Control of Alternative Splicing of Potassium Channels by Stress Hormones

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 280; no. 5362; pp. 443 - 446
• Main Authors: Xie, Jiuyong, McCobb, David P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 17.04.1998; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: ACTH; Adrenal Medulla - metabolism; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - metabolism; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - pharmacology; Alternative Splicing; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chromaffin cells; Chromaffin Cells - metabolism; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - blood; Corticosterone - metabolism; Corticotropin; Dexamethasone - pharmacology; Epinephrine - metabolism; Exons; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Hormones; Hormones and neuropeptides. Regulation; Hypophysectomy; Hypothalamus. Hypophysis. Epiphysis. Urophysis; Large conductance calcium activated potassium channels; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; Male; Messenger RNA; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecules; Oocytes; Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase - genetics; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Potassium; Potassium Channels - genetics; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Rodents; Surgery; Transcripts (Written Records); Vertebrates: endocrinology; Xenopus; Alternative splicing; Rat; Peptide hormone; Rodentia; ACTH; Electrophysiology; Ionic channel; Gene expression; Stress; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Gene; Hormonal regulation; Hypophysectomy; Potassium
• DOI: 10.1126/science.280.5362.443
• ISSN: 0036-8075

Many molecular mechanisms for neural adaptation to stress remain unknown. Expression of alternative splice variants of Slo, a gene encoding calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channels, was measured in rat adrenal chromaffin tissue from normal and hypophysectomized animals. Hypophysectomy triggered an abrupt decrease in the proportion of Slo transcripts containing a "STREX" exon. The decrease was prevented by adrenocorticotropic hormone injections. In Xenopus oocytes, STREX variants produced channels with functional properties associated with enhanced repetitive firing. Thus, the hormonal stress axis is likely to control the excitable properties of epinephrine-secreting cells by regulating alternative splicing of Slo messenger RNA.