Distribution of the voltage-gated delayed-rectifier K+ subunits, Kv1.1 and Kv1.2, in the adult murine enteric nervous system

The voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels, forming the largest family of K+ channels, are tetrameric transmembrane channels specific for potassium and sensitive to voltage changes in the cell???s membrane potential. They regulate cell membrane potential and excitability in neurons and other cell types [1]. Electrophysiological studies of enteric neurons and glial cells in isolated myenteric ganglia of the guinea-pig small intestine, have shown that these cells display several types of voltage-sensitive ion channels, including voltage-gated delayed-rectifier K+ channels [2]. A pharmacological study in the guinea-pig has revealed that Kv1.1 subunits are expressed in the enteric nervous system (ENS) [3], while a morphological and functional study reported on the presence of Kv1.1 in enteric neurons and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in gastrointestinal tissues of the dog, guinea-pig and mouse [4]. In dog, using Northern blot analysis, Kv1.2 subunit expression has been found to be restricted to gastrointestinal smooth muscle [5], while in rabbit, using immunoprecipitation, Kv1.2 subunits were found to be expressed in colonic epithelium [6]. Due to the lack of detailed data concerning Kv channels in enteric glia and the entangled results concerning Kv subunit distribution in the gastrointestinal wall, we aimed to elucidate the expression of voltage-gated delayed rectifier K+ channels in the murine gastrointestinal wall with immunocytochemical techniques and confocal microscopy. Distribution of the voltage-gated delayed-rectifier ... http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-540...