Biophysical properties of slow potassium channels in human embryonic stem cell derived cardiomyocytes implicate subunit stoichiometry.

Abstract

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are an important cellular model for studying ion channel function in the context of a human cardiac cell and will provide a wealth of information about both heritable arrhythmias and acquired electrophysiological disorders. However, detailed electrophysiological characterization of the important cardiac ion channels has been so far overlooked. Because mutations in the gene for the I(Ks) α subunit, KCNQ1, constitute the majority of long QT syndrome (LQT-1) cases, we have carried out a detailed biophysical analysis of this channel expressed in hESCs to establish baseline I(Ks) channel biophysical properties in cardiac myocytes derived from hESCs (hESC-CMs). I(Ks) channels are heteromultimeric proteins consisting of four identical α-subunits (KCNQ1) assembled with auxiliary β-subunits (KCNE1). We found that the half-maximal I(Ks) activation voltage in hESC-CMs and in myocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stems cells (hiPSC-CMs) falls between that of KCNQ1 channels expressed alone and with full complement of KCNE1, the major KCNE subunit expressed in hESC-CMs as shown by qPCR analysis. Overexpression of KCNE1 by transfection of hESC-CMs markedly shifted and slowed native I(Ks) activation implying assembly of additional KCNE1 subunits with endogenous channels. Our results in hESC-CMs, which indicate an I(Ks) subunit stoichiometry that can be altered by variable KCNE1 expression, suggest the possibility for variable I(Ks) function in the developing heart, in different tissues in the heart, and in disease. This establishes a new baseline for I(Ks) channel properties in myocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells and will guide future studies in patient-specific hiPSCs.

• Authors: Kai Wang, Cecile Terrenoire, Kevin J Sampson, Vivek Iyer, Jeremiah D Osteen, Jonathan Lu, Gordon Keller, Darrell N Kotton, Robert S Kass
• Journal: The Journal of physiology (J Physiol) Vol. 589 Issue Pt 24 Pg. 6093-104 (Dec 15 2011) ISSN: 1469-7793 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22025662 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• KCNE1 protein, human
• KCNQ1 Potassium Channel
• Neurotoxins
• Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated
• Protein Subunits
• Charybdotoxin

Topics

• Action Potentials (physiology)
• Cell Line
• Cells, Cultured
• Charybdotoxin (pharmacology)
• Cytokines (pharmacology)
• Embryonic Stem Cells (cytology)
• Fibroblasts (physiology)
• HEK293 Cells
• Humans
• KCNQ1 Potassium Channel (physiology)
• Myocytes, Cardiac (physiology)
• Neurotoxins (pharmacology)
• Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated (physiology)
• Protein Subunits (physiology)