MOLECULAR-CLONING OF A MOUSE G-PROTEIN-ACTIVATED K-RNAS IN MOUSE-BRAIN( CHANNEL (MGIRK1) AND DISTINCT DISTRIBUTIONS OF 3 GIRK (GIRK1, GIRK2AND GIRK3) MESSENGER)

We cloned the mouse brain G-protein-activated K+ channel 1 (mGIRK1) cD NA and determined the complete nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the coding region. In in situ hybridization using specific oligonucleo tide probes, the signals for the three mGIRK (mGIRK1, mGIRK2 and mGIRK 3) mRNAs were shown to be distributed widely as well as differently in most brain regions except for the caudate-putamen. Further, at]east o ne, usually several, mGIRK mRNA with variable combinations was observe d in most brain regions. These findings suggested that mGIRK channels may be essential in most brain regions in a signal transduction mediat ed by various G-protein-coupled receptors and that different subunit o rganizations of the mGIRK channel might occur in different neurons, re sulting in diversity of their channel function in vivo. (C) 1995 Acade mic Press, Inc.