title: Oxygen-sensing by ion channels and mitochondrial function in carotid body glomus cells.
abstract: Carotid body glomus cells release transmitters in response to hypoxia due to the increase of excitability resulting from inhibition of O2-regulated K+ channels. The mechanisms involved in the detection of changes of O2 tension are unknown. Inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) at proximal and distal complexes induces external Ca(2+)-dependent catecholamine secretion. At saturating concentration of the ETC inhibitors, the cellular response to hypoxia is maintained. However, rotenone, a complex I blocker, selectively occludes the responsiveness to hypoxia of glomus cells in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of rotenone is not mimicked by complex I inhibitors acting on different sites. We have also generated a knock-out mouse lacking SDHD, the small membrane-anchoring protein of the succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Homozygous Sdhd(-/-) animals die at early embryonic stages. Heterozygous Sdhd(+/-) mice show a general, non-compensated, deficiency of complex II activity, and abnormal enhancement of resting carotid body secretion rate due to decrease of K+ conductance and persistent Ca2+ influx into glomus cells. However, responsiveness to hypoxia of carotid bodies from Sdhd(+/-) mice remains intact. These data strongly suggest that sensitivity to hypoxia of carotid body glomus cells is not linked in a simple way to mitochondrial electron flow. Nevertheless, it is possible that a rotenone-sensitive molecule critically participates in acute carotid body oxygen sensing.
authors: Laboratorio de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Departamento de Fisiología and Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
authors: José
authors: J
authors: López-Barneo
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Ortega-Sáenz
authors: José I
authors: JI
authors: Piruat
authors: María
authors: M
authors: García-Fernández