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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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2
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Bukiya AN, Leo MD, Jaggar JH, Dopico AM. Cholesterol activates BK channels by increasing KCNMB1 protein levels in the plasmalemma. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100381. [PMID: 33556372 PMCID: PMC7950327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium-/voltage-gated, large-conductance potassium channels (BKs) control critical physiological processes, including smooth muscle contraction. Numerous observations concur that elevated membrane cholesterol (CLR) inhibits the activity of homomeric BKs consisting of channel-forming alpha subunits. In mammalian smooth muscle, however, native BKs include accessory KCNMB1 (β1) subunits, which enable BK activation at physiological intracellular calcium. Here, we studied the effect of CLR enrichment on BK currents from rat cerebral artery myocytes. Using inside-out patches from middle cerebral artery (MCA) myocytes at [Ca2+]free=30 μM, we detected BK activation in response to in vivo and in vitro CLR enrichment of myocytes. While a significant increase in myocyte CLR was achieved within 5 min of CLR in vitro loading, this brief CLR enrichment of membrane patches decreased BK currents, indicating that BK activation by CLR requires a protracted cellular process. Indeed, blocking intracellular protein trafficking with brefeldin A (BFA) not only prevented BK activation but led to channel inhibition upon CLR enrichment. Surface protein biotinylation followed by Western blotting showed that BFA blocked the increase in plasmalemmal KCNMB1 levels achieved via CLR enrichment. Moreover, CLR enrichment of arteries with naturally high KCNMB1 levels, such as basilar and coronary arteries, failed to activate BK currents. Finally, CLR enrichment failed to activate BK channels in MCA myocytes from KCNMB1-/- mouse while activation was detected in their wild-type (C57BL/6) counterparts. In conclusion, the switch in CLR regulation of BK from inhibition to activation is determined by a trafficking-dependent increase in membrane levels of KCNMB1 subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
| | - M Dennis Leo
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jonathan H Jaggar
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
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3
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Martín P, Moncada M, Castillo K, Orsi F, Ducca G, Fernández-Fernández JM, González C, Milesi V. Arachidonic acid effect on the allosteric gating mechanism of BK (Slo1) channels associated with the β1 subunit. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr 2021; 1863:183550. [PMID: 33417967 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Arachidonic acid (AA) is a fatty acid involved in the modulation of several ion channels. Previously, we reported that AA activates the high conductance Ca2+- and voltage-dependent K+ channel (BK) in vascular smooth muscle depending on the expression of the auxiliary β1 subunit. Here, using the patch-clamp technique on BK channel co-expressed with β1 subunit in a heterologous cell expression system, we analyzed whether AA modifies the three functional modules involved in the channel gating: the voltage sensor domain (VSD), the pore domain (PD), and the intracellular calcium sensor domain (CSD). We present evidence that AA activates BK channel in a direct way, inducing VSD stabilization on its active configuration observed as a significant left shift in the Q-V curve obtained from gating currents recordings. Moreover, AA facilitates the channel opening transitions when VSD are at rest, and the CSD are unoccupied. Furthermore, the activation was independent of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and reduced when the BK channel was co-expressed with the Y74A mutant of the β1 subunit. These results allow us to present new insigths in the mechanism by which AA modulates BK channels co-expressed with its auxiliary β1 subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Martín
- Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológicos (IIFP), UNLP, CONICET, asociado CIC PBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Melisa Moncada
- Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológicos (IIFP), UNLP, CONICET, asociado CIC PBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Karen Castillo
- CINV: Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Federico Orsi
- Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológicos (IIFP), UNLP, CONICET, asociado CIC PBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Gerónimo Ducca
- Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológicos (IIFP), UNLP, CONICET, asociado CIC PBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Argentina.
| | - José Manuel Fernández-Fernández
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carlos González
- CINV: Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Verónica Milesi
- Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológicos (IIFP), UNLP, CONICET, asociado CIC PBA, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Argentina.
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4
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Scruggs AM, Grabauskas G, Huang SK. The Role of KCNMB1 and BK Channels in Myofibroblast Differentiation and Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020; 62:191-203. [PMID: 31486669 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2019-0163oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is critical for the development of fibrotic disorders, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Previously, we demonstrated that fibroblasts from patients with IPF exhibit changes in DNA methylation across the genome that contribute to a profibrotic phenotype. One of the top differentially methylated genes identified in our previous study was KCNMB1, which codes for the β subunit of the large-conductance potassium (BK, also known as MaxiK or KCa1.1) channel. Here, we examined how the expression of KCNMB1 differed between IPF fibroblasts and normal cells, and how BK channels affected myofibroblast differentiation. Fibroblasts from patients with IPF exhibited increased expression of KCNMB1, which corresponded to increased DNA methylation within the gene body. Patch-clamp experiments demonstrated that IPF fibroblasts had increased BK channel activity. Knockdown of KCNMB1 attenuated the ability of fibroblasts to contract collagen gels, and this was associated with a loss of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression. Pharmacologic activation of BK channels stimulated α-SMA expression, whereas BK channel inhibitors blocked the upregulation of α-SMA. The ability of BK channels to enhance α-SMA expression was dependent on intracellular calcium, as activation of BK channels resulted in increased levels of intracellular calcium and the effects of BK agonists were abolished when calcium was removed. Together, our findings demonstrate that epigenetic upregulation of KCNMB1 contributes to increased BK channel activity in IPF fibroblasts, and identify a newfound role for BK channels in myofibroblast differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gintautas Grabauskas
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Plante AE, Lai MH, Lu J, Meredith AL. Effects of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Human KCNMA1 on BK Current Properties. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:285. [PMID: 31849601 PMCID: PMC6901604 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BK Ca2+-activated K+ channels are important regulators of membrane excitability. Multiple regulatory mechanisms tailor BK current properties across tissues, such as alternative splicing, posttranslational modifications, and auxiliary subunits. Another potential mechanism for modulating BK channel activity is genetic variation due to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The gene encoding the human BK α subunit, KCNMA1, contains hundreds of SNPs. However, the variation in BK channel activity due to SNPs is not well studied. Here, we screened the effects of four SNPs (A138V, C495G, N599D, and R800W) on BK currents in HEK293T cells, selected based on predicted protein pathogenicity or disease linkage. We found that the SNPs C495G and R800W had the largest effects on BK currents, affecting the conductance–voltage relationship across multiple Ca2+ conditions in the context of two BK channel splice variants. In symmetrical K+, C495G shifted the V1/2 to more hyperpolarized potentials (by −15 to −20 mV) and accelerated activation, indicating C495G confers some gain-of-function properties. R800W shifted the V1/2 to more depolarized potentials (+15 to +35 mV) and slowed activation, conferring loss-of-function properties. Moreover, the C495G and R800W effects on current properties were found to persist with posttranslational modifications. In contrast, A138V and N599D had smaller and more variable effects on current properties. Neither application of alkaline phosphatase to patches, which results in increased BK channel activity attributed to channel dephosphorylation, nor bidirectional redox modulations completely abrogated SNP effects on BK currents. Lastly, in physiological K+, C495G increased the amplitude of action potential (AP)-evoked BK currents, while R800W had a more limited effect. However, the introduction of R800W in parallel with the epilepsy-linked mutation D434G (D434G/R800W) decreased the amplitude of AP-evoked BK currents compared with D434G alone. These results suggest that in a physiological context, C495G could increase BK activation, while the effects of the loss-of-function SNP R800W could oppose the gain-of-function effects of an epilepsy-linked mutation. Together, these results implicate naturally occurring human genetic variation as a potential modifier of BK channel activity across a variety of conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber E Plante
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Michael H Lai
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jessica Lu
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrea L Meredith
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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6
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Abstract
The big conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channel, also known as BK, MaxiK, Slo1, or KCa1.1, is a ligand- and voltage-gated K+ channel. Although structure-function studies of the past decades, involving mutagenesis and electrophysiological measurements, revealed fine details of the mechanism of BK channel gating, the exact molecular details remained unknown until the quaternary structure of the protein has been solved at a resolution of 3.5 Å using cryo-electron microscopy. In this short review, we are going to summarize these results and interpret the gating model of the BK channel in the light of the recent structural results.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Almássy
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Péter P Nánási
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Abstract
The perception of complex acoustic stimuli begins with the deconstruction of sound into its frequency components. This spectral processing occurs first and foremost in the inner ear. In vertebrates, two very different strategies of frequency analysis have evolved. In nonmammalian vertebrates, the sensory hair cells of the inner ear are intrinsically electrically tuned to a narrow band of acoustic frequencies. This electrical tuning relies on the interplay between BK channels and voltage-gated calcium channels. Systematic variations in BK channel density and kinetics establish a gradient in electrical resonance that enables the coding of a broad range of acoustic frequencies. In contrast, mammalian hair cells are extrinsically tuned by mechanical properties of the cochlear duct. Even so, mammalian hair cells also express BK channels. These BK channels play critical roles in various aspects of mammalian auditory signaling, from developmental maturation to protection against acoustic trauma. This review summarizes the anatomical localization, biophysical properties, and functional contributions of BK channels in vertebrate inner ears. Areas of future research, based on an updated understanding of the biology of both BK channels and the inner ear, are also highlighted. Investigation of BK channels in the inner ear continues to provide fertile research grounds for examining both BK channel biophysics and the molecular mechanisms underlying signal processing in the auditory periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Pyott
- University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - R K Duncan
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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8
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Abstract
BK channels are universal regulators of cell excitability, given their exceptional unitary conductance selective for K(+), joint activation mechanism by membrane depolarization and intracellular [Ca(2+)] elevation, and broad expression pattern. In this chapter, we discuss the structural basis and operational principles of their activation, or gating, by membrane potential and calcium. We also discuss how the two activation mechanisms interact to culminate in channel opening. As members of the voltage-gated potassium channel superfamily, BK channels are discussed in the context of archetypal family members, in terms of similarities that help us understand their function, but also seminal structural and biophysical differences that confer unique functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pantazis
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - R Olcese
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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Strauß O, Reichhart N, Gomez NM, Müller C. Contribution of Ion Channels in Calcium Signaling Regulating Phagocytosis: MaxiK, Cav1.3 and Bestrophin-1. Adv Exp Med Biol 2016; 854:739-44. [PMID: 26427483 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-17121-0_98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the BEST1 gene lead to a variety of retinal degenerations including Best's vitelliforme macular degeneration. The BEST1 gene product, bestrophin-1, is expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). It is likely that mutant bestrophin-1 impairs functions of the RPE which support photoreceptor function and will thus lead to retinal degeneration. However, the RPE function which is influenced by bestrophin-1 is so far not identified. Previously we showed that bestrophin-1 interacts with L-type Ca²⁺ channels of the CaV1.3 subtype and that the endogenously expressed bestrophin-1 is required for intracellular Ca²⁺ regulation. A hallmark of Best's disease is the fast lipofuscin accumulation occurring already at young ages. Therefore, we addressed the hypothesis that bestrophin-1 might influence phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments (POS) by the RPE. Here, siRNA knock-down of bestrophin-1 expression as well as inhibition of L-type Ca²⁺ channel activity modulated the POS phagocytosis in vitro. In vivo CaV1.3 expression appeared to be diurnal regulated with a higher expression rate in the afternoon. Compared to wild-type littermates, Ca V 1.3 (-/-) mice showed a shift in the circadian POS phagocytosis with an increased activity in the afternoon. Thus we suggest that mutant bestrophin-1 leads to an impaired regulation of the POS phagocytosis by the RPE which would explain the fast lipofuscin accumulation in Best patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaf Strauß
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charite University Medicine Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nadine Reichhart
- Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Charite University Medicine Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nestor Mas Gomez
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Augustenburger Platz 1, 240 South 40th Street, 19104-6030, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Claudia Müller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Cancer, Genetic Diseases and Gene Regulation, Fordham University Bronx, 10458, Bronx, NY, USA.
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10
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Abstract
The large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated K+ channel (KCa1.1, BK, MaxiK) is ubiquitously expressed in the body, and holds the ability to integrate changes in intracellular calcium and membrane potential. This makes the BK channel an important negative feedback system linking increases in intracellular calcium to outward hyperpolarizing potassium currents. Consequently, the channel has many important physiological roles including regulation of smooth muscle tone, neurotransmitter release and neuronal excitability. Additionally, cardioprotective roles have been revealed in recent years. After a short introduction to the structure, function and regulation of BK channels, we review the small organic molecules activating BK channels and how these tool compounds have helped delineate the roles of BK channels in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo H Bentzen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre, University of Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark ; Acesion Pharma Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren-Peter Olesen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre, University of Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Morten Grunnet
- Acesion Pharma Copenhagen, Denmark ; H. Lundbeck A/S Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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Abstract
While most large-conductance, calcium-, and voltage-activated potassium channels (BK or Maxi-K type) are blocked by the scorpion venom iberiotoxin, the so-called “type II” subtype has the property of toxin resistance. This property is uniquely mediated by channel assembly with one member of the BK accessory β subunit family, the neuron-enriched β4 subunit. This review will focus on current understanding of iberiotoxin-resistant, β4-containing BK channel properties and their function in the CNS. Studies have shown that β4 dramatically promotes BK channel opening by shifting voltage sensor activation to more negative voltage ranges, but also slows activation to timescales that theoretically preclude BK ability to shape action potentials (APs). In addition, β4 membrane trafficking is regulated through an endoplasmic retention signal and palmitoylation. More recently, the challenge has been to understand the functional role of the iberiotoxin-resistant BK subtype utilizing computational modeling of neurons and neurophysiological approaches. Utilizing iberiotoxin-resistance as a footprint for these channels, they have been identified in dentate gyrus granule neurons and in purkinje neurons of the cerebellum. In these neurons, the role of these channels is largely consistent with slow-gated channels that reduce excitability either through an interspike conductance, such as in purkinje neurons, or by replacing fast-gating BK channels that otherwise facilitate high frequency AP firing, such as in dentate gyrus neurons. They are also observed in presynaptic mossy fiber terminals of the dentate gyrus and posterior pituitary terminals. More recent studies suggest that β4 subunits may also be expressed in some neurons lacking iberiotoxin-resistant BK channels, such as in CA3 hippocampus neurons. Ongoing research using novel, specific blockers and agonists of BK/β4, and β4 knockout mice, will continue to move the field forward in understanding the function of these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - David B Jaffe
- Department of Biology and the UTSA Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Robert Brenner
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX, USA
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Waite SL, Gandhi SV, Khan RN, Chapman NR. The effect of trichostatin-A and tumor necrosis factor on expression of splice variants of the MaxiK and L-type channels in human myometrium. Front Physiol 2014; 5:261. [PMID: 25076912 PMCID: PMC4097961 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The onset of human parturition is associated with up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as well as changes in ion flux, principally Ca2+ and K+, across the myometrial myocytes membrane. Elevation of intra-cellular Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum opens L-type Ca2+ channels (LTCCs); in turn this increased calcium level activates MaxiK channels leading to relaxation. While the nature of how this cross-talk is governed remains unclear, our previous work demonstrated that the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF, and the histone deacetylase inhibitor, Trichostatin-A (TSA), exerted opposing effects on the expression of the pro-quiescent Gαs gene in human myometrial cells. Consequently, in this study we demonstrate that the different channel splice variants for both MaxiK and LTCC are expressed in primary myometrial myocytes. MaxiK mRNA expression was sensitive to TSA stimulation, this causing repression of the M1, M3, and M4 splice variants. A small but not statistically significantly increase in MaxiK expression was also seen in response to TNF. In contrast to this, expression of LTCC splice variants was seen to be influenced by both TNF and TSA. TNF induced overall increase in total LTCC expression while TSA stimulated a dual effect: causing induction of LTCC exon 8 expression but repressing expression of other LTCC splice variants including that encoding exons 30, 31, 33, and 34, exons 30–34 and exons 40–43. The significance of these observations is discussed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Waite
- Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Human Metabolism, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK
| | - Saurabh V Gandhi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Sheffield, UK
| | - Raheela N Khan
- Division of Medical Sciences and Graduate Entry Medicine, School of Medicine, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham Derby, UK
| | - Neil R Chapman
- Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Human Metabolism, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK
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