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J A Drewe

Publications and source records attributed to J A Drewe.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

L-glutamate inhibition of an inward potassium current in neonatal neurons from the nucleus of the solitary tract.

Neurons isolated from the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) of 1- to 4-day-old rats were cultured for a study of the glutamatergic responses in this region of the medulla. Whole cell currents were examined under voltage clamp after 6-14 days in culture. An inwardly rectifying potassium current was identified in 107/174 cells. The presence of this K+ current diminished with time in culture from greater than 80% of the cells at day 6 to less than 30% of the cells after day 10. The current was inhibited by L-glutamate (IC50 = 10 microM).

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Differences between the deep pores of K+ channels determined by an interacting pair of nonpolar amino acids.

The pore of a chimeric K+ channel, CHM, differed from its parental host channel, Kv2.1, by 9 amino acids. Four were located in a putative deep region and 5 in a nearby outer mouth. Point reversions were without restorative effects, and reversions V369I or L374V in the deep pore produced novel phenotypes. Among double mutations, only V369I and L374V were effective in restoring the Kv2.1 pore phenotype. Adding a change in charge at Q382K in the outer pore fully restored the parental phenotype. Thus, the pore appears to have an inner, deep region where ions such as K+ and TEA+ may be regulated by nonpolar residues and an outer region where ions may be regulated by charged residues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

A single nonpolar residue in the deep pore of related K+ channels acts as a K+:Rb+ conductance switch.

K+ and Rb+ conductances (GK+ and GRb+) were investigated in two delayed rectifier K+ channels (Kv2.1 and Kv3.1) cloned from rat brain and a chimera (CHM) of the two channels formed by replacing the putative pore region of Kv2.1 with that of Kv3.1. CHM displayed ion conduction properties which resembled Kv3.1. In CHM, GK+ was three times greater than that of Kv2.1 and GRb+/GK+ = 0.3 (compared with 1.5 and 0.7, respectively, in Kv2.1 and Kv3.1). A point mutation in CHM L374V, which restored 374 to its Kv2.1 identity, switched the K+/Rb+ conductance profiles so that GK+ was reduced fourfold, GRb+ was increased twofold, and GRb+/GK+ = 2.8. Quantitative restoration of the Kv2.1 K+/Rb+ profiles, however, required simultaneous point mutations at three nonadjacent residues suggesting the possibility of interactions between residues within the pore. The importance of leucine at position 374 was verified when reciprocal changes in K+/Rb+ conductances were produced by the mutation of V374L in Kv2.1 (GK+ was increased threefold, GRb+ was decreased threefold, and GRb+/GK+ = 0.2). We conclude that position 374 is responsible for differences in GK+ and GRb+ between Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 and, given its location near residues critical for block by internal tetraethylammonium, may be part of a cation binding site deep within the pore.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns of K+ channel mRNAs from different subfamilies.

Different types of K+ channels play important roles in many aspects of excitability. The isolation of cDNA clones from Drosophila, Aplysia, Xenopus, and mammals points to a large multigene family with several distinct members encoding K+ channels with unique electrophysiological and pharmacological properties. Given the pivotal role K+ channels play in the fine tuning of electrical properties of excitable tissues, we studied the spatial and temporal basis of K+ channel diversity. We report the isolation of two putative K+ channels that define two new subfamilies based upon amino acid sequence similarities with other known K+ channels. Northern blot and in situ hybridization studies revealed differences in the spatial and temporal expression patterns for these two new clones along with mRNAs from other K+ channel subfamilies. Two of the K+ channels studied are predominantly expressed in the brain. One of the "brain-specific" K+ channels is first expressed after about 2 weeks of postnatal cerebellar development and remains at levels about 10-fold higher in the cerebellum than in the rest of the brain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Exchange of conduction pathways between two related K+ channels.

The structure of the ion conduction pathway or pore of voltage-gated ion channels is unknown, although the linker between the membrane spanning segments S5 and S6 has been suggested to form part of the pore in potassium channels. To test whether this region controls potassium channel conduction, a 21-amino acid segment of the S5-S6 linker was transplanted from the voltage-activated potassium channel NGK2 to another potassium channel DRK1, which has very different pore properties. In the resulting chimeric channel, the single channel conductance and blockade by external and internal tetraethylammonium (TEA) ion were characteristic of the donor NGK2 channel. Thus, this 21-amino acid segment controls the essential biophysical properties of the pore and may form the conduction pathway of these potassium channels.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Electrophysiological characterization of a new member of the RCK family of rat brain K+ channels.

A novel member of the RCK family of rat brain K+ channels, called RCK2, has been sequenced and expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The K+ currents were voltage-dependent, activated within 20 ms (at 0 mV), did not inactivate in 5 s, and had a single channel conductance in frog Ringers of 8.2 pS. Compared to other members of the RCK family the pharmacological profile of RCK2 was unique in that the channel was resistant to block (IC50 = 3.3 microM) by charybdotoxin [(1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 3329-3333] but relatively sensitive to 4-aminopyridine (0.3 mM), tetraethylammonium (1.7 mM), alpha-dendrotoxin (25 nM), noxiustoxin (200 nM), and mast cell degranulating peptide (200 nM). Thus, RCK2 is a non-inactivating delayed rectifier K+ channel with interesting pharmacological properties.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Patterns of internal and external tetraethylammonium block in four homologous K+ channels.

Tetraethylammonium (TEA) is a small ion that is thought to block open K+ channels by binding either to an internal or to an external site. For this reason, it has been used to probe the ion conduction pathway or pore of K+ channel mutants and a K+ channel chimera. The results suggested that the region between transmembrane segments 5 and 6 (S5-S6 linker) was involved in the formation of both the internal and the external TEA binding sites and the K+ conduction pathway. Therefore, we compared internal and external TEA block of the currents expressed in Xenopus oocytes injected with RNAs from four related K+ channel clones, DRK1, RCK1, RCK2, and r-NGK2, which have only subtle structural differences in the S5-S6 linker. r-NGK2 was the most sensitive to external TEA and the least sensitive to internal TEA application. For DRK1 the profile was reversed. RCK1 was blocked equally well from either side, whereas RCK2 was more strongly blocked by internal TEA. The internal block was voltage dependent, whereas the external block was virtually voltage independent. As predicted from block of whole-oocyte currents, internal TEA produced a slow block of DRK1 and RCK2 single-channel currents but had almost no effect on r-NGK2 single-channel currents. Tetrapentylammonium produced a stronger block than TEA at the internal site, and the block was relieved by inward K+ currents, therefore suggesting that the internal TEA binding site is located within the K+ conduction pathway. These results, together with the TEA block of single-channel currents, establish what has until now been inferred by extrapolation from other studies, i.e., that TEA is an open-channel blocker in K+ channel clones. DRK1 mutants with extensive amino- and carboxyl-terminal deletions showed the same blocking profile as the parent DRK1. We conclude that TEA blocks these K+ channels at two sites, which define the inner and outer mouths of the channel pores. Comparison of the primary amino acid sequences in the S5-S6 linker suggests which residues may be responsible for the different patterns of TEA block.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Alteration and restoration of K+ channel function by deletions at the N- and C-termini.

Voltage-dependent ion channels are thought to consist of a highly conserved repeated core of six transmembrane segments, flanked by more variable cytoplasmic domains. Significant functional differences exist among related types of K+ channels. These differences have been attributed to the variable domains, most prominently the N- and C-termini. We have therefore investigated the functional importance of both termini for the delayed rectifier K+ channel from rat brain encoded by the drk1 gene. This channel has an unusually long C-terminus. Deletions in either terminus affected both activation and inactivation, in some cases profoundly. Unexpectedly, more extensive deletions in both termini restored gating. We could therefore define a core region only slightly longer than the six transmembrane segments that is sufficient for the formation of channels with the kinetics of a delayed rectifier.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Excitatory amino acid receptors of guinea pig medial nucleus tractus solitarius neurons.

Neurons isolated from the medial subnuclei of nucleus tractus solitarius in adult guinea pigs were studied for responses to the excitatory amino acid glutamate and its analogues using the whole cell tight-seal voltage clamp technique. In 80% of the cells studied (n = 60) 100 microM glutamate produced inward currents at negative voltages. To further characterize the glutamate response, the agonists for three glutamate receptor subtypes, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate, and quisqualate, were examined for their effects on membrane conductance. NMDA (25-250 microM) activated currents in 85% of the neurons tested (n = 30). NMDA currents were generally very small in amplitude. Of the neurons tested, 84% responded to kainate (10-30 microM, n = 19) and only 50% to quisqualate (25-50 microM, n = 26). The conductance activated by NMDA was outwardly rectifying. The conductance activated by kainate was voltage independent, while that activated by quisqualate showed varying degrees of outward rectification. Responses to NMDA were specifically antagonized by DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP-5, 50-100 microM). Kainate responses were blocked by kynurenate at concentrations (0.5-1.5 mM) ineffective on quisqualate-induced current. Glutamic acid diethyl ester (GDEE, 2-15 mM) was effective in reducing quisqualate responses at concentrations that had no effect on kainate responses. This characterization of the glutamate receptor subtypes and effective antagonists provides a basis for future determination of the specific receptor of glutamate responsible for mediation of the excitatory postsynaptic potentials produced by activation of the baroreceptor input.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1988

Synaptic transmission between dissociated adult mammalian neurons and attached synaptic boutons.

In most studies of synaptic currents in mammalian central neurons, preparations have been used in which synaptic currents are recorded at some distance from the synapse itself. This procedure introduces problems in interpretation of the kinetics and voltage-dependent properties of the synaptic current. These problems have now been overcome by the development of a preparation in which presynaptic vesicle-containing boutons have been coisolated with the soma of individual neurons, thus providing the opportunity to study synaptic currents under conditions of both adequate voltage control and internal ionic perfusion. Spontaneous synaptic currents mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid and excitatory amino acids were recorded from neurons isolated from a mammalian medial solitary tract nucleus. Calcium- and depolarization-dependent spontaneous currents of several to hundreds of picoamperes occurred with rapid rise times of 0.8 to 3 milliseconds and decays at least ten times as long.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Voltage-sensitive nitrendipine binding in an isolated cardiac sarcolemma preparation.

Nitrendipine binding has been evaluated in a highly enriched sarcolemma preparation isolated from canine ventricle. The binding was found to be specific, saturable, rapid, and reversible. The dissociation constant (Kd) determined by equilibrium binding studies at 20 degrees C was 0.0880 nM. The Kd increased to 0.670 nM at 37 degrees C. The maximal binding capacity of this preparation ranged from 437 to 1775 fmol/mg protein and was not significantly affected by changes in temperature between 20 and 37 degrees C. The Kd, determined kinetically from the ratio of the dissociation and association rate constants (k-1/k1), was 0.112 and 0.285 nM at 20 and 37 degrees C, respectively. In order to test the hypothesis that nitrendipine binding changes with membrane potential potassium, Nernst potentials were developed, in the presence of valinomycin, by the establishment of potassium gradients across the vesicular membrane. Evaluation of the rates of dissociation of [3H]nitrendipine from the sarcolemma preparation identified a component of binding that was rapidly lost when the transmembrane potential was polarized to inside-negative values. The magnitude of the loss of nitrendipine binding was 25-27% at the most negative potentials examined. Evaluation of the rate of association of nitrendipine revealed that the component of binding that was rapidly lost upon hyperpolarization of the membrane returned over a time course similar to the rate of dissipation of the membrane potential, suggesting that the effects of potential on nitrendipine binding are reversible. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that nitrendipine binding affinity changes with membrane potential.

Animals↗