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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Methods for the Isolation, Culture, and Functional Characterization of Sinoatrial Node Myocytes from Adult Mice
Published on: October 23, 2016
Myristoylated peptides potentiate the funny current (I(f)) in sinoatrial myocytes
Zhandi Liao1, Joshua R St Clair, Eric D Larson
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Abstract:
The funny current, I(f), in sinoatrial myocytes is thought to contribute to the sympathetic fight-or-flight increase in heart rate. I(f) is produced by hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide sensitive-4 (HCN4) channels, and it is widely believed that sympathetic regulation of I(f) occurs via direct binding of cAMP to HCN4, independent of phosphorylation. However, we have recently shown that Protein Kinase A (PKA) activity is required for sympathetic regulation of I(f) and that PKA can directly phosphorylate HCN4. In the present study, we examined the effects of a myristoylated PKA inhibitory peptide (myr-PKI) on I(f) in mouse sinoatrial myocytes. We found that myr-PKI and another myristoylated peptide potently and specifically potentiated I(f) via a mechanism that did not involve PKA inhibition and that was independent of the peptide sequence, Protein Kinase C, or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate. The off-target activation of I(f) by myristoylated peptides limits their usefulness for studies of pacemaker mechanisms in sinoatrial myocytes.
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