Korean J Parasitol.  2021 Aug;59(4):329-339. 10.3347/kjp.2021.59.4.329.

Electrophysiological Properties of Ion Channels in Ascaris suum Tissue Incorporated into Planar Lipid Bilayers

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
  • 2Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 35015, Korea
  • 3Department of Medical Environmental Biology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Korea
  • 4Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Korea
  • 5ChemOn Inc., Yongin 17162, Korea

Abstract

Ion channels are important targets of anthelmintic agents. In this study, we identified 3 types of ion channels in Ascaris suum tissue incorporated into planar lipid bilayers using an electrophysiological technique. The most frequent channel was a large-conductance cation channel (209 pS), which accounted for 64.5% of channels incorporated (n=60). Its open-state probability (Po) was ~0.3 in the voltage range of –60~+60 mV. A substate was observed at 55% of the main-state. The permeability ratio of Cl- to K+ (PCl/PK) was ~0.5 and PNa/PK was 0.81 in both states. Another type of cation channel was recorded in 7.5% of channels incorporated (n=7) and discriminated from the large-conductance cation channel by its smaller conductance (55.3 pS). Its Po was low at all voltages tested (~0.1). The third type was an anion channel recorded in 27.9% of channels incorporated (n=26). Its conductance was 39.0 pS and PCl/PK was 8.6±0.8. Po was ~1.0 at all tested potentials. In summary, we identified 2 types of cation and 1 type of anion channels in Ascaris suum. Gating of these channels did not much vary with voltage and their ionic selectivity is rather low. Their molecular nature, functions, and potentials as anthelmintic drug targets remain to be studied further.

Keyword

single channel; cation channel; anion channel; substate; nematode
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