1
|
Abrahamyan A, Eldstrom J, Sahakyan H, Karagulyan N, Mkrtchyan L, Karapetyan T, Sargsyan E, Kneussel M, Nazaryan K, Schwarz JR, Fedida D, Vardanyan V. Mechanism of external K+ sensitivity of KCNQ1 channels. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:213880. [PMID: 36809486 PMCID: PMC9960071 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
KCNQ1 voltage-gated K+ channels are involved in a wide variety of fundamental physiological processes and exhibit the unique feature of being markedly inhibited by external K+. Despite the potential role of this regulatory mechanism in distinct physiological and pathological processes, its exact underpinnings are not well understood. In this study, using extensive mutagenesis, molecular dynamics simulations, and single-channel recordings, we delineate the molecular mechanism of KCNQ1 modulation by external K+. First, we demonstrate the involvement of the selectivity filter in the external K+ sensitivity of the channel. Then, we show that external K+ binds to the vacant outermost ion coordination site of the selectivity filter inducing a diminution in the unitary conductance of the channel. The larger reduction in the unitary conductance compared to whole-cell currents suggests an additional modulatory effect of external K+ on the channel. Further, we show that the external K+ sensitivity of the heteromeric KCNQ1/KCNE complexes depends on the type of associated KCNE subunits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Astghik Abrahamyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Harutyun Sahakyan
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Biological Processes, Institute of Molecular Biology of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Nare Karagulyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Liana Mkrtchyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Tatev Karapetyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Ernest Sargsyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Matthias Kneussel
- Institute for Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg , Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karen Nazaryan
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Biological Processes, Institute of Molecular Biology of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Jürgen R Schwarz
- Institute for Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg , Hamburg, Germany
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Vitya Vardanyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia , Yerevan, Armenia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barro-Soria R. Sensing its own permeant ion: KCNQ1 channel inhibition by external K. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202313337. [PMID: 36961346 PMCID: PMC10072219 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
External potassium inhibits KCNQ1 channel through a mechanism involving increased occupancy of the filter S0 site by K+o.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rene Barro-Soria
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Duran-Urriago A, Marzen S. Not so optimal: The evolution of mutual information in potassium voltage-gated channels. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0264424. [PMID: 36735679 PMCID: PMC9897580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Potassium voltage-gated (Kv) channels need to detect and respond to rapidly changing ionic concentrations in their environment. With an essential role in regulating electric signaling, they would be expected to be optimal sensors that evolved to predict the ionic concentrations. To explore these assumptions, we use statistical mechanics in conjunction with information theory to model how animal Kv channels respond to changes in potassium concentrations in their environment. By measuring mutual information in representative Kv channel types across a variety of environments, we find two things. First, under weak conditions, there is a gating charge that maximizes mutual information with the environment. Second, as Kv channels evolved, they have moved towards decreasing mutual information with the environment. This either suggests that Kv channels do not need to act as sensors of their environment or that Kv channels have other functionalities that interfere with their role as sensors of their environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Marzen
- W. M. Keck Science Department, Pitzer, Scripps, and Claremont McKenna Colleges, Claremont, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
A benzodiazepine activator locks K v7.1 channels open by electro-mechanical uncoupling. Commun Biol 2022; 5:301. [PMID: 35365746 PMCID: PMC8976019 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in Kv7.1 often lead to long QT syndrome (LQTS), a cardiac repolarization disorder associated with arrhythmia and subsequent sudden cardiac death. The discovery of agonistic IKs modulators may offer a new potential strategy in pharmacological treatment of this disorder. The benzodiazepine derivative (R)-L3 potently activates Kv7.1 channels and shortens action potential duration, thus may represent a starting point for drug development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying modulation by (R)-L3 are still unknown. By combining alanine scanning mutagenesis, non-canonical amino acid incorporation, voltage-clamp electrophysiology and fluorometry, and in silico protein modelling, we show that (R)-L3 not only stimulates currents by allosteric modulation of the pore domain but also alters the kinetics independently from the pore domain effects. We identify novel (R)-L3-interacting key residues in the lower S4-segment of Kv7.1 and observed an uncoupling of the outer S4 segment with the inner S5, S6 and selectivity filter segments.
Collapse
|
5
|
Borgini M, Mondal P, Liu R, Wipf P. Chemical modulation of Kv7 potassium channels. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:483-537. [PMID: 34046626 PMCID: PMC8128042 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00328j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising interest in Kv7 modulators originates from their ability to evoke fundamental electrophysiological perturbations in a tissue-specific manner. A large number of therapeutic applications are, in part, based on the clinical experience with two broad-spectrum Kv7 agonists, flupirtine and retigabine. Since precise molecular structures of human Kv7 channel subtypes in closed and open states have only very recently started to emerge, computational studies have traditionally been used to analyze binding modes and direct the development of more potent and selective Kv7 modulators with improved safety profiles. Herein, the synthetic and medicinal chemistry of small molecule modulators and the representative biological properties are summarized. Furthermore, new therapeutic applications supported by in vitro and in vivo assay data are suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Borgini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| | - Pravat Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| | - Ruiting Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| | - Peter Wipf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Oliveras A, Serrano-Novillo C, Moreno C, de la Cruz A, Valenzuela C, Soeller C, Comes N, Felipe A. The unconventional biogenesis of Kv7.1-KCNE1 complexes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay4472. [PMID: 32270035 PMCID: PMC7112945 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay4472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The potassium channel Kv7.1 associates with the KCNE1 regulatory subunit to trigger cardiac I Ks currents. Although the Kv7.1/KCNE1 complex has received much attention, the subcellular compartment hosting the assembly is the subject of ongoing debate. Evidence suggests that the complex forms either earlier in the endoplasmic reticulum or directly at the plasma membrane. Kv7.1 and KCNE1 mutations, responsible for long QT syndromes, impair association and traffic, thereby altering I Ks currents. We found that Kv7.1 and KCNE1 do not assemble in the first stages of their biogenesis. Data support an unconventional secretory pathway for Kv7.1-KCNE1 that bypasses Golgi. This route targets channels to endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions, where Kv7.1-KCNE1 assemble. This mechanism helps to resolve the ongoing controversy about the subcellular compartment hosting the association. Our results also provide new insights into I Ks channel localization at endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions, highlighting an alternative anterograde trafficking mechanism for oligomeric ion channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oliveras
- Molecular Physiology Laboratory, Departamento de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Serrano-Novillo
- Molecular Physiology Laboratory, Departamento de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Moreno
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alicia de la Cruz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Valenzuela
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Spanish Network for Biomedical Research in Cardiovascular Research (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Soeller
- Living Systems Institute and Biomedical Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Núria Comes
- Departamento De Biomedicina, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Felipe
- Molecular Physiology Laboratory, Departamento de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liin SI, Yazdi S, Ramentol R, Barro-Soria R, Larsson HP. Mechanisms Underlying the Dual Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Analogs on Kv7.1. Cell Rep 2019; 24:2908-2918. [PMID: 30208316 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) analogs represent a new class of potential anti-arrhythmic KV7.1 and KV7.1+KCNE1 channel activators. In this study, we describe dual independent activating effects of negatively charged PUFA analogs on KV7.1 and KV7.1+KCNE1 that are dependent on discrete channel motifs. PUFA analogs are critically dependent on K326 in S6 of KV7.1 to increase the maximum conductance and critically dependent on specific S4 arginines in KV7.1 to shift the voltage dependence of channel opening toward negative voltages. Our findings provide insights into how KV7.1+KCNE1 activators may interact electrostatically both with the pore domain and the voltage-sensing domain to augment channel activity. We believe that the molecular understanding of how PUFA analogs induce dual independent activating effects is an important step toward the development of effective anti-arrhythmic drugs that target KV7.1 channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara I Liin
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Samira Yazdi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rosamary Ramentol
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Rene Barro-Soria
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - H Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hou P, Shi J, White KM, Gao Y, Cui J. ML277 specifically enhances the fully activated open state of KCNQ1 by modulating VSD-pore coupling. eLife 2019; 8:e48576. [PMID: 31329101 PMCID: PMC6684268 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon membrane depolarization, the KCNQ1 potassium channel opens at the intermediate (IO) and activated (AO) states of the stepwise voltage-sensing domain (VSD) activation. In the heart, KCNQ1 associates with KCNE1 subunits to form IKs channels that regulate heart rhythm. KCNE1 suppresses the IO state so that the IKs channel opens only to the AO state. Here, we tested modulations of human KCNQ1 channels by an activator ML277 in Xenopus oocytes. It exclusively changes the pore opening properties of the AO state without altering the IO state, but does not affect VSD activation. These observations support a distinctive mechanism responsible for the VSD-pore coupling at the AO state that is sensitive to ML277 modulation. ML277 provides insights and a tool to investigate the gating mechanism of KCNQ1 channels, and our study reveals a new strategy for treating long QT syndrome by specifically enhancing the AO state of native IKs currents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Hou
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability DisordersWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia CenterWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability DisordersWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia CenterWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
| | - Kelli McFarland White
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability DisordersWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia CenterWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
| | | | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability DisordersWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia CenterWashington UniversitySt. LouisUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Inactivation of KCNQ1 potassium channels reveals dynamic coupling between voltage sensing and pore opening. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1730. [PMID: 29167462 PMCID: PMC5700111 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01911-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In voltage-activated ion channels, voltage sensor (VSD) activation induces pore opening via VSD-pore coupling. Previous studies show that the pore in KCNQ1 channels opens when the VSD activates to both intermediate and fully activated states, resulting in the intermediate open (IO) and activated open (AO) states, respectively. It is also well known that accompanying KCNQ1 channel opening, the ionic current is suppressed by a rapid process called inactivation. Here we show that inactivation of KCNQ1 channels derives from the different mechanisms of the VSD-pore coupling that lead to the IO and AO states, respectively. When the VSD activates from the intermediate state to the activated state, the VSD-pore coupling has less efficacy in opening the pore, producing inactivation. These results indicate that different mechanisms, other than the canonical VSD-pore coupling, are at work in voltage-dependent ion channel activation. KCNQ1 is a voltage-gated potassium channel that is important in cardiac and epithelial function. Here the authors present a mechanism for KCNQ1 activation and inactivation in which voltage sensor activation promotes pore opening more effectively in the intermediate open state than the fully open state, generating inactivation.
Collapse
|
10
|
SMIT1 Modifies KCNQ Channel Function and Pharmacology by Physical Interaction with the Pore. Biophys J 2017; 113:613-626. [PMID: 28793216 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.06.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels of the KCNQ (Kv7) subfamily are essential for control of cellular excitability and repolarization in a wide range of cell types. Recently, we and others found that some KCNQ channels functionally and physically interact with sodium-dependent solute transporters, including myo-inositol transporters SMIT1 and SMIT2, potentially facilitating various modes of channel-transporter signal integration. In contrast to indirect effects such as channel regulation by SMIT-transported, myo-inositol-derived phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), the mechanisms and functional consequences of the physical interaction of channels with transporters have been little studied. Here, using co-immunoprecipitation with different channel domains, we found that SMIT1 binds to the KCNQ2 pore module. We next tested the effects of SMIT1 co-expression, in the absence of extracellular myo-inositol or other SMIT1 substrates, on fundamental functional attributes of KCNQ2, KCNQ2/3, KCNQ1, and KCNQ1-KCNE1 channels. Without exception, SMIT1 altered KCNQ ion selectivity, sensitivity to extracellular K+, and pharmacology, consistent with an impact on conformation of the KCNQ pore. SMIT1 also altered the gating kinetics and/or voltage dependence of KCNQ2, KCNQ2/3, and KCNQ1-KCNE1. In contrast, SMIT1 had no effect on Kv1.1 (KCNA1) gating, ion selectivity, or pharmacology. We conclude that, independent of its transport activity and indirect regulatory mechanisms involving inositol-derived increases in PIP2, SMIT1, and likely other related sodium-dependent solute transporters, regulates KCNQ channel ion selectivity, gating, and pharmacology by direct physical interaction with the pore module.
Collapse
|
11
|
Wang W, Flores MCP, Sihn CR, Kim HJ, Zhang Y, Doyle KJ, Chiamvimonvat N, Zhang XD, Yamoah EN. Identification of a key residue in Kv7.1 potassium channel essential for sensing external potassium ions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 145:201-12. [PMID: 25712016 PMCID: PMC4338162 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A glutamate at position 290 in the human Kv7.1 S5-pore linker is required for its inhibition by high concentrations of extracellular potassium. Kv7.1 voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels are present in the apical membranes of marginal cells of the stria vascularis of the inner ear, where they mediate K+ efflux into the scala media (cochlear duct) of the cochlea. As such, they are exposed to the K+-rich (∼150 mM of external K+ (K+e)) environment of the endolymph. Previous studies have shown that Kv7.1 currents are substantially suppressed by high K+e (independent of the effects of altering the electrochemical gradient). However, the molecular basis for this inhibition, which is believed to involve stabilization of an inactivated state, remains unclear. Using sequence alignment of S5-pore linkers of several Kv channels, we identified a key residue, E290, found in only a few Kv channels including Kv7.1. We used substituted cysteine accessibility methods and patch-clamp analysis to provide evidence that the ability of Kv7.1 to sense K+e depends on E290, and that the charge at this position is essential for Kv7.1’s K+e sensitivity. We propose that Kv7.1 may use this feedback mechanism to maintain the magnitude of the endocochlear potential, which boosts the driving force to generate the receptor potential of hair cells. The implications of our findings transcend the auditory system; mutations at this position also result in long QT syndrome in the heart.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenying Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557
| | | | - Choong-Ryoul Sihn
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557
| | - Hyo Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557
| | - Yinuo Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Karen J Doyle
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557
| | - Nipavan Chiamvimonvat
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, Mather, CA 95655
| | - Xiao-Dong Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Ebenezer N Yamoah
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Tong WC, Tribe RM, Smith R, Taggart MJ. Computational modeling reveals key contributions of KCNQ and hERG currents to the malleability of uterine action potentials underpinning labor. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114034. [PMID: 25474527 PMCID: PMC4256391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The electrical excitability of uterine smooth muscle cells is a key determinant of the contraction of the organ during labor and is manifested by spontaneous, periodic action potentials (APs). Near the end of term, APs vary in shape and size reflecting an ability to change the frequency, duration and amplitude of uterine contractions. A recent mathematical model quantified several ionic features of the electrical excitability in uterine smooth muscle cells. It replicated many of the experimentally recorded uterine AP configurations but its limitations were evident when trying to simulate the long-duration bursting APs characteristic of labor. A computational parameter search suggested that delayed rectifying K(+) currents could be a key model component requiring improvement to produce the longer-lasting bursting APs. Of the delayed rectifying K(+) currents family it is of interest that KCNQ and hERG channels have been reported to be gestationally regulated in the uterus. These currents exhibit features similar to the broadly defined uterine IK1 of the original mathematical model. We thus formulated new quantitative descriptions for several I(KCNQ) and I(hERG). Incorporation of these currents into the uterine cell model enabled simulations of the long-lasting bursting APs. Moreover, we used this modified model to simulate the effects of different contributions of I(KCNQ) and I(hERG) on AP form. Our findings suggest that the alterations in expression of hERG and KCNQ channels can potentially provide a mechanism for fine tuning of AP forms that lends a malleability for changing between plateau-like and long-lasting bursting-type APs as uterine cells prepare for parturition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wing-Chiu Tong
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel M. Tribe
- Division of Women's Health, King's College London and King's Health Partners, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roger Smith
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, New Lambton, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael J. Taggart
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Ion channels are essential for basic cellular function and for processes including sensory perception and intercellular communication in multicellular organisms. Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels facilitate dynamic cellular repolarization during an action potential, opening in response to membrane depolarization to facilitate K+ efflux. In both excitable and nonexcitable cells other, constitutively active, K+ channels provide a relatively constant repolarizing force to control membrane potential, ion homeostasis, and secretory processes. Of the forty known human Kv channel pore-forming α subunits that coassemble in various combinations to form the fundamental tetrameric channel pore and voltage sensor module, KCNQ1 is unique. KCNQ1 stands alone in having the capacity to form either channels that are voltage-dependent and require membrane depolarization for activation, or constitutively active channels. In mammals, KCNQ1 regulates processes including gastric acid secretion, thyroid hormone biosynthesis, salt and glucose homeostasis, and cell volume and in some species is required for rhythmic beating of the heart. In this review, the author discusses the unique functional properties, regulation, cell biology, diverse physiological roles, and involvement in human disease states of this chameleonic K+ channel.
Collapse
|