Identification and characterization of two zebrafish Twik related potassium channels, Kcnk2a and Kcnk2b

Trace amine signaling in zebrafish models: CNS pharmacology, behavioral regulation and translational relevance

Tyramine, β-phenylethylamine, octopamine and other trace amines are endogenous substances recently recognized as important novel neurotransmitters in the brain. Trace amines act via multiple selective trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) of the G protein-coupled receptor family. TAARs are expressed in various brain regions and modulate neurotransmission, neuronal excitability, adult neurogenesis, cognition, mood, locomotor activity and olfaction. Disrupted trace amine circuits have been implicated in various clinical neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, addiction, depression and anxiety. Dysregulated TAAR signaling has been linked in rodents to altered dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission, known to be associated with these psychiatric conditions. Complementing rodent genetic and pharmacological evidence, zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly becoming a novel powerful model system in translational neuropharmacology research. Here, we review trace amine/TAAR neurobiology in zebrafish and discuss their developing translational utility as pharmacological and genetic models for unraveling the role of trace amines in CNS processes and brain disorders.

Characterization of two kcnk3 genes in rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus): Molecular cloning, distribution patterns and their potential roles in fatty acids metabolism and osmoregulation

KCNK3 is a two-pore-domain (K_2P) potassium channel involved in maintaining ion homeostasis, mediating thermogenesis, controlling breath and modulating electrical membrane potential. Although the functions of this channel have been widely described in mammals, its roles in fishes are still rarely known. Here, we identified two kcnk3 genes from the euryhaline rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus), and their roles related to fatty acids metabolism and osmoregulation were investigated. The open reading frames of kcnk3a and kcnk3b were 1203 and 1176 bp in length, encoding 400 and 391 amino acids respectively. Multiple sequences alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two isotypes of kcnk3 were extensively presented in fishes. Quantitative real-time PCRs indicated that both genes were widely distributed in examined tissues but showed different patterns. kcnk3a primary distributed in adipose, eye, heart, and spleen tissues, while kcnk3b was mainly detectable in heart, kidney, muscle and spleen tissues. In vivo experiments showed that fish fed diets with fish oil as dietary lipid (rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, LC-PUFA) induced higher mRNA expression levels of kcnk3 genes in comparison with fish fed with plant oil diet at two different salinity environments (32 and 15‰). Meanwhile, the expression levels of kcnk3 genes were higher in seawater (32‰) than that in brackish water (15‰) when fishes were fed with both types of feeds. In vitro experiments with rabbitfish hepatocytes showed that LC-PUFA significantly improved hepatic kcnk3a expression level compared with treatment of linolenic acid. These results suggest that two kcnk3 genes are widely existed and they might be functionally related to fatty acids metabolism and osmoregulation in the rabbitfish.

Characterization of two kcnk3 genes in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and transcriptional changes in various salinity of seawater

As one important member of the two-pore-domain potassium channel (K_2P) family, potassium channel subfamily K member 3 (KCNK3) has been reported for thermogenesis regulation, energy homeostasis, membrane potential conduction, and pulmonary hypertension in mammals. However, its roles in fishes are far less examined and published. In the present study, we identified two kcnk3 genes (kcnk3a and kcnk3b) in an euryhaline fish, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), by molecular cloning, genomic survey and laboratory experiments to investigate their potential roles for osmoregulation. We obtained full-length coding sequences of the kcnk3a and kcnk3b genes (1209 and 1173 bp), which encode 402 and 390 amino acids, respectively. Subsequent multiple sequence alignments, putative 3D-structure model prediction, genomic survey and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that two kcnk3 paralogs are widely presented in fish genomes. Interestingly, a DNA fragment inversion of a kcnk3a cluster was found in Cypriniforme in comparison with other fishes. Quantitative real-time PCRs demonstrated that both the tilapia kcnk3 genes were detected in all the examined tissues with a similar distribution pattern, and the highest transcriptions were observed in the heart. Meanwhile, both kcnk3 genes in the gill were proved to have a similar transcriptional change pattern in response to various salinity of seawater, implying that they might be involved in osmoregulation. Furthermore, three predicted transcription factors (arid3a, arid3b, and arid5a) of both kcnk3 genes also showed a similar pattern as their target genes in response to the various salinity, suggesting their potential positive regulatory roles. In summary, we for the first time characterized the two kcnk3 genes in Nile tilapia, and demonstrated their potential involvement in osmoregulation for this economically important fish.

N-Glycosylation of TREK-1/hK2P2.1 Two-Pore-Domain Potassium (K2P) Channels

Mechanosensitive hTREK-1 two-pore-domain potassium (hK_2P2.1) channels give rise to background currents that control cellular excitability. Recently, TREK-1 currents have been linked to the regulation of cardiac rhythm as well as to hypertrophy and fibrosis. Even though the pharmacological and biophysical characteristics of hTREK-1 channels have been widely studied, relatively little is known about their posttranslational modifications. This study aimed to evaluate whether hTREK-1 channels are N-glycosylated and whether glycosylation may affect channel functionality. Following pharmacological inhibition of N-glycosylation, enzymatic digestion or mutagenesis, immunoblots of Xenopus laevis oocytes and HEK-293T cell lysates were used to assess electrophoretic mobility. Two-electrode voltage clamp measurements were employed to study channel function. TREK-1 channel subunits undergo N-glycosylation at asparagine residues 110 and 134. The presence of sugar moieties at these two sites increases channel function. Detection of glycosylation-deficient mutant channels in surface fractions and recordings of macroscopic potassium currents mediated by these subunits demonstrated that nonglycosylated hTREK-1 channel subunits are able to reach the cell surface in general but with seemingly reduced efficiency compared to glycosylated subunits. These findings extend our understanding of the regulation of hTREK-1 currents by posttranslational modifications and provide novel insights into how altered ion channel glycosylation may promote arrhythmogenesis.