Bone morphogenetic protein-2 upregulates expression and function of voltage-gated K+channels in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Activity of voltage-gated K+(KV) channels in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) plays an important role in control of apoptosis and proliferation in addition to regulating membrane potential and pulmonary vascular tone. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in normal human PASMC, whereas dysfunctional BMP signaling and downregulated KVchannels are involved in pulmonary vascular medial hypertrophy associated with pulmonary hypertension. This study evaluated the effect of BMP-2 on KVchannel function and expression in normal human PASMC. BMP-2 (100 nM for 18–24 h) significantly (>2-fold) upregulated mRNA expression of KCNA5, KCNA7, KCNA10, KCNC3, KCNC4, KCNF1, KCNG3, KCNS1, and KCNS3 but downregulated (at least 2-fold) KCNAB1, KCNA2, KCNG2, and KCNV2. The most dramatic change was the >10-fold downregulation of KCNG2 and KCNV2, two electrically silent γ-subunits that form heterotetramers with functional KVchannel α-subunits (e.g., KCNB1–2). Furthermore, the amplitude and current density of whole cell KVcurrents were significantly increased in PASMC treated with BMP-2. It has been demonstrated that K+currents generated by KCNB1 and KCNG1 (or KCNG2) or KCNB1 and KCNV2 heterotetramers are smaller than those generated by KCNB1 homotetramers, indicating that KCNG2 and KCNV2 (2 subunits that were markedly downregulated by BMP-2) are inhibitors of functional KVchannels. These results suggest that BMP-2 divergently regulates mRNA expression of various KVchannel α-, β-, and γ-subunits and significantly increases whole cell KVcurrents in human PASMC. Finally, we present evidence that attenuation of c-Myc expression by BMP-2 may be involved in BMP-2-mediated increase in KVchannel activity and regulation of KVchannel expression. The increased KVchannel activity may be involved in the proapoptotic and/or antiproliferative effects of BMP-2 on PASMC.

This publication has 98 references indexed in Scilit: