Work

Apoptotic proteins Reaper and Grim induce stable inactivation in voltage-gated K + channels

Year: 1998

Type: article

Abstract: Drosophila genes reaper, grim, and head-involution-defective (hid) induce apoptosis in several cellular contexts. N-terminal sequences of these proteins are highly conserved and are similar to N-terminal inactivation domains of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels. Synthetic Reaper and Grim N terminus peptides induced fast inactivation of Shaker-type K+ channels when applied to the cytoplasmic side of the channel that was qualitatively similar to the inactivation produced by other K+ channel inactivation particles. Mutations that reduce the apoptotic activity of Reaper also reduced the synthetic peptide's ability to induce channel inactivation, indicating that K+ channel inactivation correlated with apoptotic activity. Coexpression of Reaper RNA or direct injection of full length Reaper protein caused near irreversible block of the K+ channels. These results suggest that Reaper and Grim may participate in initiating apoptosis by stably blocking K+ channels.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.20.11703

Authors: V. Avdonin, J. Kasuya, M. A. Ciorba, B. Kaplan, T. Hoshi, L. Iverson

Institutions: University of Iowa, Beckman Research Institute

Language: English

Topic: Ion channel regulation and function

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Award: G2655576281