title: Developmental expression of voltage-gated potassium channel beta subunits.
abstract: Expression of potassium channel beta subunits (Kvbeta) was determined in the developing mouse CNS using an antiserum against an amino acid sequence present in the C-terminus of Kvbeta1, Kvbeta2, and Kvbeta3. Using the anti-Kvbeta antiserum, we determined that Kvbeta expression is restricted to the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia in the embryonic CNS. At birth, Kvbeta expression is detected in brainstem and midbrain nuclei, but was not detected in the hippocampus, cerebellum or cerebral cortex. During the first postnatal week, Kvbeta expression is present in hippocampal and cortical pyramidal cells and in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Expression of Kvbeta subunits reaches adult levels by the third postnatal week in all of the brain regions examined. A rabbit antiserum directed against a unique peptide sequence in the N-terminus of the Kvbeta1 protein demonstrates that this subunit displays a novel expression pattern in the developing mouse brain. Kvbeta1 expression is high at birth in all brain regions examined and decreases with age. In contrast, Kvbeta2 expression is low at birth and increases with age to reach adult levels by the third postnatal week. These findings support the notion that the differential regulation of distinct potassium channel beta subunits, in the developing mouse nervous system, may confer the functional diversity required to mediate both neuronal survival and maturation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Downen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belkowski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cardillo
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Prystowsky
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007106:Immune Sera; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051664:Kv1.3 Potassium Channel; D051038:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel beta Subunits; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008970:Molecular Weight; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; C494838:Kcnab1 protein, mouse; D051664:Kv1.3 Potassium Channel; D051038:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel beta Subunits; D015221:Potassium Channels