The Journal of Neuroscience, November 15, 1998, 18(22):9153-9162
A Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Modulates
Drosophila Photoreceptor K+ Currents: A Role in
Shaping the Photoreceptor Potential
Asher
Peretz1, 2,
Ilane
Abitbol1,
Alexander
Sobko1,
Chun-Fang
Wu2, and
Bernard
Attali1
1 Neurobiology Department, Weizmann Institute of
Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel, and 2 Department of
Biological Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52442
Light activation of Drosophila photoreceptors leads
to the generation of a depolarizing receptor potential via opening of transient receptor potential and transient receptor
potential-like cationic channels. Counteracting the
light-activated depolarizing current are two voltage-gated
K+ conductances, IA and
IK, that are expressed in these
sensory neurons. Here we show that Drosophila
photoreceptors IA and
IK are regulated by calcium-calmodulin
(Ca2+/calmodulin) via a
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM
kinase), with IK being far more sensitive
than IA. Inhibition of
Ca2+/calmodulin by N-(6
aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide or trifluoperazine
markedly reduced the K+ current amplitudes.
Likewise, inhibition of CaM kinases by KN-93 potently depressed
IK and accelerated its C-type inactivation kinetics. The effect of KN-93 was specific because its structurally related but functionally inactive analog KN-92 was totally ineffective. In Drosophila photoreceptor mutant
ShKS133, which allows isolation of
IK, we demonstrate by current-clamp recording that inhibition of IK by quinidine
or tetraethylammonium increased the amplitude of the photoreceptor
potential, depressed light adaptation, and slowed down the termination
of the light response. Similar results were obtained when CaM kinases
were blocked by KN-93. These findings place photoreceptor
K+ channels as an additional target for
Ca2+/calmodulin and suggest that
IK is well suited to act in concert with
other components of the signaling machinery to sharpen light response
termination and fine tune photoreceptor sensitivity during light adaptation.
Key words:
potassium channels; phototransduction; calmodulin; light
adaptation; photoreceptor; CaM kinase; Drosophila
Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/98/18229153-10$05.00/0