Action potentials (APs) are the functional units of fast electrical signaling in excitable cells. The upstroke and downstroke of an AP is generated by the competing and asynchronous action of Na⁺- and K⁺-selective voltage-gated conductances. Although a mixture of voltage-gated channels has been long recognized to contribute to the generation and temporal characteristics of the AP, understanding how each of these proteins function and are regulated during electrical signaling remains the subject of intense research. AP properties vary among different cellular types because of the expression diversity, subcellular location, and modulation of ion channels. These complexities, in addition to the functional coupling of these proteins by membrane potential, make it challenging to understand the roles of different channels in initiating and “temporally shaping” the AP. Here, to address this problem, we focus our efforts on finding conditions that allow reliable AP recordings from Xenopus laevis oocytes coexpressing Na⁺ and K⁺ channels. As a proof of principle, we show how the expression of a variety of K⁺ channel subtypes can modulate excitability in this minimal model system. This approach raises the prospect of studies on the modulation of APs by pharmacological or biological means with a controlled background of Na⁺ and K⁺ channel expression.

The anticonvulsant Retigabine is a K_V7 channel agonist used to treat hyperexcitability disorders in humans. Retigabine shifts the voltage dependence for activation of the heteromeric K_V7.2/K_V7.3 channel to more negative potentials, thus facilitating activation. Although the molecular mechanism underlying Retigabine’s action remains unknown, previous studies have identified the pore region of K_V7 channels as the drug’s target. This suggested that the Retigabine-induced shift in voltage dependence likely derives from the stabilization of the pore domain in an open (conducting) conformation. Testing this idea, we show that the heteromeric K_V7.2/K_V7.3 channel has at least two open states, which we named O₁ and O₂, with O₂ being more stable. The O₁ state was reached after short membrane depolarizations, whereas O₂ was reached after prolonged depolarization or during steady state at the typical neuronal resting potentials. We also found that activation and deactivation seem to follow distinct pathways, suggesting that the K_V7.2/K_V7.3 channel activity displays hysteresis. As for the action of Retigabine, we discovered that this agonist discriminates between open states, preferentially acting on the O₂ state and further stabilizing it. Based on these findings, we proposed a novel mechanism for the therapeutic effect of Retigabine whereby this drug reduces excitability by enhancing the resting potential open state stability of K_V7.2/K_V7.3 channels. To address this hypothesis, we used a model for action potential (AP) in Xenopus laevis oocytes and found that the resting membrane potential became more negative as a function of Retigabine concentration, whereas the threshold potential for AP firing remained unaltered.