An intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel mediates B lymphoma cell cycle progression induced by serum

We have previously reported that Kv1.3 channel is expressed in Daudi cells. However, the present study demonstrates that Daudi cell cycle progression is not affected by margatoxin, a Kv1.3 channel blocker, but can be suppressed by tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 1-[(2-chlorophenyl) diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34), a selective blocker of intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (IK) channels. Our patch-clamp data indicate that Daudi cells express an IK channel because it has a unit conductance of about 30 pS, is voltage-independent, and can be activated by submicromolar Ca2+ and blocked by TRAM-34. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+](i)) and activated this IK channel. Conversely, Rituximab, a human-mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody of CD20, significantly decreased [Ca2+](i) and inhibited the channel. Furthermore, both FBS-induced IK channel expression and cell cycle progression were attenuated by the treatment with LY-294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. These data together suggest that a growth factor(s) in FBS triggers cell cycle progression by elevating both IK channel activity via CD20 and IK channel expression on the cell surface via PI3K. Thus, elevated IK channel activity and expression may account, in part, for Daudi cell malignant growth and proliferation.