title: Pharmacological and molecular characterisation of SK3 channels in the TE671 human medulloblastoma cell line.
abstract: The expression of the small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels SK1, SK2 and SK3 was investigated in the TE671 human medulloblastoma cell line using RT-PCR and transcripts were detected only for SK3. Immunodetection experiments confirmed this result, demonstrating the presence of the SK3 protein. This potassium channel was characterised in TE671 cells using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Voltage steps to -100 mV from a holding potential of 0 mV in equimolar 140 mM intra- and extracellular K(+) (K(+)(in/out)) elicited an inward current. The reversal potential of this current shifted 56.6 mV per 10-fold increase in K(+)(out) thus suggesting K(+) selectivity. This current was dependent on the concentration of Ca(2+)(in) with an EC(50) of 104.2 nM. A pharmacological characterisation of this current revealed that it was not blocked by 1 microM charybdotoxin (ChTX), 0.3 microM iberiotoxin (IbTX) or 10 microM clotrimazole (CLT) and only modestly inhibited (<50%) by 30 nM scyllatoxin (ScTX), 200 microM dequalinium chloride (Deq) or 300 microM d-tubocurarine (d-TC). The non-selective SK blocker d-TC blocked the current with an IC(50) of 43.2 microM while apamin blocked the current to a much greater extent (87.8% at 1 microM) with an IC(50) of 4.3 nM. Furthermore, the current was significantly increased (132.6+/-5.2%, n=7) by 500 microM 1-ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone (EBIO). Collectively, these data demonstrate the presence of an endogenous SK3 channel in human TE671 cells.
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Research Centre, Verona, Italy. cc28711@gsk.com
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carignani
authors.forename: Renza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roncarati
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rimini
authors.forename: Georg C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Terstappen
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated