Medical Neurobiology Commons^™

A Recombinant Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Coupled To Gtp-Binding Proteins, Kim W. Chan, M. Noelle Langan, Jin Liang Sui, J. Ashot Kozak, Amanda Pabon, John A. A. Ladias, Diomedes E. Logothetis

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

GTP-binding (G) proteins have been shown to mediate activation of inwardly rectifying potassium (K+) channels in cardiac, neuronal and neuroendocrine cells. Here, we report functional expression of a recombinant inwardly rectifying channel which we call KGP (or hpKir3.4), to signify that it is K+ selective, G-protein-gated and isolated from human pancreas. KGP expression in Xenopus oocytes resulted in sizeable basal (or agonist-independent) currents while coexpression with a G-protein-linked receptor, yielded additional agonist-induced currents. Coexpression of KGP and hGIRK1 (a human brain homolog of GIRK1/Kir3.1) produced much larger basal currents than those observed with KGP or hGIRK1 alone, and upon coexpression …