title: Molecular basis for decreased muscle chloride conductance in the myotonic goat.
abstract: Certain forms of myotonia, a condition characterized by delayed relaxation of muscle secondary to sarcolemmal hyperexcitability, are caused by diminished chloride conductance in the muscle cell membrane. We have investigated the molecular basis for decreased muscle chloride conductance in the myotonic goat, an historically important animal model for the elucidation of the role of chloride in muscle excitation. A single nucleotide change causing the substitution of proline for a conserved alanine residue in the carboxyl terminus of the goat muscle chloride channel (gCIC-1) was discovered. Heterologous expression of the mutation demonstrated a substantial (+47 mV) shift in the midpoint of steady-state activation of the channel, resulting in a diminished channel open probability at voltages near the resting membrane potential of skeletal muscle. These results provide a molecular basis for the decreased chloride conductance in myotonic muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-2372, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fahlke
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression; D006041:Goats; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D009222:Myotonia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009865:Oocytes; D017354:Point Mutation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels; D002712:Chlorides; D012333:RNA, Messenger