title: Effects of permeant ion concentrations on the gating of L-type Ca2+ channels in hair cells.
abstract: We determined the gating and permeation properties of single L-type Ca(2+) channels, using hair cells and varying concentrations (5-70 mM) of the charge carriers Ba(2+) and Ca(2+). The channels showed distinct gating modes with high- and low-open probability. The half-activation voltage (V(1/2)) shifted in the hyperpolarizing direction from high to low permeant ion concentrations consistent with charge screening effects. However, the differences in the slope of the voltage shifts (in VM(-1)) between Ca(2+) (0.23) and Ba(2+) (0.13), suggest that channel-ion interaction may also contribute to the gating of the channel. We examined the effect of mixtures of Ba(2+) and Ca(2+) on the activation curve. In 5 mM Ca(2+), the V(1/2) was, -26.4 +/- 2.0 mV compared to Ba(2+), -34.7 +/- 2.9 mV, as the charge carrier. However, addition of 1 mM Ba(2+) in 4 mM Ca(2+), a molar ratio, which yielded an anomalous-mole fraction effect, was sufficient to shift the V(1/2) to -34.7 +/- 1.5 mV. Although Ca(2+)-dependent inactivation of the L-type channels in hair cells can yield the present findings, we provide evidence that the anomalous gating of the channel may stem from the closed interaction between ion permeation and gating.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience, Department of Otolaryngology, University of California at Davis, 1544 Newton Court, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Adrián
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Contreras
authors.forename: Ebenezer N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Yamoah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011898:Ranidae
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D001464:Barium; D002118:Calcium