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Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Recording of Inward Rectifying K+ Currents in Freshly Isolated Basilar Artery Smooth Muscle Cells by Patch Clamp Technique
Published on: February 7, 2025
Purinergic activation of a leak potassium current in freshly dissociated myocytes from mouse thoracic aorta
1Department of Zoology and Animal Biology, University of Geneva, Sciences III, Geneva, Switzerland.
Aim:
Exogenous ATP elicits a delayed calcium-independent K(+) current on freshly isolated mouse thoracic aorta myocytes. We investigated the receptor, the intracellular pathway and the nature of this current.
Methods:
The patch-clamp technique was used to record ATP-elicited delayed K(+) current in freshly dissociated myocytes.
Results:
ATP-elicited delayed K(+) current was not inhibited by a 'cocktail' of K(+) channel blockers (4-AP, TEA, apamin, charybdotoxin, glibenclamide). The amplitude of the delayed K(+) current decreased after the reduction of extracellular pH from 7.4 to 6.5. These two characteristics suggest that this current could be carried by the TASK subfamily of 'twin-pore potassium channels' (K2P). Purinergic agonists including dATP, but not ADP, activated the delayed K(+) current, indicating that P2Y(11) is the likely receptor involved in its activation. The PKC activator phorbol ester 12,13-didecanoate stimulated this current. In addition, the PKC inhibitor Gö 6850 partially inhibited it. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that the genes encoding TASK-1 and TASK-2 are expressed.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that blocker cocktail-insensitive delayed K(+) current in freshly dissociated aortic myocytes is probably carried by the TASK subfamily of twin-pore channels.
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