scholarly journals K+ channels of stomatal guard cells. Characteristics of the inward rectifier and its control by pH.

1992 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
M R Blatt

Intracellular microelectrode recordings and a two-electrode voltage clamp have been used to characterize the current carried by inward rectifying K+ channels of stomatal guard cells from the broadbean, Vicia faba L. Superficially, the current displayed many features common to inward rectifiers of neuromuscular and egg cell membranes. In millimolar external K+ concentrations (Ko+), it activated on hyperpolarization with half-times of 100-200 ms, showed no evidence of time- or voltage-dependent inactivation, and deactivated rapidly (tau approximately 10 ms) on clamping to 0 mV. Steady-state conductance-voltage characteristics indicated an apparent gating charge of 1.3-1.6. Current reversal showed a Nernstian dependence on Ko+ over the range 3-30 mM, and the inward rectifier was found to be highly selective for K+ over other monovalent cations (K+ greater than Rb+ greater than Cs+ much greater than Na+). Unlike the inward rectifiers of animal membranes, the current was blocked by charybdotoxin and alpha-dendrotoxin (Kd much less than 50 nM), as well as by tetraethylammonium chloride (K1/2 = 9.1 mM); gating of the guard cell K+ current was fixed to voltages near -120 mV, independent of Ko+, and the current activated only with supramillimolar K+ outside (EK+ greater than -120 mV). Most striking, however, was inward rectifier sensitivity to [H+] with the K+ current activated reversibly by mild acid external pH. Current through the K+ inward rectifier was found to be largely independent of intracellular pH and the current reversal (equilibrium) potential was unaffected by pHo from 7.4 to 5.5. By contrast, current through the K+ outward rectifier previously characterized in these cells (1988. J. Membr. Biol. 102:235) was largely insensitive to pHo, but was blocked reversibly by acid-going intracellular pH. The action of pHo on the K+ inward rectifier could not be mimicked by extracellular Ca2+ for which changes in activation, deactivation, and conductance were consonant with an effect on surface charge ([Ca2+] less than or equal to 1 mM). Rather, extracellular pH affected activation and deactivation kinetics disproportionately, with acid-going pHo raising the K+ conductance and shifting the conductance-voltage profile positive-going along the voltage axis and into the physiological voltage range. Voltage and pH dependencies for gating were consistent with a single, titratable group (pKa approximately 7 at -200 mV) residing deep within the membrane electric field and accessible from the outside.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

1999 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 919-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ximing Zhou ◽  
Weihua Wu ◽  
Ming Yuan ◽  
Xuechen Wang

1976 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 621-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Hagiwara ◽  
S Miyazaki ◽  
N P Rosenthal

The kinetics of the membrane current during the anomalous or inward-going rectification of the K current in the egg cell membrane of the starfish Mediaster aequalis were analyzed by voltage clamp. The rectification has instantaneous and time-dependent components. The time-dependent increase in the K conductance for the negative voltage pulse as well as the decrease in the conductance for the positive pulse follows first-order kinetics. The steady-state conductance increases as the membrane potential becomes more negative and reaches the saturation value at about -40 mV more negative than the K equilibrium potential, V(K). The entire K conductance can be expressed by g(K).n; g g(K) represents the component for the time-independent conductance which depends on V-V(K) and [K+]o, and n is a dimensionless number (1 is greater than or equal to n is greater than or equal to 0) and determined by two rate constants which depend only on V-V(K). Cs+ does not carry any significant current through the K channel but blocks the channel at low concentration in the external medium. The blocking effect increases as the membrane potential is made more negative and the potential-dependent blocking by the external Cs+ also has instantaneous and time-dependent components.


1998 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Spassova ◽  
Zhe Lu

We studied block of the internal pore of the ROMK1 inward-rectifier K+ channel by Mg2+ and five quaternary ammoniums (tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, and tetrapentylammonium). The apparent affinity of these blockers varied as a function of membrane voltage. As a consequence, the channel conducted K+ current more efficiently in the inward than the outward direction; i.e., inward rectification. Although the size of some monovalent quaternary ammoniums is rather large, the zδ values (which measure voltage dependence of their binding to the pore) were near unity in symmetric 100 mM K+. Furthermore, we observed that not only the apparent affinities of the blockers themselves, but also their dependence on membrane voltage (or zδ), varied as a function of the concentration of extracellular K+. These results suggest that there is energetic coupling between the binding of blocking and permeating (K+) ions, and that the voltage dependence of channel blockade results, at least in part, from the movement of K+ ions in the electrical field. A further quantitative analysis of the results explains why the complex phenomenon of inward rectification depends on both membrane voltage and the equilibrium potential for K+.


2005 ◽  
Vol 125 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalya Ivashikina ◽  
Rosalia Deeken ◽  
Susanne Fischer ◽  
Peter Ache ◽  
Rainer Hedrich

Inward-rectifying K+ channels serve as a major pathway for Ca2+-sensitive K+ influx into guard cells. Arabidopsis thaliana guard cell inward-rectifying K+ channels are assembled from multiple K+ channel subunits. Following the recent isolation and characterization of an akt2/3-1 knockout mutant, we examined whether the AKT2/3 subunit carries the Ca2+ sensitivity of the guard cell inward rectifier. Quantification of RT-PCR products showed that despite the absence of AKT2 transcripts in guard cells of the knockout plant, expression levels of the other K+ channel subunits (KAT1, KAT2, AKT1, and AtKC1) remained largely unaffected. Patch-clamp experiments with guard cell protoplasts from wild type and akt2/3-1 mutant, however, revealed pronounced differences in Ca2+ sensitivity of the K+ inward rectifier. Wild-type channels were blocked by extracellular Ca2+ in a concentration- and voltage-dependent manner. Akt2/3-1 mutants lacked the voltage-dependent Ca2+ block, characteristic for the K+ inward rectifier. To confirm the akt2/3-1 phenotype, two independent knockout mutants, akt2-1 and akt2::En-1 were tested, demonstrating that the loss of AKT2/3 indeed affects the Ca2+ dependence of guard cell inward rectifier. In contrast to AKT2 knockout plants, AKT1, AtKC1, and KAT1 loss-of-function mutants retained Ca2+ block of the guard cell inward rectifier. When expressed in HEK293 cells, AKT2 channel displayed a pronounced susceptibility toward extracellular Ca2+, while the dominant guard cell K+ channel KAT2 was Ca2+ insensitive. Thus, we conclude that the AKT2/3 subunit constitutes the Ca2+ sensitivity of the guard cell K+ uptake channel.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (4) ◽  
pp. C946-C956 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Inoue ◽  
I. Imanaga

Properties of inwardly directed rectification and its G protein-mediated inhibition in guinea pig chromaffin cells were studied using the whole cell version of the patch-clamp technique. The current-voltage (I-V) relationship for plateau currents in response to a 50-ms pulse showed an inwardly directed rectification between -80 and -140 mV and a negative slope at more negative potentials in normal solution. Replacement of Na+ with N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) in the perfusate did not alter the plateau I-V relationship between -110 and -130 mV but did abolish the negative slope below -140 mV. The zero current or resting membrane potential in the NMDG solution was in fair agreement with the equilibrium potential for K+. The chord conductance-voltage relationship showed a good fit with the Boltzmann equation and shifted along the voltage axis by an approximate change in driving force on K+ when K+ concentration was increased. External Cs+ and Ba2+ produced a voltage-dependent inhibition of the inwardly directed rectification. These results indicate that inwardly rectifying (IR) K+ channels are mediating an inwardly directed rectification. Intracellular dialysis with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) produced a complete suppression of this IR K+ channel, irrespective of treatment with pertussis toxin. Adding GTP or guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) to the patch solution resulted in a decrease in GTP gamma S inhibition of the K+ current. Internal application of vanadate was without effect. Time course of the inhibition of the IR K+ current coincided in part with that of inactivation of a nonselective cation current. In conclusion, IR K+ channels in the chromaffin cell are subject to G protein-mediated inhibition.


2003 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donglin Guo ◽  
Yajamana Ramu ◽  
Angela M. Klem ◽  
Zhe Lu

Rectification in inward-rectifier K+ channels is caused by the binding of intracellular cations to their inner pore. The extreme sharpness of this rectification reflects strong voltage dependence (apparent valence is ∼5) of channel block by long polyamines. To understand the mechanism by which polyamines cause rectification, we examined IRK1 (Kir2.1) block by a series of bis-alkyl-amines (bis-amines) and mono-alkyl-amines (mono-amines) of varying length. The apparent affinity of channel block by both types of alkylamines increases with chain length. Mutation D172N in the second transmembrane segment reduces the channel's affinity significantly for long bis-amines, but only slightly for short ones (or for mono-amines of any length), whereas a double COOH-terminal mutation (E224G and E299S) moderately reduces the affinity for all bis-amines. The apparent valence of channel block increases from ∼2 for short amines to saturate at ∼5 for long bis-amines or at ∼4 for long mono-amines. On the basis of these and other observations, we propose that to block the channel pore one amine group in all alkylamines tested binds near the same internal locus formed by the COOH terminus, while the other amine group of bis-amines, or the alkyl tail of mono-amines, “crawls” toward residue D172 and “pushes” up to 4 or 5 K+ ions outwardly across the narrow K+ selectivity filter. The strong voltage dependence of channel block therefore reflects the movement of charges carried across the transmembrane electrical field primarily by K+ ions, not by the amine molecule itself, as K+ ions and the amine blocker displace each other during block and unblock of the pore. This simple displacement model readily accounts for the classical observation that, at a given concentration of intracellular K+, rectification is apparently related to the difference between the membrane potential and the equilibrium potential for K+ ions rather than to the membrane potential itself.


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