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Shan Y, Zhao L, Chen M, Li X, Zhang M, Pei D. Channelrhodopsins with distinct chromophores and binding patterns. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7292. [PMID: 39181878 PMCID: PMC11344840 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51811-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Channelrhodopsins are popular optogenetic tools in neuroscience, but remain poorly understood mechanistically. Here we report the cryo-EM structures of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and H. catenoides kalium channelrhodopsin (KCR1). We show that ChR2 recruits an endogenous N-retinylidene-PE-like molecule to a previously unidentified lateral retinal binding pocket, exhibiting a reduced light response in HEK293 cells. In contrast, H. catenoides kalium channelrhodopsin (KCR1) binds an endogenous retinal in its canonical retinal binding pocket under identical condition. However, exogenous ATR reduces the photocurrent magnitude of wild type KCR1 and also inhibits its leaky mutant C110T. Our results uncover diverse retinal chromophores with distinct binding patterns for channelrhodopsins in mammalian cells, which may further inspire next generation optogenetics for complex tasks such as cell fate control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyue Shan
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liping Zhao
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meiyu Chen
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingfeng Zhang
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Duanqing Pei
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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2
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Aoyama M, Katayama K, Kandori H. Unique hydrogen-bonding network in a viral channelrhodopsin. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2024; 1865:149148. [PMID: 38906314 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2024.149148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Channelrhodopsins (CRs) are used as key tools in optogenetics, and novel CRs, either found from nature or engineered by mutation, have greatly contributed to the development of optogenetics. Recently CRs were discovered from viruses, and crystal structure of a viral CR, OLPVR1, reported a very similar water-containing hydrogen-bonding network near the retinal Schiff base to that of a light-driven proton-pump bacteriorhodopsin (BR). In both OLPVR1 and BR, nearly planar pentagonal cluster structures are comprised of five oxygen atoms, three oxygens from water molecules and two oxygens from the Schiff base counterions. The planar pentagonal cluster stabilizes a quadrupole, two positive charges at the Schiff base and an arginine, and two negative charges at the counterions, and thus plays important roles in light-gated channel function of OLPVR1 and light-driven proton pump function of BR. Despite similar pentagonal cluster structures, present FTIR analysis revealed different hydrogen-bonding networks between OLPVR1 and BR. The hydrogen bond between the protonated Schiff base and a water is stronger in OLPVR1 than in BR, and internal water molecules donate hydrogen bonds much weaker in OLPVR1 than in BR. In OLPVR1, the bridged water molecule between the Schiff base and counterions forms hydrogen bonds to D76 and D200 equally, while the hydrogen-bonding interaction is much stronger to D85 than to D212 in BR. The present interpretation is supported by the mutation results, where D76 and D200 equally work as the Schiff base counterions in OLPVR1, but D85 is the primary counterion in BR. This work reports highly sensitive hydrogen-bonding network in the Schiff base region, which would be closely related to each function through light-induced alterations of the network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mako Aoyama
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Kota Katayama
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan; OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan; OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan.
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Mu L, Shi G, Fang H. Hydrated cation-π interactions of π-electrons with hydrated Mg2+ and Ca2+ cations. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:214712. [PMID: 38842493 DOI: 10.1063/5.0210995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydrated cation-π interactions at liquid-solid interfaces between hydrated cations and aromatic ring structures of carbon-based materials are pivotal in many material, biological, and chemical processes, and water serves as a crucial mediator in these interactions. However, a full understanding of the hydrated cation-π interactions between hydrated alkaline earth cations and aromatic ring structures, such as graphene remains elusive. Here, we present a molecular picture of hydrated cation-π interactions for Mg2+ and Ca2+ by using the density functional theory methods. Theoretical results show that the graphene sheet can distort the hydration shell of the hydrated Ca2+ to interact with Ca2+ directly, which is water-cation-π interactions. In contrast, the hydration shell of the hydrated Mg2+ is quite stable and the graphene sheet interacts with Mg2+ indirectly, mediated by water molecules, which is the cation-water-π interactions. These results lead to the anomalous order of adsorption energies for these alkaline earth cations, with hydrated Mg2+-π < hydrated Ca2+-π when the number of water molecules is large (n ≥ 6), contrary to the order observed for cation-π interactions in the absence of water molecules (n = 0). The behavior of hydrated alkaline earth cations adsorbed on a graphene surface is mainly attributed to the competition between the cation-π interactions and hydration effects. These findings provide valuable details of the structures and the adsorption energy of hydrated alkaline earth cations adsorbed onto the graphene surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuhua Mu
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- School of Physical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guosheng Shi
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China
- Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute, State Key Laboratory Advanced Special Steel, Shanghai University, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Haiping Fang
- School of Physics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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Ott S, Xu S, Lee N, Hong I, Anns J, Suresh DD, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Harion R, Ye W, Chandramouli V, Jesuthasan S, Saheki Y, Claridge-Chang A. Kalium channelrhodopsins effectively inhibit neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3480. [PMID: 38658537 PMCID: PMC11043423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47203-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The analysis of neural circuits has been revolutionized by optogenetic methods. Light-gated chloride-conducting anion channelrhodopsins (ACRs)-recently emerged as powerful neuron inhibitors. For cells or sub-neuronal compartments with high intracellular chloride concentrations, however, a chloride conductance can have instead an activating effect. The recently discovered light-gated, potassium-conducting, kalium channelrhodopsins (KCRs) might serve as an alternative in these situations, with potentially broad application. As yet, KCRs have not been shown to confer potent inhibitory effects in small genetically tractable animals. Here, we evaluated the utility of KCRs to suppress behavior and inhibit neural activity in Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, and zebrafish. In direct comparisons with ACR1, a KCR1 variant with enhanced plasma-membrane trafficking displayed comparable potency, but with improved properties that include reduced toxicity and superior efficacy in putative high-chloride cells. This comparative analysis of behavioral inhibition between chloride- and potassium-selective silencing tools establishes KCRs as next-generation optogenetic inhibitors for in vivo circuit analysis in behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Ott
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sangyu Xu
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicole Lee
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ivan Hong
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Anns
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Danesha Devini Suresh
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiyi Zhang
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xianyuan Zhang
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Raihanah Harion
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Weiying Ye
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vaishnavi Chandramouli
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Suresh Jesuthasan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yasunori Saheki
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Adam Claridge-Chang
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Mei Y, Shen Y. Cation-π Interactions Greatly Influence Ion Transportability of the Light-Driven Sodium Pump KR2: A Molecular Dynamics Study. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:974-982. [PMID: 38237560 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Krokinobacter eikastus rhodopsin 2 (KR2) is a typical light-driven sodium pump. Although wild-type KR2 exhibits high Na+ selectivity, mutagenesis performed on the residues constituting the entrance enables permeation of K+ and Cs+, while the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study presents a comprehensive molecular dynamics investigation, including force field optimization, metadynamics, and alchemical free energy methods, to explore the N61L/G263F mutant of KR2, which exhibits transportability for K+ and Cs+. The introduced Phe263 residue can directly promote ion binding at the entrance through cation-π interactions, while the N61L mutation can enhance ion binding at Phe46 by relieving steric hindrance. These results suggest that cation-π interactions may significantly influence the ion transportability and selectivity of KR2, which can provide important insights for protein engineering and the design of artificial ion transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhao Mei
- School of Chemistry, IGCME, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yong Shen
- School of Chemistry, IGCME, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Kawatani M, Horio K, Ohkuma M, Li WR, Yamashita T. Interareal Synaptic Inputs Underlying Whisking-Related Activity in the Primary Somatosensory Barrel Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1148232023. [PMID: 38050130 PMCID: PMC10860602 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1148-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Body movements influence brain-wide neuronal activities. In the sensory cortex, thalamocortical bottom-up inputs and motor-sensory top-down inputs are thought to affect the dynamics of membrane potentials (Vm ) of neurons and change their processing of sensory information during movements. However, direct perturbation of the axons projecting to the sensory cortex from other remote areas during movements has remained unassessed, and therefore the interareal circuits generating motor-related signals in sensory cortices remain unclear. Using a Gi/o -coupled opsin, eOPN3, we here inhibited interareal signals incoming to the whisker primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1) of awake male mice and tested their effects on whisking-related changes in neuronal activities in wS1. Spontaneous whisking in air induced the changes in spike rates of a subset of wS1 neurons, which were accompanied by depolarization and substantial reduction of slow-wave oscillatory fluctuations of Vm Despite an extensive innervation, inhibition of inputs from the whisker primary motor cortex (wM1) to wS1 did not alter the spike rates and Vm dynamics of wS1 neurons during whisking. In contrast, inhibition of axons from the whisker-related thalamus (wTLM) and the whisker secondary somatosensory cortex (wS2) to wS1 largely attenuated the whisking-related supra- and sub-threshold Vm dynamics of wS1 neurons. Notably, silencing inputs from wTLM markedly decreased the modulation depth of whisking phase-tuned neurons in wS1, while inhibiting wS2 inputs did not impact the whisking variable tuning of wS1 neurons. Thus, sensorimotor integration in wS1 during spontaneous whisking is predominantly facilitated by direct synaptic inputs from wTLM and wS2 rather than from wM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Kawatani
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
- Department of Functional Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Kayo Horio
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Mahito Ohkuma
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Wan-Ru Li
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
- Department of Functional Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yamashita
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
- International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, Toyoake, 470-1192, Japan
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Huang S, Shen L, Roelfsema MRG, Becker D, Hedrich R. Light-gated channelrhodopsin sparks proton-induced calcium release in guard cells. Science 2023; 382:1314-1318. [PMID: 38096275 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj9696] [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] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Although there has been long-standing recognition that stimuli-induced cytosolic pH alterations coincide with changes in calcium ion (Ca2+) levels, the interdependence between protons (H+) and Ca2+ remains poorly understood. We addressed this topic using the light-gated channelrhodopsin HcKCR2 from the pseudofungus Hyphochytrium catenoides, which operates as a H+ conductive, Ca2+ impermeable ion channel on the plasma membrane of plant cells. Light activation of HcKCR2 in Arabidopsis guard cells evokes a transient cytoplasmic acidification that sparks Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. A H+-induced cytosolic Ca2+ signal results in membrane depolarization through the activation of Ca2+-dependent SLAC1/SLAH3 anion channels, which enabled us to remotely control stomatal movement. Our study suggests a H+-induced Ca2+ release mechanism in plant cells and establishes HcKCR2 as a tool to dissect the molecular basis of plant intracellular pH and Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouguang Huang
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Like Shen
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - M Rob G Roelfsema
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Biocenter, Würzburg University, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
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Yang Q, Chen D. Na + Binding and Transport: Insights from Light-Driven Na +-Pumping Rhodopsin. Molecules 2023; 28:7135. [PMID: 37894614 PMCID: PMC10608830 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Na+ plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes across humans and animals, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of Na+ transmembrane transport. Among the various Na+ pumps and channels, light-driven Na+-pumping rhodopsin (NaR) has emerged as a noteworthy model in this field. This review offers a concise overview of the structural and functional studies conducted on NaR, encompassing ground/intermediate-state structures and photocycle kinetics. The primary focus lies in addressing key inquiries: (1) unraveling the translocation pathway of Na+; (2) examining the role of structural changes within the photocycle, particularly in the O state, in facilitating Na+ transport; and (3) investigating the timing of Na+ uptake/release. By delving into these unresolved issues and existing debates, this review aims to shed light on the future direction of Na+ pump research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qifan Yang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Deliang Chen
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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