Mapping the functional expression of auxiliary subunits of KCa1.1 in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive glial tumor, where ion channels, including KCa1.1, are candidates for new therapeutic options. Since the auxiliary subunits linked to KCa1.1 in GBM are largely unknown we used electrophysiology combined with pharmacology and gene silencing to address the functional expression of KCa1.1/β subunits complexes in both primary tumor cells and in the glioblastoma cell line U-87 MG. The pattern of the sensitivity (activation/inhibition) of the whole-cell currents to paxilline, lithocholic acid, arachidonic acid, and iberiotoxin; the presence of inactivation of the whole-cell current along with the loss of the outward rectification upon exposure to the reducing agent DTT collectively argue that KCa1.1/β3 complex is expressed in U-87 MG. Similar results were found using human primary glioblastoma cells isolated from patient samples. Silencing the β3 subunit expression inhibited carbachol-induced Ca2+ transients in U-87 MG thereby indicating the role of the KCa1.1/β3 in the Ca2+ signaling of glioblastoma cells. Functional expression of the KCa1.1/β3 complex, on the other hand, lacks cell cycle dependence. We suggest that the KCa1.1/β3 complex may have diagnostic and therapeutic potential in glioblastoma in the future.