Intracellular signalling involved in activation of the volume-sensitive K+ current in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells

The cell swelling-activated K+ channel in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells has a conductance of 5 pS estimated from noise analysis of the volume-sensitive whole-cell K+ current (I-K,I-vol). I-K,I-vol exhibits Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz type behaviour and is insensitive to clotrimazole, apamin and charybdotoxin (ChTX), but inhibited by clofilium. Its small conductance, lack of intrinsic voltage-dependence and peculiar pharmacological profile are similar to properties described for the two-pore domain background K+ TASK channels. Neither Ca2+ nor ATP work as initiators in the activation of I-K,I-vol. In contrast, several investigations in Ehrlich cells suggest an important role for leukotriene D-4 (LTD4) in the activation of I-K,I-vol. Under isotonic conditions, LTD4 activates Ca2+-dependent, ChTX-sensitive K+ channels as well as Ca2+-independent, ChTX-insensitive K+ channels. The LTD4-activated, ChTX-insensitive K+ current exhibits a current-voltage relation, pharmacological profile and single channel conductance similar to that of I-K,I-vol, indicating that LTD4 is the signalling molecule responsible for activation of the volume-sensitive K+ channels in Ehrlich cells. Hypotonic swelling of Ehrlich cells results in translocation of the 85-kDa cytosolic (c) PLA(2)alpha to the nucleus where it is activated. This activation leads to an increase in arachidonic acid release followed by an increased release of leukotrienes, and is essential in cell swelling-induced activation of I-K,I-vol and of the organic osmolyte channels. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.