title: Alternatively spliced C-terminal domains regulate the surface expression of large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels.
abstract: The Slo1 gene, also known as KCNMA1, encodes the pore-forming subunits of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK(Ca)) channels. Products of this gene are widely expressed in vertebrate tissues, and occur in a large number (>or=20) of alternatively spliced variants that vary in their gating properties, susceptibility to modulation, and trafficking to the plasma membrane. Motifs in the large cytoplasmic C-terminal are especially important in determining the functional properties of BK(Ca) channels. Here we report that chick ciliary ganglion neurons express transcripts and proteins of two Slo1 splice variants that differ at the extreme C-terminal. We refer to these variants as VEDEC and QEDRL (or QEERL for the orthologous mammalian versions), after the five terminal amino acid residues in each isoform. Individual ciliary ganglion neurons preferentially express these variants in different subcellular compartments. Moreover, QEERL channels show markedly higher levels of constitutive expression on the plasma membrane than VEDEC channels in HEK293T and NG108-15 cells. However, growth factor treatment can stimulate surface expression of VEDEC channels to levels comparable to those seen with QEERL. In addition, we show that co-expression of a soluble protein composed of VEDEC C-terminal tail residues markedly increases cell surface expression of full-length VEDEC channels, suggesting that this region binds to proteins that cause retention of the these channels in intracellular stores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5001, USA.
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Ridgway
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Y-H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Dryer
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019921:Biotinylation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000166:cytology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins