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Di Matteo F, Mancuso F, Turcio R, Ciaglia T, Stagno C, Di Chio C, Campiglia P, Bertamino A, Giofrè SV, Ostacolo C, Iraci N. KCNT1 Channel Blockers: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective. Molecules 2024; 29:2940. [PMID: 38931004 PMCID: PMC11206332 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122940] [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: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels have recently emerged as suitable target for the treatment of epileptic diseases. Among potassium channels, KCNT1 channels are the most widely characterized as responsible for several epileptic and developmental encephalopathies. Nevertheless, the medicinal chemistry of KCNT1 blockers is underdeveloped so far. In the present review, we describe and analyse the papers addressing the issue of KCNT1 blockers' development and identification, also evidencing the pros and the cons of the scientific approaches therein described. After a short introduction describing the epileptic diseases and the structure-function of potassium channels, we provide an extensive overview of the chemotypes described so far as KCNT1 blockers, and the scientific approaches used for their identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Matteo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Francesca Mancuso
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Rita Turcio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Tania Ciaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Claudio Stagno
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Pietro Campiglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Alessia Bertamino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Salvatore Vincenzo Giofrè
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmine Ostacolo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Nunzio Iraci
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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2
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Rocha R, Jorge JMP, Teixeira-Duarte CM, Figueiredo-Costa IR, Cereija TB, Ferreira-Teixeira PF, Herzberg C, Stülke J, Morais-Cabral JH. c-di-AMP determines the hierarchical organization of bacterial RCK proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318666121. [PMID: 38652747 PMCID: PMC11067040 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318666121] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, intracellular K+ is involved in the regulation of membrane potential, cytosolic pH, and cell turgor as well as in spore germination, environmental adaptation, cell-to-cell communication in biofilms, antibiotic sensitivity, and infectivity. The second messenger cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP) has a central role in modulating the intracellular K+ concentration in many bacterial species, controlling transcription and function of K+ channels and transporters. However, our understanding of how this regulatory network responds to c-di-AMP remains poor. We used the RCK (Regulator of Conductance of K+) proteins that control the activity of Ktr channels in Bacillus subtilis as a model system to analyze the regulatory function of c-di-AMP with a combination of in vivo and in vitro functional and structural characterization. We determined that the two RCK proteins (KtrA and KtrC) are neither physiologically redundant or functionally equivalent. KtrC is the physiologically dominant RCK protein in the regulation of Ktr channel activity. In explaining this hierarchical organization, we found that, unlike KtrA, KtrC is very sensitive to c-di-AMP inactivation and lack of c-di-AMP regulation results in RCK protein toxicity, most likely due to unregulated K+ flux. We also found that KtrC can assemble with KtrA, conferring c-di-AMP regulation to the functional KtrA/KtrC heteromers and potentially compensating KtrA toxicity. Altogether, we propose that the central role of c-di-AMP in the control of the K+ machinery, by modulating protein levels through gene transcription and by regulating protein activity, has determined the evolutionary selection of KtrC as the dominant RCK protein, shaping the hierarchical organization of regulatory components of the K+ machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Rocha
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
| | - João M. P. Jorge
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
| | - Celso M. Teixeira-Duarte
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
| | | | - Tatiana B. Cereija
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
| | | | - Christina Herzberg
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen37073, Germany
| | - Jörg Stülke
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen37073, Germany
| | - João H. Morais-Cabral
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto4200-135, Portugal
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3
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Gevorgyan H, Baghdasaryan L, Trchounian K. Regulation of metabolism and proton motive force generation during mixed carbon fermentation by an Escherichia coli strain lacking the F OF 1-ATPase. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2024; 1865:149034. [PMID: 38354879 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2024.149034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Proton FOF1-ATPase is the key enzyme in E. coli under fermentative conditions. In this study the role of E. coli proton ATPase in the μ and formation of metabolic pathways during the fermentation of mixture of glucose, glycerol and formate using the DK8 (lacking FOF1) mutant strain was investigated. It was shown that the contribution of FOF1-ATPase in the specific growth rate was ∼45 %. Formate was not taken up in the DK8 strain during the initial hours of the growth. The utilization rates of glucose and glycerol were unchanged in DK8, however, the production of succinate, lactate and ethanol was decreased causing a reduction of the redox state up to -450 mV. Moreover, the contribution of FOF1-ATPase in the interplay between H+ and H2 cycles was described depending on the bacterial growth phase and main utilizing substrate. Besides, the H2 production rate in the DK8 strain was decreased by ∼60 % at 20 h and was absent at 72 h. Δp was decreased from -157 ± 4.8 mV to -140 ± 4.2 mV at 20 h and from -195 ± 5.9 mV to -148 ± 4.4 mV at 72 h, compared to WT. Taken together it can be concluded that during fermentation of mixed carbon sources metabolic cross talk between FOF1-ATPase-TrkA-Hyd-Fdh-H is taking place for maintaining the cell energy balance via regulation proton motive force.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heghine Gevorgyan
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia; Scientific-Research Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia; Microbial Biotechnologies and Biofuel Innovation Center, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Lilit Baghdasaryan
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia; Microbial Biotechnologies and Biofuel Innovation Center, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Karen Trchounian
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia; Scientific-Research Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia; Microbial Biotechnologies and Biofuel Innovation Center, Yerevan State University, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia.
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4
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Akabuogu E, Zhang L, Krašovec R, Roberts IS, Waigh TA. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy with Bacterial Biofilms: Neuronal-like Behavior. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:2234-2241. [PMID: 38320294 PMCID: PMC10885197 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Negative capacitance at low frequencies for spiking neurons was first demonstrated in 1941 (K. S. Cole) by using extracellular electrodes. The phenomenon subsequently was explained by using the Hodgkin-Huxley model and is due to the activity of voltage-gated potassium ion channels. We show that Escherichia coli (E. coli) biofilms exhibit significant stable negative capacitances at low frequencies when they experience a small DC bias voltage in electrical impedance spectroscopy experiments. Using a frequency domain Hodgkin-Huxley model, we characterize the conditions for the emergence of this feature and demonstrate that the negative capacitance exists only in biofilms containing living cells. Furthermore, we establish the importance of the voltage-gated potassium ion channel, Kch, using knock-down mutants. The experiments provide further evidence for voltage-gated ion channels in E. coli and a new, low-cost method to probe biofilm electrophysiology, e.g., to understand the efficacy of antibiotics. We expect that the majority of bacterial biofilms will demonstrate negative capacitances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel
U. Akabuogu
- Division
of Infection, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation,
School of Biological Sciences, University
of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Biological
Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Lin Zhang
- Biological
Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Rok Krašovec
- Division
of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences,
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United
Kingdom
| | - Ian S. Roberts
- Division
of Infection, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation,
School of Biological Sciences, University
of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Waigh
- Biological
Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Photon
Science Institute, Alan
Turing Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PY, United
Kingdom
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5
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Chaves G, Jardin C, Derst C, Musset B. Voltage-Gated Proton Channels in the Tree of Life. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1035. [PMID: 37509071 PMCID: PMC10377628 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
With a single gene encoding HV1 channel, proton channel diversity is particularly low in mammals compared to other members of the superfamily of voltage-gated ion channels. Nonetheless, mammalian HV1 channels are expressed in many different tissues and cell types where they exert various functions. In the first part of this review, we regard novel aspects of the functional expression of HV1 channels in mammals by differentially comparing their involvement in (1) close conjunction with the NADPH oxidase complex responsible for the respiratory burst of phagocytes, and (2) in respiratory burst independent functions such as pH homeostasis or acid extrusion. In the second part, we dissect expression of HV channels within the eukaryotic tree of life, revealing the immense diversity of the channel in other phylae, such as mollusks or dinoflagellates, where several genes encoding HV channels can be found within a single species. In the last part, a comprehensive overview of the biophysical properties of a set of twenty different HV channels characterized electrophysiologically, from Mammalia to unicellular protists, is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Chaves
- Center of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, The Nuremberg Location, Paracelsus Medical University, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Christophe Jardin
- Center of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, The Nuremberg Location, Paracelsus Medical University, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Christian Derst
- Center of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, The Nuremberg Location, Paracelsus Medical University, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Boris Musset
- Center of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, The Nuremberg Location, Paracelsus Medical University, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany
- Center of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, The Salzburg Location, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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6
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Nguyen NH, Brodsky JL. The cellular pathways that maintain the quality control and transport of diverse potassium channels. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194908. [PMID: 36638864 PMCID: PMC9908860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Potassium channels are multi-subunit transmembrane proteins that permit the selective passage of potassium and play fundamental roles in physiological processes, such as action potentials in the nervous system and organismal salt and water homeostasis, which is mediated by the kidney. Like all ion channels, newly translated potassium channels enter the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and undergo the error-prone process of acquiring post-translational modifications, folding into their native conformations, assembling with other subunits, and trafficking through the secretory pathway to reach their final destinations, most commonly the plasma membrane. Disruptions in these processes can result in detrimental consequences, including various human diseases. Thus, multiple quality control checkpoints evolved to guide potassium channels through the secretory pathway and clear potentially toxic, aggregation-prone misfolded species. We will summarize current knowledge on the mechanisms underlying potassium channel quality control in the secretory pathway, highlight diseases associated with channel misfolding, and suggest potential therapeutic routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nga H Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, A320 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Brodsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, A320 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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7
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Xin P, Xu L, Dong W, Mao L, Guo J, Bi J, Zhang S, Pei Y, Chen CP. Synthetic K + Channels Constructed by Rebuilding the Core Modules of Natural K + Channels in an Artificial System. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217859. [PMID: 36583482 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Different types of natural K+ channels share similar core modules and cation permeability characteristics. In this study, we have developed novel artificial K+ channels by rebuilding the core modules of natural K+ channels in artificial systems. All the channels displayed high selectivity for K+ over Na+ and exhibited a selectivity sequence of K+ ≈Rb+ during the transport process, which is highly consistent with the cation permeability characteristics of natural K+ channels. More importantly, these artificial channels could be efficiently inserted into cell membranes and mediate the transmembrane transport of K+ , disrupting the cellular K+ homeostasis and eventually triggering the apoptosis of cells. These findings demonstrate that, by rebuilding the core modules of natural K+ channels in artificial systems, the structures, transport behaviors, and physiological functions of natural K+ channels can be mimicked in synthetic channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyang Xin
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Linqi Xu
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Wenpei Dong
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Linlin Mao
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Engineering Research Centre of Applied Technology on Machine Translation and Artificial Intelligence, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, 999078, China
| | - Jingjing Bi
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Shouwei Zhang
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Yan Pei
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Chang-Po Chen
- Pingyuan Laboratory, NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Innovative Drug, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
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8
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Tiwari M, Panwar S, Tiwari V. Assessment of potassium ion channel during electric signalling in biofilm formation of Acinetobacter baumannii for finding antibiofilm molecule. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12837. [PMID: 36685419 PMCID: PMC9852675 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic ESKAPE pathogen which causes nosocomial infections and can produce biofilms that act as resistant determinants. The role of quorum sensing (chemical signaling) in biofilm establishment has already been studied extensively, but the existence of electrochemical signaling during biofilm formation by A. baumannii has not yet been investigated. The current study evaluated the presence of electrical signaling, types of ion channels involved, and their role in biofilm formation using spectroscopic and microbiological methods. The findings suggest that the potassium ion channel has a significant role in the electrical signaling during the biofilm formation by A. baumannii. Further, in-silico screening, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamic simulation studies identify a potential lead, ZINC12496555(a specific inhibitor), which targets the potassium ion channel protein of A. baumannii. Mutational analysis of the interacting residues showed alterations in the unfolding rate of this protein after the selected mutation, which shows its role in the stability of this protein. It was also observed that identified lead has high antibiofilm activity, no human off-targets, and non-cytotoxicity to cell lines. Thus, identified lead against the potassium channel of A baumannii may be used as an effective therapeutic for the treatment of A. baumannii infections after further experimental validation.
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9
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Jing X, Chen S, Liu X, Yang Y, Rensing C, Zhou S. Potassium channel mediates electroactive biofilm formation via recruiting planktonic Geobacter cells. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:158035. [PMID: 35981588 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Potassium (K+)-channel-based electrical signaling can coordinate microbial actions at a distance that provides an evolutionary advantage to cell communities. Electroactive cells are usually cultured surrounded by an electric field which provided stronger electrical signaling than the K+-mediated electrical signaling. Whether the K+ signaling also plays a role in coordinating the behavior of electroactive microorganisms has not been accurately demonstrated. Thus, we constructed a K+-channel-deficient strain ΔgsuK of Geobacter sulfurreducens to directly investigate roles of K+ signaling in electroactive biofilm formation for the first time. The ΔgsuK strain exhibited significantly inferior biofilm formation (i.e., biomass, thickness and component) and consequently showed weaker electrical performance (i.e., start-up time, current output, electrochemical catalytic behavior and charge transfer resistance) than the wild-type strain. Individual electric generation capacity and the expression of genes involved in biofilm formation and electrical performance in the single cell did not significantly change with the deletion of gsuK, indicating that K+ signaling indeed influenced the recruiting behavior of planktonic cell but not the functioning of the single cell related to biofilm formation or electric generation. This study is intended to provide an in-depth understanding of electroactive biofilm formation and serve as a basis for optimizing its electrical performance via strengthening the recruitment behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyue Jing
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Xing Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yuting Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Christopher Rensing
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shungui Zhou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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10
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Asrani P, Seebohm G, Stoll R. Potassium viroporins as model systems for understanding eukaryotic ion channel behaviour. Virus Res 2022; 320:198903. [PMID: 36037849 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198903] [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: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels are membrane proteins essential for a plethora of cellular functions including maintaining cell shape, ion homeostasis, cardiac rhythm and action potential in neurons. The complexity and often extensive structure of eukaryotic membrane proteins makes it difficult to understand their basic biological regulation. Therefore, this article suggests, viroporins - the miniature versions of eukaryotic protein homologs from viruses - might serve as model systems to provide insights into behaviour of eukaryotic ion channels in general. The structural requirements for correct assembly of the channel along with the basic functional properties of a K+ channel exist in the minimal design of the viral K+ channels from two viruses, Chlorella virus (Kcv) and Ectocarpus siliculosus virus (Kesv). These small viral proteins readily assemble into tetramers and they sort in cells to distinct target membranes. When these viruses-encoded channels are expressed into the mammalian cells, they utilise their protein machinery and hence can serve as excellent tools to study the cells protein sorting machinery. This combination of small size and robust function makes viral K+ channels a valuable model system for detection of basic structure-function correlations. It is believed that molecular and physiochemical analyses of these viroporins may serve as basis for the development of inhibitors or modulators to ion channel activity for targeting ion channel diseases - so called channelopathies. Therefore, it may provide a potential different scope for molecular pharmacology studies aiming at novel and innovative therapeutics associated with channel related diseases. This article reviews the structural and functional properties of Kcv and Kesv upon expression in mammalian cells and Xenopus oocytes. The mechanisms behind differential protein sorting in Kcv and Kesv are also thoroughly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purva Asrani
- Biomolecular Spectroscopy and RUBiospec|NMR, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum D-44780, Germany
| | - Guiscard Seebohm
- Institute for Genetics of Heart Diseases (IfGH), Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster D-48149, Germany
| | - Raphael Stoll
- Biomolecular Spectroscopy and RUBiospec|NMR, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum D-44780, Germany.
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11
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Network-Based Data Analysis Reveals Ion Channel-Related Gene Features in COVID-19: A Bioinformatic Approach. Biochem Genet 2022; 61:471-505. [PMID: 36104591 PMCID: PMC9473477 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-022-10280-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seriously threatens human health and has been disseminated worldwide. Although there are several treatments for COVID-19, its control is currently suboptimal. Therefore, the development of novel strategies to treat COVID-19 is necessary. Ion channels are located on the membranes of all excitable cells and many intracellular organelles and are key components involved in various biological processes. They are a target of interest when searching for drug targets. This study aimed to reveal the relevant molecular features of ion channel genes in COVID-19 based on bioinformatic analyses. The RNA-sequencing data of patients with COVID-19 and healthy subjects (GSE152418 and GSE171110 datasets) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Ion channel genes were selected from the Hugo Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) database. The RStudio software was used to process the data based on the corresponding R language package to identify ion channel-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Based on the DEGs, Gene Ontology (GO) functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Enrichr web tool. The STRING database was used to generate a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Cytoscape software was used to screen for hub genes in the PPI network based on the cytoHubba plug-in. Transcription factors (TF)-DEG, DEG-microRNA (miRNA) and DEG-disease association networks were constructed using the NetworkAnalyst web tool. Finally, the screened hub genes as drug targets were subjected to enrichment analysis based on the DSigDB using the Enrichr web tool to identify potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19. A total of 29 ion channel-associated DEGs were identified. GO functional analysis showed that the DEGs were integral components of the plasma membrane and were mainly involved in inorganic cation transmembrane transport and ion channel activity functions. Pathway analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly involved in nicotine addiction, calcium regulation in the cardiac cell and neuronal system pathways. The top 10 hub genes screened based on the PPI network included KCNA2, KCNJ4, CACNA1A, CACNA1E, NALCN, KCNA5, CACNA2D1, TRPC1, TRPM3 and KCNN3. The TF-DEG and DEG-miRNA networks revealed significant TFs (FOXC1, GATA2, HINFP, USF2, JUN and NFKB1) and miRNAs (hsa-mir-146a-5p, hsa-mir-27a-3p, hsa-mir-335-5p, hsa-let-7b-5p and hsa-mir-129-2-3p). Gene-disease association network analysis revealed that the DEGs were closely associated with intellectual disability and cerebellar ataxia. Drug-target enrichment analysis showed that the relevant drugs targeting the hub genes CACNA2D1, CACNA1A, CACNA1E, KCNA2 and KCNA5 were gabapentin, gabapentin enacarbil, pregabalin, guanidine hydrochloride and 4-aminopyridine. The results of this study provide a valuable basis for exploring the mechanisms of ion channel genes in COVID-19 and clues for developing therapeutic strategies for COVID-19.
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Bazard P, Pineros J, Frisina RD, Bauer MA, Acosta AA, Paganella LR, Borakiewicz D, Thivierge M, Mannering FL, Zhu X, Ding B. Cochlear Inflammaging in Relation to Ion Channels and Mitochondrial Functions. Cells 2021; 10:2761. [PMID: 34685743 PMCID: PMC8534887 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The slow accumulation of inflammatory biomarker levels in the body-also known as inflammaging-has been linked to a myriad of age-related diseases. Some of these include neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease, obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many others. Though a direct correlation has not been established, research connecting age-related hearing loss (ARHL)-the number one communication disorder and one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases of our aged population-and inflammaging has gained interest. Research, thus far, has found that inflammatory markers, such as IL-6 and white blood cells, are associated with ARHL in humans and animals. Moreover, studies investigating ion channels and mitochondrial involvement have shown promising relationships between their functions and inflammaging in the cochlea. In this review, we summarize key findings in inflammaging within the auditory system, the involvement of ion channels and mitochondrial functions, and lastly discuss potential treatment options focusing on controlling inflammation as we age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parveen Bazard
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Jennifer Pineros
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Robert D. Frisina
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
- Department Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Behavioral & Communication Sciences, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Mark A. Bauer
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Alejandro A. Acosta
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Lauren R. Paganella
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Dominika Borakiewicz
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Mark Thivierge
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Freyda L. Mannering
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Zhu
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Bo Ding
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (J.P.); (M.A.B.); (A.A.A.); (L.R.P.); (D.B.); (M.T.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
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13
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CNG channel structure, function, and gating: a tale of conformational flexibility. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1423-1435. [PMID: 34357442 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02610-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are key to the signal transduction machinery of certain sensory modalities both in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. They translate a chemical change in cyclic nucleotide concentration into an electrical signal that can spread through sensory cells. Despite CNG and voltage-gated potassium channels sharing a remarkable amino acid sequence homology and basic architectural plan, their functional properties are dramatically different. While voltage-gated potassium channels are highly selective and require membrane depolarization to open, CNG channels have low ion selectivity and are not very sensitive to voltage. In the last few years, many high-resolution structures of intact CNG channels have been released. This wealth of new structural information has provided enormous progress toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms and driving forces underpinning CNG channel activation. In this review, we report on the current understanding and controversies surrounding the gating mechanism in CNG channels, as well as the deep intertwining existing between gating, the ion permeation process, and its modulation by membrane voltage. While the existence of this powerful coupling was recognized many decades ago, its direct structural demonstration, and ties to the CNG channel inherent pore flexibility, is a recent achievement.
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14
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Abstract
Potassium is an essential mineral nutrient required by all living cells for normal physiological function. Therefore, maintaining intracellular potassium homeostasis during bacterial infection is a requirement for the survival of both host and pathogen. However, pathogenic bacteria require potassium transport to fulfill nutritional and chemiosmotic requirements, and potassium has been shown to directly modulate virulence gene expression, antimicrobial resistance, and biofilm formation. Host cells also require potassium to maintain fundamental biological processes, such as renal function, muscle contraction, and neuronal transmission; however, potassium flux also contributes to critical immunological and antimicrobial processes, such as cytokine production and inflammasome activation. Here, we review the role and regulation of potassium transport and signaling during infection in both mammalian and bacterial cells and highlight the importance of potassium to the success and survival of each organism.
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15
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Bazard P, Frisina RD, Acosta AA, Dasgupta S, Bauer MA, Zhu X, Ding B. Roles of Key Ion Channels and Transport Proteins in Age-Related Hearing Loss. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6158. [PMID: 34200434 PMCID: PMC8201059 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory system is a fascinating sensory organ that overall, converts sound signals to electrical signals of the nervous system. Initially, sound energy is converted to mechanical energy via amplification processes in the middle ear, followed by transduction of mechanical movements of the oval window into electrochemical signals in the cochlear hair cells, and finally, neural signals travel to the central auditory system, via the auditory division of the 8th cranial nerve. The majority of people above 60 years have some form of age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis. However, the biological mechanisms of presbycusis are complex and not yet fully delineated. In the present article, we highlight ion channels and transport proteins, which are integral for the proper functioning of the auditory system, facilitating the diffusion of various ions across auditory structures for signal transduction and processing. Like most other physiological systems, hearing abilities decline with age, hence, it is imperative to fully understand inner ear aging changes, so ion channel functions should be further investigated in the aging cochlea. In this review article, we discuss key various ion channels in the auditory system and how their functions change with age. Understanding the roles of ion channels in auditory processing could enhance the development of potential biotherapies for age-related hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parveen Bazard
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Robert D. Frisina
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Behavioral & Communication Sciences, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Alejandro A. Acosta
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Sneha Dasgupta
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Mark A. Bauer
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Zhu
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Bo Ding
- Department of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (P.B.); (A.A.A.); (S.D.); (M.A.B.); (X.Z.); (B.D.)
- Global Center for Hearing and Speech Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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16
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Otaru N, Ye K, Mujezinovic D, Berchtold L, Constancias F, Cornejo FA, Krzystek A, de Wouters T, Braegger C, Lacroix C, Pugin B. GABA Production by Human Intestinal Bacteroides spp.: Prevalence, Regulation, and Role in Acid Stress Tolerance. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:656895. [PMID: 33936013 PMCID: PMC8082179 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.656895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The high neuroactive potential of metabolites produced by gut microbes has gained traction over the last few years, with metagenomic-based studies suggesting an important role of microbiota-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in modulating mental health. Emerging evidence has revealed the presence of the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)-encoding gene, a key enzyme to produce GABA, in the prominent human intestinal genus Bacteroides. Here, we investigated GABA production by Bacteroides in culture and metabolic assays combined with comparative genomics and phylogenetics. A total of 961 Bacteroides genomes were analyzed in silico and 17 metabolically and genetically diverse human intestinal isolates representing 11 species were screened in vitro. Using the model organism Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron DSM 2079, we determined GABA production kinetics, its impact on milieu pH, and we assessed its role in mitigating acid-induced cellular damage. We showed that the GAD-system consists of at least four highly conserved genes encoding a GAD, a glutaminase, a glutamate/GABA antiporter, and a potassium channel. We demonstrated a high prevalence of the GAD-system among Bacteroides with 90% of all Bacteroides genomes (96% in human gut isolates only) harboring all genes of the GAD-system and 16 intestinal Bacteroides strains producing GABA in vitro (ranging from 0.09 to 60.84 mM). We identified glutamate and glutamine as precursors of GABA production, showed that the production is regulated by pH, and that the GAD-system acts as a protective mechanism against acid stress in Bacteroides, mitigating cell death and preserving metabolic activity. Our data also indicate that the GAD-system might represent the only amino acid-dependent acid tolerance system in Bacteroides. Altogether, our results suggest an important contribution of Bacteroides in the regulation of the GABAergic system in the human gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nize Otaru
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Nutrition Research Unit, University Children's Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kun Ye
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Denisa Mujezinovic
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Berchtold
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,PharmaBiome AG, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Florentin Constancias
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Fabián A Cornejo
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany.,Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adam Krzystek
- Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Christian Braegger
- Nutrition Research Unit, University Children's Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Lacroix
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Pugin
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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17
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Stautz J, Hellmich Y, Fuss MF, Silberberg JM, Devlin JR, Stockbridge RB, Hänelt I. Molecular Mechanisms for Bacterial Potassium Homeostasis. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166968. [PMID: 33798529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Potassium ion homeostasis is essential for bacterial survival, playing roles in osmoregulation, pH homeostasis, regulation of protein synthesis, enzyme activation, membrane potential adjustment and electrical signaling. To accomplish such diverse physiological tasks, it is not surprising that a single bacterium typically encodes several potassium uptake and release systems. To understand the role each individual protein fulfills and how these proteins work in concert, it is important to identify the molecular details of their function. One needs to understand whether the systems transport ions actively or passively, and what mechanisms or ligands lead to the activation or inactivation of individual systems. Combining mechanistic information with knowledge about the physiology under different stress situations, such as osmostress, pH stress or nutrient limitation, one can identify the task of each system and deduce how they are coordinated with each other. By reviewing the general principles of bacterial membrane physiology and describing the molecular architecture and function of several bacterial K+-transporting systems, we aim to provide a framework for microbiologists studying bacterial potassium homeostasis and the many K+-translocating systems that are still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Stautz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yvonne Hellmich
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael F Fuss
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jakob M Silberberg
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jason R Devlin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Randy B Stockbridge
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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18
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Refining Genotypes and Phenotypes in KCNA2-Related Neurological Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062824. [PMID: 33802230 PMCID: PMC7999221 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in KCNA2, encoding for the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.2, have been identified as the cause for an evolving spectrum of neurological disorders. Affected individuals show early-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, intellectual disability, and movement disorders resulting from cerebellar dysfunction. In addition, individuals with a milder course of epilepsy, complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia, and episodic ataxia have been reported. By analyzing phenotypic, functional, and genetic data from published reports and novel cases, we refine and further delineate phenotypic as well as functional subgroups of KCNA2-associated disorders. Carriers of variants, leading to complex and mixed channel dysfunction that are associated with a gain- and loss-of-potassium conductance, more often show early developmental abnormalities and an earlier onset of epilepsy compared to individuals with variants resulting in loss- or gain-of-function. We describe seven additional individuals harboring three known and the novel KCNA2 variants p.(Pro407Ala) and p.(Tyr417Cys). The location of variants reported here highlights the importance of the proline(405)–valine(406)–proline(407) (PVP) motif in transmembrane domain S6 as a mutational hotspot. A novel case of self-limited infantile seizures suggests a continuous clinical spectrum of KCNA2-related disorders. Our study provides further insights into the clinical spectrum, genotype–phenotype correlation, variability, and predicted functional impact of KCNA2 variants.
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19
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Hagi T, Geerlings SY, Nijsse B, Belzer C. The effect of bile acids on the growth and global gene expression profiles in Akkermansia muciniphila. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:10641-10653. [PMID: 33159542 PMCID: PMC7671984 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Akkermansia muciniphila is a prominent member of the gut microbiota and the organism gets exposed to bile acids within this niche. Several gut bacteria have bile response genes to metabolize bile acids or an ability to change their membrane structure to prevent membrane damage from bile acids. To understand the response to bile acids and how A. muciniphila can persist in the gut, we studied the effect of bile acids and individual bile salts on growth. In addition, the change in gene expression under ox-bile condition was studied. The growth of A. muciniphila was inhibited by ox-bile and the bile salts mixture. Individual bile salts have differential effects on the growth. Although most bile salts inhibited the growth of A. muciniphila, an increased growth was observed under culture conditions with sodium deoxycholate. Zaragozic acid A, which is a squalene synthase inhibitor leading to changes in the membrane structure, increased the susceptibility of A. muciniphila to bile acids. Transcriptome analysis showed that gene clusters associated with an ABC transporter and RND transporter were upregulated in the presence of ox-bile. In contrast, a gene cluster containing a potassium transporter was downregulated. Membrane transporter inhibitors also decreased the tolerance to bile acids of A. muciniphila. Our results indicated that membrane transporters and the squalene-associated membrane structure could be major bile response systems required for bile tolerance in A. muciniphila. KEY POINTS: • The growth of Akkermansia muciniphila was inhibited by most bile salts. • Sodium deoxycholate increased the growth of A. muciniphila. • The genes encoding transporters and hopanoid synthesis were upregulated by ox-bile. • The inhibitors of transporters and hopanoid synthesis reduced ox-bile tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuro Hagi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 2 Ikenodai, Tsukuba, 305-0901, Ibaraki, Japan.
| | - Sharon Y Geerlings
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Nijsse
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Clara Belzer
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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20
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Pozdnyakov I, Safonov P, Skarlato S. Diversity of voltage-gated potassium channels and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain-containing channels in eukaryotes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17758. [PMID: 33082475 PMCID: PMC7576140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74971-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain-containing cation channels HCN, CNG, and KCNH are the evolutionarily related families of ion channels in animals. Their homologues were found in several lineages of eukaryotes and prokaryotes; however, the actual phylogenetic and structural diversity of these ion channels remains unclear. In this work, we present a taxonomically broad investigation of evolutionary relationships and structural diversity of Kv, HCN, CNG, and KCNH and their homologues in eukaryotes focusing on channels from different protistan groups. We demonstrate that both groups of channels consist of a more significant number of lineages than it was shown before, and these lineages can be grouped in two clusters termed Kv-like channels and CNBD-channels. Moreover, we, for the first time, report the unusual two-repeat tandem Kv-like channels and CNBD-channels in several eukaryotic groups, i.e. dinoflagellates, oomycetes, and chlorarachniophytes. Our findings reveal still underappreciated phylogenetic and structural diversity of eukaryotic ion channel lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Pozdnyakov
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Pavel Safonov
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - Sergei Skarlato
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
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21
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Jing X, Yang Y, Ai Z, Chen S, Zhou S. Potassium channel blocker inhibits the formation and electroactivity of Geobacter biofilm. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135796. [PMID: 31806298 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria in biofilms are able to utilize potassium ion channel-mediated electrical signaling to achieve cell-cell communication. However, it remains unclear whether these signals play a role in Geobacter sp. when surrounded by an intense electric field. This study used a potassium channel blocker (tetraethylammonium, TEA) that interfered with the release of K+ but not bacterial growth to demonstrate that potassium ion channel-mediated electrical signaling affected the formation and electroactivity of Geobacter sulfurreducens. The results showed that 5 mM TEA slowed the formation of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilm, and the current density was ~50% lower than in the control. The electrochemical analyses showed that the electroactivity of the biofilms with TEA addition was inferior. In particular, the micrometer- scale biofilm with TEA exhibited fewer high current peaks, and the species of outermost groups that participated in the electron transfer in Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms was different from the control. This work provides initial evidence to reveal the role of potassium channels in Geobacter sulfurreducens electroactive biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyue Jing
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yuting Yang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhihao Ai
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
| | - Shungui Zhou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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22
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Schrecker M, Wunnicke D, Hänelt I. How RCK domains regulate gating of K+ channels. Biol Chem 2020; 400:1303-1322. [PMID: 31361596 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2019-0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Potassium channels play a crucial role in the physiology of all living organisms. They maintain the membrane potential and are involved in electrical signaling, pH homeostasis, cell-cell communication and survival under osmotic stress. Many prokaryotic potassium channels and members of the eukaryotic Slo channels are regulated by tethered cytoplasmic domains or associated soluble proteins, which belong to the family of regulator of potassium conductance (RCK). RCK domains and subunits form octameric rings, which control ion gating. For years, a common regulatory mechanism was suggested: ligand-induced conformational changes in the octameric ring would pull open a gate in the pore via flexible linkers. Consistently, ligand-dependent conformational changes were described for various RCK gating rings. Yet, recent structural and functional data of complete ion channels uncovered that the following signal transduction to the pore domains is divers. The different RCK-regulated ion channels show remarkably heterogeneous mechanisms with neither the connection from the RCK domain to the pore nor the gate being conserved. Some channels even lack the flexible linkers, while in others the gate cannot easily be assigned. In this review we compare available structures of RCK-gated potassium channels, highlight the similarities and differences of channel gating, and delineate existing inconsistencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Schrecker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt Main, Germany
| | - Dorith Wunnicke
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt Main, Germany
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt Main, Germany
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23
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Physiological Significance of Ion Transporters and Channels in the Stomach and Pathophysiological Relevance in Gastric Cancer. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 2020:2869138. [PMID: 32104192 PMCID: PMC7040404 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2869138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly invasive and fatal malignant disease that accounts for 5.7% of new global cancer cases and is the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Acid/base homeostasis is critical for organisms because protein and enzyme function, cellular structure, and plasma membrane permeability change with pH. Various ion transporters are expressed in normal gastric mucosal epithelial cells and regulate gastric acid secretion, ion transport, and fluid absorption, thereby stabilizing the differentiation and homeostasis of gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Ion transporter dysfunction results in disordered ion transport, mucosa barrier dysfunction, and acid/base disturbances, causing gastric acid-related diseases such as chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and GC. This review summarizes the physiological functions of multiple ion transporters and channels in the stomach, including Cl− channels, Cl−/HCO3− exchangers, sodium/hydrogen exchangers (NHEs), and potassium (K+) channels, and their pathophysiological relevance in GC.
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24
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Teixeira-Duarte CM, Fonseca F, Morais-Cabral JH. Activation of a nucleotide-dependent RCK domain requires binding of a cation cofactor to a conserved site. eLife 2019; 8:50661. [PMID: 31868587 PMCID: PMC6957272 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
RCK domains regulate the activity of K+ channels and transporters in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms by responding to ions or nucleotides. The mechanisms of RCK activation by Ca2+ in the eukaryotic BK and bacterial MthK K+ channels are well understood. However, the molecular details of activation in nucleotide-dependent RCK domains are not clear. Through a functional and structural analysis of the mechanism of ATP activation in KtrA, a RCK domain from the B. subtilis KtrAB cation channel, we have found that activation by nucleotide requires binding of cations to an intra-dimer interface site in the RCK dimer. In particular, divalent cations are coordinated by the γ-phosphates of bound-ATP, tethering the two subunits and stabilizing the active state conformation. Strikingly, the binding site residues are highly conserved in many different nucleotide-dependent RCK domains, indicating that divalent cations are a general cofactor in the regulatory mechanism of many nucleotide-dependent RCK domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celso M Teixeira-Duarte
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Programa Doutoral em Biologia Molecular e Celular (MCbiology), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Fonseca
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João H Morais-Cabral
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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25
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Morales Duque H, Campos Dias S, Franco OL. Structural and Functional Analyses of Cone Snail Toxins. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17060370. [PMID: 31234371 PMCID: PMC6628382 DOI: 10.3390/md17060370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone snails are marine gastropod mollusks with one of the most powerful venoms in nature. The toxins, named conotoxins, must act quickly on the cone snails´ prey due to the fact that snails are extremely slow, reducing their hunting capability. Therefore, the characteristics of conotoxins have become the object of investigation, and as a result medicines have been developed or are in the trialing process. Conotoxins interact with transmembrane proteins, showing specificity and potency. They target ion channels and ionotropic receptors with greater regularity, and when interaction occurs, there is immediate physiological decompensation. In this review we aimed to evaluate the structural features of conotoxins and the relationship with their target types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Morales Duque
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF 70.790-160, Brazil.
| | - Simoni Campos Dias
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF 70.790-160, Brazil.
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília-DF 70.790-160, Brazil.
- S-inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande-MS 79.117-900, Brazil.
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26
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McDonald SK, Levitz TS, Valiyaveetil FI. A Shared Mechanism for the Folding of Voltage-Gated K + Channels. Biochemistry 2019; 58:1660-1671. [PMID: 30793887 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we probe the folding of KvAP, a voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel. The KvAP channel, though of archaebacterial origin, is structurally and functionally similar to eukaryotic Kv channels. An advantage of the KvAP channel is that it can be folded in vitro from an extensively unfolded state and the folding can be controlled by temperature. We utilize these properties of the KvAP channel to separately study the membrane insertion and the tetramerization stages during folding. We use two quantitative assays: a Cys PEGylation assay to monitor membrane insertion and a cross-linking assay to monitor tetramerization. We show that during folding the KvAP polypeptide is rapidly inserted into the lipid bilayer with a "native-like" topology. We identify a segment at the C-terminus that is important for multimerization of the KvAP channel. We show that this C-terminal domain forms a dimer, which raises the possibility that the tetramerization of the KvAP channel proceeds through a dimer of dimers pathway. Our studies show that the in vitro folding of the KvAP channel mirrors aspects of the cellular assembly pathway for voltage-gated K+ channels and therefore suggest that evolutionarily distinct Kv channels share a common folding pathway. The pathway for the folding and assembly of a Kv channel is of central importance as defects in this pathway have been implicated in the etiology of several disease states. Our studies indicate that the KvAP channel provides an experimentally tractable system for elucidating the folding mechanism of Kv channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K McDonald
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , Oregon Health & Science University , 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road , Portland , Oregon 97239 , United States
| | - Talya S Levitz
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , Oregon Health & Science University , 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road , Portland , Oregon 97239 , United States
| | - Francis I Valiyaveetil
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , Oregon Health & Science University , 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road , Portland , Oregon 97239 , United States
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27
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Cannady R, Rinker JA, Nimitvilai S, Woodward JJ, Mulholland PJ. Chronic Alcohol, Intrinsic Excitability, and Potassium Channels: Neuroadaptations and Drinking Behavior. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018; 248:311-343. [PMID: 29374839 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neural mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorder remain elusive, and this lack of understanding has slowed the development of efficacious treatment strategies for reducing relapse rates and prolonging abstinence. While synaptic adaptations produced by chronic alcohol exposure have been extensively characterized in a variety of brain regions, changes in intrinsic excitability of critical projection neurons are understudied. Accumulating evidence suggests that prolonged alcohol drinking and alcohol dependence produce plasticity of intrinsic excitability as measured by changes in evoked action potential firing and after-hyperpolarization amplitude. In this chapter, we describe functional changes in cell firing of projection neurons after long-term alcohol exposure that occur across species and in multiple brain regions. Adaptations in calcium-activated (KCa2), voltage-dependent (KV7), and G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying (Kir3 or GIRK) potassium channels that regulate the evoked firing and after-hyperpolarization parallel functional changes in intrinsic excitability induced by chronic alcohol. Moreover, there are strong genetic links between alcohol-related behaviors and genes encoding KCa2, KV7, and GIRK channels, and pharmacologically targeting these channels reduces alcohol consumption and alcohol-related behaviors. Together, these studies demonstrate that chronic alcohol drinking produces adaptations in KCa2, KV7, and GIRK channels leading to impaired regulation of the after-hyperpolarization and aberrant cell firing. Correcting the deficit in the after-hyperpolarization with positive modulators of KCa2 and KV7 channels and altering the GIRK channel binding pocket to block the access of alcohol represent a potentially highly effective pharmacological approach that can restore changes in intrinsic excitability and reduce alcohol consumption in affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginald Cannady
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Sudarat Nimitvilai
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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28
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Casella S, Huang F, Mason D, Zhao GY, Johnson GN, Mullineaux CW, Liu LN. Dissecting the Native Architecture and Dynamics of Cyanobacterial Photosynthetic Machinery. MOLECULAR PLANT 2017; 10:1434-1448. [PMID: 29017828 PMCID: PMC5683893 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2017.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The structural dynamics and flexibility of cell membranes play fundamental roles in the functions of the cells, i.e., signaling, energy transduction, and physiological adaptation. The cyanobacterial thylakoid membrane represents a model membrane that can conduct both oxygenic photosynthesis and respiration simultaneously. In this study, we conducted direct visualization of the global organization and mobility of photosynthetic complexes in thylakoid membranes from a model cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, using high-resolution atomic force, confocal, and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We visualized the native arrangement and dense packing of photosystem I (PSI), photosystem II (PSII), and cytochrome (Cyt) b6f within thylakoid membranes at the molecular level. Furthermore, we functionally tagged PSI, PSII, Cyt b6f, and ATP synthase individually with fluorescent proteins, and revealed the heterogeneous distribution of these four photosynthetic complexes and determined their dynamic features within the crowding membrane environment using live-cell fluorescence imaging. We characterized red light-induced clustering localization and adjustable diffusion of photosynthetic complexes in thylakoid membranes, representative of the reorganization of photosynthetic apparatus in response to environmental changes. Understanding the organization and dynamics of photosynthetic membranes is essential for rational design and construction of artificial photosynthetic systems to underpin bioenergy development. Knowledge of cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes could also be extended to other cell membranes, such as chloroplast and mitochondrial membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Casella
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Fang Huang
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - David Mason
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; Centre for Cell Imaging, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Guo-Yan Zhao
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Giles N Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Conrad W Mullineaux
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.
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29
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Ali MK, Li X, Tang Q, Liu X, Chen F, Xiao J, Ali M, Chou SH, He J. Regulation of Inducible Potassium Transporter KdpFABC by the KdpD/KdpE Two-Component System in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:570. [PMID: 28484428 PMCID: PMC5401905 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Kdp-ATPase is an inducible high affinity potassium uptake system that is widely distributed in bacteria, and is generally regulated by the KdpD/KdpE two-component system (TCS). In this study, conducted on Mycobacterium smegmatis, the kdpFABC (encoding Kdp-ATPase) expression was found to be affected by low concentration of K+, high concentrations of Na+, and/or [Formula: see text] of the medium. The KdpE was found to be a transcriptional regulator that bound to a specific 22-bp sequence in the promoter region of kdpFABC operon to positively regulate kdpFABC expression. The KdpE binding motif was highly conserved in the promoters of kdpFABC among the mycobacterial species. 5'-RACE data indicated a transcriptional start site (TSS) of the kdpFABC operon within the coding sequence of MSMEG_5391, which comprised a 120-bp long 5'-UTR and an open reading frame of the 87-bp kdpF gene. The kdpE deletion resulted in altered growth rate under normal and low K+ conditions. Furthermore, under K+ limiting conditions, a single transcript (kdpFABCDE) spanning kdpFABC and kdpDE operons was observed. This study provided the first insight into the regulation of kdpFABC operon by the KdpD/KdpE TCS in M. smegmatis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria K Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Xinfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Qing Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Fang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Jinfeng Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Muhammad Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China.,Biotechnology Program, Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information TechnologyAbbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- Institute of Biochemistry and NCHU Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing UniversityTaichung, Taiwan
| | - Jin He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
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30
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Giraldez T, Rothberg BS. Understanding the conformational motions of RCK gating rings. J Gen Physiol 2017; 149:431-441. [PMID: 28246116 PMCID: PMC5379921 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201611726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A timely review of the structural basis of Ca2+-activated K+ channel modulation by regulator of conduction of K+ (RCK) domains Regulator of conduction of K+ (RCK) domains are ubiquitous regulators of channel and transporter activity in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In humans, RCK domains form an integral component of large-conductance calcium-activated K channels (BK channels), key modulators of nerve, muscle, and endocrine cell function. In this review, we explore how the study of RCK domains in bacterial and human channels has contributed to our understanding of the structural basis of channel function. This knowledge will be critical in identifying mechanisms that underlie BK channelopathies that lead to epilepsy and other diseases, as well as regions of the channel that might be successfully targeted to treat such diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Giraldez
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Technologies and Centre for Biomedical Research of the Canary Islands, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna 38071, Spain
| | - Brad S Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140
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31
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Buetti-Dinh A, Dethlefsen O, Friedman R, Dopson M. Transcriptomic analysis reveals how a lack of potassium ions increases Sulfolobus acidocaldarius sensitivity to pH changes. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2016; 162:1422-1434. [PMID: 27230583 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Extremely acidophilic microorganisms (optimum growth pH of ≤3) maintain a near neutral cytoplasmic pH via several homeostatic mechanisms, including an inside positive membrane potential created by potassium ions. Transcriptomic responses to pH stress in the thermoacidophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were investigated by growing cells without added sodium and/or potassium ions at both optimal and sub-optimal pH. Culturing the cells in the absence of added sodium or potassium ions resulted in a reduced growth rate compared to full-salt conditions as well as 43 and 75 significantly different RNA transcript ratios, respectively. Differentially expressed RNA transcripts during growth in the absence of added sodium ions included genes coding for permeases, a sodium/proline transporter and electron transport proteins. In contrast, culturing without added potassium ions resulted in higher RNA transcripts for similar genes as a lack of sodium ions plus genes related to spermidine that has a general role in response to stress and a decarboxylase that potentially consumes protons. The greatest RNA transcript response occurred when S. acidocaldarius cells were grown in the absence of potassium and/or sodium at a sub-optimal pH. These adaptations included those listed above plus osmoregulated glucans and mechanosensitive channels that have previously been shown to respond to osmotic stress. In addition, data analyses revealed two co-expressed IclR family transcriptional regulator genes with a previously unknown role in the S. acidocaldarius pH stress response. Our study provides additional evidence towards the importance of potassium in acidophile growth at acidic pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Buetti-Dinh
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.,Centre for Biomaterials Chemistry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Olga Dethlefsen
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ran Friedman
- Centre for Biomaterials Chemistry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Mark Dopson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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32
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Checchetto V, Segalla A, Sato Y, Bergantino E, Szabo I, Uozumi N. Involvement of Potassium Transport Systems in the Response of Synechocystis PCC 6803 Cyanobacteria to External pH Change, High-Intensity Light Stress and Heavy Metal Stress. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 57:862-877. [PMID: 26880819 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcw032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The unicellular photosynthetic cyanobacterium, able to survive in varying environments, is the only prokaryote that directly converts solar energy and CO2 into organic material and is thus relevant for primary production in many ecosystems. To maintain the intracellular and intrathylakoid ion homeostasis upon different environmental challenges, the concentration of potassium as a major intracellular cation has to be optimized by various K(+)uptake-mediated transport systems. We reveal here the specific and concerted physiological function of three K(+)transporters of the plasma and thylakoid membranes, namely of SynK (K(+)channel), KtrB (Ktr/Trk/HKT) and KdpA (Kdp) in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803, under specific stress conditions. The behavior of the wild type, single, double and triple mutants was compared, revealing that only Synk contributes to heavy metal-induced stress, while only Ktr/Kdp is involved in osmotic and salt stress adaptation. With regards to pH shifts in the external medium, the Kdp/Ktr uptake systems play an important role in the adaptation to acidic pH. Ktr, by affecting the CO2 concentration mechanism via its action on the bicarbonate transporter SbtA, might also be responsible for the observed effects concerning high-light stress and calcification. In the case of illumination with high-intensity light, a synergistic action of Kdr/Ktp and SynK is required in order to avoid oxidative stress and ensure cell viability. In summary, this study dissects, using growth tests, measurement of photosynthetic activity and analysis of ultrastructure, the physiological role of three K(+)transporters in adaptation of the cyanobacteria to various environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Checchetto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Anna Segalla
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Yuki Sato
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579 Japan
| | | | - Ildiko Szabo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Nobuyuki Uozumi
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579 Japan
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33
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Checchetto V, Teardo E, Carraretto L, Leanza L, Szabo I. Physiology of intracellular potassium channels: A unifying role as mediators of counterion fluxes? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2016; 1857:1258-1266. [PMID: 26970213 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2016.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Plasma membrane potassium channels importantly contribute to maintain ion homeostasis across the cell membrane. The view is emerging that also those residing in intracellular membranes play pivotal roles for the coordination of correct cell function. In this review we critically discuss our current understanding of the nature and physiological tasks of potassium channels in organelle membranes in both animal and plant cells, with a special emphasis on their function in the regulation of photosynthesis and mitochondrial respiration. In addition, the emerging role of potassium channels in the nuclear membranes in regulating transcription will be discussed. The possible functions of endoplasmic reticulum-, lysosome- and plant vacuolar membrane-located channels are also referred to. Altogether, experimental evidence obtained with distinct channels in different membrane systems points to a possible unifying function of most intracellular potassium channels in counterbalancing the movement of other ions including protons and calcium and modulating membrane potential, thereby fine-tuning crucial cellular processes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-7, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Checchetto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131 Italy
| | - Enrico Teardo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Luca Carraretto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Luigi Leanza
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Ildiko Szabo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy; CNR Institute of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, Padova 35131, Italy.
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34
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Carraretto L, Teardo E, Checchetto V, Finazzi G, Uozumi N, Szabo I. Ion Channels in Plant Bioenergetic Organelles, Chloroplasts and Mitochondria: From Molecular Identification to Function. MOLECULAR PLANT 2016; 9:371-395. [PMID: 26751960 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent technical advances in electrophysiological measurements, organelle-targeted fluorescence imaging, and organelle proteomics have pushed the research of ion transport a step forward in the case of the plant bioenergetic organelles, chloroplasts and mitochondria, leading to the molecular identification and functional characterization of several ion transport systems in recent years. Here we focus on channels that mediate relatively high-rate ion and water flux and summarize the current knowledge in this field, focusing on targeting mechanisms, proteomics, electrophysiology, and physiological function. In addition, since chloroplasts evolved from a cyanobacterial ancestor, we give an overview of the information available about cyanobacterial ion channels and discuss the evolutionary origin of chloroplast channels. The recent molecular identification of some of these ion channels allowed their physiological functions to be studied using genetically modified Arabidopsis plants and cyanobacteria. The view is emerging that alteration of chloroplast and mitochondrial ion homeostasis leads to organelle dysfunction, which in turn significantly affects the energy metabolism of the whole organism. Clear-cut identification of genes encoding for channels in these organelles, however, remains a major challenge in this rapidly developing field. Multiple strategies including bioinformatics, cell biology, electrophysiology, use of organelle-targeted ion-sensitive probes, genetics, and identification of signals eliciting specific ion fluxes across organelle membranes should provide a better understanding of the physiological role of organellar channels and their contribution to signaling pathways in plants in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Carraretto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Enrico Teardo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy; CNR Institute of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Finazzi
- UMR 5168 Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire Végétale (LPCV) CNRS/ UJF / INRA / CEA, Institut de Recherches en Technologies et Sciences pour le Vivant (iRTSV), CEA Grenoble, 38054 Grenoble, France.
| | - Nobuyuki Uozumi
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aobayama 6-6-07, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
| | - Ildiko Szabo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy; CNR Institute of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy.
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Liu LN. Distribution and dynamics of electron transport complexes in cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2015; 1857:256-65. [PMID: 26619924 PMCID: PMC4756276 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2015.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The cyanobacterial thylakoid membrane represents a system that can carry out both oxygenic photosynthesis and respiration simultaneously. The organization, interactions and mobility of components of these two electron transport pathways are indispensable to the biosynthesis of thylakoid membrane modules and the optimization of bioenergetic electron flow in response to environmental changes. These are of fundamental importance to the metabolic robustness and plasticity of cyanobacteria. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the distribution and dynamics of electron transport components in cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes. Global understanding of the principles that govern the dynamic regulation of electron transport pathways in nature will provide a framework for the design and synthetic engineering of new bioenergetic machinery to improve photosynthesis and biofuel production. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Organization and dynamics of bioenergetic systems in bacteria, edited by Conrad Mullineaux. Cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes carry out both oxygenic photosynthesis and respiration. Electron transport components are located in the thylakoid membrane and functionally coordinate with each other. Distribution and dynamics of electron transport components are physiologically regulated in response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.
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36
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Baker EC, Layden MJ, van Rossum DB, Kamel B, Medina M, Simpson E, Jegla T. Functional Characterization of Cnidarian HCN Channels Points to an Early Evolution of Ih. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142730. [PMID: 26555239 PMCID: PMC4640657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
HCN channels play a unique role in bilaterian physiology as the only hyperpolarization-gated cation channels. Their voltage-gating is regulated by cyclic nucleotides and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Activation of HCN channels provides the depolarizing current in response to hyperpolarization that is critical for intrinsic rhythmicity in neurons and the sinoatrial node. Additionally, HCN channels regulate dendritic excitability in a wide variety of neurons. Little is known about the early functional evolution of HCN channels, but the presence of HCN sequences in basal metazoan phyla and choanoflagellates, a protozoan sister group to the metazoans, indicate that the gene family predates metazoan emergence. We functionally characterized two HCN channel orthologs from Nematostella vectensis (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) to determine which properties of HCN channels were established prior to the emergence of bilaterians. We find Nematostella HCN channels share all the major functional features of bilaterian HCNs, including reversed voltage-dependence, activation by cAMP and PIP2, and block by extracellular Cs+. Thus bilaterian-like HCN channels were already present in the common parahoxozoan ancestor of bilaterians and cnidarians, at a time when the functional diversity of voltage-gated K+ channels was rapidly expanding. NvHCN1 and NvHCN2 are expressed broadly in planulae and in both the endoderm and ectoderm of juvenile polyps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Baker
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Layden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Damian B. van Rossum
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bishoy Kamel
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Monica Medina
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Eboni Simpson
- Penn State University Graduate School, Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Timothy Jegla
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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37
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Ion channels enable electrical communication in bacterial communities. Nature 2015; 527:59-63. [PMID: 26503040 DOI: 10.1038/nature15709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 408] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The study of bacterial ion channels has provided fundamental insights into the structural basis of neuronal signalling; however, the native role of ion channels in bacteria has remained elusive. Here we show that ion channels conduct long-range electrical signals within bacterial biofilm communities through spatially propagating waves of potassium. These waves result from a positive feedback loop, in which a metabolic trigger induces release of intracellular potassium, which in turn depolarizes neighbouring cells. Propagating through the biofilm, this wave of depolarization coordinates metabolic states among cells in the interior and periphery of the biofilm. Deletion of the potassium channel abolishes this response. As predicted by a mathematical model, we further show that spatial propagation can be hindered by specific genetic perturbations to potassium channel gating. Together, these results demonstrate a function for ion channels in bacterial biofilms, and provide a prokaryotic paradigm for active, long-range electrical signalling in cellular communities.
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38
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Zubcevic L, Wang S, Bavro VN, Lee SJ, Nichols CG, Tucker SJ. Modular Design of the Selectivity Filter Pore Loop in a Novel Family of Prokaryotic 'Inward Rectifier' (NirBac) channels. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15305. [PMID: 26470642 PMCID: PMC4607889 DOI: 10.1038/srep15305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels exhibit a modular design with distinct structural and functional domains; in particular, a highly conserved pore-loop sequence that determines their ionic selectivity. We now report the functional characterisation of a novel group of functionally non-selective members of the prokaryotic 'inward rectifier' subfamily of K(+) channels. These channels share all the key structural domains of eukaryotic and prokaryotic Kir/KirBac channels, but instead possess unique pore-loop selectivity filter sequences unrelated to any other known ionic selectivity filter. The strikingly unusual architecture of these 'NirBac' channels defines a new family of functionally non-selective ion channels, and also provides important insights into the modular design of ion channels, as well as the evolution of ionic selectivity within this superfamily of tetrameric cation channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lejla Zubcevic
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shizhen Wang
- Washington University St. Louis, School Of Medicine, Centre for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases (CIMED), St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vassiliy N. Bavro
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sun-Joo Lee
- Washington University St. Louis, School Of Medicine, Centre for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases (CIMED), St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Colin G. Nichols
- Washington University St. Louis, School Of Medicine, Centre for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases (CIMED), St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stephen J. Tucker
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Grau RR, de Oña P, Kunert M, Leñini C, Gallegos-Monterrosa R, Mhatre E, Vileta D, Donato V, Hölscher T, Boland W, Kuipers OP, Kovács ÁT. A Duo of Potassium-Responsive Histidine Kinases Govern the Multicellular Destiny of Bacillus subtilis. mBio 2015; 6:e00581. [PMID: 26152584 PMCID: PMC4495169 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00581-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Multicellular biofilm formation and surface motility are bacterial behaviors considered mutually exclusive. However, the basic decision to move over or stay attached to a surface is poorly understood. Here, we discover that in Bacillus subtilis, the key root biofilm-controlling transcription factor Spo0A~Pi (phosphorylated Spo0A) governs the flagellum-independent mechanism of social sliding motility. A Spo0A-deficient strain was totally unable to slide and colonize plant roots, evidencing the important role that sliding might play in natural settings. Microarray experiments plus subsequent genetic characterization showed that the machineries of sliding and biofilm formation share the same main components (i.e., surfactin, the hydrophobin BslA, exopolysaccharide, and de novo-formed fatty acids). Sliding proficiency was transduced by the Spo0A-phosphorelay histidine kinases KinB and KinC. We discovered that potassium, a previously known inhibitor of KinC-dependent biofilm formation, is the specific sliding-activating signal through a thus-far-unnoticed cytosolic domain of KinB, which resembles the selectivity filter sequence of potassium channels. The differential expression of the Spo0A~Pi reporter abrB gene and the different levels of the constitutively active form of Spo0A, Sad67, in Δspo0A cells grown in optimized media that simultaneously stimulate motile and sessile behaviors uncover the spatiotemporal response of KinB and KinC to potassium and the gradual increase in Spo0A~Pi that orchestrates the sequential activation of sliding, followed by sessile biofilm formation and finally sporulation in the same population. Overall, these results provide insights into how multicellular behaviors formerly believed to be antagonistic are coordinately activated in benefit of the bacterium and its interaction with the host. IMPORTANCE Alternation between motile and sessile behaviors is central to bacterial adaptation, survival, and colonization. However, how is the collective decision to move over or stay attached to a surface controlled? Here, we use the model plant-beneficial bacterium Bacillus subtilis to answer this question. Remarkably, we discover that sessile biofilm formation and social sliding motility share the same structural components and the Spo0A regulatory network via sensor kinases, KinB and KinC. Potassium, an inhibitor of KinC-dependent biofilm formation, triggers sliding via a potassium-perceiving cytosolic domain of KinB that resembles the selectivity filter of potassium channels. The spatiotemporal response of these kinases to variable potassium levels and the gradual increase in Spo0A~Pi levels that orchestrates the activation of sliding before biofilm formation shed light on how multicellular behaviors formerly believed to be antagonistic work together to benefit the population fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto R Grau
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (FCByF), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Paula de Oña
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (FCByF), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Maritta Kunert
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Cecilia Leñini
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (FCByF), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Ramses Gallegos-Monterrosa
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Eisha Mhatre
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Darío Vileta
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (FCByF), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Verónica Donato
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (FCByF), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Theresa Hölscher
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ákos T Kovács
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany
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40
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Kuang Q, Purhonen P, Hebert H. Structure of potassium channels. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:3677-93. [PMID: 26070303 PMCID: PMC4565861 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Potassium channels ubiquitously exist in nearly all kingdoms of life and perform diverse but important functions. Since the first atomic structure of a prokaryotic potassium channel (KcsA, a channel from Streptomyces lividans) was determined, tremendous progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of potassium channels and channels conducting other ions. In this review, we discuss the structure of various kinds of potassium channels, including the potassium channel with the pore-forming domain only (KcsA), voltage-gated, inwardly rectifying, tandem pore domain, and ligand-gated ones. The general properties shared by all potassium channels are introduced first, followed by specific features in each class. Our purpose is to help readers to grasp the basic concepts, to be familiar with the property of the different domains, and to understand the structure and function of the potassium channels better.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qie Kuang
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden.
- School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Pasi Purhonen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hans Hebert
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden
- School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden
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41
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Crystal structure of a two-subunit TrkA octameric gating ring assembly. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122512. [PMID: 25826626 PMCID: PMC4380455 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The TM1088 locus of T. maritima codes for two proteins designated TM1088A and TM1088B, which combine to form the cytosolic portion of a putative Trk K+ transporter. We report the crystal structure of this assembly to a resolution of 3.45 Å. The high resolution crystal structures of the components of the assembly, TM1088A and TM1088B, were also determined independently to 1.50 Å and 1.55 Å, respectively. The TM1088 proteins are structurally homologous to each other and to other K+ transporter proteins, such as TrkA. These proteins form a cytosolic gating ring assembly that controls the flow of K+ ions across the membrane. TM1088 represents the first structure of a two-subunit Trk assembly. Despite the atypical genetics and chain organization of the TM1088 assembly, it shares significant structural homology and an overall quaternary organization with other single-subunit K+ gating ring assemblies. This structure provides the first structural insights into what may be an evolutionary ancestor of more modern single-subunit K+ gating ring assemblies.
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42
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Rossier BC, Baker ME, Studer RA. Epithelial sodium transport and its control by aldosterone: the story of our internal environment revisited. Physiol Rev 2015; 95:297-340. [PMID: 25540145 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00011.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription and translation require a high concentration of potassium across the entire tree of life. The conservation of a high intracellular potassium was an absolute requirement for the evolution of life on Earth. This was achieved by the interplay of P- and V-ATPases that can set up electrochemical gradients across the cell membrane, an energetically costly process requiring the synthesis of ATP by F-ATPases. In animals, the control of an extracellular compartment was achieved by the emergence of multicellular organisms able to produce tight epithelial barriers creating a stable extracellular milieu. Finally, the adaptation to a terrestrian environment was achieved by the evolution of distinct regulatory pathways allowing salt and water conservation. In this review we emphasize the critical and dual role of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in the control of the ionic composition of the extracellular fluid and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in salt and water conservation in vertebrates. The action of aldosterone on transepithelial sodium transport by activation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) at the apical membrane and that of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase at the basolateral membrane may have evolved in lungfish before the emergence of tetrapods. Finally, we discuss the implication of RAAS in the origin of the present pandemia of hypertension and its associated cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard C Rossier
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Division of Nephrology-Hypertension, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael E Baker
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Division of Nephrology-Hypertension, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Romain A Studer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Division of Nephrology-Hypertension, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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43
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Yang H, Zhang G, Cui J. BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate. Front Physiol 2015; 6:29. [PMID: 25705194 PMCID: PMC4319557 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion transport across cell membranes is essential to cell communication and signaling. Passive ion transport is mediated by ion channels, membrane proteins that create ion conducting pores across cell membrane to allow ion flux down electrochemical gradient. Under physiological conditions, majority of ion channel pores are not constitutively open. Instead, structural region(s) within these pores breaks the continuity of the aqueous ion pathway, thereby serves as activation gate(s) to control ions flow in and out. To achieve spatially and temporally regulated ion flux in cells, many ion channels have evolved sensors to detect various environmental stimuli or the metabolic states of the cell and trigger global conformational changes, thereby dynamically operate the opening and closing of their activation gate. The sensors of ion channels can be broadly categorized as chemical sensors and physical sensors to respond to chemical (such as neural transmitters, nucleotides and ions) and physical (such as voltage, mechanical force and temperature) signals, respectively. With the rapidly growing structural and functional information of different types of ion channels, it is now critical to understand how ion channel sensors dynamically control their gates at molecular and atomic level. The voltage and Ca2+ activated BK channels, a K+ channel with an electrical sensor and multiple chemical sensors, provide a unique model system for us to understand how physical and chemical energy synergistically operate its activation gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanghe Yang
- Ion Channel Research Unit, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA ; Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guohui Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis St. Louis, MO, USA ; Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis St. Louis, MO, USA ; Center for The Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Washington University in Saint Louis St. Louis, MO, USA
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44
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Kuang Q, Purhonen P, Jegerschöld C, Koeck PJB, Hebert H. Free RCK arrangement in Kch, a putative escherichia coli potassium channel, as suggested by electron crystallography. Structure 2014; 23:199-205. [PMID: 25497729 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2014.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The ligand-gated potassium channels are stimulated by various kinds of messengers. Previous studies showed that ligand-gated potassium channels containing RCK domains (the regulator of the conductance of potassium ion) form a dimer of tetramer structure through the RCK octameric gating ring in the presence of detergent. Here, we have analyzed the structure of Kch, a channel of this type from Escherichia coli, in a lipid environment using electron crystallography. By combining information from the 3D map of the transmembrane part of the protein and docking of an atomic model of a potassium channel, we conclude that the RCK domains face the solution and that an RCK octameric gating ring arrangement does not form under our crystallization condition. Our findings may be applied to other potassium channels that have an RCK gating ring arrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qie Kuang
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden; School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Pasi Purhonen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Caroline Jegerschöld
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Philip J B Koeck
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden; School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hans Hebert
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden; School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 14183 Huddinge, Sweden.
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45
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Family of prokaryote cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:7855-60. [PMID: 24821777 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1401917111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channels are molecular pores that mediate the passage of ions across the cell membrane in response to cAMP or GMP. Structural insight into this class of ion channels currently comes from a related homolog, MloK1, that contains six transmembrane domains and a cytoplasmic cyclic nucleotide binding domain. However, unlike eukaryote hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) and cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, MloK1 lacks a C-linker region, which critically contributes to the molecular coupling between ligand binding and channel opening. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of five previously unidentified prokaryote homologs with high sequence similarity (24-32%) to eukaryote HCN and CNG channels and that contain a C-linker region. Biochemical characterization shows that two homologs, termed AmaK and SthK, can be expressed and purified as detergent-solubilized protein from Escherichia coli membranes. Expression of SthK channels in Xenopus laevis oocytes and functional characterization using the patch-clamp technique revealed that the channels are gated by cAMP, but not cGMP, are highly selective for K(+) ions over Na(+) ions, generate a large unitary conductance, and are only weakly voltage dependent. These properties resemble essential properties of various eukaryote HCN or CNG channels. Our results contribute to an understanding of the evolutionary origin of cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channels and pave the way for future structural and functional studies.
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46
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Smith FJ, Pau VP, Cingolani G, Rothberg BS. Structural basis of allosteric interactions among Ca2+-binding sites in a K+ channel RCK domain. Nat Commun 2013; 4:2621. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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47
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Kuang Q, Purhonen P, Jegerschöld C, Hebert H. The projection structure of Kch, a putative potassium channel in Escherichia coli, by electron crystallography. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1838:237-43. [PMID: 24055821 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Revised: 09/07/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The kch gene, the only potassium channel gene in Escherichia coli, has the property to express both full-length Kch and its cytosolic domain (RCK) due to a methionine at position 240. The RCK domains are believed to form an octameric ring structure and regulate the gating of the potassium channels after having bound certain ligands. Several different gating ring structures have been reported for the soluble RCK domains, however, these were studied isolated from their transmembrane parts. We previously reported an octameric structure of Kch in solution by electron microscopy and single particle reconstruction, composed of two tetrameric full-length proteins through RCK interaction. To exclude the effect of the detergent, we have now performed an electron crystallographic study of the full-length Kch in membrane bound form. Well-ordered two-dimensional crystals were grown in a natural phospholipid environment. A projection map merged from the fifteen best images extended to 6Å resolution. The c12 two-sided plane group of the two-dimensional crystals showed that Kch crystallized as two symmetrically related overlapping layers. The arrangement suggests that the two layers of RCK domains are shifted with respect to each other and the RCK octameric gating ring of Kch does not form under the crystallization condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qie Kuang
- Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Biosciences and Nutrition and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Technology and Health, Novum, S-14183 Huddinge, Sweden.
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Hori JI, Pereira MSF, Roy CR, Nagai H, Zamboni DS. Identification and functional characterization of K(+) transporters encoded by Legionella pneumophila kup genes. Cell Microbiol 2013; 15:2006-19. [PMID: 23848378 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Legionnaires' disease is an emerging, severe, pneumonia-like illness caused by the Gram-negative intracellular bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which are able to infect and replicate intracellularly in macrophages. Little is known regarding the mechanisms used by intracellular L. pneumophila for the acquisition of specific nutrients that are essential for bacterial replication. Here, we investigate three L. pneumophila genes with high similarity to the Escherichia coli K(+) transporters. These three genes were expressed by L. pneumophila and have been designated kupA, kupB and kupC. Investigation using the L. pneumophila kup mutants revealed that kupA is involved in K(+) acquisition during axenic growth. The kupA mutants replicated efficiently in rich axenic media, but poorly in a chemically defined medium. The kupA mutants were defective in the recruitment of polyubiquitinated proteins to the Legionella-containing vacuole that is formed in macrophages and displayed an intracellular multiplication defect during the replication in Acanthamoeba castellanii and in mouse macrophages. We found that bafilomycin treatment of macrophages was able to rescue the growth defects of kupA mutants, but itdid not influence the replication of wild-type bacteria. The defects identified in kupA mutants of L. pneumophila were complemented by the expression E. coli trkD/Kup gene in trans, a bona fide K(+) transporter encoded by E. coli. Collectively, our data indicate that KupA is a functional K(+) transporter expressed by L. pneumophila that facilitates the bacterial replication intracellularly and in nutrient-limited conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana I Hori
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, FMRP/USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
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Checchetto V, Teardo E, Carraretto L, Formentin E, Bergantino E, Giacometti GM, Szabo I. Regulation of photosynthesis by ion channels in cyanobacteria and higher plants. Biophys Chem 2013; 182:51-7. [PMID: 23891570 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy, and supplies ATP and NADPH for CO2 fixation into carbohydrates and for the synthesis of several compounds which are essential for autotrophic growth. Oxygenic photosynthesis takes place in thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts and photosynthetic prokaryote cyanobacteria. An ancestral photoautotrophic prokaryote related to cyanobacteria has been proposed to give rise to chloroplasts of plants and algae through an endosymbiotic event. Indeed, photosynthetic complexes involved in the electron transport coupled to H(+) translocation and ATP synthesis are similar in higher plants and cyanobacteria. Furthermore, some of the protein and solute/ion conducting machineries also share common structure and function. Electrophysiological and biochemical evidence support the existence of ion channels in the thylakoid membrane in both types of organisms. By allowing specific ion fluxes across thylakoid membranes, ion channels have been hypothesized to either directly or indirectly regulate photosynthesis, by modulating the proton motive force. Recent molecular identification of some of the thylakoid-located channels allowed to obtain genetic proof in favor of such hypothesis. Furthermore, some ion channels of the envelope membrane in chloroplasts have also been shown to impact on this light-driven process. Here we give an overview of thylakoid/chloroplast located ion channels of higher plants and of cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. We focus on channels shown to be implicated in the regulation of photosynthesis and discuss the possible mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Checchetto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy
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Checchetto V, Formentin E, Carraretto L, Segalla A, Giacometti GM, Szabo I, Bergantino E. Functional characterization and determination of the physiological role of a calcium-dependent potassium channel from cyanobacteria. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 162:953-964. [PMID: 23640756 PMCID: PMC3668083 DOI: 10.1104/pp.113.215129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite the important achievement of the high-resolution structures of several prokaryotic channels, current understanding of their physiological roles in bacteria themselves is still far from complete. We have identified a putative two transmembrane domain-containing channel, SynCaK, in the genome of the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a model photosynthetic organism. SynCaK displays significant sequence homology to MthK, a calcium-dependent potassium channel isolated from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Expression of SynCaK in fusion with enhanced GFP in mammalian Chinese hamster ovary cells' plasma membrane gave rise to a calcium-activated, potassium-selective activity in patch clamp experiments. In cyanobacteria, Western blotting of isolated membrane fractions located SynCaK mainly to the plasma membrane. To understand its physiological function, a SynCaK-deficient mutant of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, ΔSynCaK, has been obtained. Although the potassium content in the mutant organisms was comparable to that observed in the wild type, ΔSynCaK was characterized by a depolarized resting membrane potential, as determined by a potential-sensitive fluorescent probe. Growth of the mutant under various conditions revealed that lack of SynCaK does not impair growth under osmotic or salt stress and that SynCaK is not involved in the regulation of photosynthesis. Instead, its lack conferred an increased resistance to the heavy metal zinc, an environmental pollutant. A similar result was obtained using barium, a general potassium channel inhibitor that also caused depolarization. Our findings thus indicate that SynCaK is a functional channel and identify the physiological consequences of its deletion in cyanobacteria.
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