Reinterpretation of the RACTK1 K+ channel

The RACTK1 cDNA cloned from rabbit kidney cortical collecting duct cells was associated with inwardly rectifying pH-regulated K+ channel activity (M. Suzuki, K. Takahashi, M. [keda, H Hayakawa, A. Ogawa, Y. Kawaguchi, and O. Sakai. Nature Lond. 367: 642-645, 1994). The deduced amino acid sequence of the encoded novel polypeptide lacked the signature sequence of a K(+)-selective pore region but predicted a topography suggestive of the inward rectifier K+ channel family. In subsequent articles a RACTK1 epitope was immunolocalized to the apical surface of kidney collecting duct and to arteriolar smooth muscle [M. Suzuki, T. Takigawa, K. Kimura, C. Koseki, and M. Imai. Am. J. Physiol. 269 (Cell Physiol, 38): C496-C503, 1995], and apamin-sensitive K+ currents displaying Ca(2+)-dependent and voltage-independent activation accompanied stable heterologous overexpression of RACTK1 [M. Suzuki, M. Murata, M. Ikeda, T. Miyoshi, and M. Imai. Am. J. Physiol. 270 (Cell Physiol, 39): C964-C968, 1996]. We now report that the "RACTK1" open reading frame is a frame-shifted translation of the antisense strand of an Escherichia coli gene member of a coenzyme A transferase gene family. "RACTK1" mRNA was absent from tissues free of E. coli contamination, and the "RACTK1" gene was undetectable in Southern blots of human and rabbit genomic DNA. We conclude that the immunostaining patterns and Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel activity heretofore attributed to RACTK1 must be otherwise explained.