Properties of channels mediating the apamin-insensitive afterhyperpolarization in vagal motoneurons.

1. Whole cell recordings were obtained from neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in transverse slices of guinea pig medulla. From a holding potential of -40 mV, short depolarizing voltage steps activated two calcium-dependent potassium currents, Gk(Ca),1 and Gk(Ca),2. 2. Gk(Ca),1 was completely blocked by apamin (100 nM). Gk(Ca),2 was apamin insensitive, voltage independent, and reversed close to the potassium equilibrium potential. 3. Activation of Gk(Ca),2 was associated with an increase in current variance. The channels underlying the slow component were analyzed by stationary and nonstationary fluctuation analysis. Current variance was linearly related to mean current for small current amplitudes but clearly deviated from linearity near the peak of Gk(Ca),2. The predicted single channel conductance was 6.8 +/- 2.5 (SE) pS. Probability of channel opening rose to at most 0.68. The average number of available Gk(Ca),2 channels on vagal neurons was 4,437 +/- 591. 4. Power spectra were constructed from the peak current. Spectra were well fitted with a single Lorentzian with a corner frequency of 72 +/- 7 Hz. The mean burst duration of the channels was 3.8 +/- 0.5 ms. These results indicate that a new type of calcium-activated channel underlies Gk(Ca),2.