P. Subramony et al., POSTTRANSLATIONAL REGULATION OF CA2-ACTIVATED K+ CURRENTS BY A TARGET-DERIVED FACTOR IN DEVELOPING PARASYMPATHETIC NEURONS(), Neuron, 17(1), 1996, pp. 115-124
Macroscopic /(K[Ca) is not expressed at normal levels in chick ciliary
ganglion (CG) neurons prior to synapse formation with target tissues,
or in neurons developing in vitro or in situ in the absence of target
tissues. Here, two chick CG s/o partial cDNAs encoding /(K[Ca) channe
ls were isolated, cloned, and sequenced. Both s/o transcripts were rea
dily detected in developing Co neurons prior to or in the absence of t
arget tissue interactions. When Co neurons developed in vitro in the p
resence of target tissue (iris) extracts, a normal whole-cell /(K[Ca)
was expressed. These effects did not require protein synthesis, and th
e activity was detectable throughout the stages of synapse formation i
n the iris. The active component has an apparent molecular weight of 4
0-60 kDa.