Abstract
Sensory cells of the chicken cochlea exhibit different ion channels relative to their position along the epithelium. One of these channels conducts an A-type potassium current which is found primarily in `short' hair cells. Here, we report the first full length cloning and developmental expression of Shaker genes from this endorgan. Clones were obtained by screening a chicken ( Gallus gallus) cochlea cDNA library, using probes made from RHK1 (i.e., Kvα1.4) cDNA, a Shaker homologue isolated from rat heart, and hKvβ1.2 cDNA, a β homologue isolated from human heart. Sequence analysis revealed a chick homologue of Kvα1.4, with a deduced amino acid similarity of 76–79% to mammalian Kvα1.4, and a chick homologue of Kvβ1.1, with a similarity of 95% to mammalian Kvβ1.1. In addition, we isolated a variant of cKvα1.4 (cKvα1.4 (m)) that differs in its untranslated regions and shows complete similarity in its coding region, except for the deletion of a single nucleotide. During development of the inner ear, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) studies show that the β-subunit is expressed as early as embryonic day 3, whereas α- and β-subunits are coexpressed on embryonic days 7 to 10, 14, and in adult.
Published Version
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