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Updated: May 8, 2026

Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells
Published on: October 1, 2010
Snowflake vitreoretinal degeneration (SVD) mutation R162W provides new insights into Kir7.1 ion channel structure and
Bikash R Pattnaik1, Sara Tokarz, Matti P Asuma
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America ; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America ; McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Abstract:
Snowflake Vitreoretinal Degeneration (SVD) is associated with the R162W mutation of the Kir7.1 inwardly-rectifying potassium channel. Kir7.1 is found at the apical membrane of Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells, adjacent to the photoreceptor neurons. The SVD phenotype ranges from RPE degeneration to an abnormal b-wave to a liquid vitreous. We sought to determine how this mutation alters the structure and function of the human Kir7.1 channel. In this study, we expressed a Kir7.1 construct with the R162W mutation in CHO cells to evaluate function of the ion channel. Compared to the wild-type protein, the mutant protein exhibited a non-functional Kir channel that resulted in depolarization of the resting membrane potential. Upon co-expression with wild-type Kir7.1, R162W mutant showed a reduction of IKir7.1 and positive shift in '0' current potential. Homology modeling based on the structure of a bacterial Kir channel protein suggested that the effect of R162W mutation is a result of loss of hydrogen bonding by the regulatory lipid binding domain of the cytoplasmic structure.
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