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XB-ART-18153
Pflugers Arch 1996 Jun 01;4322:301-12. doi: 10.1007/s004240050137.
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Extracellular Mg2+ regulates activation of rat eag potassium channel.

Terlau H , Ludwig J , Steffan R , Pongs O , Stühmer W , Heinemann SH .


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The rat homologue of Drosophila ether à gogo cDNA (rat eag) encodes voltage-activated potassium (K) channels with distinct activation properties. Using the Xenopus expression system, we examined the importance of extracellular Mg2+ on the activation of rat eag. Extracellular Mg2+ at physiological concentrations dramatically slowed the activation in a dose- and voltage-dependent manner. Other divalent cations exerted similar effects on the activation kinetics that correlated with their enthalpy of hydration. Lowering the external pH also resulted in a slowing of the activation. Protons competed with Mg2+ as the effect of Mg2+ was abolished at low pH. A kinetic model for rat eag activation was derived from the data indicating that all four channel subunits undergo a Mg2+-dependent conformational transition prior to final channel activation. The strong dependence of rat eag activation on both the resting potential and the extracellular Mg2+ concentration constitutes a system for fine-tuning K channel availability in neuronal cells.

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Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: kcnh1

References [+] :
COLE, Potassium ion current in the squid giant axon: dynamic characteristic. 1960, Pubmed