Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir2.1 , Kv11.1

Title: Long-term exposure to retinoic acid induces the expression of IRK1 channels in HERG channel-endowed neuroblastoma cells.

Authors: A Arcangeli, B Rosati, A Cherubini, O Crociani, L Fontana, B Passani, E Wanke, M Olivotto

Journal, date & volume: Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1998 Mar 27 , 244, 706-11

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9535729

Abstract
The modulation of inward K+ conductances was studied during neuronal differentiation of human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Under standard culture conditions, these cells express the herg gene, and the HERG current is the main inward K+ current regulating their Vrest. After 10-20 days exposure to Retinoic Acid (RA), SH-SY5Y cells showed, in addition to HERG currents, a novel current characterized by inward rectification, dependence on the extracellular K+ concentration, and blockade by Cs+ and Ba2+, the main features of the IRK1 current. The appearance of this current is accompanied by a strong hyperpolarisation of Vrest. RT-PCR experiments confirmed that a transcript of the IRK1 (Kir 2.1) gene actually appears in SH-SY5Y cells treated for 10-20 days with RA. On the whole, data here presented demonstrate that RA-induced neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells is accompanied by the switch from a HERG-driven to a IRK1-driven control of Vrest, similarly to what happens in normal differentiating neurons; however, in tumor cells, this switch does not imply the abolition of HERG channel expression.