Quickly flickering inwardly rectifying K channels in goldfish hair cell membrane.

The kinetics of the quickly flickering inwardly rectifying K channel were studied with the cell-attached patch clamp method in goldfish hair cells. The activity of the channel was very unique in repeating continuously open and closed events at an ultrafast rate. Moreover, open-close events of the channel showed a marked dependence on membrane potential; a shift toward hyperpolarized levels brought about an elongation of closed events resulting in a decrease in the open state probability, although no marked change was produced in open event duration itself. The unitary conductance of the channel was 109 pS as 123 mM KCl solution was used.