Sr. Ikeda et Sj. Korn, INFLUENCE OF PERMEATING IONS ON POTASSIUM CHANNEL BLOCK BY EXTERNAL TETRAETHYLAMMONIUM, Journal of physiology, 486(2), 1995, pp. 267-272
1. Block by external tetraethylammonium (TEA) was examined on currents
carried by potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) through the cloned delayed
rectifier K+ channel Kv2.1. 2. In the presence of high intracellular
K+ and high extracellular Na+, currents through the Kv2.1. channel wer
e carried almost exclusively by K+. In the absence of both intracellul
ar and extracellular K+, large currents were carried by Na+ through th
e Kv2.1 channel. 3. External application of 30 mM TEA blocked K+ curre
nts through Kv2.1. by 87%. The same external concentration of TEA had
no effect on Na+ currents through this channel. 4. As the K+ concentra
tion was increased between 0 and 140 mM, the percentage of current blo
cked by TEA progressively increased from 0 to 87%. 5. These data indic
ate that block of K+ channels by external TEE depends on the permeatin
g ion. Furthermore, these data indicate that in the presence of Na+ an
d absence of K+, TEA does not bind to the channel, and that addition o
f low concentrations of K+ facilitates TEA binding.