A flickery block of a K+ channel mediated by extracellular Ca2+ and other agonists of the Ca2+-sensing receptors in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells.

Single K+ channel activities in parathyroid cells were studied using the patch-clamp technique. A K+ channel modulated by external Ca2+ (Ca2+o) was identified. This channel had a unitary conductance of 109pS at 150 mM K+o in the pipette solution. An increase in Ca2+o from 0.5-0.75 to 2-3 mM induced a flickery partial block of the channel over a wide voltage range. The mechanism of channel blockade included a significant increase in the number of closings per burst and a reduction of the mean open times. Addition of other divalent and polyvalent agonists of the Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaR) induced a similar channel blockade. With its typical characteristics and flickery block by CaR agonists, this channel differs from previously described types of K+ channels. It is probably strongly coupled to the CaR and may contribute to the depolarization of parathyroid cells which is known to occur at elevated levels of Ca2+o.