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Nitric oxide directly activates large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (rSlo).
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2001
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Macroscopic Maxi-kNitric OxideNeurotransmissionOptogeneticsCellular PhysiologySocial SciencesHyperpolarization (Biology)Reactive Nitrogen SpecieNeurochemistryBiophysicsMolecular PhysiologyIon ChannelsNeuropharmacologyMembrane BiologyNervous SystemPharmacologyNeurophysiologyPhysiologyElectrophysiologyNeuroscienceMaxi-k ChannelsMedicineNitrosative Stress
We investigated whether nitric oxide (NO) directly activates the cloned alpha-subunit of large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (Maxi-K) channels from rat brain (rSlo), expressed either in HEK293 cells or Xenopus oocytes. In inside-out patches, the application of S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), a NO-releasing compound, reversibly activated the channel shifting the voltage dependent activation curve of the macroscopic Maxi-K current to the left by about 15 mV. Pretreatment of the patches with N-ethylmaleimide to alkylate free sulfhydryl groups did not prevent the effect of SNAP, suggesting that NO may directly interact with the channels. These results suggest that Maxi-K channels might be one of the physiological targets of NO in the brain.