This basic science study successfully isolated and reconstituted Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels from rabbit colonocytes, identifying a 35-kDa protein as the likely channel component.
Hypothesis-generating for colonic Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel identity; leaves open in vivo validation and any clinical relevance.
Using calmodulin-affinity chromatography, we have isolated a fraction of proteins from solubilized basolateral membranes of rabbit colonocytes which when reconstituted into planar phospholipid bilayers disclosed Ca(2+)-activated single K+ channel activities. The properties of the reconstituted channels are identical to those of native membrane vesicles incorporated into these bilayers with respect to their high selectivity for K+ over C-, high ("maxi") conductance, voltage gating, and inhibition by trifluoperazine. Two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of these proteins revealed three major protein species with molecular masses of 120, 60, and 35 kDa, which constituted 70, 10, and 20%, respectively, of the total protein. The results of other studies strongly suggest that the 35-kDa protein may be the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel protein in these membranes.
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Liu et al. (1991) studied this question.
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