Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kv10.1

Title: Glutathione-gated K+ channels of Escherichia coli carry out K+ efflux controlled by the redox state of the cell.

Authors: J Meury, A Robin

Journal, date & volume: Arch. Microbiol., 1990 , 154, 475-82

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2256781

Abstract
The kinetics of K+ efflux across the membranes of i) wild-type Escherichia coli poisoned by the thiol reagent N-ethylmaleimide, ii) K+ retention mutants and iii) glutathione-deficient mutants, have revealed a common "K+ leaky phenotype"; it is characterized by a very high rate of K+ efflux. The results suggest that the products of kefB and kefC genes could encode two K+ channels, both gated by glutathione. The possible function of these K+ channels seems to be a K+ exit controlled by the redox state of the cell; indeed, it can be inferred from the effects of several oxidants and reductants that turning on and off of the K+ efflux mediated by the channels can be correlated with the redox state of glutathione.