Differential expression of the inwardly-rectifying K-channel ROMK1 in rat brain.

We have investigated the distribution of the inwardly-rectifying K-channel ROMK1 in rat brain using Northern blotting and in situ hybridization. High levels of expression were found in cortex and hippocampus but not in substantia nigra, ventromedial hypothalamus, cerebellum or striatum. PCR primers generated against ROMK1 amplified a 300 bp cDNA fragment from cortex and hippocampus identical in sequence to ROMK1.