scholarly journals DiBAC4(3) hits a “sweet spot” for the activation of arterial large-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels independently of the β1-subunit

2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (11) ◽  
pp. H1471-H1482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana S. Scornik ◽  
Ronald S. Bucciero ◽  
Yuesheng Wu ◽  
Elisabet Selga ◽  
Cristina Bosch Calero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Sweet Spot ◽  
Arterial Smooth Muscle ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Channel Response ◽  
Brain Arteries ◽  
Excised Patches

The voltage-sensitive dye bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)trimethine oxonol [DiBAC4(3)] has been reported as a novel large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel activator with selectivity for its β1- or β4-subunits. In arterial smooth muscle, BK channels are formed by a pore-forming α-subunit and a smooth muscle-abundant regulatory β1-subunit. This tissue specificity has driven extensive pharmacological research aimed at regulating arterial tone. Using animals with a disruption of the gene for the β1-subunit, we explored the effects of DiBAC4(3) in native channels from arterial smooth muscle. We tested the hypothesis that, in native BK channels, activation by DiBAC4(3) relies mostly on its α-subunit. We studied BK channels from wild-type and transgenic β1-knockout mice in excised patches. BK channels from brain arteries, with or without the β1-subunit, were similarly activated by DiBAC4(3). In addition, we found that saturating concentrations of DiBAC4(3) (∼30 μM) promote an unprecedented persistent activation of the channel that negatively shifts its voltage dependence by as much as −300 mV. This “sweet spot” for persistent activation is independent of Ca2+ and/or the β1–4-subunits and is fully achieved when DiBAC4(3) is applied to the intracellular side of the channel. Arterial BK channel response to DiBAC4(3) varies across species and/or vascular beds. DiBAC4(3) unique effects can reveal details of BK channel gating mechanisms and help in the rational design of BK channel activators.

scholarly journals Chronic Prenatal Hypoxia Down-Regulated BK Channel Β1 Subunits in Mesenteric Artery Smooth Muscle Cells of the Offspring

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 1603-1616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bailin Liu ◽  
Yanping Liu ◽  
Ruixiu Shi ◽  
Xueqin Feng ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Mesenteric Arteries ◽  
Prenatal Hypoxia ◽  
Pregnant Rats ◽  
Α Subunit

Background/Aims: Chronic hypoxia in utero could impair vascular functions in the offspring, underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study investigated functional alteration in large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels in offspring mesenteric arteries following prenatal hypoxia. Methods: Pregnant rats were exposed to normoxic control (21% O2, Con) or hypoxic (10.5% O2, Hy) conditions from gestational day 5 to 21, their 7-month-old adult male offspring were tested for blood pressure, vascular BK channel functions and expression using patch clamp and wire myograh technique, western blotting, and qRT-PCR. Results: Prenatal hypoxia increased pressor responses and vasoconstrictions to phenylephrine in the offspring. Whole-cell currents density of BK channels and amplitude of spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs), not the frequency, were significantly reduced in Hy vascular myocytes. The sensitivity of BK channels to voltage, Ca2+, and tamoxifen were reduced in Hy myocytes, whereas the number of channels per patch and the single-channel conductance were unchanged. Prenatal hypoxia impaired NS1102- and tamoxifen-mediated relaxation in mesenteric arteries precontracted with phenylephrine in the presence of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. The mRNA and protein expression of BK channel β1, not the α-subunit, was decreased in Hy mesenteric arteries. Conclusions: Impaired BK channel β1-subunits in vascular smooth muscle cells contributed to vascular dysfunction in the offspring exposed to prenatal hypoxia.

Abstract 1368: BK Channel β1 Subunits Are Specific Effectors Of Cholane-induced Channel Activation

Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Bukiya ◽  
Ligia Toro ◽  
Alejandro M Dopico
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Cerebral Artery ◽  
Vascular Tone ◽  
Lithocholic Acid ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Steady State Activity ◽  
Inside Out

The activity of large conductance, Ca 2+ - and voltage-gated potassium (BK) channels in smooth muscle critically controls vascular tone. Depolarization-induced Ca 2+ -entry in the myocyte activates BK channels, which generate outward positive current that tends to repolarize the membrane, limit Ca 2+ entry and, thus, oppose contraction. Cholane-derived steroids (e.g., lithocholic acid, LC) reduce vascular tone in isolated, resistance-size rat cerebral arteries by selective activation of myocyte BK channels. In most tissues, native BK channels consist of pore-forming α (encoded by KCNMA1 or Slo1 ) and accessory β1–4 (encoded by KCNMB1–4 ) subunits. Remarkably, KCNMB expression is tissue-specific: while KCNMB1 is highly predominant in smooth muscle, KCNMB2–4 are not. Thus, agents that target BK β1 subunits may be used to selectively modulate myocyte BK channel function. After cloning the BK α subunit from rat cerebral artery myocytes (termed “cbv1”, AY330293 ), we demonstrated that homomeric cbv1 channel steady-state activity (NPo) was not affected by acute LC application. In contrast, heteromeric cbv1+β1 channel NPo was reversibly increased by LC (+290% of control at EC max ~150 μM; EC 50 =46 μM). Whether the other BK β subunits (2–4) can substitute for β1 to evoke LC-sensitivity in the BK channel remains unknown. To test this, we applied 150 μM LC to the intracellular side of inside-out patches excised from Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing cbv1 alone or cbv1 with a given BK β subunit subtype (1–4). Currents were evoked with the membrane clamped at ±20mV and free Ca 2+ i set to 10 μM, a concentration found in the cerebral artery myocyte during contraction. As previously found, LC consistently failed to increase homomeric cbv1 NPo, while drastically enhancing heteromeric cbv1+β1 channel NPo. Remarkably, LC failed to activate cbv1+β2, cbv1+β3 and cbv1+β4 heteromeric channels. In conclusion, the BK β1 (smooth muscle-type) subunit serves as a unique sensor for cholane-derived steroids. Thus, these compounds provide a platform for designing therapeutic agents to treat cardiovascular disease where reduction of vascular tone is required.

scholarly journals An S6 Mutation in BK Channels Reveals β1 Subunit Effects on Intrinsic and Voltage-dependent Gating

2006 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Wang ◽  
Robert Brenner
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Channel Opening ◽  
Sensor Activation ◽  
Intracellular Domains

Large conductance, Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ (BK) channels are exquisitely regulated to suit their diverse roles in a large variety of physiological processes. BK channels are composed of pore-forming α subunits and a family of tissue-specific accessory β subunits. The smooth muscle–specific β1 subunit has an essential role in regulating smooth muscle contraction and modulates BK channel steady-state open probability and gating kinetics. Effects of β1 on channel's gating energetics are not completely understood. One of the difficulties is that it has not yet been possible to measure the effects of β1 on channel's intrinsic closed-to-open transition (in the absence of voltage sensor activation and Ca2+ binding) due to the very low open probability in the presence of β1. In this study, we used a mutation of the α subunit (F315Y) that increases channel openings by greater than four orders of magnitude to directly compare channels' intrinsic open probabilities in the presence and absence of the β1 subunit. Effects of β1 on steady-state open probabilities of both wild-type α and the F315Y mutation were analyzed using the dual allosteric HA model. We found that mouse β1 has two major effects on channel's gating energetics. β1 reduces the intrinsic closed-to-open equilibrium that underlies the inhibition of BK channel opening seen in submicromolar Ca2+. Further, PO measurements at limiting slope allow us to infer that β1 shifts open channel voltage sensor activation to negative membrane potentials, which contributes to enhanced channel opening seen at micromolar Ca2+ concentrations. Using the F315Y α subunit with deletion mutants of β1, we also demonstrate that the small N- and C-terminal intracellular domains of β1 play important roles in altering channel's intrinsic opening and voltage sensor activation. In summary, these results demonstrate that β1 has distinct effects on BK channel intrinsic gating and voltage sensor activation that can be functionally uncoupled by mutations in the intracellular domains.

scholarly journals Effects of bladder outlet obstruction on properties of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in rat bladder

2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (5) ◽  
pp. R1310-R1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masafumi Kita ◽  
Takakazu Yunoki ◽  
Koichi Takimoto ◽  
Minoru Miyazato ◽  
Kaori Kita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Bladder Outlet Obstruction ◽  
Outlet Obstruction ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Compensatory Mechanism ◽  
Detrusor Smooth Muscle ◽  
Sk Channels ◽  
Α Subunit

In this study, we investigated the effects of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) on the expression and function of large conductance (BK) and small conductance (SK) Ca2+-activated K+ channels in detrusor smooth muscle. The bladder from adult female Sprague-Dawley rats with 6-wk BOO were used. The mRNA expression of the BK channel α-subunit, β1-, β2-, and β4-subunits and SK1, SK2, and SK3 channels were investigated using real-time RT-PCR. All subunits except for the BK-β2, SK2, and SK3 channels were predominantly expressed in the detrusor smooth muscle rather than in the mucosa. The mRNA expression of the BK channel α-subunit was not significantly changed in obstructed bladders. However, the expression of the BK channel β1-subunit and the SK3 channel was remarkably increased in obstructed bladders. On the other hand, the expression of the BK channel β4-subunit was decreased as the severity of BOO-induced bladder overactivity progressed. In detrusor smooth muscle strips from obstructed bladders, blockade of BK channels by iberiotoxin (IbTx) or charybdotoxin (CTx) and blockade of SK channels by apamin increased the amplitude of spontaneous contractions. These blockers also increased the contractility and affinity of these strips for carbachol during cumulative applications. The facilitatory effects elicited by these K+ channel blockers were larger in the strips from obstructed bladders compared with control bladders. These results suggest that long-term exposure to BOO for 6 wk enhances the function of both BK and SK types of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in the detrusor smooth muscle to induce an inhibition of bladder contractility, which might be a compensatory mechanism to reduce BOO-induced bladder overactivity.

scholarly journals NFATc3 regulates BK channel function in murine urinary bladder smooth muscle

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. C611-C623 ◽  
Author(s):  
JJ Layne ◽  
ME Werner ◽  
DC Hill-Eubanks ◽  
MT Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Urinary Bladder ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Bladder Smooth Muscle ◽  
Activated T Cells ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Urinary Bladder Smooth Muscle

The nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) is a Ca2+-dependent transcription factor that has been reported to regulate the expression of smooth muscle contractile proteins and ion channels. Here we report that large conductance Ca2+-sensitive potassium (BK) channels and voltage-gated K+ (KV) channels may be regulatory targets of NFATc3 in urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM). UBSM myocytes from NFATc3-null mice displayed a reduction in iberiotoxin (IBTX)-sensitive BK currents, a decrease in mRNA for the pore-forming α-subunit of the BK channel, and a reduction in BK channel density compared with myocytes from wild-type mice. Tetraethylammonium chloride-sensitive KV currents were elevated in UBSM myocytes from NFATc3-null mice, as was mRNA for the Shab family member KV2.1. Despite KV current upregulation, bladder strips from NFATc3-null mice displayed an elevated contractile response to electrical field stimulation relative to strips from wild-type mice, but this difference was abrogated in the presence of the BK channel blocker IBTX. These results support a role for the transcription factor NFATc3 in regulating UBSM contractility, primarily through an NFATc3-dependent increase in BK channel activity.

β1-subunit of BK channels regulates arterial wall [Ca2+] and diameter in mouse cerebral arteries

2001 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 1350-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Löhn ◽  
Birgit Lauterbach ◽  
Hermann Haller ◽  
Olaf Pongs ◽  
Friedrich C. Luft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Systemic Hypertension ◽  
Myogenic Tone ◽  
Arterial Smooth Muscle ◽  
Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells

Mice with a disrupted β1(BKβ1)-subunit of the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel gene develop systemic hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy, which is likely caused by uncoupling of Ca2+ sparks to BK channels in arterial smooth muscle cells. However, little is known about the physiological levels of global intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and its regulation by Ca2+ sparks and BK channel subunits. We utilized a BKβ1 knockout C57BL/6 mouse model and studied the effects of inhibitors of ryanodine receptor and BK channels on the global [Ca2+]i and diameter of small cerebral arteries pressurized to 60 mmHg. Ryanodine (10 μM) or iberiotoxin (100 nM) increased [Ca2+]i by ∼75 nM and constricted +/+ BKβ1 wild-type arteries (pressurized to 60 mmHg) with myogenic tone by ∼10 μm. In contrast, ryanodine (10 μM) or iberiotoxin (100 nM) had no significant effect on [Ca2+]i and diameter of −/− BKβ1-pressurized (60 mmHg) arteries. These results are consistent with the idea that Ca2+ sparks in arterial smooth muscle cells limit myogenic tone through activation of BK channels. The activation of BK channels by Ca2+ sparks reduces the voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx and [Ca2+]i through tonic hyperpolarization. Deletion of BKβ1 disrupts this negative feedback mechanism, leading to increased arterial tone through an increase in global [Ca2+]i.

scholarly journals Large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channel regulation by protein kinase C in guinea pig urinary bladder smooth muscle

2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (5) ◽  
pp. C460-C470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiril L. Hristov ◽  
Amy C. Smith ◽  
Shankar P. Parajuli ◽  
John Malysz ◽  
Georgi V. Petkov
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
K Channel ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Channel Regulation ◽  
Pkc Activation

Large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels are critical regulators of detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) excitability and contractility. PKC modulates the contraction of DSM and BK channel activity in non-DSM cells; however, the cellular mechanism regulating the PKC-BK channel interaction in DSM remains unknown. We provide a novel mechanistic insight into BK channel regulation by PKC in DSM. We used patch-clamp electrophysiology, live-cell Ca2+ imaging, and functional studies of DSM contractility to elucidate BK channel regulation by PKC at cellular and tissue levels. Voltage-clamp experiments showed that pharmacological activation of PKC with PMA inhibited the spontaneous transient BK currents in native freshly isolated guinea pig DSM cells. Current-clamp recordings revealed that PMA significantly depolarized DSM membrane potential and inhibited the spontaneous transient hyperpolarizations in DSM cells. The PMA inhibitory effects on DSM membrane potential were completely abolished by the selective BK channel inhibitor paxilline. Activation of PKC with PMA did not affect the amplitude of the voltage-step-induced whole cell steady-state BK current or the single BK channel open probability (recorded in cell-attached mode) upon inhibition of all major Ca2+ sources for BK channel activation with thapsigargin, ryanodine, and nifedipine. PKC activation with PMA elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels in DSM cells and increased spontaneous phasic and nerve-evoked contractions of DSM isolated strips. Our results support the concept that PKC activation leads to a reduction of BK channel activity in DSM via a Ca2+-dependent mechanism, thus increasing DSM contractility.

Micromolar Ca2+ from sparks activates Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels in rat cerebral artery smooth muscle

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (6) ◽  
pp. C1769-C1775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo J. Pérez ◽  
Adrian D. Bonev ◽  
Mark T. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Hill Coefficient ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Acetoxymethyl Ester ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Apparent Dissociation Constant

The goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that local Ca2+ release events (Ca2+ sparks) deliver high local Ca2+concentration to activate nearby Ca2+-sensitive K+ (BK) channels in the cell membrane of arterial smooth muscle cells. Ca2+ sparks and BK channels were examined in isolated myocytes from rat cerebral arteries with laser scanning confocal microscopy and patch-clamp techniques. BK channels had an apparent dissociation constant for Ca2+ of 19 μM and a Hill coefficient of 2.9 at −40 mV. At near-physiological intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i; 100 nM) and membrane potential (−40 mV), the open probability of a single BK channel was low (1.2 × 10−6). A Ca2+spark increased BK channel activity to 18. Assuming that 1–100% of the BK channels are activated by a single Ca2+ spark, BK channel activity increases 6 × 105-fold to 6 × 103-fold, which corresponds to ∼30 μM to 4 μM spark Ca2+ concentration. 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester caused the disappearance of all Ca2+sparks while leaving the transient BK currents unchanged. Our results support the idea that Ca2+ spark sites are in close proximity to the BK channels and that local [Ca2+]i reaches micromolar levels to activate BK channels.

β-Subunit–Dependent Modulation of hSlo BK Current by Arachidonic Acid

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Sun ◽  
D. Zhou ◽  
P. Zhang ◽  
E. G. Moczydlowski ◽  
G. G. Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Arachidonic Acid ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Β Subunit ◽  
Α Subunit

In this study, we examined the effect of arachidonic acid (AA) on the BK α-subunit with or without β-subunits expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In excised patches, AA potentiated the hSlo-α current and slowed inactivation only when β2/3 subunit was co-expressed. The β2-subunit–dependent modulation by AA persisted in the presence of either superoxide dismutase or inhibitors of AA metabolism such as nordihydroguaiaretic acid and eicosatetraynoic acid, suggesting that AA acts directly rather than through its metabolites. Other cis unsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic and oleic acid) also enhanced hSlo-α + β2 currents and slowed inactivation, whereas saturated fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, and caprylic acid) were without effect. Pretreatment with trypsin to remove the cytosolic inactivation domain largely occluded AA action. Intracellularly applied free synthetic β2-ball peptide induced inactivation of the hSlo-α current, and AA failed to enhance this current and slow the inactivation. These results suggest that AA removes inactivation by interacting, possibly through conformational changes, with β2 to prevent the inactivation ball from reaching its receptor. Our data reveal a novel mechanism of β-subunit–dependent modulation of BK channels by AA. In freshly dissociated mouse neocortical neurons, AA eliminated a transient component of whole cell K+ currents. BK channel inactivation may be a specific mechanism by which AA and other unsaturated fatty acids influence neuronal death/survival in neuropathological conditions.

scholarly journals Effect of aldosterone on BK channel expression in mammalian cortical collecting duct

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. F780-F788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Estilo ◽  
Wen Liu ◽  
Nuria Pastor-Soler ◽  
Phillip Mitchell ◽  
Marcelo D. Carattino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Splice Variants ◽  
Collecting Duct ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Mrna Abundance ◽  
Cortical Collecting Duct ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Channel Expression ◽  
Tubular Flow ◽  
Circulating Levels

Apical large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) mediate flow-stimulated K+ secretion. Dietary K+ loading for 10–14 days leads to an increase in BK channel mRNA abundance, enhanced flow-stimulated K+ secretion in microperfused CCDs, and a redistribution of immunodetectable channels from an intracellular pool to the apical membrane (Najjar F, Zhou H, Morimoto T, Bruns JB, Li HS, Liu W, Kleyman TR, Satlin LM. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 289: F922–F932, 2005). To test whether this adaptation was mediated by a K+-induced increase in aldosterone, New Zealand White rabbits were fed a low-Na+ (LS) or high-Na+ (HS) diet for 7–10 days to alter circulating levels of aldosterone but not serum K+ concentration. Single CCDs were isolated for quantitation of BK channel subunit (total, α-splice variants, β-isoforms) mRNA abundance by real-time PCR and measurement of net transepithelial Na+ (JNa) and K+ (JK) transport by microperfusion; kidneys were processed for immunolocalization of BK α-subunit by immunofluorescence microscopy. At the time of death, LS rabbits excreted no urinary Na+ and had higher circulating levels of aldosterone than HS animals. The relative abundance of BK α-, β2-, and β4-subunit mRNA and localization of immunodetectable α-subunit were similar in CCDs from LS and HS animals. In response to an increase in tubular flow rate from ∼1 to 5 nl·min−1·mm−1, the increase in JNa was greater in LS vs. HS rabbits, yet the flow-stimulated increase in JK was similar in both groups. These data suggest that aldosterone does not contribute to the regulation of BK channel expression/activity in response to dietary K+ loading.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document