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ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K-ATP channels) couple cell metabolism to electrical activity and are important in the physiology and pathophysiology of many tissues. In pancreatic beta-cells, K-ATP channels link changes in blood glucose concentration to insulin secretion. They are also the target for clinically important drugs such as sulphonylureas, which stimulate secretion, and the K+ channel opener diazoxide, which inhibits insulin release. Metabolic regulation of K-ATP channels is mediated by changes in intracellular ATP and Mg-ADP levels, which inhibit and activate the channel, respectively. The beta-cell K-ATP channel is a complex of two proteins: an inward-rectifier K+ channel subunit, Kir6.2, and the sulphonylurea receptor, SUR1. We show here that the primary site at which ATP acts to mediate K-ATP channel inhibition is located on Kir6.2, and that SUR1 is required for sensitivity to sulphonylureas and diazoxide and for activation by Mg-ADP.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/387179a0

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nature

Publication Date

08/05/1997

Volume

387

Pages

179 - 183

Keywords

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters, Adenosine Diphosphate, Adenosine Triphosphate, Animals, Binding Sites, Cell Membrane, Diazoxide, Molecular Sequence Data, Oocytes, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Potassium Channels, Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying, Receptors, Drug, Sequence Deletion, Sulfonylurea Compounds, Sulfonylurea Receptors, Tolbutamide, Xenopus