A PEPTIDE DERIVED FROM THE SHAKER-B K+ CHANNEL PRODUCES SHORT AND LONG BLOCKS OF RECONSTITUTED CA2+-DEPENDENT K+ CHANNELS

A 20 amino acid synthetic peptide, corresponding to the amino-terminal region of the Shaker B (ShB) K+ channel and responsible for its fast inactivation, can block large conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels from rat brain and muscle. The ShB inactivation peptide produces two kinetically distinct blocking events in these channels. At lower concentrations, it produces short blocks, and at higher concentrations long-lived blocks also appear. The L7E mutant peptide produces only infrequent short blocks (no long-lived blocks) at a much higher concentration. Internal tetraethylammonium competes with the peptide for the short block, which is also relieved by K+ influx. These results suggest that the peptide induces the short block by binding within the pore of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels. The long block is not affected by increased K+ influx, indicating that the binding site mediating this block may be different from that involved in the short block. The short block of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels and the inactivation of Shaker exhibit similar characteristics with respect to blocking affinity and open pore blockade. This suggests a conserved binding region for the peptide in the pore regions of these very different classes of K+ channel.