A region of the muscarinic-gated atrial K⁺ channel critical for activation by G protein βγ subunits

Complementary DNAs encoding two types of inwardly rectifying K⁺ channels, GIRK1 and IRK1, have been cloned from rat atrium and mouse macrophage, respectively. GIRK1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes was activated by acetylcholine when m2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor was coexpressed. The acetylcholine-induced activation of GIRK1 was enhanced by coexpression with the G protein β1γ2 subunit but not the β1γ1 or a subunits. Deletion of the C-terminus of GIRK1 impaired the channel activation associated with the β1γ2 subunit. Moreover, replacement of the C-terminus of IRK1 with that of GIRK1 produced a chimera channel that was activated by the β1γ2 subunit, whereas intact IRK1 was not activated by the S1γ2 subunit. These findings define the C-terminus of GIRK1 as a regulatory region for the G protein βγ subunit.