title: Ca2+-dependent gating mechanisms for dSlo, a large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel.
abstract: The Ca2+-dependent gating mechanism of cloned BK channels from Drosophila (dSlo) was studied. Both a natural variant (A1/C2/E1/G3/IO) and a mutant (S942A) were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and single-channel currents were recorded from excised patches of membrane. Stability plots were used to define stable segments of data. Unlike native BK channels from rat skeletal muscle in which increasing internal Ca2+ concentration (Cai2+) in the range of 5 to 30 microM increases mean open time, increasing Cai2+ in this range for dSlo had little effect on mean open time. However, further increases in Cai2+ to 300 or 3000 microM then typically increased dSlo mean open time. Kinetic schemes for the observed Ca2+-dependent gating kinetics of dSlo were evaluated by fitting two-dimensional dwell-time distributions using maximum likelihood techniques and by comparing observed dependency plots with those predicted by the models. Previously described kinetic schemes that largely account for the Ca2+-dependent kinetics of native BK channels from rat skeletal muscle did not adequately describe the Ca2+ dependence of dSlo. An expanded version of these schemes which, in addition to the Ca2+-activation steps, permitted a Ca2+-facilitated transition from each open state to a closed state, could approximate the Ca2+-dependent kinetics of dSlo, suggesting that Ca2+ may exert dual effects on gating.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101-6430, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Silberberg
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nimigean
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Magleby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007700:Kinetics; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D008954:Models, Biological; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D017354:Point Mutation; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C494844:slo protein, Drosophila; D002118:Calcium