Ionic permeability on isolated mouse liver nuclei: influence of ATP and Ca2+

Patch-clamp experiments on isolated nuclei revealed the existence of ionic channels on the nuclear envelope, but their exact localization and function are still unknown. Recent studies have demonstrated that ATP and calcium ions play an important role in nucleocytoplasmic protein traffic. ATP is essential to allow big molecules in and out of the nucleus. However, a cytoplasmic rise of calcium ions above 300 nm decreases both ATP-dependent transport and passive diffusion through the nuclear envelope. The use of isolated nuclei placed in a saline solution provides the possibility for testing only the compounds added in the bath or in the recording pipette. In the present study, we show that ATP is responsible for an increase of nuclear ionic permeability on isolated nuclei. This result not only confirms data previously reported in in situ nuclei, but also suggests that ATP is directly involved in the modulation of passive ionic permeability. In these particular experimental conditions, calcium ions decrease the channel current starting from a concentration of 1 microM. The parallelism in the modulation action of ATP and Ca++ between nuclear pores and ionic channels present on the nuclear envelope contributes to the support of the idea that an ionic pathway is associated with the pore complex.