Properties of the K+ inward rectifier in the plasma membrane of xylem parenchyma cells from barley roots: effects of TEA+, Ca2+, Ba2+ and La3+.

Xylem parenchyma cells are situated around the (apoplastic) xylem vessels and are involved in the control of the composition of the xylem sap by exporting and resorbing solutes. We investigated properties of the K+ inward rectifier in the plasma membrane of these cells by performing patch clamp experiments on protoplasts in the whole-cell configuration. Inward currents were sensitive to the K+ channel blocker TEA+ at a high concentration (20 mM). Barium, another "classical" K+ channel blocker, inhibited K+ currents with a Ki of about 1.3 mM. In contrast to guard cells, the cytosolic Ca2+ level proved to be ineffective in regulating the K+ conductance at hyperpolarization. External Ca2+ blocked currents weakly in a voltage-dependent manner. From instantaneous current-voltage curves, we identified a binding site in the channel pore with an electrical distance of about 0.2 to 0.5. Lanthanum ions reduced the inward current in a voltage-dependent manner and simultaneously displaced the voltage at which half of the channels are in the open state to more positive values. This finding was interpreted as resulting from a sum of two molecular effects, an interaction with the mouth of the channel that causes a reduction of current, and a binding to the voltage sensor, leading to a shielding of surface charges and, subsequently, a modulation of channel gating. A comparison between the K+ inward rectifier in xylem parenchyma cells, guard cells and KAT1 from Arabidopsis leads to the conclusion that these rectifiers form subtypes within one class of ion channels. The ineffectiveness of Ca2+ to control K+ influx in xylem parenchyma cells is interpreted in physiological terms.