New windows on the mechanism of action of K-ATP channel openers

K-ATP channel openers are a diverse group of drugs with a wide range of pot ential therapeutic uses. Their molecular targets, the K-ATP channels, exhib it tissue-specific responses because they possess different types of regula tory sulfonylurea receptor subunits. It is well recognized that complex int eractions occur between K-ATP channel openers and nucleotides, but the clon ing of the K-ATP channel has introduced a new dimension to the study of the se events and has furthered our understanding of the molecular basis of the action of K-ATP channel openers.