title: Expression of K2P channels in sensory and motor neurons of the autonomic nervous system.
abstract: Several types of neurons within the central and peripheral somatic nervous system express two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channels, providing them with resting potassium conductances. We demonstrate that these channels are also expressed in the autonomic nervous system where they might be important modulators of neuronal excitability. We observed strong mRNA expression of members of the TRESK and TREK subfamilies in both the mouse superior cervical ganglion (mSCG) and the mouse nodose ganglion (mNG). Motor mSCG neurons strongly expressed mRNA transcripts for TRESK and TREK-2 subunits, whereas TASK-1 and TASK-2 subunits were only moderately expressed, with only few or very few transcripts for TREK-1 and TRAAK (TRESK ≈ TREK-2 > TASK-2 ≈ TASK-1 > TREK-1 > TRAAK). Similarly, the TRESK and TREK-1 subunits were the most strongly expressed in sensorial mNG neurons, while TASK-1 and TASK-2 mRNAs were moderately expressed, and fewer TREK-2 and TRAAK transcripts were detected (TRESK ≈ TREK-1 > TASK-1 ≈ TASK-2 > TREK-2 > TRAAK). Moreover, cell-attached single-channel recordings showed a major contribution of TRESK and TREK-1 channels in mNG. As the level of TRESK mRNA expression was not statistically different between the ganglia analysed, the distinct expression of TREK-1 and TREK-2 subunits was the main difference observed between these structures. Our results strongly suggest that TRESK and TREK channels are important modulators of the sensorial and motor information flowing through the autonomic nervous system, probably exerting a strong influence on vagal reflexes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cadaveira-Mosquera
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reboreda
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rivas-Ramírez
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fernández-Fernández
authors.forename: J Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lamas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009620:Nodose Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain; C503445:Kcnk10 protein, mouse; C503433:Kcnk4 protein, mouse; C498739:Kcnk5 protein, mouse; C511784:TASK3 protein, mouse; C486498:Kcnk18 protein, mouse; C103742:potassium channel protein TREK-1; C420132:potassium channel subfamily K member 3; C568454:marneral synthase, Arabidopsis