Oxygen Sensing by Human Recombinant Large Conductance,Calcium-activated Potassium Channels

A revisit to O2 sensing and transduction in the carotid body chemoreceptors in the context of reactive oxygen species biology

Oxygen-sensing and transduction in purposeful responses in cells and organisms is of great physiological and medical interest. All animals, including humans, encounter in their lifespan many situations in which oxygen availability might be insufficient, whether acutely or chronically, physiologically or pathologically. Therefore to trace at the molecular level the sequence of events or steps connecting the oxygen deficit with the cell responses is of interest in itself as an achievement of science. In addition, it is also of great medical interest as such knowledge might facilitate the therapeutical approach to patients and to design strategies to minimize hypoxic damage. In our article we define the concepts of sensors and transducers, the steps of the hypoxic transduction cascade in the carotid body chemoreceptor cells and also discuss current models of oxygen- sensing (bioenergetic, biosynthetic and conformational) with their supportive and unsupportive data from updated literature. We envision oxygen-sensing in carotid body chemoreceptor cells as a process initiated at the level of plasma membrane and performed by a hemoprotein, which might be NOX4 or a hemoprotein not yet chemically identified. Upon oxygen-desaturation, the sensor would experience conformational changes allosterically transmitted to oxygen regulated K+ channels, the initial effectors in the transduction cascade. A decrease in their opening probability would produce cell depolarization, activation of voltage dependent calcium channels and release of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters would activate the nerve endings of the carotid body sensory nerve to convey the information of the hypoxic situation to the central nervous system that would command ventilation to fight hypoxia.

Hypoxia reduces KCa channel activity by inducing Ca2+ spark uncoupling in cerebral artery smooth muscle cells

Arterial smooth muscle cell large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (K(Ca)) channels have been implicated in modulating hypoxic dilation of systemic arteries, although this is controversial. K(Ca) channel activity in arterial smooth muscle cells is controlled by localized intracellular Ca(2+) transients, termed Ca(2+) sparks, but hypoxic regulation of Ca(2+) sparks and K(Ca) channel activation by Ca(2+) sparks has not been investigated. We report here that in voltage-clamped (-40 mV) cerebral artery smooth muscle cells, a reduction in dissolved O(2) partial pressure from 150 to 15 mmHg reversibly decreased Ca(2+) spark-induced transient K(Ca) current frequency and amplitude to 61% and 76% of control, respectively. In contrast, hypoxia did not alter Ca(2+) spark frequency, amplitude, global intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, or sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) load. Hypoxia reduced transient K(Ca) current frequency by decreasing the percentage of Ca(2+) sparks that activated a transient K(Ca) current from 89% to 63%. Hypoxia reduced transient K(Ca) current amplitude by attenuating the amplitude relationship between Ca(2+) sparks that remained coupled and the evoked transient K(Ca) currents. Consistent with these data, in inside-out patches at -40 mV hypoxia reduced K(Ca) channel apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity and increased the K(d) for Ca(2+) from approximately 17 to 32 microM, but did not alter single-channel amplitude. In summary, data indicate that hypoxia reduces K(Ca) channel apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity via a mechanism that is independent of cytosolic signaling messengers, and this leads to uncoupling of K(Ca) channels from Ca(2+) sparks. Transient K(Ca) current inhibition due to uncoupling would oppose hypoxic cerebrovascular dilation.

Voltage-gated cation channel modulators for the treatment of stroke

Neuronal voltage-gated cation channels regulate the transmembrane flux of calcium, sodium and potassium. Neuronal ischaemia occurring during acute ischaemic stroke results in the breakdown in the normal function of these ion channels, contributing to a series of pathological events leading to cell death. A dramatic increase in the intracellular concentration of calcium during neuronal ischaemia plays a particularly important role in the neurotoxic cascade resulting in stroke-related acute neurodegeneration. One approach to provide therapeutic benefit following ischaemic stroke has been to target neuronal voltage-gated cation channels, and particularly blockers of calcium and sodium channels, for post-stroke neuroprotection. A recent development has been the identification of openers of large-conductance calcium- and voltage-dependent potassium channels (maxi-K channels), which hyperpolarize ischaemic neurons, reduce excitatory amino acid release, and reduce ischaemic calcium entry. Thus far, targeting these voltage-gated cation channels has not yet yielded significant clinical benefit. The reasons for this may involve the lack of small-molecule blockers of many neuronal members of these ion channel families and the design of preclinical stroke models, which do not adequately emulate the clinical condition and hence lack sufficient rigor to predict efficacy in human stroke. Furthermore, there may be a need for changes in clinical trial designs to optimise the selection of patients and the course of drug treatment to protect neurons during all periods of potential neuronal sensitivity to neuro-protectants. Clinical trials may also have to be powered to detect small effect sizes or be focused on patients more likely to respond to a particular therapy. The development of future solutions to these problems should result in an improved probability of success for the treatment of stroke.