Voltage-dependent activation and inactivation of the Cav2.1
and Cav2.2a Ca2+ channels. (A)
Rates of activation and inactivation. Ba2+ currents were
recorded during 100-ms (Upper) or 1,000-ms
(Lower) pulses to +30 mV from holding potentials of −60
mV (Cav2.1) or −70 mV (Cav2.2a).
(B) Voltage dependence of activation and inactivation.
To measure activation, tail currents were recorded at a holding
potential of −60 mV (Cav2.1) or −70 mV
(Cav2.2a) after a 4-ms (Cav2.1) or 50-ms
(Cav2.2a) test pulse to the indicated potential. Means
± SEM of normalized tail currents were plotted as a function of the
test voltage. ●, Cav2.1;
○, Cav2.2a. To measure inactivation, tail
currents were recorded after a 4-s prepulse to the indicated potential
followed by a 4-ms (Cav2.1) or 10-ms (Cav2.2a)
test pulse to +30 mV. Means ± SEM of normalized tail currents
were plotted as a function of prepulse voltage. ▪,
Cav2.1; ▫, Cav2.2a.
(C) Voltage dependence of activation in the presence of
intracellular GTPγS. ▴, Cav2.1; ▵,
Cav2.2a. Results for activation of Cav2.1
(●) and Cav2.2a (○) in the
absence of GTPγS are replotted from B for comparison.
(D) Voltage dependence of activation in the absence and
presence of intracellular GDPβS for Cav2.1
(●, control; ▵, GDPβS) and
Cav2.2a (○, control; ▿, GDPβS).