Voltage- and calcium-activated potassium currents in mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma hybrid cells

1. Membrane currents were recorded from voltage-clamped, microelectrode-impaled cells of the NG108-15 mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma clonal cell line, differentiated with prostaglandin E1. 2. A slow outward tail current reversing at post-pulse potentials between -80 and -90 mV was evoked by depolarizing pre-pulses to near 0 mV. The tail current was inhibited by Cd2+ ions (0.2-1 mM) and hence attributed to activation of a Ca2+-dependent K+ current by a priming voltage-activated Ca2+ current. 3. Two components to this tail current could be distinguished pharmacologically: an early (less than or equal to 50 ms) component inhibited by 1-5 mM-tetraethylammonium (TEA), and a late component lasting several hundred milliseconds inhibited by apamin (0.1-0.4 microM) or d-tubocurarine (0.1-0.5 mM). 4. Ionophoretic injection of Ca2+ ions evoked a transient outward current with an apparent reversal potential (from ramped current-voltage curves) of -70 mV. This current was succeeded or sometimes replaced by an inward current with an apparent reversal potential between -20 and -10 mV. 5. The outward current induced by Ca2+ injections was unaffected or partly inhibited by TEA (1-5 mM), but was strongly inhibited by apamin or d-tubocurarine. 6. Hyperpolarizing voltage steps from between -30 and -40 mV induced inward current relaxations reversing at between -80 and -90 mV. These were considered to result from deactivation of the voltage-dependent sustained K+ current, IM. 7. Application of methacholine, muscarine or Ba2+ ions produced an inward current, reduced input conductance and reduced IM deactivation relaxations. 8. It is concluded that differentiated NG108-15 cells possess several of the K+ currents present in sympathetic neurones, including a delayed rectifier current, two species of Ca2+-activated K+ current and the M-current.