title: Properties of single voltage-dependent K+ channels in dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurones of rat hippocampus.
abstract: Voltage-dependent K(+) channels in the apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurones play important roles in regulating dendritic excitability, synaptic integration, and synaptic plasticity. Using cell-attached, voltage-clamp recordings, we found a large variability in the waveforms of macroscopic K(+) currents in the dendrites. With single-channel analysis, however, we were able to identify four types of voltage-dependent K(+) channels and we categorized them as belonging to delayed-rectifier, M-, D-, or A-type K(+) channels previously described from whole-cell recordings. Delayed-rectifier-type K(+) channels had a single-channel conductance of 19 +/- 0.5 pS, and made up the majority of the sustained K(+) current uniformly distributed along the apical dendrites. The M-type K(+) channels had a single-channel conductance of 11 +/- 0.8 pS, did not inactivate with prolonged membrane depolarization, deactivated with slow kinetics (time constant 100 +/- 6 ms at -40 mV), and were inhibited by bath-applied muscarinic agonist carbachol (10 microm). The D-type K(+) channels had a single-channel conductance of around 18 pS, and inactivated with a time constant of 98 +/- 4 ms at +54 mV. The A-type K(+) channels had a single-channel conductance of 6 +/- 0.6 pS, inactivated with a time constant of 23 +/- 2 ms at +54 mV, and contributed to the majority of the transient K(+) current previously described. These results suggest both functional and molecular complexity for K(+) channels in dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. xixi@ltp.neusc.bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Xixi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated