The Slo1 Y450F Substitution Modifies Basal Function and Cholesterol Response of Middle Cerebral Artery Smooth Muscle BK Channels in a Sexually Dimorphic Manner

Calcium- and voltage-gated potassium channels of large conductance (BK channels) in smooth muscle (SM) act as part of a negative feedback mechanism on SM contraction and associated decrease in cerebral artery diameter. Functional BK channels result from tetrameric association of α subunits encoded by <i>KCNMA1</i> (<i>Slo1</i>). Ionic current from slo1 channels is inhibited by cholesterol in artificial lipid bilayers, an effect significantly reduced by the slo1 Y450F substitution. Whether such substitution affects cholesterol action on cerebral artery SM BK channel function and diameter remains unknown. Using the <i>KCNMA1Y450F</i> knock-in (K/I) mouse, we determined the effect of cholesterol enrichment on BK currents in native SM cells from middle cerebral artery using patch-clamp electrophysiology and the artery diameter ex vivo response to cholesterol. Results show that the <i>KCNMA1Y450F</i> K/I mutation modifies both basal function and the channel's response to cholesterol enrichment. Such modifications are detectable solely in SM cells from males, demonstrating sexual dimorphism. Unexpectedly, the modifications introduced by the Y450F substitution do not translate into observable changes in middle cerebral artery diameter ex vivo, suggesting that mechanisms at the SM level compensate for changes driven by the <i>KCNMA1</i> point mutation under study.