Increased large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channel expression accompanied by STREX variant downregulation in the developing mouse CNS

Abstract

Background: Large conductance calcium- and voltage activated potassium (BK) channels are important determinants of neuronal excitability through effects on action potential duration, frequency and synaptic efficacy. The pore- forming subunits are encoded by a single gene, KCNMA1, which undergoes extensive alternative pre mRNA splicing. Different splice variants can confer distinct properties on BK channels. For example, insertion of the 58 amino acid stress-regulated exon (STREX) insert, that is conserved throughout vertebrate evolution, encodes channels with distinct calcium sensitivity and regulation by diverse signalling pathways compared to the insertless (ZERO) variant. Thus, expression of distinct splice variants may allow cells to differentially shape their electrical properties during development. However, whether differential splicing of BK channel variants occurs during development of the mammalian CNS has not been examined.

Results: Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) Taqmantrade mark assays, we demonstrate that total BK channel transcripts are up regulated throughout the murine CNS during embryonic and postnatal development with regional variation in transcript levels. This upregulation is associated with a decrease in STREX variant mRNA expression and an upregulation in ZERO variant expression.

Conclusion: As BK channel splice variants encode channels with distinct functional properties the switch in splicing from the STREX phenotype to ZERO phenotype during embryonic and postnatal CNS development may provide a mechanism to allow BK channels to control distinct functions at different times of mammalian brain development.

Figure 1

Total BK channel, and splice variant, mRNA expression in different regions of the murine CNS at postnatal day 35 (P35). a) Schematic illustrating location of site of splicing C2 and the STREX insert in the intracellular C-terminus of murine BK channel pore-forming α-subunits. The ZERO variant has no insert at site of splicing C2. b) Total BK channel mRNA expression (grey bars) in different regions of the CNS from 35-day old (P35) mice. Total BK channel mRNA expression is normalised to β-actin in each region and then displayed as a percentage of the expression in entorhinal cortex. Data are Means ± S.E.M, n = 5/tissue region. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, compared to entorhinal cortex, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test with post hoc Dunn's test for multiple comparisons. c) Proportion of ZERO (open bars) and STREX (black bars) mRNA transcripts, expressed as a percentage of total BK channel mRNA transcripts, in different CNS regions from P35 mice. All data are Means ± S.E.M, n = 5/tissue region.

Figure 2

Developmental regulation of total BK channel mRNA expression in tissues from the rhombencephalon, mesencephalon and spinal cord. Total BK channel mRNA levels expressed as a percentage of postnatal day 35, in mouse a) spinal cord, b) midbrain, c) cerebellum, d) pons and e) medulla at embryonic day 13 (E13), 15 (E15), 18 (E18) and postnatal days 7 and 35 (P7 and P35 respectively). All data are Means ± S.E.M, n = 5/tissue region. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, compared to respective P35 data, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test with post hoc Dunn's test for multiple comparisons.

Figure 4

Developmental regulation of STREX and ZERO variant splicing in tissues from the rhombencephalon, mesencephalon and spinal cord. STREX (black bars) and ZERO (open bars) mRNA levels expressed as a percentage of total BK channel transcripts in the respective tissue at each developmental time point. Splice variant expression was analysed in mouse: a) spinal cord, b) midbrain, c) cerebellum, d) pons and e) medulla at embryonic day 13 (E13), 15 (E15), 18 (E18) and postnatal days 7 and 35 (P7 and P35 respectively). All data are Means ± S.E.M, n = 5/tissue region. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, compared to respective splice variant expression at P35, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test with post hoc Dunn's test for multiple comparisons.

Figure 3

Developmental regulation of total BK channel mRNA expression in tissues from the diencephalon and telencephalon. Total BK channel mRNA levels expressed as a percentage of postnatal day 35, in mouse a) thalamus, b) hypothalamus, c) frontal cortex, d) posterior cortex, e) hippocampus, f) olfactory bulb, g) striatum and h) entorhinal cortex at embryonic day 13 (E13), 15 (E15), 18 (E18) and postnatal days 7 and 35 (P7 and P35 respectively). All data are Means ± S.E.M, n = 5/tissue region. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, compared to respective P35 data, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test with post hoc Dunn's test for multiple comparisons.

Figure 5

Developmental regulation of STREX and ZERO variant splicing in tissues from the diencephalon and telencephalon. STREX (black bars) and ZERO (open bars) mRNA levels expressed as a percentage of total BK channel transcripts in the respective tissue at each developmental time point. Splice variant expression was analysed in mouse: a) thalamus, b) hypothalamus, c) frontal cortex, d) posterior cortex, e) hippocampus, f) olfactory bulb, g) striatum and h) entorhinal cortex at embryonic day 13 (E13), 15 (E15), 18 (E18) and postnatal days 7 and 35 (P7 and P35 respectively). All data are Means ± S.E.M, n = 5/tissue region. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, compared to respective splice variant expression at P35, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test with post hoc Dunn's test for multiple comparisons.