A novel chloride channel in Drosophila melanogaster is inhibited by protons.
A systematic analysis of the Drosophila genome data reveals the existence of pHCl, a novel member of ligand-gated ion channel subunits. pHCl shows nearly identical similarity to glutamate-, glycine-, and histamine-gated ion channels, does however not belong to any of these ion channel types. We identified three different sites, where splicing generates multiple transcripts of the pHCl mRNA. The pHCl is expressed in Drosophila embryo, larvae, pupae, and the adult fly. In embryos, in situ hybridization detected pHCl in the neural cord and the hindgut. Functional expression of the three different splice variants of pHCl in oocytes of Xenopus laevis and Sf9 cells induces a chloride current with a linear current-voltage relationship that is inhibited by extracellular protons and activated by avermectins in a pH-dependent manner. Further, currents through pHCl channels were induced by a raise in temperature. Our data give genetic and electrophysiological evidence that pHCl is a member of a new branch of ligand-gated ion channels in invertebrates with, however, a hitherto unique combination of pharmacological and biophysical properties.
Schnizler
Katrin
K
Bayer AG, Bayer Technology Services GmbH, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany.
Saeger
Beate
B
Pfeffer
Carsten
C
Gerbaulet
Alexander
A
Ebbinghaus-Kintscher
Ulrich
U
Methfessel
Christoph
C
Franken
Eva-Maria
EM
Raming
Klaus
K
Wetzel
Christian H
CH
Saras
Arunesh
A
Pusch
Hermann
H
Hatt
Hanns
H
Gisselmann
Günter
G
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes; D011522:Protons; D011679:Pupa / Q000378:metabolism; D018411:Spodoptera; D014981:Xenopus
D018118:Chloride Channels; D011522:Protons