Calcium channels reconstituted from the skeletal muscle dihydropyridine receptor protein complex and its alpha 1 peptide subunit in lipid bilayers.

In the first part of this study, we show that sDHPR and pDHPR preparations reconstituted into lipid bilayers formed on the tips of patch pipettes exhibit two divalent cation-selective conductance levels of 9 and 20 pS, similar in single-channel conductance to VSCC reported in a variety of intact preparations (see Pelzer et al. and Tsien et al. for review). The larger conductance level is similar to the VSCC identified in intact rat t-tubule membranes and described in sDHPR and pDHPR preparations, and shares many properties in common with activity from L-type VSCC. It is sensitive to augmentation by the DHP agonist (+/-)-BAY K 8644 and cAMP-dependent phosphorylation, and to block by the phenylalkylamine (+/-)-D600 and the inorganic blocker CoCl2. Its open-state probability and open times are increased upon depolarization as expected for a voltage-dependent activation process. Upon depolarization beyond the reversal potential, however, open-state probability and open times decline again. A reasonable way to explain the bell-shaped dependence of open times and open-state probability on membrane potential is to assume voltage-dependent ion-pore interactions that produce closing of the channel at strong negative and positive membrane potentials. By contrast, the smaller conductance level may be similar to the 10.6-pS t-tubule VSCC described by Rosenberg et al. and may best be compared with T-type VSCC. It is largely resistant to augmentation by (+/-)-BAY K 8644 and cAMP-dependent phosphorylation or block by (+/-)-D600, but is sensitive to block by CoCl2. Its open times and open-state probability show a sole dependence on membrane potential where depolarization increases both parameters sigmoidally from close to zero up to a saturating level. Both elementary conductance levels do not exhibit significant inactivation over a wide potential range, which may suggest that skeletal muscle VSCC inactivation is either poorly or not voltage-dependent at all. This possibility seems in agreement with bilayer recordings on reconstituted intact t-tubule membranes and voltage-clamp recordings on intact fibers. It supports the idea that the decline of Ca2+ current in intact skeletal muscle fibers may be due to Ca2+ depletion from the t-tubule system and/or to inactivation induced by Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. We consistently observe two conductance levels of 9 and 20 pS, either singly, or together in the same bilayer from solubilized DHPR samples and even highly purified DHPR preparations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)