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XB-ART-11918
Nat Neurosci 1999 Dec 01;212:1091-7. doi: 10.1038/16019.
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Ethanol opens G-protein-activated inwardly rectifying K+ channels.

Kobayashi T , Ikeda K , Kojima H , Niki H , Yano R , Yoshioka T , Kumanishi T .


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Ethanol affects many functions of the brain and peripheral organs. Here we show that ethanol opens G-protein-activated, inwardly rectifying K + (GIRK) channels, which has important implications for inhibitory regulation of neuronal excitability and heart rate. At pharmacologically relevant concentrations, ethanol activated both brain-type GIRK1/2 and cardiac-type GIRK1/4 channels without interaction with G proteins or second messengers. Moreover, weaver mutant mice, which have a missense mutation in the GIRK2 channel, showed a loss of ethanol-induced analgesia. These results suggest that the GIRK channels in the brain and heart are important target sites for ethanol.

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Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: kcnj3 kcnj6