KV10.1 opposes activity-dependent increase in Ca2+ influx into the presynaptic terminal of the parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapse

The voltage-gated potassium channel K(V)10.1 (Eag1) is widely expressed in the mammalian brain, but its physiological function is not yet understood. Previous studies revealed highest expression levels in hippocampus and cerebellum and suggested a synaptic localization of the channel. The distinct activation kinetics of K(V)10.1 indicate a role during repetitive activity of the cell. Here, we confirm the synaptic localization of K(V)10.1 both biochemically and functionally and that the channel is sufficiently fast at physiological temperature to take part in repolarization of the action potential (AP). We studied the role of the channel in cerebellar physiology using patch clamp and two-photon Ca2+ imaging in K(V)10.1-deficient and wild-type mice. The excitability and action potential waveform recorded at granule cell somata was unchanged, while Ca2+ influx into axonal boutons was enhanced in mutants in response to stimulation with three APs, but not after a single AP. Furthermore, mutants exhibited a frequency-dependent increase in facilitation at the parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapse at high firing rates. We propose that K(V)10.1 acts as a modulator of local AP shape specifically during high-frequency burst firing when other potassium channels suffer cumulative inactivation.