, to be identical in cremaster and cerebral arteries. Levels of STREX mRNA expression were, however, significantly higher in cremaster VSMCs (28.9±4.2% of total α-BKCa) compared with cerebral vessels (16.5±0.9%). Further, a low level of BKCa SS4 α-subunit variant was seen in cerebral arteries, while undetectable in cremaster arteries. Protein biotinylation assays, in expression systems and arterial preparations, were used to determine whether differences in splice variant mRNA expression affect surface membrane/cytosolic location of the channel. In AD-293 and CHO-K1 cells, rat STREX was more likely to be located at the plasma membrane compared to ZERO, although the great majority of channel protein was in the membrane in both cases. Co-expression of β1-BKCa subunit with STREX or ZERO did not influence the dominant membrane expression of α-BKCa subunits, whereas in the absence of α-BKCa, a significant proportion of β1-subunit remained cytosolic. Biotinylation assays of cremaster and cerebral arteries showed that differences in STREX/ZERO expression do not alter membrane/cytosolic distribution of the channel under basal conditions. These data, however, revealed that the amount of α-BKCa in cerebral arteries is approximately 20X higher than in cremaster vessels. Thus, the data support the major functional differences in BKCa activity in cremaster, as compared to cerebral VSMCs, being related to total α-BKCa expression, regardless of differences in splice variant expression.
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Christensen MH, Ishibashi M, Nielsen ML, Leonard CS, Kohlmeier KA. Age-related changes in nicotine response of cholinergic and non-cholinergic laterodorsal tegmental neurons: implications for the heightened adolescent susceptibility to nicotine addiction. Neuropharmacology 2014; 85:263-83. [PMID: 24863041 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The younger an individual starts smoking, the greater the likelihood that addiction to nicotine will develop, suggesting that neurobiological responses vary across age to the addictive component of cigarettes. Cholinergic neurons of the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) are importantly involved in the development of addiction, however, the effects of nicotine on LDT neuronal excitability across ontogeny are unknown. Nicotinic effects on LDT cells across different age groups were examined using calcium imaging and whole-cell patch clamping. Within the youngest age group (P7-P15), nicotine induced larger intracellular calcium transients and inward currents. Nicotine induced a greater number of excitatory synaptic currents in the youngest animals, whereas larger amplitude inhibitory synaptic events were induced in cells from the oldest animals (P15-P34). Nicotine increased neuronal firing of cholinergic cells to a greater degree in younger animals, possibly linked to development associated differences found in nicotinic effects on action potential shape and afterhyperpolarization. We conclude that in addition to age-associated alterations of several properties expected to affect resting cell excitability, parameters affecting cell excitability are altered by nicotine differentially across ontogeny. Taken together, our data suggest that nicotine induces a larger excitatory response in cholinergic LDT neurons from the youngest animals, which could result in a greater excitatory output from these cells to target regions involved in development of addiction. Such output would be expected to be promotive of addiction; therefore, ontogenetic differences in nicotine-mediated increases in the excitability of the LDT could contribute to the differential susceptibility to nicotine addiction seen across age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H Christensen
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Masaru Ishibashi
- Department of Physiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Michael L Nielsen
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | | | - Kristi A Kohlmeier
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.
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20
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Abstract
Ion channels and transporters are expressed in every living cell, where they participate in controlling a plethora of biological processes and physiological functions, such as excitation of cells in response to stimulation, electrical activities of cells, excitation-contraction coupling, cellular osmolarity, and even cell growth and death. Alterations of ion channels/transporters can have profound impacts on the cellular physiology associated with these proteins. Expression of ion channels/transporters is tightly regulated and expression deregulation can trigger abnormal processes, leading to pathogenesis, the channelopathies. While transcription factors play a critical role in controlling the transcriptome of ion channels/transporters at the transcriptional level by acting on the 5'-flanking region of the genes, microribonucleic acids (miRNAs), a newly discovered class of regulators in the gene network, are also crucial for expression regulation at the posttranscriptional level through binding to the 3'untranslated region of the genes. These small noncoding RNAs fine tune expression of genes involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. Recent studies revealed the role of miRNAs in regulating expression of ion channels/transporters and the associated physiological functions. miRNAs can target ion channel genes to alter cardiac excitability (conduction, repolarization, and automaticity) and affect arrhythmogenic potential of heart. They can modulate circadian rhythm, pain threshold, neuroadaptation to alcohol, brain edema, etc., through targeting ion channel genes in the neuronal systems. miRNAs can also control cell growth and tumorigenesis by acting on the relevant ion channel genes. Future studies are expected to rapidly increase to unravel a new repertoire of ion channels/transporters for miRNA regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguo Wang
- Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
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21
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Ramírez-Latorre JA. Functional upregulation of Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels in the development of substantia nigra dopamine neurons. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51610. [PMID: 23284723 PMCID: PMC3527479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many connections in the basal ganglia are made around birth when animals are exposed to a host of new affective, cognitive, and sensori-motor stimuli. It is thought that dopamine modulates cortico-striatal synapses that result in the strengthening of those connections that lead to desired outcomes. We propose that there must be a time before which stimuli cannot be processed into functional connections, otherwise it would imply an effective link between stimulus, response, and reward in uterus. Consistent with these ideas, we present evidence that early in development dopamine neurons are electrically immature and do not produce high-frequency firing in response to salient stimuli. We ask first, what makes dopamine neurons immature? and second, what are the implications of this immaturity for the basal ganglia? As an answer to the first question, we find that at birth the outward current is small (3nS-V), insensitive to Ca(2+), TEA, BK, and SK blockers. Rapidly after birth, the outward current increases to 15nS-V and becomes sensitive to Ca(2+), TEA, BK, and SK blockers. We make a detailed analysis of the kinetics of the components of the outward currents and produce a model for BK and SK channels that we use to reproduce the outward current, and to infer the geometrical arrangement of BK and Ca(2+) channels in clusters. In the first cluster, T-type Ca(2+) and BK channels are coupled within distances of ~20 nm (200 Å). The second cluster consists of L-type Ca(2+) and BK channels that are spread over distances of at least 60 nm. As for the second question, we propose that early in development, the mechanism of action selection is in a "locked-in" state that would prevent dopamine neurons from reinforcing cortico-striatal synapses that do not have a functional experiential-based value.
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22
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Ehling P, Cerina M, Meuth P, Kanyshkova T, Bista P, Coulon P, Meuth SG, Pape HC, Budde T. Ca(2+)-dependent large conductance K(+) currents in thalamocortical relay neurons of different rat strains. Pflugers Arch 2012. [PMID: 23207578 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-012-1188-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in genes coding for Ca(2+) channels were found in patients with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) indicating a contribution of Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms to the generation of spike-wave discharges (SWD) in humans. Since the involvement of Ca(2+) signals remains unclear, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the function of a Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channel (BKCa) under physiological conditions and in the pathophysiological state of CAE. The activation of BKCa channels is dependent on both voltage and intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations. Moreover, these channels exhibit an outstandingly high level of regulatory heterogeneity that builds the basis for the influence of BKCa channels on different aspects of neuronal activity. Here, we analyse the contribution of BKCa channels to firing of thalamocortical relay neurons, and we test the hypothesis that BKCa channel activity affects the phenotype of a genetic rat model of CAE. We found that the activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor/protein kinase A pathway resulted in BKCa channel inhibition. Furthermore, BKCa channels affect the number of action potentials fired in a burst and produced spike frequency adaptation during tonic activity. The latter result was confirmed by a computer modelling approach. We demonstrate that the β2-adrenergic inhibition of BKCa channels prevents spike frequency adaptation and, thus, might significantly support the tonic firing mode of thalamocortical relay neurons. In addition, we show that BKCa channel functioning differs in epileptic WAG/Rij and thereby likely contributes to highly synchronised, epileptic network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Ehling
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Robert-Koch-Str. 27a, Münster, Germany.
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23
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Cell excitability necessary for male mating behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans is coordinated by interactions between big current and ether-a-go-go family K(+) channels. Genetics 2011; 190:1025-41. [PMID: 22174070 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.111.137455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Variations in K(+) channel composition allow for differences in cell excitability and, at an organismal level, provide flexibility to behavioral regulation. When the function of a K(+) channel is disrupted, the remaining K(+) channels might incompletely compensate, manifesting as abnormal organismal behavior. In this study, we explored how different K(+) channels interact to regulate the neuromuscular circuitry used by Caenorhabditis elegans males to protract their copulatory spicules from their tail and insert them into the hermaphrodite's vulva during mating. We determined that the big current K(+) channel (BK)/SLO-1 genetically interacts with ether-a-go-go (EAG)/EGL-2 and EAG-related gene/UNC-103 K(+) channels to control spicule protraction. Through rescue experiments, we show that specific slo-1 isoforms affect spicule protraction. Gene expression studies show that slo-1 and egl-2 expression can be upregulated in a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-dependent manner to compensate for the loss of unc-103 and conversely, unc-103 can partially compensate for the loss of SLO-1 function. In conclusion, an interaction between BK and EAG family K(+) channels produces the muscle excitability levels that regulate the timing of spicule protraction and the success of male mating behavior.
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Intragenic alternative splicing coordination is essential for Caenorhabditis elegans slo-1 gene function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:20790-5. [PMID: 22084100 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1116712108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is critical for diversifying eukaryotic proteomes, but the rules governing and coordinating splicing events among multiple alternate splice sites within individual genes are not well understood. We developed a quantitative PCR-based strategy to quantify the expression of the 12 transcripts encoded by the Caenorhabditis elegans slo-1 gene, containing three alternate splice sites. Using conditional probability-based models, we show that splicing events are coordinated across these sites. Further, we identify a point mutation in an intron adjacent to one alternate splice site that disrupts alternative splicing at all three sites. This mutation leads to aberrant synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction. In a genomic survey, we found that a UAAAUC element disrupted by this mutation is enriched in introns flanking alternate exons in genes with multiple alternate splice sites. These results establish that proper coordination of intragenic alternative splicing is essential for normal physiology of slo-1 in vivo and identify putative specialized cis-regulatory elements that regulate the coordination of intragenic alternative splicing.
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Alternatively spliced domains interact to regulate BK potassium channel gating. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:20784-9. [PMID: 22049343 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1116795108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Most human genes contain multiple alternative splice sites believed to extend the complexity and diversity of the proteome. However, little is known about how interactions among alternative exons regulate protein function. We used the Caenorhabditis elegans slo-1 large-conductance calcium and voltage-activated potassium (BK) channel gene, which contains three alternative splice sites (A, B, and C) and encodes at least 12 splice variants, to investigate the functional consequences of alternative splicing. These splice sites enable the insertion of exons encoding part of the regulator of K(+) conductance (RCK)1 Ca(2+) coordination domain (exons A1 and A2) and portions of the RCK1-RCK2 linker (exons B0, B1, B2, C0, and C1). Exons A1 and A2 are used in a mutually exclusive manner and are 67% identical. The other exons can extend the RCK1-RCK2 linker by up to 41 residues. Electrophysiological recordings of all isoforms show that the A1 and A2 exons regulate activation kinetics and Ca(2+) sensitivity, but only if alternate exons are inserted at site B or C. Thus, RCK1 interacts with the RCK1-RCK2 linker, and the effect of exon variation on gating depends on the combination of alternate exons present in each isoform.
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Rajadhyaksha AM, Ra S, Kishinevsky S, Lee AS, Romanienko P, DuBoff M, Yang C, Zupan B, Byrne M, Daruwalla ZR, Mark W, Kosofsky BE, Toth M, Higgins JJ. Behavioral characterization of cereblon forebrain-specific conditional null mice: a model for human non-syndromic intellectual disability. Behav Brain Res 2011; 226:428-34. [PMID: 21995942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Revised: 09/24/2011] [Accepted: 09/27/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
A nonsense mutation in the human cereblon gene (CRBN) causes a mild type of autosomal recessive non-syndromic intellectual disability (ID). Animal studies show that crbn is a cytosolic protein with abundant expression in the hippocampus (HPC) and neocortex (CTX). Its diverse functions include the developmental regulation of ion channels at the neuronal synapse, the mediation of developmental programs by ubiquitination, and a target for herpes simplex type I virus in HPC neurons. To test the hypothesis that anomalous CRBN expression leads to HPC-mediated memory and learning deficits, we generated germ-line crbn knock-out mice (crbn(-/-)). We also inactivated crbn in forebrain neurons in conditional knock-out mice in which crbn exons 3 and 4 are deleted by cre recombinase under the direction of the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha promoter (CamKII(cre/+), crbn(-/-)). crbn mRNA levels were negligible in the HPC, CTX, and cerebellum (CRBM) of the crbn(-/-) mice. In contrast, crbn mRNA levels were reduced 3- to 4-fold in the HPC, CTX but not in the CRBM in CamKII(cre/+), crbn(-/-) mice as compared to wild type (CamKII(cre/+), crbn(+/+)). Contextual fear conditioning showed a significant decrease in the percentage of freezing time in CamKII(cre/+), crbn(-/-) and crbn(-/-) mice while motor function, exploratory motivation, and anxiety-related behaviors were normal. These findings suggest that CamKII(cre/+), crbn(-/-) mice exhibit selective HPC-dependent deficits in associative learning and supports the use of these mice as in vivo models to study the functional consequences of CRBN aberrations on memory and learning in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali M Rajadhyaksha
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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27
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Sakai Y, Harvey M, Sokolowski B. Identification and quantification of full-length BK channel variants in the developing mouse cochlea. J Neurosci Res 2011; 89:1747-60. [PMID: 21800349 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2010] [Revised: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Maxi-K(+) (BK) channel diversity is attributed to alternative splicing in the kcnma1 gene. The resultant variants manifest themselves in different cell types, tissues, and functions, such as excitation, metabolism, and signaling. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed immunogold particle labeling of BK in apical and basal regions of inner and outer hair cells, respectively. Additional labeling occurs in Deiters' cells and the inner mitochondrial membrane. Identification of full-length sequences reveals 27 BK variants from embryonic and postnatal mouse inner ear, per classification by tail motif, VYR, DEC, and ERL, and by exon usage. Three predicted start codons are found encoding MAN, MSS, and MDA, of which MDA shows the greatest expression through all stages in development, whereas MAN is undetectable. Complex splice sites occur between exons 9 and 10 and between 21 and 23. Spliced-in/out exons between 8 and 10 reveal a short fragment composed of exons 8 + 10, detectable on postnatal day (PD) 14 and PD30, and a longer fragment composed of exons 8 + 9 + 10 that is upregulated on embryonic day (ED) 14. Spliced-in exons 22 or 23 are expressed on ED14 but decrease over time; however, exon 22 increases again on PD34. Using tail-specific primers, qRT-PCR from ED14, PD4, -14, and -30 shows that BK-VYR and -ERL dominate expression on ED14, whereas DEC dominates after birth in all cochlear regions. The localization of BK and the changes in expression of its exons and tail types, by alternative splicing during development, may contribute to cochlear organization, acquisition of hearing, and intracellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihisa Sakai
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
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28
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Wang W, Huang H, Hou D, Liu P, Wei H, Fu X, Niu W. Mechanosensitivity of STREX-lacking BKCa channels in the colonic smooth muscle of the mouse. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2010; 299:G1231-40. [PMID: 20864656 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00268.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Stretch sensitivity of Ca²(+)-activated large-conductance K(+) channels (BK(Ca)) has been observed in a variety of cell types and considered to be a potential mechanism in mechanoelectric transduction (MET). Mechanical stress is a major stimulator for the smooth muscle in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, much about the role and mechanism of MET in GI smooth muscles remains unknown. The BK(Ca) shows a functional diversity due to intensive Slo I alternative splicing and different α/β-subunit assembly in various cells. The stress-regulated exon (STREX) insert is suggested to be an indispensable domain for the mechanosensitivity of BK(Ca). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the BK(Ca) in colonic myocytes of the adult mouse is sensitive to mechanical stimulation and whether the STREX insert is a crucial segment for the BK(Ca) mechanosensitivity. The α- and β1-subunit mRNAs and the α-subunit protein of the BK(Ca) channels were detected in the colonic muscularis. We found that the BK(Ca) STREX-lacking variant was abundantly expressed in the smooth muscle, whereas the STREX variant was not detectable. We demonstrated that the STREX-lacking BK(Ca) channels were also sensitive to membrane stretch. We suggest that in addition to the STREX domain, there are other additional structures in the channel responsible for mechanically coupling with the cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Dept. of Physiology, Capital Medical Univ., Beijing, PR China
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Intron retention facilitates splice variant diversity in calcium-activated big potassium channel populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:21152-7. [PMID: 21078998 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1015264107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We report that the stress axis-regulated exon (STREX)-containing calcium-activated big potassium (BKCa) channel splice variant expression and physiology are regulated in part by cytoplasmic splicing and intron retention. NextGen sequencing of the mRNA complement of pooled hippocampal dendrite samples found intron 17a (i17a), the intron immediately preceding STREX, in the BKCa mRNA. Further molecular analyses of i17a revealed that the majority of i17a-containing BKCa channel mRNAs associate with STREX. i17a siRNA treatment followed by STREX protein immunocytochemistry demonstrated both reduced levels and altered subcellular distribution of STREX-containing BKCa channel protein. Selective reduction of i17a-BKCa or STREX-BKCa mRNAs induced similar changes in the burst firing properties of hippocampal neurons. Collectively, these data show that STREX splice variant regulation via cytoplasmic splicing and intron retention helps generate STREX-dependent BKCa current diversity in hippocampal neurons.
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Jeffries O, Geiger N, Rowe ICM, Tian L, McClafferty H, Chen L, Bi D, Knaus HG, Ruth P, Shipston MJ. Palmitoylation of the S0-S1 linker regulates cell surface expression of voltage- and calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:33307-33314. [PMID: 20693285 PMCID: PMC2963414 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.153940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2010] [Revised: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
S-palmitoylation is rapidly emerging as an important post-translational mechanism to regulate ion channels. We have previously demonstrated that large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium (BK) channels are palmitoylated within an alternatively spliced (STREX) insert. However, these studies also revealed that additional site(s) for palmitoylation must exist outside of the STREX insert, although the identity or the functional significance of these palmitoylated cysteine residues are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that BK channels are palmitoylated at a cluster of evolutionary conserved cysteine residues (Cys-53, Cys-54, and Cys-56) within the intracellular linker between the S0 and S1 transmembrane domains. Mutation of Cys-53, Cys-54, and Cys-56 completely abolished palmitoylation of BK channels lacking the STREX insert (ZERO variant). Palmitoylation allows the S0-S1 linker to associate with the plasma membrane but has no effect on single channel conductance or the calcium/voltage sensitivity. Rather, S0-S1 linker palmitoylation is a critical determinant of cell surface expression of BK channels, as steady state surface expression levels are reduced by ∼55% in the C53:54:56A mutant. STREX variant channels that could not be palmitoylated in the S0-S1 linker also displayed significantly reduced cell surface expression even though STREX insert palmitoylation was unaffected. Thus our work reveals the functional independence of two distinct palmitoylation-dependent membrane interaction domains within the same channel protein and demonstrates the critical role of S0-S1 linker palmitoylation in the control of BK channel cell surface expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Jeffries
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Nina Geiger
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom; Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Iain C M Rowe
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Lijun Tian
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Heather McClafferty
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Lie Chen
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Danlei Bi
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Hans Guenther Knaus
- Division for Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr Strasse 1, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Peter Ruth
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Michael J Shipston
- From the Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Hugh Robson Building, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.
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Ermolinsky BS, Skinner F, Garcia I, Arshadmansab MF, Otalora LFP, Zarei MM, Garrido-Sanabria ER. Upregulation of STREX splice variant of the large conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) channel in a rat model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Neurosci Res 2010; 69:73-80. [PMID: 20933547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2010.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2010] [Revised: 09/29/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Functional properties of large conductance Ca(2+) activated potassium (BK) channels are determined by complex alternative splicing of the Kcnma1 gene encoding the alpha pore-forming subunit. Inclusion of the STREX exon in a C-terminal splice site is dynamically regulated and confers enhanced Ca(2+) sensitivity and channel inhibition via cAMP-dependent phosphorylation. Here, we describe a real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) approach to investigate relative changes in the expression of STREX and ZERO splice variants using a newly designed set of probes and primers for TaqMan-based qPCR analysis of cDNA from the rat dentate gyrus at different time points following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. Reduction in Kcnma1 gene expression is associated with a relative increase of STREX splice variant. Relative expression of STREX variant mRNA was increased at 10 days and at more than 1 month following status epilepticus. The biological consequences of seizure-related changes in alternative splicing of Kcnma1 deserve additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris S Ermolinsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA
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32
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Kim JM, Beyer R, Morales M, Chen S, Liu LQ, Duncan RK. Expression of BK-type calcium-activated potassium channel splice variants during chick cochlear development. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:2554-69. [PMID: 20503427 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The appearance of large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium (BK) current is a hallmark of functional maturation in auditory hair cells. Acquisition of this fast-activating current enables high-frequency, graded receptor potentials in all vertebrates and an electrical tuning mechanism in nonmammals. The gene encoding BK alpha subunits is highly alternatively spliced, and the resulting variations in channel isoforms may contribute to functional diversity at the onset of hearing. We examined the tissue specificity of nine BK alpha alternative exons and investigated changes in expression during chick cochlear development using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Each alternative was widely expressed in several tissues except for an insert near the C-terminus Ca(2+) sensing domain, which appeared brain-specific. The only alternative form in the membrane-bound core of the channel was expressed in brain and muscle but was undetected in cochlea. Of the remaining variants, three increased in expression prior to the onset of hearing and acquisition of BK currents. These three variants cause decreased Ca(2+) sensitivity or increased intracellular retention, traits that would not easily explain the advent of calcium-sensitive currents at embryonic day (E)18-19. Expression levels of other variants were mature and stable by E15, days before currents were acquired. Surface expression of C-terminal isoforms was examined using patch-clamp electrophysiology and immunocytochemistry. C-terminal variants that exhibit robust surface expression appeared in the membrane at E18, even though transcripts were unchanged during development starting from E12. These results indicate that delays in protein synthesis and trafficking/scaffolding of channel subunits underlie the late acquisition of BK currents in cochlear hair cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Min Kim
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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33
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Higgins JJ, Tal AL, Sun X, Hauck SCR, Hao J, Kosofosky BE, Rajadhyaksha AM. Temporal and spatial mouse brain expression of cereblon, an ionic channel regulator involved in human intelligence. J Neurogenet 2010; 24:18-26. [PMID: 20131966 DOI: 10.3109/01677060903567849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A mild form of autosomal recessive, nonsyndromal intellectual disability (ARNSID) in humans is caused by a homozygous nonsense mutation in the cereblon gene (mutCRBN). Rodent crbn protein binds to the intracellular C-terminus of the large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+)channel (BK(Ca)). An mRNA variant (human SITE 2 INSERT or mouse strex) of the BK(Ca) gene (KCNMA1) that is normally expressed during embryonic development is aberrantly expressed in mutCRBN human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) as compared to wild-type (wt) LCLs. The present study analyzes the temporal and spatial distribution of crbn and kcnma1 mRNAs in the mouse brain by the quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The spatial expression pattern of endogenous and exogenous crbn proteins is characterized by immunostaining. The results show that neocortical (CTX) crbn and kcnma1 mRNA expression increases from embryonic stages to adulthood. The strex mRNA variant is >3.5-fold higher in embryos and decreases rapidly postnatally. Mouse crbn mRNA is abundant in the cerebellum (CRBM), with less expression in the CTX, hippocampus (HC), and striatum (Str) in adult mice. The intracytoplasmic distribution of endogenous crbn protein in the mouse CRBM, CTX, HC, and Str is similar to the immunostaining pattern described previously for the BK(Ca) channel. Exogenous hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged human wt- and mutCRBN proteins using cDNA transfection in HEK293T cell lines showed the same intracellular expression distribution as endogenous mouse crbn protein. The results suggest that mutCRBN may cause ARNSID by disrupting the developmental regulation of BK(Ca) in brain regions that are critical for memory and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Higgins
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, USA.
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34
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Luján R. Organisation of potassium channels on the neuronal surface. J Chem Neuroanat 2010; 40:1-20. [PMID: 20338235 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2010.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2010] [Accepted: 03/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Potassium channels are a family of ion channels that govern the intrinsic electrical properties of neurons in the brain. Molecular cloning has revealed over 100 genes encoding the pore-forming alpha subunits of potassium channels in mammals, making them the most diverse subset of ion channels. Multiplicity in this ion channel family is further generated through alternative splicing. The precise location of potassium channels along the dendro-somato-axonic surface of the neurons is an important factor in determining its functional impact. Today, it is widely accepted that potassium channels can be located at any subcellular compartment on the neuronal surface, at synaptic and extrasynaptic sites, from somata to dendritic shafts, dendritic spines, axons or axon terminals. However, they are not evenly distributed on the neuronal surface and depending on the potassium channel subtype, are instead concentrated at different compartments. This selective localization of ion channels to specific neuronal compartments has many different functional implications. One factor necessary to understand the role of potassium channels in neuronal function is to unravel their specialized distribution and subcellular localization within a cell, and this can only be achieved by electron microscopy. In this review, I summarize anatomical findings, describing their distribution in the central nervous system. The distinct regional, cellular and subcellular distribution of potassium channels in the brain will be discussed in view of their possible functional implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Luján
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas, Instituto de Investigación en Discapacidades Neurológicas (IDINE), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Biosanitario, C/Almansa 14, 02006 Albacete, Spain.
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35
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Treistman SN, Martin GE. BK Channels: mediators and models for alcohol tolerance. Trends Neurosci 2009; 32:629-37. [PMID: 19781792 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2009.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2009] [Revised: 07/30/2009] [Accepted: 08/05/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced acute tolerance predicts alcohol abuse. We describe work on the role of the calcium- and voltage-gated BK channel in alcohol tolerance, highlighting the lipid environment, BK protein isoform selection and auxiliary BK channel proteins. We show how ethanol, which had the reputation of a nonspecific membrane perturbant, is now being examined at realistic concentrations with cutting-edge techniques, providing novel molecular targets for therapeutic approaches to alcoholism. Addictive disorders impact our emotional, physical and financial status, and burden our healthcare system. Although alcohol is the focus of this review, it is highly probable, given the common neural and biochemical pathways used by drugs of abuse, that the findings described here will also apply to other drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven N Treistman
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan 00901, Puerto Rico.
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36
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Chatterjee O, Taylor LA, Ahmed S, Nagaraj S, Hall JJ, Finckbeiner SM, Chan PS, Suda N, King JT, Zeeman ML, McCobb DP. Social stress alters expression of large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel subunits in mouse adrenal medulla and pituitary glands. J Neuroendocrinol 2009; 21:167-76. [PMID: 19207824 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2009.01823.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels are very prominently expressed in adrenal chromaffin and many anterior pituitary cells, where they shape intrinsic excitability complexly. Stress- and sex-steroids regulate alternative splicing of Slo-alpha, the pore-forming subunit of BK channels, and chronic behavioural stress has been shown to alter Slo splicing in tree shrew adrenals. In the present study, we focus on mice, measuring the effects of chronic behavioural stress on total mRNA expression of the Slo-alpha gene, two key BK channel beta subunit genes (beta2 and beta4), and the 'STREX' splice variant of Slo-alpha. As a chronic stressor, males of the relatively aggressive SJL strain were housed with a different unfamiliar SJL male every 24 h for 19 days. This 'social-instability' paradigm stressed all individuals, as demonstrated by reduced weight gain and elevated corticosterone levels. Five quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain assays were performed in parallel, including beta-actin, each calibrated against a dilution series of its corresponding cDNA template. Stress-related changes in BK expression were larger in mice tested at 6 weeks than 9 weeks. In younger animals, Slo-alpha mRNA levels were elevated 44% and 116% in the adrenal medulla and pituitary, respectively, compared to individually-housed controls. beta2 and beta4 mRNAs were elevated 162% and 194% in the pituitary, but slightly reduced in the adrenals of stressed animals. In the pituitary, dominance scores of stressed animals correlated negatively with alpha and beta subunit expression, with more subordinate individuals exhibiting levels that were three- to four-fold higher than controls or dominant individuals. STREX variant representation was lower in the subordinate subset. Thus, the combination of subunits responding to stress differs markedly between adrenal and pituitary glands. These data suggest that early stress will differentially affect neuroendocrine cell excitability, and call for detailed analysis of functional consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Chatterjee
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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37
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Abstract
Potassium channels display considerable functional diversity. Alternative pre-mRNA splicing represents one of the most powerful post-transcriptional mechanisms to create physiological diversity by generating multiple protein products from a single gene. Due to the modular nature of proteins, alternative splicing can profoundly modify potassium channel structure, function and regulation. Alternative pre-mRNA splicing is exploited by most genes but is particularly prevalent in single gene families as exemplified by the gene (KCNMA1), which encodes large conductance calcium- and voltage-gated potassium (BK) channel alpha-subunits. Importantly, alternative pre-mRNA splicing is kept under spatiotemporal control by circulating hormones and cellular activity, as well as being differentially modified during development and in different tissues. While the sequencing of numerous genomes has further demonstrated the importance of splicing in generating diversity from a limited genome size, a major challenge is to define splice variants that are expressed in tissues and their functional role. Here we describe strategies and protocols to experimentally define and isolate splice variant mRNA transcripts in multiple tissues and provide a platform to characterise the effect of splice variants on channel function and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lie Chen
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK
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38
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Differential expression of BK channel isoforms and β-subunits in rat neuro-vascular tissues. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2009; 1788:380-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2008] [Revised: 09/18/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2008] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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39
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Saleem F, Rowe ICM, Shipston MJ. Characterization of BK channel splice variants using membrane potential dyes. Br J Pharmacol 2008; 156:143-52. [PMID: 19068078 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2008.00011.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium (BK) channels are encoded by a single gene that displays extensive pre-mRNA splicing. Here we exploited a membrane potential assay to investigate the sensitivity of different BK splice variants to elevations in intracellular free calcium and their inhibition by the BK channel blocker paxilline. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Murine BK channel splice variants were expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and their properties analysed in response to ionomycin-induced calcium influx in both fluorescent membrane potential (fluorescent-imaging plate reader) and patch clamp electrophysiological assays. The dose-dependent inhibition of distinct splice variants by the BK channel-specific blocker paxilline was also investigated. KEY RESULTS Ionomycin-induced calcium influx induced a robust hyperpolarization of human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing distinct BK channel splice variants: stress regulated exon (STREX), e22 and ZERO. Splice variant expression resulted in membrane hyperpolarization that displayed a rank order of potency in response to calcium influx of STREX > e22 > ZERO. The BK channel inhibitor paxilline exhibited very similar potency on all three splice variants with IC(50)s in membrane potential assays of 0.35 +/- 0.04, 0.37 +/- 0.03 and 0.70 +/- 0.02 micromol x L(-1) for STREX, ZERO and e22 respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS BK channel splice variants can be rapidly discriminated using membrane potential based assays, based on their sensitivity to calcium. BK channel splice variants are inhibited by the specific blocker paxilline with similar IC(50)s. Thus, paxilline may be used in functional assays to inhibit BK channel function, irrespective of the variant expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Saleem
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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40
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Pietrzykowski AZ, Friesen RM, Martin GE, Puig SI, Nowak CL, Wynne PM, Siegelmann HT, Treistman SN. Posttranscriptional regulation of BK channel splice variant stability by miR-9 underlies neuroadaptation to alcohol. Neuron 2008; 59:274-87. [PMID: 18667155 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2007] [Revised: 03/12/2008] [Accepted: 05/29/2008] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Tolerance represents a critical component of addiction. The large-conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channel (BK) is a well-established alcohol target, and an important element in behavioral and molecular alcohol tolerance. We tested whether microRNA, a newly discovered class of gene expression regulators, plays a role in the development of tolerance. We show that in adult mammalian brain, alcohol upregulates microRNA miR-9 and mediates posttranscriptional reorganization in BK mRNA splice variants by miR-9-dependent destabilization of BK mRNAs containing 3'UTRs with a miR-9 Recognition Element (MRE). Different splice variants encode BK isoforms with different alcohol sensitivities. Computational modeling indicates that this miR-9-dependent mechanism contributes to alcohol tolerance. Moreover, this mechanism can be extended to include regulation of additional miR-9 targets relevant to alcohol abuse. Our results describe a mechanism of multiplex regulation of stability of alternatively spliced mRNA by microRNA in drug adaptation and neuronal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Z Pietrzykowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01604, USA
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41
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Yan J, Olsen JV, Park KS, Li W, Bildl W, Schulte U, Aldrich RW, Fakler B, Trimmer JS. Profiling the phospho-status of the BKCa channel alpha subunit in rat brain reveals unexpected patterns and complexity. Mol Cell Proteomics 2008; 7:2188-98. [PMID: 18573811 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m800063-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular diversity of ion channel structure and function underlies variability in electrical signaling in nerve, muscle, and non-excitable cells. Protein phosphorylation and alternative splicing of pre-mRNA are two important mechanisms to generate structural and functional diversity of ion channels. However, systematic mass spectrometric analyses of in vivo phosphorylation and splice variants of ion channels in native tissues are largely lacking. Mammalian large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK(Ca)) channels are tetramers of alpha subunits (BKalpha) either alone or together with beta subunits, exhibit exceptionally large single channel conductance, and are dually activated by membrane depolarization and intracellular Ca(2+). The cytoplasmic C terminus of BKalpha is subjected to extensive pre-mRNA splicing and, as predicted by several algorithms, offers numerous phospho-acceptor amino acids. Here we use nanoflow liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry on BK(Ca) channels affinity-purified from rat brain to analyze in vivo BKalpha phosphorylation and splicing. We found 7 splice variations and identified as many as 30 Ser/Thr in vivo phosphorylation sites; most of which were not predicted by commonly used algorithms. Of the identified phosphosites 23 are located in the C terminus, four were found on splice insertions. Electrophysiological analyses of phospho- and dephosphomimetic mutants transiently expressed in HEK-293 cells suggest that phosphorylation of BKalpha differentially modulates the voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependence of channel activation. These results demonstrate that the pore-forming subunit of BK(Ca) channels is extensively phosphorylated in the mammalian brain providing a molecular basis for the regulation of firing pattern and excitability through dynamic modification of BKalpha structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiusheng Yan
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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42
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Higgins JJ, Hao J, Kosofsky BE, Rajadhyaksha AM. Dysregulation of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel expression in nonsyndromal mental retardation due to a cereblon p.R419X mutation. Neurogenetics 2008; 9:219-23. [PMID: 18414909 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-008-0128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2008] [Accepted: 03/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A nonsense mutation (R419X) in the human cereblon gene [mutation (mut) CRBN] causes a mild type of autosomal recessive nonsyndromal mental retardation (ARNSMR). CRBN, a cytosolic protein, regulates the assembly and neuronal surface expression of large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels (BK(Ca)) in brain regions involved in memory and learning. Using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we show that mut CRBN disturbs the development of adult brain BK(Ca) isoforms. These changes are predicted to result in BK(Ca) channels with a higher intracellular Ca(2+) sensitivity, faster activation, and slower deactivation kinetics. Such alterations may contribute to cognitive impairments in patients with mild ARNSMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Higgins
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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43
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Pacheco Otalora LF, Hernandez EF, Arshadmansab MF, rancisco SF, Willis M, Ermolinsky B, Zarei M, Knaus HG, Garrido-Sanabria ER. Down-regulation of BK channel expression in the pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain Res 2008; 1200:116-31. [PMID: 18295190 PMCID: PMC2346580 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2007] [Revised: 12/23/2007] [Accepted: 01/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In the hippocampus, BK channels are preferentially localized in presynaptic glutamatergic terminals including mossy fibers where they are thought to play an important role regulating excessive glutamate release during hyperactive states. Large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BK, MaxiK, Slo) have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of genetic epilepsy. However, the role of BK channels in acquired mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) remains unknown. Here we used immunohistochemistry, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), Western immunoblotting and RT-PCR to investigate the expression pattern of the alpha-pore-forming subunit of BK channels in the hippocampus and cortex of chronically epileptic rats obtained by the pilocarpine model of MTLE. All epileptic rats experiencing recurrent spontaneous seizures exhibited a significant down-regulation of BK channel immunostaining in the mossy fibers at the hilus and stratum lucidum of the CA3 area. Quantitative analysis of immunofluorescence signals by LSCM revealed a significant 47% reduction in BK channel immunofluorescent signals in epileptic rats when compared to age-matched non-epileptic control rats. These data correlate with a similar reduction in BK channel protein levels and transcripts in the cortex and hippocampus. Our data indicate a seizure-related down-regulation of BK channels in chronically epileptic rats. Further functional assays are necessary to determine whether altered BK channel expression is an acquired channelopathy or a compensatory mechanism affecting the network excitability in MTLE. Moreover, seizure-mediated BK down-regulation may disturb neuronal excitability and presynaptic control at glutamatergic terminals triggering exaggerated glutamate release and seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F. Pacheco Otalora
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
| | - Eder F. Hernandez
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
| | - Massoud F. Arshadmansab
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
| | - Sebastian F rancisco
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
| | - Michael Willis
- Department of General Psychiatry, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr Strasse 1, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Boris Ermolinsky
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
| | - Masoud Zarei
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
- The Center for Biomedical Studies, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hans-Guenther Knaus
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr Strasse 1, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Emilio R. Garrido-Sanabria
- Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA
- The Center for Biomedical Studies, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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44
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Cytoplasmic BK(Ca) channel intron-containing mRNAs contribute to the intrinsic excitability of hippocampal neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:1901-6. [PMID: 18250327 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0711796105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
High single-channel conductance K+ channels, which respond jointly to membrane depolarization and micromolar concentrations of intracellular Ca2+ ions, arise from extensive cell-specific alternative splicing of pore-forming alpha-subunit mRNAs. Here, we report the discovery of an endogenous BK(Ca) channel alpha-subunit intron-containing mRNA in the cytoplasm of hippocampal neurons. This partially processed mRNA, which comprises approximately 10% of the total BK(Ca) channel alpha-subunit mRNAs, is distributed in a gradient throughout the somatodendritic space. We selectively reduced endogenous cytoplasmic levels of this intron-containing transcript by RNA interference without altering levels of the mature splice forms of the BK(Ca) channel mRNAs. In doing so, we could demonstrate that changes in a unique BK(Ca) channel alpha-subunit intron-containing splice variant mRNA can greatly impact the distribution of the BK(Ca) channel protein to dendritic spines and intrinsic firing properties of hippocampal neurons. These data suggest a new regulatory mechanism for modulating the membrane properties and ion channel gradients of hippocampal neurons.
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Pietrzykowski AZ, Treistman SN. The molecular basis of tolerance. ALCOHOL RESEARCH & HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM 2008; 31:298-309. [PMID: 23584007 PMCID: PMC3860466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Tolerance is defined as the diminished response to alcohol or other drugs over the course of repeated or prolonged exposure. This mechanism allows physiological processes to achieve stability in a constantly changing environment. The onset of tolerance may occur within minutes, during a single exposure to alcohol (i.e., acute tolerance), or over longer timeframes and with prolonged exposure to alcohol (i.e., rapid or chronic tolerance). Changes in tolerance induced by alcohol may affect several processes at the molecular, cellular, or behavioral level. These effects often are interrelated and may be difficult to separate. This article describes changes at the molecular level that are related to the onset of acute, rapid, or chronic tolerance. It focuses on neuronal membrane-bound channels and the factors that affect their function and production, such as modification of protein synthesis and activity, interaction with the membrane lipid microenvironment, epigenetic effects on cytoplasmic regulation, and gene transcription. Also considered is the genetics of tolerance.
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Petrik D, Brenner R. Regulation of STREX exon large conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels by the beta4 accessory subunit. Neuroscience 2007; 149:789-803. [PMID: 17945424 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.07.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2007] [Revised: 06/22/2007] [Accepted: 08/07/2007] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Large conductance (BK-type) calcium-activated potassium channels utilize alternative splicing and association with accessory beta subunits to tailor BK channel properties to diverse cell types. Two important modulators of BK channel gating are the neuronal-specific beta4 accessory subunit (beta4) and alternative splicing at the stress axis hormone-regulated exon (STREX). Individually, these modulators affect the gating properties of the BK channel as well as its response to phosphorylation. In this study, the combined functional consequences of STREX and the mouse beta4 subunit on mouse BK channel biophysical properties were investigated in transfected HEK 293 cells. Surprisingly, we found that the combined effects of STREX and beta4 are non-additive and even opposite for some properties. At high calcium, beta4 and the STREX individually share properties that promote BK channel opening via slowing of deactivation. However, the combined effects are a speeding of deactivation and a decreased open probability. beta4 also inhibits BK channel opening by a slowing of activation. This effect occurs across calcium concentrations in the absence of STREX, but predominates only at low calcium for STREX containing channels. BK channel responses to phosphorylation status are also altered by the combination of the beta4 subunit and STREX. beta4/STREX channels show a slowing of activation kinetics following dephosphorylation whereas beta4 channels lacking STREX do not. In contrast, beta4 confers a speeding of activation in response to cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation in channels lacking STREX, but not in channels containing STREX. These results indicate that the combination of the beta4 subunit and STREX confers non-additive and unique properties to BK channels. Analysis of expression in brain slices suggests that STREX and beta4 mRNA overlap expression in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the cerebellar Purkinje cells, suggesting that these unique properties of BK channels may underlie BK channel gating in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Petrik
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Rocha-Sanchez SMS, Morris KA, Kachar B, Nichols D, Fritzsch B, Beisel KW. Developmental expression of Kcnq4 in vestibular neurons and neurosensory epithelia. Brain Res 2007; 1139:117-25. [PMID: 17292869 PMCID: PMC1858668 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.12.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2006] [Revised: 12/19/2006] [Accepted: 12/21/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Sensory signal transduction of the inner ear afferent neurons and hair cells (HCs) requires numerous ionic conductances. The KCNQ4 voltage-gated M-type potassium channel is thought to set the resting membrane potential in cochlear HCs. Here we describe the spatiotemporal expression patterns of Kcnq4 and the associated alternative splice forms in the HCs of vestibular labyrinth. Whole mount immunodetection, qualitative and quantitative RT-PCR were performed to characterize the expression patterns of Kcnq4 transcripts and proteins. A topographical expression and upregulation of Kcnq4 during development was observed and indicated that Kcnq4 is not restricted to either a specific vestibular structure or cell type, but is present in afferent calyxes, vestibular ganglion neurons, and both type I and type II HCs. Of the four alternative splice variants, Kcnq4_v1 transcripts were the predominant form in the HCs, while Kcnq4_v3 was the major variant in the vestibular neurons. Differential quantitative expression of Kcnq4_v1 and Kcnq4_v3 were respectively detected in the striolar and extra-striolar regions of the utricle and saccule. Analysis of gerbils and rats yielded results similar to those obtained in mice, suggesting that the spatiotemporal expression pattern of Kcnq4 in the vestibular system is conserved among rodents. Analyses of vestibular HCs of Bdnf conditional mutant mice, which are devoid of any innervation, demonstrate that regulation of Kcnq4 expression in vestibular HCs is independent of innervation.
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MESH Headings
- Alternative Splicing
- Animals
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/genetics
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Hair Cells, Vestibular/cytology
- Hair Cells, Vestibular/metabolism
- Immunohistochemistry
- KCNQ Potassium Channels/genetics
- KCNQ Potassium Channels/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Neurons, Afferent/cytology
- Neurons, Afferent/metabolism
- Orientation/physiology
- RNA, Messenger/analysis
- Tissue Distribution
- Vestibule, Labyrinth/cytology
- Vestibule, Labyrinth/growth & development
- Vestibule, Labyrinth/innervation
- Vestibule, Labyrinth/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M S Rocha-Sanchez
- Department of Oral Biology, Creighton University School of Dentistry, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
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