K' Channel by Protein Kinase C

The transient outward current (ITO) is an important repolarizing component of the cardiac action potential. In native cardiac myocytes, ITO is modulated after activation of protein kinase C, although the molecular nature of this effect is not well understood. A channel recently cloned from human ventricular myocardium (KvL.4, HK1) produces a rapidly inactivating K' current, which has phenotypic similarities to the 4-aminopyridine-sensitive component of ITOTherefore, we examined whether this recombinant channel was also modulated by protein kinase C activation by investigating the effects of the diacylglycerol analogue phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) on Kvl.4 K' current expressed in Xenopus oocytes. At a concentration of 10 nmol/L, PMA caused a biphasic response with an initial increase (14+4%, mean+SEM) in current, which peaked in 14 minutes. This was followed by a significant reduction (40+11%) in the current within 30 minutes. There was no significant change in cell membrane electrical capacitance with 10 nmol/L PMA (1±1% decline in 30 minutes), demonstrating that loss of cell membrane surface area did not explain the reduction in K' current, although cell capacitance did decrease when using a higher concentration of PMA (81 nmol/L). The inactive stereoisomer, 4a-PMA, had no effect on Kvl.4 current, whereas preincubation with the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine or protein kinase C-selective chelerythrine prevented the effects of PMA. When purified from a stably transfected mammalian cell line by using immunoprecipitation, the channel protein was readily phosphorylated in vitro by purified protein kinase C. These results indicate that human Kvl.4-induced current is modulated by protein kinase C activation and suggest a role for direct K' channel phosphorylation as the molecular mechanism of this effect. (Circ Res. 1994;75:999-1005.)