title: Potassium blocks barium permeation through a calcium-activated potassium channel.
abstract: Single high-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels from rat skeletal muscle were inserted into planar lipid bilayers, and discrete blocking by the Ba2+ ion was studied. Specifically, the ability of external K+ to reduce the Ba2+ dissociation rate was investigated. In the presence of 150 mM internal K+, 1-5 microM internal Ba2+, and 150 mM external Na+, Ba2+ dissociation is rapid (5 s-1) in external solutions that are kept rigorously K+ free. The addition of external K+ in the low millimolar range reduces the Ba2+ off-rate 20-fold. Other permeant ions, such as Tl+, Rb+, and NH4+ show a similar effect. The half-inhibition constants rise in the order: Tl+ (0.08 mM) less than Rb+ (0.1 mM) less than K+ (0.3 mM) less than Cs+ (0.5 mM) less than NH4+ (3 mM). When external Na+ is replaced by 150 mM N-methyl glucamine, the Ba2+ off-rate is even higher, 20 s-1. External K+ and other permeant ions reduce this rate by approximately 100-fold in the micromolar range of concentrations. Na+ also reduces the Ba2+ off-rate, but at much higher concentrations. The half-inhibition concentrations rise in the order: Rb+ (4 microM) less than K+ (19 microM) much less than Na+ (27 mM) less than Li+ (greater than 50 mM). The results require that the conduction pore of this channel contains at least three sites that may all be occupied simultaneously by conducting ions.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neyton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D001464:Barium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium