Abstract
Glucose-dependent periodic electrical activity of membranes of pancreatic islet cells1,2 mediates calcium uptake3,4, which is important for glucose-induced insulin release. As yet there has been no direct evidence identifying the ‘second messenger’ which couples the uptake and metabolism of glucose4 to the change of membrane electrical activity. Recent evidence showing that intracellular acidification stimulates islet B-cell electrical activity in a glucose-like manner has suggested that protons produced metabolically may serve as messengers by blocking K+ channels5 and depolarizing the membrane. Thus protons have been suggested6 to inhibit the Ca2+-activated K+-conductance [GK(Ca)] which is thought5–9 to produce the ‘pacemaker’ current responsible for the rhythmic firing of plateau depolarizations10 and Ca2+ spikes11. Although these conductance channels have been characterized at the single channel level in several tissues12–18, little is known of their response to intracellular pH (ref. 19) and they have not yet been characterized in B-cells. We have, therefore, used the patch-clamp method to study identified rat B-cells and show here that the B-cell GK(Ca) channel is activated by membrane depolarization as well as by cytoplasmic Ca2+, while it is inhibited by acidification of the cytoplasmic membrane surface.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Meissner, H. P. & Schmelz, H. Pflügers Arch. ges. Physiol. 351, 195–206 (1974).
Cook, D. L., Crill, W. E. & Porte, D. Jr Diabetes 30, 558–561 (1981).
Wollheim, C. B. & Sharp, G. W. G. Physiol. Rev. 61, 914–973 (1981).
Malaisse, W. J. & Herchuelz, A. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 307, 562–582 (1978).
Pace, C. S., Tarvin, J. T. & Smith, J. S. Am. J. Physiol. 244, E3–E18 (1983).
Eddlestone, G. T. & Beigelman, P. M. Am. J. Physiol 244, C188–C197 (1983).
Atwater, I., Dawson, C. M., Ribalet, B. & Rojas, E. J. Physiol., Lond. 288, 575–588 (1979).
Ribalet, B. & Beigelman, P. M. Am. J. Physiol. 237, C137–C146 (1979).
Cook, D. L. Fedn Proc. (in the press).
Cook, D. L., Crill, W. E. & Porte, D. Jr Nature 286, 404–406 (1980).
Ribalet, B. and Beigelman, P. M. Am. J. Physiol. 239, C124–C133 (1980).
Barrett, J. N., Magleby, K. L. & Pallotta, B. S. J. Physiol., Lond. 331, 211–230 (1982).
Moczydlowski, E. & Latorre, R. J. gen. Physiol. 82, 511–542 (1983).
Methfessel, C. & Boheim, G. Biophys. Struct. Mechanism 9, 15–60 (1982).
Maruyama, Y., Gallacher, D. V. & Petersen, O. H. Nature 302, 827–829 (1983).
Marty, A. Nature 291, 497–500 (1981).
Wong, B. S., Lecar, H. & Adler, M. Biophys. J. 39, 313–317 (1982).
Maruyama, Y., Petersen, O. H., Flanagan, P. & Pearson, G. T. Nature 305, 228–232 (1983).
Moody, W. Jr A. Rev. Neurosci. 7, 257–278 (1984).
Fujimoto, W. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 162, 241–244 (1979).
Hamill, O. P., Marty, A., Neher, E., Sakmann, B. & Sigworth, F. J. Pflügers Arch. ges. Physiol. 391, 85–100 (1981).
Baskin, D. G., Gorray, K. C. & Fujimoto, W. Y. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 29, 567–571 (1981).
Bers, D. M. Am. J. Physiol. 242, C404–C408 (1982).
Yellen, G. Nature 296, 357–359 (1982).
Ahmed, Z. & Conner, J. A. J. gen. Physiol. 75, 403–426 (1980).
Gorman, A. L. F., Hermann, A. & Thomas, M. V. in Molluscan Nerve Cells: from Biophysics to Behavior (eds Koester, J. & Byrne, J. H.) 169–180 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1980).
Roos, A. & Boron, W. F. Physiol. Rev. 61, 296–434 (1981).
Malaisse, W. J. et al. Diabetologia 16, 331–341 (1979).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cook, D., Ikeuchi, M. & Fujimoto, W. Lowering of pHi inhibits Ca2+-activated K+ channels in pancreatic B-cells. Nature 311, 269–271 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/311269a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/311269a0
This article is cited by
-
BK channels affect glucose homeostasis and cell viability of murine pancreatic beta cells
Diabetologia (2011)
-
Effect of Cytosolic pH on Epithelial Na+ Channel in Normal and Cystic Fibrosis Sweat Ducts
Journal of Membrane Biology (2008)
-
Loperamide mobilizes intracellular Ca2+ stores in insulin‐secreting HIT‐T15 cells
British Journal of Pharmacology (2003)
-
Parallel control of the inward-rectifier K+ channel by cytosolic free Ca2+ and pH inVicia guard cells
Planta (1997)
-
Adrenaline-, not somatostatin-induced hyperpolarization is accompanied by a sustained inhibition of insulin secretion in INS-1 cells. Activation of sulphonylurea KATP+ channels is not involved
Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology (1996)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.