M2 muscarinic receptors induce airway smooth muscle activation via a dual, Gβγ-mediated inhibition of large conductance Ca 2+-activated K+ channel activity

Abstract

Airway smooth muscle is richly endowed with muscarinic receptors of the M2 and M3 subtype. Stimulation of these receptors inhibits large conductance calcium-activated K+ (BK) channels, a negative feed back regulator, in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner and thus facilitates contraction. The underlying mechanism, however, is unknown. We therefore studied the activity of bovine trachea BK channels in HEK293 cells expressing the M2 or M3 receptor (M2R or M3R). In M2R- but not M3R-expressing cells, maximal effective concentrations of carbamoylcholine (CCh) inhibited whole cell BK currents by 53%. This M2R-induced inhibition was abolished by pertussis toxin treatment or overexpression of the Gβγ scavenger transducin-α. In inside-out patches, direct application of 300 nM purified Gβγ decreased channel open probability by 55%. The physical interaction of Gβγ with BK channels was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Interestingly, inhibition of phospholipase C as well as protein kinase C activities also reversed the CCh effect but to a smaller (∼20%) extent. Mouse tracheal cells responded similarly to CCh, purified Gβγ and phospholipase C/protein kinase C inhibition as M2R-expressing HEK293 cells. Our results demonstrate that airway M2Rs inhibit BK channels by a dual, Gβγ-mediated mechanism, a direct membrane-delimited interaction, and the activation of the phospholipase C/protein kinase C pathway. © 2008 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.