Microtransplantation of foreign tissue into the membranes of Xenopus oocytes is an established tool to examine the function of native receptors. Microtransplanted tissue can originate from a variety of sources and posses receptors in their native configuration. In these experiments, we microtransplanted rat brain tissue into oocyte membranes and identified a complex outward current, which was specific to microtransplanted oocytes. The outward current was partially blocked by tetrodotoxin, w-conotoxin MVIIC, and TEA; indicating the presence multiple voltage-sensitive ion channels. The outward current was eliminated by KB-R7943 (sodium/calcium exchange inhibitor) or niflumic acid (a Ca2+-activated chloride channel blocker), leaving a TTX-sensitive inward current that was carried by Na+. TTX-sensitive inward current remaining in the presence of niflumic acid resembled that recorded from oocytes heterologously expressing voltage-sensitive sodium channels and was modified by DDT. These results indicate that this method is amenable to studying environmental contaminants that target mammalian neuronal ion channels.

Functional expression of native ion channels expressed in rat brain tissue microtransplanted into <i>Xenopus</i> <i>laevis</i> oocytes and characterization of TTX-sensitive inward current

248th National Meeting (2014)

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Functional expression of native ion channels expressed in rat brain tissue microtransplanted into Xenopus laevis oocytes and characterization of TTX-sensitive inward current