Extracellular redox sensitivity of Kv1.2 potassium channels

Kv1.2 is a prominent potassium channel subtype in the nervous system and serves as an important structural template for investigation of ion channel function. However, Kv1.2 voltage-dependence exhibits dramatic cell-to-cell variability due to a gating mode shift that is regulated by an unknown mechanism. We report that this variable behavior is regulated by the extracellular redox environment. Exposure to reducing agents promotes a shift in gating properties towards an ‘inhibited’ gating mode that resists opening, and causes channels to exhibit pronounced use-dependent activation during trains of repetitive depolarizations. This sensitivity to extracellular redox potential is absent in other Kv1 channels, but is apparent in heteromeric channels containing Kv1.2 subunits, and overlaps with the reported physiological range of extracellular redox couples. Mutagenesis of candidate cysteine residues fails to abolish redox sensitivity. Therefore, we suggest that an extrinsic, redox-sensitive binding partner imparts these properties.