title: Inward rectification of the minK potassium channel.
abstract: The minK protein induces a slowly activating voltage-dependent potassium current when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We have used macroscopic minK currents to determine the open channel current-voltage relationship for the channel, and have found that the minK current is inwardly rectifying. The channel passes inward current at least 20-fold more readily than outward current. Both rat and human minK exhibit this property. The rectification of minK is similar to that reported for a slow component of the cardiac delayed rectifier, strengthening the hypothesis that minK is responsible for that current.
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; C059983:potassium channel protein I(sk)