Voltage and Ca2+-activated K+ channel in cultured epithelial cells (MDCK).
Patch-clamp techniques were used to study a K channel in the cell membrane of MDCK cells. This cell line derives from the kidney of a normal dog, presumably from the distal nephron, a region involved in potassium secretion. The cells were cultured in confluent monolayers and approached from the apical side. The K channel we describe is Ca2+ and voltage activated, has a conductance of 221 +/- 7 pS, and can be inhibited by 10 mM tetraethylammonium and by 1 mM quinidine, but not by 4-aminopyridine, nor by 1 mM Ba2+ added to the outer side. Using the whole-cell configuration, we find that most of the cationic conductance of the membrane is constituted by a K-specific one (maximum K conductance 32.1 +/- 3.9 nS vs. a leak conductance of 1.01 +/- 0.17 nS). Comparisons of the maximum K conductance with that of a single K channel indicates that an MDCK cell has an average of 145 such channels. The membrane capacity is 24.5 +/- 1.4 pF.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004848:Epithelium; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D013757:Tetraethylammonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology
D007473:Ion Channels; D013757:Tetraethylammonium Compounds; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium