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The Journal of Neuroscience, October 15, 1999, 19(20):8839-8848
The weaver Mouse gain-of-function
Phenotype of Dopaminergic Midbrain Neurons Is Determined by
Coactivation of wvGirk2 and K-ATP Channels
Birgit
Liss,
Axel
Neu, and
Jochen
Roeper
Medical Research Council, Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit,
Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University and Institute for Neural
Signaltransduction, Center for Molecular Neurobiology 20246, Hamburg,
Germany
The phenotype of substantia nigra (SN) neurons in homozygous
weaver (wv/wv) mice was studied by
combining patch-clamp and single-cell RT-multiplex PCR techniques in
midbrain slices of 14-d-old mice. In contrast to GABAergic SN neurons,
which were unaffected in homozygous weaver mice
(wv/wv), dopaminergic SN neurons possessed a
dramatically altered phenotype with a depolarized membrane potential
and complete loss of spontaneous pacemaker activity. The
gain-of-function phenotype was mediated by a large, nonselective membrane conductance exclusively present in
(wv/wv) dopaminergic SN neurons. This constitutively
activated conductance displayed a sensitivity to external QX-314
(IC50 = 10.6 µM) very similar to that of
heterologously expressed wvGirk2 channels and was not
further activated by G-protein stimulation. Single-cell Girk1-4
expression profiling suggested that homomeric Girk2 channels were
present in most dopaminergic SN neurons, whereas Girk2 was always
coexpressed with other Girk family members in GABAergic SN neurons.
Surprisingly, acute QX-314 inhibition of wvGirk2 channels did not induce wild-type-like pacemaker activity but instead caused membrane hyperpolarization. Additional application of a blocker of
ATP-sensitive potassium channels (100 µM tolbutamide)
induced wild-type-like pacemaker activity. We conclude that the
gain-of-function weaver phenotype of dopaminergic
substantia nigra neurons is mediated by coactivation of
wvGirk2 and SUR1/Kir6.2-mediated ATP-sensitive K+ channels. We also show that in contrast to
wild-type neurons, all (wv/wv) dopaminergic SN neurons
expressed calbindin, a calcium-binding protein that marks dopaminergic
SN neurons resistant to neurodegeneration. The identification of two
ion channels that in concert determine the weaver
phenotype of surviving calbindin-positive dopaminergic SN neurons will
help to understand the molecular mechanisms of selective
neurodegeneration of dopaminergic SN neurons in the weaver mouse and might be important in Parkinson's disease.
Key words:
weaver; dopamine; substantia nigra; Girk2; K-ATP channel; single-cell RT-PCR; neurodegeneration; Parkinson's
disease
Copyright © 1999 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/99/19208839-10$05.00/0
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