1
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Ng LCT, Li YX, Van Petegem F, Accili EA. Altered cyclic nucleotide-binding and pore opening in a diseased human HCN4 channel. Biophys J 2022; 121:1166-1183. [PMID: 35219649 PMCID: PMC9034293 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.02.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing number of nonsynonymous mutations in the human HCN4 channel gene, the major component of the funny channel of the sinoatrial node, are associated with disease but how they impact channel structure and function, and, thus, how they result in disease, is not clear for any of them. Here, we study the S672R mutation, in the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of the channel, which has been associated with an inherited bradycardia in an Italian family. This may be the best studied of all known mutations, yet the underlying molecular and atomistic mechanisms remain unclear and controversial. We combine measurements of binding by isothermal titration calorimetry to a naturally occurring tetramer of the HCN4 C-terminal region with a mathematical model to show that weaker binding of cAMP to the mutant channel contributes to a lower level of facilitation of channel opening at submicromolar ligand concentrations but that, in general, facilitation occurs over a range that is similar between the mutant and wild-type because of enhanced opening of the mutant channel when liganded. We also show that the binding affinity for cGMP, which produces the same maximum facilitation of HCN4 opening as cAMP, is weaker in the mutant HCN4 channel but that, for both wild-type and mutant, high-affinity binding of cGMP occurs in a range of concentrations below 1 μM. Thus, binding of cGMP to the HCN4 channel may be relevant normally in vivo and reduced binding of cGMP, as well as cAMP, to the mutant channel may contribute to the reduced resting heart rate observed in the affected family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo C T Ng
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yue Xian Li
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Filip Van Petegem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Eric A Accili
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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2
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Hoekstra M, van Ginneken ACG, Wilders R, Verkerk AO. HCN4 current during human sinoatrial node-like action potentials. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 166:105-118. [PMID: 34153331 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the many studies carried out over the past 40 years, the contribution of the HCN4 encoded hyperpolarization-activated 'funny' current (If) to pacemaker activity in the mammalian sinoatrial node (SAN), and the human SAN in particular, is still controversial and not fully established. OBJECTIVE To study the contribution of If to diastolic depolarization of human SAN cells and its dependence on heart rate, cAMP levels, and atrial load. METHODS HCN4 channels were expressed in human cardiac myocyte progenitor cells (CMPCs) and HCN4 currents assessed using perforated patch-clamp in traditional voltage clamp mode and during action potential clamp with human SAN-like action potential waveforms with 500-1500 ms cycle length, in absence or presence of forskolin to mimic β-adrenergic stimulation and a -15 mV command potential offset to mimic atrial load. RESULTS Forskolin significantly increased the fully-activated HCN4 current density at -140 mV by 14% and shifted the steady-state activation curve by +7.4 mV without affecting its slope. In addition, forskolin significantly accelerated current activation but slowed deactivation. The HCN4 current did not completely deactivate before the subsequent diastolic depolarization during action potential clamp. The amplitude of HCN4 current increased with increasing cycle length, was significantly larger in the presence of forskolin at all cycle lengths, and was significantly increased upon the negative offset to the command potential. CONCLUSIONS If is active during a human SAN action potential waveform and its amplitude is modulated by heart rate, β-adrenergic stimulation, and diastolic voltage range, such that If is under delicate control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike Hoekstra
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antoni C G van Ginneken
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Wilders
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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3
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Byun JA, Melacini G. NMR methods to dissect the molecular mechanisms of disease-related mutations (DRMs): Understanding how DRMs remodel functional free energy landscapes. Methods 2018; 148:19-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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4
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Sartiani L, Mannaioni G, Masi A, Novella Romanelli M, Cerbai E. The Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels: from Biophysics to Pharmacology of a Unique Family of Ion Channels. Pharmacol Rev 2017; 69:354-395. [PMID: 28878030 DOI: 10.1124/pr.117.014035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are important members of the voltage-gated pore loop channels family. They show unique features: they open at hyperpolarizing potential, carry a mixed Na/K current, and are regulated by cyclic nucleotides. Four different isoforms have been cloned (HCN1-4) that can assemble to form homo- or heterotetramers, characterized by different biophysical properties. These proteins are widely distributed throughout the body and involved in different physiologic processes, the most important being the generation of spontaneous electrical activity in the heart and the regulation of synaptic transmission in the brain. Their role in heart rate, neuronal pacemaking, dendritic integration, learning and memory, and visual and pain perceptions has been extensively studied; these channels have been found also in some peripheral tissues, where their functions still need to be fully elucidated. Genetic defects and altered expression of HCN channels are linked to several pathologies, which makes these proteins attractive targets for translational research; at the moment only one drug (ivabradine), which specifically blocks the hyperpolarization-activated current, is clinically available. This review discusses current knowledge about HCN channels, starting from their biophysical properties, origin, and developmental features, to (patho)physiologic role in different tissues and pharmacological modulation, ending with their present and future relevance as drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sartiani
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
| | - Guido Mannaioni
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
| | - Alessio Masi
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
| | - Maria Novella Romanelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Cerbai
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
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5
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Abstract
The S672R mutation in heart cell ion channels leads to low heart rates and arrhythmia by an unknown route. A multifaceted NMR analysis now demonstrates that this mutant impacts allosteric coupling in domains inside of the cell to change channel activation, providing a mechanistic explanation for phenotypic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Jung Tsai
- From the Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702 and
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- From the Cancer and Inflammation Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702 and
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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6
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Boulton S, Akimoto M, Akbarizadeh S, Melacini G. Free energy landscape remodeling of the cardiac pacemaker channel explains the molecular basis of familial sinus bradycardia. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:6414-6428. [PMID: 28174302 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.773697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channel (HCN) drives the pacemaker activity in the heart, and its malfunction can result in heart disorders. One such disorder, familial sinus bradycardia, is caused by the S672R mutation in HCN, whose electrophysiological phenotypes include a negative shift in the channel activation voltage and an accelerated HCN deactivation. The outcomes of these changes are abnormally low resting heart rates. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these electrophysiological changes is currently not fully understood. Crystallographic investigations indicate that the S672R mutation causes limited changes in the structure of the HCN intracellular gating tetramer, but its effects on protein dynamics are unknown. Here, we utilize comparative S672R versus WT NMR analyses to show that the S672R mutation results in extensive perturbations of the dynamics in both apo- and holo-forms of the HCN4 isoform, reflecting how S672R remodels the free energy landscape for the modulation of HCN4 by cAMP, i.e. the primary cyclic nucleotide modulator of HCN channels. We show that the S672R mutation results in a constitutive shift of the dynamic auto-inhibitory equilibrium toward inactive states of HCN4 and broadens the free-energy well of the apo-form, enhancing the millisecond to microsecond dynamics of the holo-form at sites critical for gating cAMP binding. These S672R-induced variations in dynamics provide a molecular basis for the electrophysiological phenotypes of this mutation and demonstrate that the pathogenic effects of the S672R mutation can be rationalized primarily in terms of modulations of protein dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Boulton
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and
| | - Madoka Akimoto
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Sam Akbarizadeh
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Melacini
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and .,Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada
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7
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Boulton S, Melacini G. Advances in NMR Methods To Map Allosteric Sites: From Models to Translation. Chem Rev 2016; 116:6267-304. [PMID: 27111288 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The last five years have witnessed major developments in the understanding of the allosteric phenomenon, broadly defined as coupling between remote molecular sites. Such advances have been driven not only by new theoretical models and pharmacological applications of allostery, but also by progress in the experimental approaches designed to map allosteric sites and transitions. Among these techniques, NMR spectroscopy has played a major role given its unique near-atomic resolution and sensitivity to the dynamics that underlie allosteric couplings. Here, we highlight recent progress in the NMR methods tailored to investigate allostery with the goal of offering an overview of which NMR approaches are best suited for which allosterically relevant questions. The picture of the allosteric "NMR toolbox" is provided starting from one of the simplest models of allostery (i.e., the four-state thermodynamic cycle) and continuing to more complex multistate mechanisms. We also review how such an "NMR toolbox" has assisted the elucidation of the allosteric molecular basis for disease-related mutations and the discovery of novel leads for allosteric drugs. From this overview, it is clear that NMR plays a central role not only in experimentally validating transformative theories of allostery, but also in tapping the full translational potential of allosteric systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Boulton
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University , 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Giuseppe Melacini
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University , 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton L8S 4M1, Canada
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8
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Ishikawa T, Tsuji Y, Makita N. Inherited bradyarrhythmia: A diverse genetic background. J Arrhythm 2015; 32:352-358. [PMID: 27761158 PMCID: PMC5063261 DOI: 10.1016/j.joa.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Bradyarrhythmia is a common heart rhythm abnormality comprising number of diseases and is associated with decreased heart rate due to the failure of action potential generation and propagation at the sinus node. Permanent pacemaker implantation is often used therapeutically to compensate for decreased heart rate and cardiac output. The vast majority of bradyarrhythmia cases are attributable either to aging or to structural abnormalities of the cardiac conduction system, caused by underlying structural heart disease. However, there is a subset of bradyarrhythmia primarily caused by genetic defects in the absence of aging or underlying structural heart disease. These include several genes that play principal roles in cardiac electrophysiology, heart development, cardioprotection, and the structural integrity of the membrane and sarcomere. Recent advances in the functional analysis of mutations using a heterologous expression system and genetically engineered animal models have provided significant insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for inherited arrhythmia. In this review, current understandings of the genetic and molecular basis of inherited bradyarrhythmia are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisuke Ishikawa
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Yukiomi Tsuji
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Naomasa Makita
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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9
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Verkerk AO, Wilders R. Pacemaker activity of the human sinoatrial node: an update on the effects of mutations in HCN4 on the hyperpolarization-activated current. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:3071-94. [PMID: 25642760 PMCID: PMC4346881 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16023071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Since 2003, several loss-of-function mutations in the HCN4 gene, which encodes the HCN4 protein, have been associated with sinus node dysfunction. In human sinoatrial node (SAN), HCN4 is the most abundant of the four isoforms of the HCN family. Tetramers of HCN subunits constitute the ion channels that conduct the hyperpolarization-activated "funny" current (If), which plays an important modulating role in SAN pacemaker activity. Voltage-clamp experiments on HCN4 channels expressed in COS-7, CHO and HEK-293 cells, as well as in Xenopus oocytes have revealed changes in the expression and kinetics of mutant channels, but the extent to which especially the kinetic changes would affect If flowing during a human SAN action potential often remains unresolved. In our contribution to the Topical Collection on Human Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Disease Diagnostics, we provide an updated review of the mutation-induced changes in the expression and kinetics of HCN4 channels and provide an overview of their effects on If during the time course of a human SAN action potential, as assessed in simulated action potential clamp experiments. Future research may solve apparent inconsistencies between data from clinical studies and data from in vitro and in silico experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology and Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ronald Wilders
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology and Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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10
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Kusch J, Zifarelli G. Patch-clamp fluorometry: electrophysiology meets fluorescence. Biophys J 2014; 106:1250-7. [PMID: 24655500 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels and transporters are membrane proteins whose functions are driven by conformational changes. Classical biophysical techniques provide insight into either the structure or the function of these proteins, but a full understanding of their behavior requires a correlation of both these aspects in time. Patch-clamp and voltage-clamp fluorometry combine spectroscopic and electrophysiological techniques to simultaneously detect conformational changes and ionic currents across the membrane. Since its introduction, patch-clamp fluorometry has been responsible for invaluable advances in our knowledge of ion channel biophysics. Over the years, the technique has been applied to many different ion channel families to address several biophysical questions with a variety of spectroscopic approaches and electrophysiological configurations. This review illustrates the strength and the flexibility of patch-clamp fluorometry, demonstrating its potential as a tool for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Kusch
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany.
| | - Giovanni Zifarelli
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy.
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11
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Verkerk AO, Wilders R. Pacemaker activity of the human sinoatrial node: effects of HCN4 mutations on the hyperpolarization-activated current. Europace 2014; 16:384-95. [PMID: 24569893 DOI: 10.1093/europace/eut348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The hyperpolarization-activated 'funny' current, If, plays an important modulating role in the pacemaker activity of the human sinoatrial node (SAN). If is carried by hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, which are tetramers built of four HCN subunits. In human SAN, HCN4 is the most abundant of the four isoforms of the HCN family. Since 2003, several loss-of-function mutations in the HCN4 gene, which encodes the HCN4 protein, or in the KCNE2 gene, which encodes the MiRP1 accessory β-subunit, have been associated with sinus node dysfunction. Voltage-clamp experiments on HCN4 channels expressed in COS-7 cells, Xenopus oocytes, or HEK-293 cells have revealed changes in the expression and kinetics of mutant channels, but the extent to which these changes would affect If flowing during a human SAN action potential is unresolved. Here, we review the changes in expression and kinetics of HCN4 mutant channels and provide an overview of their effects on If during the time course of a human SAN action potential, both under resting conditions and upon adrenergic stimulation. These effects are assessed in simulated action potential clamp experiments, with action potentials recorded from isolated human SAN pacemaker cells as command potential and kinetics of If based on voltage-clamp data from these cells. Results from in vitro and in silico experiments show several inconsistencies with clinical observations, pointing to challenges for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology and Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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12
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Milano A, Vermeer AM, Lodder EM, Barc J, Verkerk AO, Postma AV, van der Bilt IA, Baars MJ, van Haelst PL, Caliskan K, Hoedemaekers YM, Le Scouarnec S, Redon R, Pinto YM, Christiaans I, Wilde AA, Bezzina CR. HCN4 Mutations in Multiple Families With Bradycardia and Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol 2014; 64:745-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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13
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Möller S, Alfieri A, Bertinetti D, Aquila M, Schwede F, Lolicato M, Rehmann H, Moroni A, Herberg FW. Cyclic nucleotide mapping of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1128-37. [PMID: 24605759 DOI: 10.1021/cb400904s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels play a central role in the regulation of cardiac and neuronal firing rate, and these channels can be dually activated by membrane hyperpolarization and by binding of cyclic nucleotides. cAMP has been shown to directly bind HCN channels and modulate their activity. Despite this, while there are selective inhibitors that block the activation potential of the HCN channels, regulation by cAMP analogs has not been well investigated. A comprehensive screen of 47 cyclic nucleotides with modifications in the nucleobase, ribose moiety, and cyclic phosphate was tested on the three isoforms HCN1, HCN2, and HCN4. 7-CH-cAMP was identified to be a high affinity binder for HCN channels and crosschecked for its ability to act on other cAMP receptor proteins. While 7-CH-cAMP is a general activator for cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases as well as for the guanine nucleotide exchange factors Epac1 and Epac2, it displays the highest affinity to HCN channels. The molecular basis of the high affinity was investigated by determining the crystal structure of 7-CH-cAMP in complex with the cyclic nucleotide binding domain of HCN4. Electrophysiological studies demonstrate a strong activation potential of 7-CH-cAMP for the HCN4 channel in vivo. So, this makes 7-CH-cAMP a promising activator of the HCN channels in vitro whose functionality can be translated in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Möller
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Andrea Alfieri
- Department
of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Daniela Bertinetti
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Marco Aquila
- Department
of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Frank Schwede
- Biolog Life Science Institute, Flughafendamm 9a, 28199 Bremen, Germany
| | - Marco Lolicato
- Cardiovascular
Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, 555 Mission
Bay Boulevard South, Rm 482, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Holger Rehmann
- Molecular
Cancer Research, Centre of Biomedical Genetics and Cancer Genomics
Centre, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department
of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Friedrich W. Herberg
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
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14
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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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15
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Abstract
HCN channels and their modulation by cAMP play a key role in cardiac pacemaking. In this issue of Structure, Xu and colleagues reveal that an arrhythmia-causing mutation of an HCN channel weakens cAMP binding to the channel by altering the local structure of its entry-exit pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zafir Buraei
- Deparment of Biology and Health Sciences, Pace University, New York, NY 10038, USA.
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16
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Abstract
Many diverse data support a role of the funny current (If) in pacemaking and heart rate control. Among them, clinically relevant applications have special impact, since they translate the concept of funny channel-based pacemaking into practical developments of potential therapeutic value. For example, the If role in pacemaking is the basis for a pharmacological approach to heart rate control. Ivabradine, a specific f-channel blocker acting as a 'pure heart rate reducing' agent, is used today as a therapeutic tool in chronic stable angina and heart failure. Also, the pacemaking capability of funny channels has been the main rationale behind the development of 'biological' pacemakers, whose aim is to eventually replace the electronic pacemakers implanted today. Finally, the role of If in pacemaking implies that dysfunctional funny channels can contribute to rhythm disorders. This consideration has led to the search for inheritable forms of cardiac arrhythmias potentially linked to functional changes of HCN4 channels, the molecular correlates of funny channels. This review addresses recent reports where investigation of families with arrhythmias has allowed the identification of specific HCN4 channel mutations associated with different types of rhythm disorders, specifically with sinus bradycardia. The perspective of future research in this field is also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario DiFrancesco
- D. DiFrancesco: Department of Biosciences, The PaceLab, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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