Lymphocyte-specific inducible expression of potassium channel beta subunits

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 77; no. 1; pp. 8 - 16
• Main Authors: Autieri, Michael V, Belkowski, Stanley M, Constantinescu, Cristian S, Cohen, Jeffrey A, Prystowsky, Michael B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.1997
• Subjects: 3T3 Cells; Animals; B subunits; Carotid Arteries - cytology; Cell Cycle - immunology; Cell Division - drug effects; Cell Division - immunology; Cloning, Molecular; Gene Expression - immunology; IL-2; Interleukin-2 - immunology; Ion Channel Gating - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Lymphycyte activation; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mitogens - pharmacology; Molecular Sequence Data; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - cytology; Potassium channels; Potassium Channels - chemistry; Potassium Channels - genetics; Potassium Channels - immunology; Rats; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Spleen - cytology; T-cells; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - chemistry; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - cytology; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - immunology; T-cells; Lymphycyte activation; B subunits; IL-2; Potassium channels
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-5728(97)00050-7

Many studies have shown that voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel activity is essential for T-lymphocyte proliferation. The IL-2-inducible neuroimmune gene, I2rf5 is the mouse homologue of the rat Kv β2 subunit. In this study we show that in addition to constitutive expression in adult murine brain, expression of Kv channel subunits β1.1 and β2.1 is inducible in a cloned T-helper cell line stimulated with IL-2 and in normal murine splenocytes stimulated with Con A or LPS. This expression pattern appears to be lymphocyte specific, because stimulated fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells do not express Kv β channel subunit mRNA. These observations suggest that Kv β subunit expression is tissue specific and inducible in stimulated lymphocytes. Because Kv β subunits modulate K + channel activity, the inducible and variable expression of these subunits in lymphocytes may represent an additional regulatory mechanism for lymphocyte proliferation.