title: Open-channel block of Na+ channels by intracellular Mg2+.
abstract: 1. Macroscopic and single-channel currents through several types of cloned rat brain Na+ channels, expressed in Xenopus oocytes, were measured using the patch-clamp technique. 2. For all cloned channel types and for endogenous Na+ channels in chromaffin cells, intracellular Mg2+ blocks outward currents in a voltage-dependent manner similar to that in rat brain type II Na+ channel (Pusch et al. 1989). 3. A sodium-channel mutant ('cZ-2') with long single-channel open times was used to examine the voltage-dependent reduction of single-channel outward current amplitudes by intracellular Mg2+. This reduction could be described by a simple blocking mechanism with half-maximal blockage at 0 mV in 1.8 mM intracellular Mg2+ and a voltage-dependence of e-fold per 39 mV (in approximately 125 mM [Na]i); this corresponds to a binding-site at an electrical distance of 0.32 from the inside of the membrane. 4. At low Mg2+ concentrations and high voltages, the open-channel current variance is significantly elevated with respect to zero [Mg]i. This indicates that Mg2+ acts as a fast blocker rather than gradually decreasing current, e.g. by screening of surface charges. Analysis of the open-channel variance yielded estimates of the block and unblock rate constants, which are of the order of 2.10(8) M-1 S-1 and 3.6.10(5) S-1 at 0 mV for the mutant cZ-2. 5. A quantitative analysis of tail-currents of wild-type II channels showed that the apparent affinity for intracellular Mg2+ strongly depends on [Na]i. This effect could be explained in terms of a multi-ion pore model. 6. Simulated action potentials, calculated on the basis of the Hodgkin-Huxley theory, are significantly reduced in their amplitude and delayed in their onset by postulating Mg2+ block at physiological levels of [Mg]i.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pusch
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008274:Magnesium / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015222:Sodium Channels; D012964:Sodium; D008274:Magnesium