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Rat and mouse adrenal medullary chromaffin cells (CCs) express an inactivating BK current. This inactivation is thought to arise from the assembly of up to four β2 auxiliary subunits (encoded by the kcnmb2 gene) with a tetramer of pore-forming Slo1 α subunits. Although the physiological consequences of inactivation remain unclear, differences in depolarization-evoked firing among CCs have been proposed to arise from the ability of β2 subunits to shift the range of BK channel activation. To investigate the role of BK channels containing β2 subunits, we generated mice in which the gene encoding β2 was deleted (β2 knockout [KO]). Comparison of proteins from wild-type (WT) and β2 KO mice allowed unambiguous demonstration of the presence of β2 subunit in various tissues and its coassembly with the Slo1 α subunit. We compared current properties and cell firing properties of WT and β2 KO CCs in slices and found that β2 KO abolished inactivation, slowed action potential (AP) repolarization, and, during constant current injection, decreased AP firing. These results support the idea that the β2-mediated shift of the BK channel activation range affects repetitive firing and AP properties. Unexpectedly, CCs from β2 KO mice show an increased tendency toward spontaneous burst firing, suggesting that the particular properties of BK channels in the absence of β2 subunits may predispose to burst firing.
Pubmed ID: 25267913
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A national mouse monoclonal antibody generating resource for biochemical and immunohistochemical applications in mammalian brain. NeuroMabs are generated from mice immunized with synthetic and recombinant immunogens corresponding to components of the neuronal proteome as predicted from genomic and other large-scale cloning efforts. Comprehensive biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses of human, primate and non-primate mammalian brain are incorporated into the initial NeuroMab screening procedure. This yields a subset of mouse mAbs that are optimized for use in brain (i.e. NeuroMabs): for immunocytochemical-based imaging studies of protein localization in adult, developing and pathological brain samples, for biochemical analyses of subunit composition and post-translational modifications of native brain proteins, and for proteomic analyses of native brain protein networks. The NeuroMab facility was initially funded with a five-year U24 cooperative grant from NINDS and NIMH. The initial goal of the facility for this funding period is to generate a library of novel NeuroMabs against neuronal proteins, initially focusing on membrane proteins (receptors/channels/transporters), synaptic proteins, other neuronal signaling molecules, and proteins with established links to disease states. The scope of the facility was expanded with supplements from the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research to include neurodevelopmental targets, the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research to include epigenetics targets, and NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research to include rare disease targets. These NeuroMabs will then be produced on a large scale and made available to the neuroscience research community on an inexpensive basis as tissue culture supernatants or purified immunoglobulin by Antibodies Inc. The UC Davis/NIH NeuroMab Facility makes NeuroMabs available directly to end users and is unable to accommodate sales to distributors for third party distribution. Note, NeuroMab antibodies are now offered through antibodiesinc.
View all literature mentionsCommercial organization which provides life science services and products to researchers. They specialize in gene synthesis, peptide, protein, antibody and preclinical drug development service.
View all literature mentionsMus musculus with name C57BL/6J from IMSR.
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