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Ageing causes cytoplasmic retention of MaxiK channels in rat corporal smooth muscle cells

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 19, pages 371–377 (2007)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 03 July 2007

Abstract

The MaxiK channel plays a critical role in the regulation of corporal smooth muscle tone and thereby erectile function. Given that ageing results in a decline in erectile function, we determined changes in the expression of MaxiK, which might impact erectile function. Quantitative-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that although there is no significant change in transcription of the α- and β-subunits that comprise the MaxiK channel, there are significant changes in the expression of transcripts encoding different splice variants. One transcript, SV1, is 13-fold increased in expression in the ageing rat corpora. SV1 has previously been reported to trap other isoforms of the MaxiK channel in the cytoplasm. Correlating with increased expression of SV1, we observed in older rats there is approximately a 13-fold decrease in MaxiK protein in the corpora cell membrane and a greater proportion is retained in the cytoplasm (approximately threefold). These experiments demonstrate that ageing of the corpora is accompanied by changes in alternative splicing and cellular localization of the MaxiK channel.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants P01-DK060037, R21- DK70229 (awarded to MR Chance) and K01-DK67270 (awarded to KP Davies) from the NIH, NIDDK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA

    K P Davies, Y Stanevsky, T Moses & A Melman

  2. Case Center for Proteomics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    J S Chang & M R Chance

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  1. K P Davies
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  2. Y Stanevsky
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  3. T Moses
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  4. J S Chang
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Correspondence to K P Davies.

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Davies, K., Stanevsky, Y., Moses, T. et al. Ageing causes cytoplasmic retention of MaxiK channels in rat corporal smooth muscle cells. Int J Impot Res 19, 371–377 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901541

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