SK2 encodes the apamin-sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channels in the human leukemic T cell line, Jurkat

Heike Jäger, John P. Adelman, Stephan Grissmer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

T cells express two different types of voltage-independent Ca2+-activated K+ channels with small (SK) and intermediate (IK) conductance that serve important roles in the activation of T lymphocytes. In contrast to the IK channels from T lymphocytes which are upregulated upon mitogen stimulation, SK channels of Jurkat T cells, a human leukemic T cell line, are constitutively expressed even in the absence of mitogenic stimulation. We have used patch-clamp recordings from transfected or injected mammalian cells to show that the cloned SK2 channel demonstrates the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the majority of K(Ca) channels in Jurkat T cells. The cloned and native channels are voltage-independent, Ca2+-activated, apamin-sensitive, show an equivalent voltage-dependent Ba2+ block and possess a similar ion selectivity. In addition, we used the polymerase chain reaction to demonstrate the presence of SK2 mRNA in Jurkat T cells, whereas SK3 transcripts encoding the other cloned apamin-sensitive SK channel were not detected. These data suggest that the voltage-independent apamin-sensitive K(Ca) channel in Jurkat T cells represents the recently cloned SK2 channel. Copyright (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)196-202
Number of pages7
JournalFEBS Letters
Volume469
Issue number2-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 10 2000

Keywords

  • Apamin
  • Jurkat T lymphocyte
  • K(Ca) channel gene
  • Molecular biology
  • Patch-clamp technique
  • Small conductance Ca-activated K channel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Structural Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

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