RESEARCH PAPERS 

  1. Toro, L., González-Robles, A. and Stefani, E. Electrical properties and morphology of single vascular smooth muscle cells in culture. Am. J. Physiol. 251 (Cell Physiol. 20):C763-C773, 1986.

  2. Toro, L. and Stefani, E. Ca2+ and K+ Currents in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from rat aorta. Pflügers Arch. 408:417-419, 1987.

  3. Toro, L., Amador, M. and Stefani, E. ANG II inhibits calcium-activated potassium channels from coronary smooth muscle in lipid bilayers. Am. J. Physiol. 258 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 27):H912-H915, 1990.

  4. Toro, L., Stefani, E. and Erulkar, S.D. Hormonal regulation of potassium currents in single myometrial cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 87:2892-2895, 1990.

  5. Toro, L., Ramos-Franco, J. and Stefani, E. GTP dependent regulation of myometrial KCa channels incorporated into lipid bilayers. J. Gen. Physiol. 96:373-394, 1990.

  6. Toro, L., Vaca, L. and Stefani, E.  Calcium activated potassium channels from coronary smooth muscle reconstituted in lipid bilayers. Am. J. Physiol. 260:H1779-H1789, 1991.

  7. Piedras-Renteria, E., Stefani, E. and Toro, L. Potassium currents in freshly dispersed myometrial cells. Am. J. Physiol. 261:C278-C284, 1991.

  8. Hamilton, S.L., Codina, J., Hawkes, M.J., Yatani, A., Sawada, T., Strickland, F.M., Froehner, S.C., Spiegel A.M., Toro, L., Stefani, E., Birnbaumer, L. and Brown, A.M.  Evidence for direct interaction of Gas with the Ca2+ channel of skeletal muscle. J. Biol. Chem. 266:19528-19535, 1991.

  9. Rendt, J.M., Toro, L., Stefani, E. and Erulkar, S.D.  Progesterone increases calcium current in myometrial cells from immature and non-pregnant adult rats. Am. J. Physiol. 262:C293-C301, 1992.

  10. Taglialatela, M., Toro, L. and Stefani, E.  A novel voltage clamp to record small, fast currents from ion channels expressed in Xenopus Oocytes. Biophys. J. 61:78-82, 1992.

  11. Scornik, F.S. and Toro, L. U46619, a thromboxane A2 agonist, inhibits KCa channel activity from pig coronary artery. Am. J. Physiol. 262:C708-C713, 1992.

  12. Anwer, K., Toro, L., Sanborn, B.M. and Stefani, E.  Ca2+-activated K+ channels in pregnant rat myometrium: modulation by a ß-adrenergic agent. Am. J. Physiol. 263:C1049-C1056, 1992.

  13. Toro, L., Stefani, E. and Latorre, R.  Internal blockade of a Ca2+-activated K+ channel by Shaker B inactivating "ball" peptide. Neuron  9:237-245, 1992.

  14. Pérez, G., Toro, L., Erulkar, S.D. and Stefani, E.  Characterization of large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels from human myometrium. Am. J. Obst. Gynecol. 168:652-660, 1993.

  15. Anwer, K., Oberti, C., Pérez, G.J., Perez-Reyes, N., McDougall, J.K., Monga, M., Sanborn, B.M., Stefani, E. and Toro, L. Calcium-activated K+ channels as modulators of human myometrial contractile activity. Am. J. Physiol. 265:C976-C985, 1993.

  16. Scornik, F.S., Codina, J., Birnbaumer, L. and Toro, L. Modulation of coronary smooth muscle KCa channels by Gsa independent of phosphorylation by protein kinase A. Am. J. Physiol. 265:H1460-H1465, 1993.

  17. Stefani, E., Toro, L., Perozo, E. and Bezanilla, F.  Gating of Shaker K+ channels. I. Ionic and gating currents. Biophys. J. 66:996-1010, 1994.

  18. Pérez, G., Lagrutta, A., Adelman, J.P. and Toro, L.  Reconstitution of expressed KCa channels from Xenopus oocytes to lipid bilayers. Biophys. J. 66:1022-1027, 1994.

  19. Pérez, G. and Toro, L.  Differential modulation of large conductance KCa channels by PKA in pregnant and nonpregnant myometrium. Am. J. Physiol. 266:C1459-C1463, 1994.

  20. Toro, L., Ottolia, M., Stefani, E. and Latorre, R. Structural determinants in the interaction of Shaker inactivating peptide and a Ca2+-activated K+ channel. Biochemistry 33:7220-7228, 1994.

  21. Ottolia, M. and Toro, L. Potentiation of large-conductance KCa channels by niflumic, flufenamic and mefenamic acids. Biophys. J. 67:2272-2279, 1994.

  22. Meera, P., Anwer, K., Monga, M., Oberti, C., Stefani, E., Toro, L. and Sanborn, B.M.  Relaxin stimulates myometrial calcium-activated potassium channel activity via protein kinase A. Am. J. Physiol. 269:C312-C317, 1995.

  23. Wallner, M., Meera, P., Ottolia, M., Kaczorowski, G., Latorre, R., Garcia, M., Stefani, E. and Toro, L.  Characterization of and modulation by a b-subunit of a human maxi KCa channel cloned from myometrium.  Receptors and Channels. 3:185-199, 1995.

  24. Hurst, R.S., Latorre, R., Toro, L., and Stefani E.  External barium block of ShH4-IR: evidence for two binding sites. J. Gen. Physiol.  106:1069-1087, 1995.

  25. Diaz, F., Wallner, M., Stefani, E., Toro, L. and Latorre, R. Interaction of internal Ba2+ with a cloned Ca2+-activated K+ (hslo) channel from smooth muscle. J. Gen. Physiol. 107:399-407, 1996.

  26. Ottolia, M. and Toro, L. Reconstitution in lipid bilayers of an ATP-sensitive K+ channel from pig coronary smooth muscle. J. Membrane Biol.  153:203-209, 1996.

  27. Meera, P., Wallner, M., Jiang, Z. and Toro L. A calcium switch for the functional coupling between a (hslo) and b subunits (KV,Cab) of MaxiK channels. FEBS Letters 382:84-88, 1996.

  28. Hurst, R. S., Toro, L. and Stefani E.  Molecular determinants of external barium block in Shaker potassium channels. FEBS Letters 388:59-65, 1996.

  29. Noceti, F., Baldelli, P., Wei, X., Qin, N., Toro, L., Birnbaumer, L. and Stefani, E. Effective gating charges per channel in voltage-dependent K+ and Ca2+ channels. J. Gen. Physiol. 108:143-155, 1996.

  30. Wallner, M., Meera, P. and Toro, L.  Determinant for b-subunit regulation in high conductance voltage-activated and Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels: An additional transmembrane region at the N-terminus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 93:14922-14927, 1996.

  31. Hurst, R. S., M. J. Roux, Toro, L. and Stefani E. External barium influences the gating charge movement of Shaker potassium channels. Biophys. J. 72:77-84, 1997.

  32. Stefani, E., Ottolia, M., Noceti, F., Olcese, R., Wallner, M., R. Latorre and Toro, L.  Voltage-controlled gating in a large conductance Ca2+-sensitive K+ channel (hslo). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA  94:5427-5431, 1997.

  33. Nobile, M., Olcese, R., Toro, L. and Stefani, E.  Fast inactivation of Shaker K+ channels is highly temperature dependent.  Exp. Brain Res. 114(1):138-142, 1997.

  34. Tanaka, Y., Meera, P., Song, M. Knaus, H.-G. and Toro, L.  Molecular constituents of Maxi KCa channels in human coronary smooth muscle: Predominant a + b subunit complexes.  J. Physiol. 502(3): 545-557, 1997.

  35. Olcese, R., Latorre, R., Toro, L., Bezanilla, F. and Stefani, E. Correlation between charge movement and ionic current during slow inactivation in Shaker K+ channels. J. Gen. Physiol. 110(5):579-589, 1997.

  36. Meera, P., Wallner, M., Song, M., and Toro, L.  Large conductance voltage- and calcium-dependent K+ channel, a distinct member of voltage-dependent ion channels with seven N-terminal transmembrane segments (S0-S6), an extracellular N-terminus, and an intracellular (S9-S10) C-terminus.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94:14066-14071, 1997.

  37. Tanaka, Y., Aida, M., Tanaka, H., Shigenobu, K. and Toro, L.  Involvement of MaxiKCa channel activation in atrial natriuretic peptide-induced vasorelaxation. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 357 (6):705-708, 1998.

  38. Roux, M.J., Olcese, R., Toro, L., Bezanilla, F. and Stefani, E.  Fast inactivation in Shaker K+ channels: Properties of ionic and gating currents.  J. Gen. Physiol. 111: 625-638, 1998.

  39. Ottolia, M., Platano, D., Qin, Q., Noceti, F., Birnbaumer, M., Toro, L., Birnbaumer, L., Stefani, E., and Olcese, R. Functional coupling between human E-type Ca2+ channels and m opioid receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes.  FEBS Lett. 427:96-102, 1998.

  40. Alioua A., Y. Tanaka, M. Wallner, F. Hofmann, P. Ruth, P. Meera, and L. Toro.  The large conductance, voltage-dependent, and calcium-sensitive K+ channel, Hslo, is a target of cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation in vivo.  J. Biol. Chem.  273(49):32950-32956, 1998.

  41. Diaz L., P. Meera, J. Amigo, E. Stefani, O. Alvarez, L. Toro, and R. Latorre.  Role of S4 segment in a voltage-dependent calcium-sensitive potassium (hSlo) channel.  J. Biol. Chem. 273(49):32430-32436, 1998.

  42. Jiang Z., M. Wallner, P. Meera and L. Toro. Human and rodent MaxiK channel b subunit genes: Cloning and characterization.  Genomics 55:57-67, 1999. 

  43. Wallner M., Pratap M., and L. Toro.  Molecular basis of fast inactivation in voltage and Ca2+-activated K+ channels: a transmembrane ß subunit homolog.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.  96: 4137-4142, 1999.

  44. Song  M., B. Barila, R. Olcese, N. Zhu, L. Toro and E. Stefani.  Hormonal control of protein expression and mRNA levels of the MaxiK channel a subunit in myometrium. FEBS Letters.  460:427-432, 1999.

  45. Tanaka Y., Mochizuki Y., Hirano H., Aida M., Tanaka H., L. Toro and K. Shigenobu. Role of MaxiK channels in vasoactive intestinal peptide-induced relaxation of rat mesenteric artery. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 383(3):291-296, 1999.

  46. Meera P., Wallner M. and L. Toro.  A neuronal b subunit (KCNMB4) makes large conductance, voltage and Ca2+-activated K+ channels resistant to Charybdotoxin and Iberiotoxin.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:5562-5567, 2000.

  47. Bravo-Zehnder M., Orio P., Norambuena A., Wallner M., Meera P., Toro L., Latorre R., and A. Gonzalez.  Apical sorting of high-conductance, voltage-dependent and Ca2+-sensitive K+ channel a-subunit (hSlo) in MDCK cells is independent of N-glycosylation.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 97:13114-13119, 2000.

  48. Marijic, J., Li, Q.-X., Song, M., Nishimaru, K., Stefani, E. and Toro, L. Decreased Expression of Voltage- and Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels in Coronary Smooth Muscle During Aging. Circulation Research.  88:210-215, 2001.

  49. Zarei M. M., Zhu N., Alioua A., Eghbali M., Stefani E., and Toro L.  A novel MaxiK Splice Variant Exhibits Dominant Negative Properties for Surface Expression.  J. Biol. Chem. 276(19):16232-16239, 2001.

  50. Song M., G. Helguera, M. Eghbali, N. Zhu, M. M. Zarei, R. Olcese, L. Toro and E. Stefani.  Remodeling of Kv4.3 potassium channel gene expression under the control of sex hormones.  J. Biol. Chem. 276:31883-31890, 2001.

  51. Jesus Garcia-Valdes, Fernando Z. Zamudio, Ligia Toro and Lourival D. Possani.  Slotoxin, aKTx1.11, a new scorpion peptide blocker of MaxiK channels that differentiates between a and a+b (b1 or b4) complexes.  FEBS Lett.  505(3):369-373, 2001.

  52. Fumiko Yamaki, Momoko Kaga, Takahiro Horinouchi, Hikaru Tanaka, Katsuo Koike, Koki Shigenobu, Ligia Toro and Yoshio Tanaka.  MaxiK channel-mediated relaxation of guinea-pig aorta following stimulation of IP receptor with beraprost via cyclic AMP-dependent and -independent mechanisms.  Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 364:538-550, 2001.

  53. Helguera G., Olcese R., Song M., Toro L., and Stefani E.  Tissue-specific regulation of Ca2+ channel protein expression by sex hormones.  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta.  1569:59-66, 2002.

  54. Mansoureh Eghbali, Riccardo Olcese, Masoud M. Zarei, Ligia Toro and Enrico Stefani. External Pore Collapse as an Inactivation Mechanism for Kv4.3 K+ Channels. J. Membrane Biol. 188(1):73-86, 2002.

  55. Abderrahmane Alioua, Aman Mahajan, Kazuhide Nishimaru, Masoud M. Zarei, Enrico Stefani, and Ligia Toro.  Coupling of c-Src to large conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channels as a new mechanism of agonist-induced vasoconstriction.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 99(22):14560-14565, 2002.

  56. Mokelke, E.A., Q. Hu, M. Song, L. Toro, Reddy H. K. and M. Sturek.  Altered functional coupling of coronary K+ channels in diabetic dyslipidemic pigs is prevented by exercise.  J. Appl. Physiol. 95(3):1179-93, 2003.

  57. Mansoureh Eghbali, Ligia Toro and Enrico Stefani.  Diminished Surface Clustering and Increased Perinuclear Accumulation of Large Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channel in Mouse Myometrium with Pregnancy.  J. Biol. Chem. 278(46):45311-453117, 2003.

  58. R. Pagani, M. Song, M. McEnery, N. Qin, R.W. Tsien, L. Toro, E. Stefani and O. D. Uchitel. Differential expression of a1 and ß subunits of voltage dependent Ca2+ channel at the neuromuscular junction of normal and P/Q Ca2+ channel knockout mouse.  Neuroscience 123(1):75-85, 2004.

  59. Kazuhide Nishimaru, Mansoureh Eghbali, Enrico Stefani and Ligia Toro.  Function and clustered expression of MaxiK channels in cerebral myocytes remain intact with aging. Exp. Gerontology. 39(5):831-839, 2004.

  60. Masoud M. Zarei, Mansoureh Eghbali, Abderrahmane Alioua, Min Song, Hans-Günther Knaus, Enrico Stefani, and Ligia Toro. An Endoplasmic Reticulum Trafficking Signal Prevents Surface Expression of a Voltage and Ca2+-activated K+ Channel Splice Variant. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 101(27):10072-10077, 2004.

  61. Haug T., Sigg D., Ciani S., Toro  L., Stefani E. and Olcese R. Regulation of K+ Flow by a Ring of Negative Charges in the Outer Pore of BKCa Channels. Part I: Aspartate 292 Modulates K+ Conduction by External Surface Charge Effect. J. Gen. Physiol.  124(2):173-184, 2004.

  62. Haug T., Olcese R., Toro, L., and E. Stefani. Regulation of K+ Flow by a Ring of Negative Charges in the Outer Pore of BKCa Channels. Part II.  Neutralization of Aspartate 292 Reduces Long Channel Openings and Gating Current Slow Component.  J. Gen. Physiol. 124(2):185–197, 2004.

  63.  Kazuhide Nishimaru, Mansoureh Eghbali, Rong Lu, Jure Marijic, Enrico Stefani and Ligia Toro.  Functional and Molecular Evidence of MaxiK Channel β1 Subunit Decrease with Coronary Artery Ageing in the Rat. J. Physiol. London. 559(3):849–862, 2004.

  64. Mansoureh Eghbali, Rupal Deva, Abderrahmane Alioua, Tamara Y. Minosyan, Hongmei Ruan, Yibin Wang, Ligia Toro and Enrico Stefani. Molecular and Functional Signature of Heart Hypertrophy During Pregnancy. Circ. Res. 96(11):1208-16, 2005.

  65. Ning Zhu, Mansoureh Eghbali, Gustavo Helguera, Min Song, Enrico Stefani and Ligia Toro. Alternative Splicing of Slo Channel Gene Programmed by Estrogen, Progesterone and Pregnancy. FEBS Lett. In press

 

 

 

Invited Reviews in books or journals

  1. Garcia, J., Fill, M., Toro, L. and Stefani, E.  Functional and biochemical studies of Ca2+ channels from plasmalemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes in muscle cells. Seminars in Cell Biology. 1:255-264, 1990.

  2. Toro, L.  and Stefani, E.  Calcium-activated K+ channels: Metabolic Regulation. J. Bioenerg. Biomem. 23:561-576, 1991.

  3. Toro, L. and Scornik, F.S.  Modulation of Ca-activated K channels from coronary smooth muscle. In: Ion channels of vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells (N. Sperelakis & H. Kuriyama, editors). Elsevier Sc. Publ. New York, NY pp. 111-124, 1991.

  4. Toro, L. and Stefani, E.  Modulation of maxi calcium-activated K channels. Role of ligands, phosphorylation and G-proteins. In: Handbook of Exper. Pharmacol. Vol. 108/II. GTPases in Biology II. (B. Dickey & L. Birnbaumer, eds.) Springer-Verlag, New York. Chapter 78. pp. 561-579, 1993.

  5. Sanborn, B.M., Anwer, K., Wen, Y., Stefani, E., Toro, L. and Singh, S.P. Modification of Ca2+ regulatory systems. In: Control of Uterine Contractility. (R. Garfield and T. N. Tabb, eds.). CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL. pp. 105-128, 1994.

  6. Stefani, E., Toro, L., Perozo, E. and Bezanilla, F.  Gating currents of cloned Shaker K+ channels. In: Handbook of Membrane Channels: Molecular and Cellular Physiology. C. Peracchia, ed. Academic Press, Orlando, FL. pp. 29-40, 1994.

  7. Toro, L. Calcium-activated K+ channels from coronary smooth muscle. Mechanisms of modulation and role in cardiac function. In: Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Heart.  3rd edition.  N. Sperelakis, ed. Kluwer Acad. Publ. Boston. pp. 919-934, 1995.

  8. Latorre, R., E. Stefani and L. Toro. Balls, Chains and Potassium Channels. In: Calcium and Cellular Metabolism: Transport and Regulation. J. R. Sotelo and J. C. Benech, eds. Plenum Press, New York. pp. 59-71. 1997

  9. Latorre, R., R. Hurst, F. Diaz, L. Toro, and E. Stefani.  Barium as a probe of the molecular architecture of the pore of K+ channels. In: From Ion Channels to Cell to Cell Conversations. R. Latorre and J.C. Saez, eds. Plenum Press, New York. pp. 129-146, 1997.

  10. Toro, L., M. Wallner and P. Meera. New insights into the topography, gating and modulation of MaxiK channels. In: From Ion Channels to Cell to Cell Conversations. R. Latorre and J.C. Saez, eds. Plenum Press, New York. pp. 47-65. 1997.

  11. Stefani, E., Toro, L., Perozo, E. and Bezanilla, F.  Properties of charge movement and ionic conductance of Shaker K+ channels. In: Progress in Cell Research. Vol. 6: Towards Molecular Biophysics of Ion Channels. M. Sokabe, A. Auerbach and F. Sigworth, eds. Elsevier, New York. pp. 87-98, 1997.

  12. Toro, L., M. Wallner, P. Meera, and Y. Tanaka. MaxiKCa, a unique member of the voltage-gated K channel superfamily.  News in Physiological Sciences 13:112-117, 1998.

  13. Shih, T.M., Smith, R.D., Toro, L. and A. Goldin.  High-level expression and detection of ion channels in Xenopus oocytes.  Methods Enzymology 293:529-56, 1998.

  14. M. Wallner, P. Meera and Toro, L.  Ca2+ activated K+ channels in muscle and brain. Current Topics in Membranes. 46:117-140, 1999.

  15. R. Latorre, C. Vergara, O. Alvarez, E. Stefani, and L. Toro. Voltage-gated Calcium-modulated potassium channels of large unitary conductance: Structure, diversity and pharmacology. In: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Pharmacology of Ion Channels Functions: Activators and inhibitors.  Endo, M., Ed. Springer-Verlag. 147:197-223, 2000.

  16. J. Marijic and L. Toro.  Voltage and calcium-activated K+ channels of coronary smooth muscle.  In: Heart Physiology and Pathophysiology.  4th Edition.  N. Sperelakis, Y. Kurachi, A. Terzic and M. Cohen, Eds.  Academic Press.  pp. 309-325, 2000.

  17. P. Meera, M. Wallner and L. Toro. Molecular biology of high-conductance, Ca2+-activated K+ channels.  In: Potassium Channels in Cardiovascular Biology. S. Archer and N. Rusch, eds.  Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. Chapter 4, pp. 49-70, 2001.

  18. Ligia Toro, Jure Marijic, Kazuhide Nishimaru, Yoshio Tanaka, Min Song, and Enrico Stefani.  Aging, ion channel expression, and vascular function. Vascul. Pharmacol. 38(1):73-80, 2002.

  19. Yoshio Tanaka, Fumiko Yamaki, Katsuo Koike, Ligia Toro. New insights into the intracellular mechanisms by which PGI2 analogues elicit vascular relaxation: cyclic AMP-independent, Gs-protein mediated-activation of MaxiK channel. Current Medicinal Chemistry-Cardiovascular and Hematological Agents. 2: 257-265, 2004.

  20. Yoshio Tanaka, Katsuo Koike, Abderrahmane Alioua, Koki Shigenobu, Enrico Stefani and Ligia Toro. ß1-Subunit of MaxiK Channel in Smooth Muscle: a Key Molecule Which Tunes Muscle Mechanical Activity.  Journal of Pharmacological Sciences. 94:339-347, 2004.

  21. Ligia Toro. BK Calcium Sensitive Potassium Channel. xPharm (2004). Executive Editors: S.J. Enna and David B. Bylund; Publisher, Elsevier, Inc., New York. http://www.xpharm.com/citation?Article_ID=29434

  22. Yoshio Tanaka, Katsuo Koike, Ligia Toro. MaxiK channel roles in the blood vessel relaxations induced by endothelium-derived relaxing factors and their molecular mechanisms. J. Smooth Muscle Res. 40 (4&5):125-153, 2004

  23. Ligia Toro, Abderrahmane Alioua, Rong Lu, Jesus Garcia-Valdes, Masoud M. Zarei, Kazuhide Nishimaru, Mansoureh Eghbali, and Enrico Stefani.  Ca2+-activated voltage dependent K+ channels.  In: Ion Channels in the Pulmonary Vasculature.  Lung Biology in Health and Disease. Vol 197. J. X.-J. Yuan, ed. Taylor and Francis Group. Boca Raton, FL. Chapter 12, pp. 237-256, 2005.

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