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L-alanine evokes opening of single Ca2+-activated K+ channels in rat liver cells

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Abstract

Cellular uptake of neutral amino acids via Na+ cotransporters is known to be associated with an increased membrane K+ conductance mediated by an unknown mechanism that is essential for avoiding excessive cell swelling. We now demonstrate by patch-clamp single-channel current recording that exposure of rat liver cells to L-alanine, but not the poorly transported D-stereoisomer, evokes opening of single K+ channels and that this effect is reversible upon removal of the amino acid. The nature of the conductance pathways opened in the intact cell by L-alanine has been investigated in cell-free excised membrane patches where it can be shown that the K+-selective channels are opened by Ca2+ acting from the inside of the membrane at a concentration as low as 0.1 μM.

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  1. Christine E. Bear

    Present address: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive N.W., T2N 4N1, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. M.R.C. Secretory Control Group, Department of Physiology, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, L69 3BX, Liverpool, UK

    Christine E. Bear & Ole H. Petersen

Authors
  1. Christine E. Bear
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  2. Ole H. Petersen
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Bear, C.E., Petersen, O.H. L-alanine evokes opening of single Ca2+-activated K+ channels in rat liver cells. Pflugers Arch. 410, 342–344 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00580288

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00580288

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