title: Acute oxygen sensing in heme oxygenase-2 null mice.
abstract: Hemeoxygenase-2 (HO-2) is an antioxidant enzyme that can modulate recombinant maxi-K(+) channels and has been proposed to be the acute O(2) sensor in the carotid body (CB). We have tested the physiological contribution of this enzyme to O(2) sensing using HO-2 null mice. HO-2 deficiency leads to a CB phenotype characterized by organ growth and alteration in the expression of stress-dependent genes, including the maxi-K(+) channel alpha-subunit. However, sensitivity to hypoxia of CB is remarkably similar in HO-2 null animals and their control littermates. Moreover, the response to hypoxia in mouse and rat CB cells was maintained after blockade of maxi-K(+) channels with iberiotoxin. Hypoxia responsiveness of the adrenal medulla (AM) (another acutely responding O(2)-sensitive organ) was also unaltered by HO-2 deficiency. Our data suggest that redox disregulation resulting from HO-2 deficiency affects maxi-K(+) channel gene expression but it does not alter the intrinsic O(2) sensitivity of CB or AM cells. Therefore, HO-2 is not a universally used acute O(2) sensor.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ortega-Sáenz
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gómez-Díaz
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Barneo
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D021983:Cyclophilins / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000235:genetics*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009929:Organ Size / Q000235:genetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010313:Partial Pressure; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; C465449:Kcnma1 protein, mouse; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D010455:Peptides; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; C064719:iberiotoxin; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C105245:heme oxygenase-2; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D021983:Cyclophilins; D010100:Oxygen; D002118:Calcium