Volume-Dependent Atp-Conductive Large-Conductance Anion Channel as a Pathway for Swelling-Induced Atp Release

In mouse mammary C127i cells, during whole-cell clamp, osmotic cell swelling activated an anion channel current, when the phloretin-sensitive, volume-activated outwardly rectifying Cl⁻ channel was eliminated. This current exhibited time-dependent inactivation at positive and negative voltages greater than around ±25 mV. The whole-cell current was selective for anions and sensitive to Gd³+. In on-cell patches, single-channel events appeared with a lag period of ∼15 min after a hypotonic challenge. Under isotonic conditions, cell-attached patches were silent, but patch excision led to activation of currents that consisted of multiple large-conductance unitary steps. The current displayed voltage- and time-dependent inactivation similar to that of whole-cell current. Voltage-dependent activation profile was bell-shaped with the maximum open probability at −20 to 0 mV. The channel in inside-out patches had the unitary conductance of ∼400 pS, a linear current-voltage relationship, and anion selectivity. The outward (but not inward) single-channel conductance was suppressed by extracellular ATP with an IC₅₀ of 12.3 mM and an electric distance (δ) of 0.47, whereas the inward (but not outward) conductance was inhibited by intracellular ATP with an IC₅₀ of 12.9 mM and δ of 0.40. Despite the open channel block by ATP, the channel was ATP-conductive with P_ATP/P_Cl of 0.09. The single-channel activity was sensitive to Gd³+, SITS, and NPPB, but insensitive to phloretin, niflumic acid, and glibenclamide. The same pharmacological pattern was found in swelling-induced ATP release. Thus, it is concluded that the volume- and voltage-dependent ATP-conductive large-conductance anion channel serves as a conductive pathway for the swelling-induced ATP release in C127i cells.