Coupled Ion Movement Underlies Rectification in an Inward-Rectifier K⁺ Channel

We studied block of the internal pore of the ROMK1 inward-rectifier K⁺ channel by Mg²⁺ and five quaternary ammoniums (tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, and tetrapentylammonium). The apparent affinity of these blockers varied as a function of membrane voltage. As a consequence, the channel conducted K⁺ current more efficiently in the inward than the outward direction; i.e., inward rectification. Although the size of some monovalent quaternary ammoniums is rather large, the zδ values (which measure voltage dependence of their binding to the pore) were near unity in symmetric 100 mM K⁺. Furthermore, we observed that not only the apparent affinities of the blockers themselves, but also their dependence on membrane voltage (or zδ), varied as a function of the concentration of extracellular K⁺. These results suggest that there is energetic coupling between the binding of blocking and permeating (K⁺) ions, and that the voltage dependence of channel blockade results, at least in part, from the movement of K⁺ ions in the electrical field. A further quantitative analysis of the results explains why the complex phenomenon of inward rectification depends on both membrane voltage and the equilibrium potential for K⁺.