title: K(V)7/KCNQ channels are functionally expressed in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  K(V)7/KCNQ channels are widely expressed in neurons and they have multiple important functions, including control of excitability, spike afterpotentials, adaptation, and theta resonance. Mutations in KCNQ genes have been demonstrated to associate with human neurological pathologies. However, little is known about whether K(V)7/KCNQ channels are expressed in oligodendrocyte lineage cells (OLCs) and what their functions in OLCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we characterized K(V)7/KCNQ channels expression in rat primary cultured OLCs by RT-PCR, immunostaining and electrophysiology. KCNQ2-5 mRNAs existed in all three developmental stages of rat primary cultured OLCs. K(V)7/KCNQ proteins were also detected in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs, early developmental stages of OLCs) of rat primary cultures and cortex slices. Voltage-clamp recording revealed that the I(M) antagonist XE991 significantly reduced K(V)7/KCNQ channel current (I(K(Q))) in OPCs but not in differentiated oligodendrocytes. In addition, inhibition of K(V)7/KCNQ channels promoted OPCs motility in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings showed that K(V)7/KCNQ channels were functionally expressed in rat primary cultured OLCs and might play an important role in OPCs functioning in physiological or pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology of the Ministry of Education, Neuroscience Research Center of Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Zheng-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000873:Anthracenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051656:KCNQ Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051658:KCNQ2 Potassium Channel / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051659:KCNQ3 Potassium Channel / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C112297:10,10-bis(4-pyridinylmethyl)-9(10H)-anthracenone; D000873:Anthracenes; D051656:KCNQ Potassium Channels; D051658:KCNQ2 Potassium Channel; D051659:KCNQ3 Potassium Channel; C492166:Kcnq4 protein, rat; C501028:Kcnq5 protein, rat; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers