title: ROMK inwardly rectifying ATP-sensitive K+ channel. II. Cloning and distribution of alternative forms.
abstract: The rat ROMK gene encodes inwardly rectifying, ATP-regulated K+ channels [K. Ho, C. G. Nichols, W. J. Lederer, J. Lytton, P. M. Vassilev, M. V. Kanazirska, and S. C. Hebert. Nature Lond. 362: 31-38, 1993; H. Zhou, S. S. Tate, and L. G. Palmer. Am. J. Physiol. 266 (Cell Physiol. 35): C809-C824, 1994], and mRNA encoding these channels is widely expressed in distal cortical and outer medullary nephron segments [see companion study; W.-S. Lee and S. C. Hebert. Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 37): F1124-F1131, 1995]. Using approaches based on homology to ROMK1, we have identified two additional ROMK isoforms, ROMK2b and ROMK3. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the ROMK isoforms indicates that molecular diversity of ROMK transcripts is due to alternative splicing at both the 5'-coding and 3'-noncoding regions. The splicing at the 5' end of ROMK gives rise to channel proteins with variable-length NH2 termini containing different initial amino acid sequences. Functional expression of these isoforms in Xenopus oocytes showed that they form functional Ba(2+)-sensitive K+ channels. The nephron distribution of mRNAs encoding alternatively spliced isoforms of ROMK (ROMK1-ROMK3) was investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nephron segments dissected from rat kidney. Nondegenerate PCR primer pairs were designed to span at least one intron and to amplify specific alternatively spliced forms of ROMK.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Boim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Shuck
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bienkowski
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Slightom
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hebert
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009399:Nephrons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C510692:Kcnj1 protein, rat; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying