CONTROL OF K+ CHANNELS BY G-PROTEINS

Heterotrimeric G3 proteins are thought to couple receptors to ionic channels via cytoplasmic mediators such as cGMP in the case of retinal rods, cAMP in the case of olfactory cells, and the cAMP cascade in the case of cardiac myocytes. G protein-mediated second messenger effects on K+ channels are dealt with elsewhere in this series. Recently, membrane-delimited pathways have been uncovered and an hypothesis proposed in which the alpha-subunits of G proteins directly couple receptors to ionic channels, particularly K+ channels. While direct coupling has not been proven, the membrane-delimited nature has been established for specific G proteins and their specific K+ channel effectors.