Regulation of 4-aminopyridine-sensitive, delayed rectifier K+ channels in vascular smooth muscle by phosphorylation

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. C. Cole ◽  
O. Clément-Chomienne ◽  
E. A. Aiello

Voltage-gated, delayed rectifier K+ current (KV) that is sensitive to 4-aminopyridine (4AP) block has been identified in all vascular smooth muscle tissues studied to date. These channels conduct outward, hyperpolarizing K+ current that influences resting membrane potential and contributes to repolarization of action potentials. Smooth muscle cells in most arterial resistance vessels regulate Ca2+ influx and contractile tone by low amplitude, tonic changes in membrane potential. Block of KV with 4-aminopyridine leads to contraction and an enhanced myogenic response to increased intravascular pressure. We investigated the modulation of KV currents in isolated, freshly dispersed smooth muscle cells from rabbit portal vein and coronary arteries in whole-cell voltage clamp experiments. Our findings indicate that KV channels are regulated by signal transduction mechanisms involving vasoactive agonists that activate cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC). In this paper, the properties and potential function of KV channels in vascular smooth muscle are reviewed. Further, the regulation and potential role of alterations in KV due to β-adrenoceptor agonists, adenylyl cyclase and PKA, as well as angiotensin II, diacylglycerol, and PKC are discussed.Key words: potassium channels, smooth muscle, protein kinase A, protein kinase C, membrane potential.

1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (1) ◽  
pp. H109-H119 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Aiello ◽  
O. Clement-Chomienne ◽  
D. P. Sontag ◽  
M. P. Walsh ◽  
W. C. Cole

The effect of protein kinase C (PKC) activation on 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-sensitive delayed rectifier current (IdK) was studied in isolated rabbit portal vein smooth muscle cells by use of standard whole cell voltage clamp. The effects of the phorbol ester, 4 beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PdBu, 100 nM) and diacylglycerol analogues, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (1,2-diC8, 10 microM) and 1,3-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (1,3-diC8, 10 microM), on macroscopic whole cell IdK were assessed in myocytes dialyzed with 10 mM 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) and 5 mM ATP (20-22 degrees C). Activation of PKC by 1,2-diC8 or PdBu caused a decline in IdK that was reversed with washout of drug. 1,2-diC8 had no effect on outward current present after exposure to 4-AP (20 mM). The inactive analogue, 1,3-diC8, did not affect IdK, but subsequent exposure to the active analogue, 1,2-diC8, caused a marked depression of the current. The inhibition of IdK by 1,2-diC8 was significantly reduced by intracellular dialysis with the inhibitors of PKC, chelerythrine (50 microM) and calphostin C (1 microM). Substitution of extracellular Ca2+ with Mg2+ in the presence of 10 mM intracellular BAPTA did not affect the suppression of IdK by 1,2-diC8, indicating the involvement of a Ca(2+)-independent isoform of PKC. This study suggests a novel signal transduction mechanism for inhibition of 4-AP-sensitive IdK involving a phosphotransferase reaction catalyzed by PKC in vascular smooth muscle myocytes.


1991 ◽  
Vol 276 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Lassègue ◽  
R W Alexander ◽  
M Clark ◽  
K K Griendling

In cultured vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMC), angiotensin II (AngII) induces a biphasic, sustained increase in diacylglycerol (DG) of unclear origin. To determine whether hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a possible source of DG, we labelled cellular PC with [3H]choline, and measured the formation of intra- and extra-cellular [3H]choline and [3H]phosphocholine after stimulation with AngII. AngII induced a concentration-dependent release of choline from VSMC that was significant at 2 min and was sustained over 20 min. In contrast, accumulation of choline inside the cells was very slight. AngII also increased the formation of [3H]myristate-labelled phosphatidic acid, and, in the presence of ethanol, of [3H]phosphatidylethanol, characteristic of a phospholipase D (PLD) activity. Extracellular release of choline was partially inhibited by removal of extracellular Ca2+ (54 +/- 9% inhibition at 10 min) or inhibition of receptor processing by phenylarsine oxide (79 +/- 8% inhibition at 20 min). The protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate also stimulated a large release of choline after a 5 min lag, which was unaffected by the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin, but was additive with AngII stimulation. Down-regulation of protein kinase C by a 24 h incubation with phorbol dibutyrate (200 nM) decreased basal choline release, but had no effect on AngII stimulation. We conclude that AngII induces a major PC hydrolysis, probably mainly via PLD activation. This reaction is partially dependent on Ca2+ and is independent of protein kinase C, and appears to be mediated by cellular processing of the receptor-agonist complex. Our results are consistent with a preferential hydrolysis of PC from the external leaflet of the plasmalemma, and raise the possibility that PC hydrolysis occurs in specialized ‘signalling domains’ in VSMC.


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