| First Author | Joiner WJ | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Nat Neurosci | Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 462-9 |
| PubMed ID | 10196543 | Mgi Jnum | J:50219 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1290040 | Doi | 10.1038/2176 |
| Citation | Joiner WJ, et al. (1998) Formation of intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels by interaction of Slack and Slo subunits. Nat Neurosci 1(6):462-9 |
| abstractText | Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (maxi-K channels) have an essential role in the control of excitability and secretion. Only one gene Slo is known to encode maxi-K channels, which are sensitive to both membrane potential and intracellular calcium. We have isolated a potassium channel gene called Slack that is abundantly expressed in the nervous system. Slack channels rectify outwardly with a unitary conductance of about 25-65 pS and are inhibited by intracellular calcium. However, when Slack is co-expressed with Slo, channels with pharmacological properties and single-channel conductances that do not match either Slack or Slo are formed. The Slack/Slo channels have intermediate conductances of about 60-180 pS and are activated by cytoplasmic calcium. Our findings indicate that some intermediate-conductance channels in the nervous system may result from an interaction between Slack and Slo channel subunits. |
