title: Modulation of BK Channels by Ethanol.
abstract: In alcohol-naïve systems, ethanol (<100mM) exposure of calcium-gated BK channels perturbs physiology and behavior. Brief (several minutes) ethanol exposure usually leads to increased BK current, which results from ethanol interaction with a pocket mapped to the BK channel-forming slo1 protein cytosolic tail domain. The importance of this region in ethanol-induced intoxication has been independently supported by an unbiased screen of Caenorhabditis elegans slo1 mutants. However, ethanol-induced BK activation is not universal as refractoriness and inhibition have been reported. The final effect depends on many factors, including intracellular calcium levels, slo1 isoform, BK beta subunit composition, posttranslational modification of BK proteins, channel lipid microenvironment, and type of ethanol administration. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster, C. elegans, and rodents show that protracted/repeated ethanol administration leads to tolerance to ethanol-induced modification of BK-driven physiology and behavior. Unveiling the mechanisms underlying tolerance is of major importance, as tolerance to ethanol has been proposed as predictor of risk for alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States. Electronic address: adopico@uthsc.edu.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dopico
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bukiya
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuntamallappanavar
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol receptor; Alcohol tolerance and dependence; BK beta subunits; Caenorhabditis elegans; Drosophila melanogaster; Ethanol; Ethanol intoxication; Ion channel–lipid interactions; Rodent models of alcohol-driven behavior; Slo1 protein