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Guidelli R. A historical biophysical dogma vs. an understanding of the structure and function of voltage-gated tetrameric ion channels. A review. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:184046. [PMID: 36096197 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.184046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The outstanding work of several eminent biophysicists has allowed the functional features of voltage-gated tetrameric ion channels to be disclosed using ingenious and sophisticated electrophysiological techniques. However, the kinetics and mechanism underlying these functions have been heavily conditioned by an arbitrary interpretation of the groundbreaking results obtained by Hodgkin and Huxley (HH) in their investigation of sodium and potassium currents using the voltage clamp technique. Thus, the heavy parametrization of their results was considered to indicate that any proposed sequence of closed states terminates with a single open state. This 'dogma' of HH parametrization has influenced the formulation of countless mechanistic models, mainly stochastic, requiring a high number of free parameters and of often unspecified conformational states. This note aims to point out the advantages of a deterministic kinetic model that simulates the main features of tetrameric ion channels using only two free parameters by assuming their stepwise opening accompanied by a progressively increasing cation flow. This model exploits the electrostatic attractive interactions stemming from the charge distribution shared by all tetrameric ion channels, providing a close connection between their structure and function. Quite significantly, a stepwise opening of all ligand-gated tetrameric ion channels, such as glutamate receptors (GluRs), with concomitant ion flow, is nowadays generally accepted, not having been influenced by this dogma. This provides a unified picture of both voltage-gated and ligand-gated tetrameric ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolando Guidelli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", Florence University, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy.
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2
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Guidelli R, Becucci L. Deterministic model of Ca v3.1 Ca 2+ channel and a proposed sequence of its conformations. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 136:107618. [PMID: 32795940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A family of current-time curves of T-type Cav3.1 Ca2+ channels available in the literature is simulated by a kinetic model differing from that used for the interpretation of all salient features of Na+ and Shaker K+ channels by the insertion of a multiplying factor expressing the difference between the working potential ϕ and the reversal potential ϕr. This deterministic model is also used to simulate experimental curves taken from the literature for steady-state 'fast inactivation' and for a gradual passage from fast to 'slow inactivation'. A depolarizing pulse induces fast or slow inactivation depending on whether it lasts 100-500 ms or about 1 min, and is believed to cause a collapse of the central pore near the selectivity filter (SF). A number of features of fast and slow inactivation of Cav3.1 Ca2+ channels are qualitatively interpreted on the basis of a sequence of conformational states. Briefly, the conformation responsible for 'fast inactivation' is assumed to have the activation gate open and the inactivation gate (i.e., the SF) inactive. Immediately after a depolarizing pulse, this conformation is inactive and requires a sufficiently long rest time at a far negative holding potential to recover from inactivation. 'Slow inactivation' is ascribed to a different conformation with the activation gate closed and the SF inactive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolando Guidelli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", Florence University, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy.
| | - Lucia Becucci
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", Florence University, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
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3
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Jurkovicova-Tarabova B, Mackova K, Moravcikova L, Karmazinova M, Lacinova L. Role of individual S4 segments in gating of Ca v3.1 T-type calcium channel by voltage. Channels (Austin) 2019; 12:378-387. [PMID: 30403912 PMCID: PMC6287678 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2018.1543520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Contributions of voltage sensing S4 segments in domains I – IV of CaV3.1 channel to channel activation were analyzed. Neutralization of the uppermost charge in individual S4 segments by exchange of arginine for cysteine was employed. Mutant channels with single exchange in domains I – IV, in two adjacent domains, and in all four domains were constructed and expressed in HEK 293 cells. Changes in maximal gating charge Qmax and the relation between Qmax and maximal conductance Gmax were evaluated. Qmax was the most affected by single mutation in domain I and by double mutations in domains I + II and I + IV. The ratio Gmax/Qmax proportional to opening probability of the channel was significantly decreased by the mutation in domain III and increased by mutations in domains I and II. In channels containing double mutations Gmax/Qmax ratio increased significantly when the mutation in domain I was included. Mutations in domains II and III zeroed each other. Mutation in domain IV prevented the decrease caused by the mutation in domain III. Neither ion current nor gating current was observed when channels with quadruple mutations were expressed. Immunocytochemistry analysis did not reveal the presence of channel protein in the cell membrane. Likely, quadruple mutation results in a structural change that affects the channel’s trafficking mechanism. Altogether, S4 segments in domains I-IV of the CaV3.1 channel unequally contribute to channel gating by voltage. We suggest the most important role of the voltage sensor in the domain I and lesser roles of voltage sensors in domains II and III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohumila Jurkovicova-Tarabova
- a Center of Biosciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics , Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Katarina Mackova
- a Center of Biosciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics , Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Lucia Moravcikova
- a Center of Biosciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics , Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Maria Karmazinova
- a Center of Biosciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics , Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Lubica Lacinova
- a Center of Biosciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics , Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia.,b Faculty of Natural Sciences , University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius , Trnava , Slovakia
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4
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Weiss
- a Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry , Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic , Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Lubica Lacinova
- b Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics , Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
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5
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Karmažínová M, Jašková K, Griac P, Perez-Reyes E, Lacinová Ľ. Contrasting the roles of the I-II loop gating brake in CaV3.1 and CaV3.3 calcium channels. Pflugers Arch 2015; 467:2519-27. [PMID: 26306541 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-015-1728-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Low-voltage-activated CaV3 channels are distinguished among other voltage-activated calcium channels by the most negative voltage activation threshold. The voltage dependence of current activation is virtually identical in all three CaV3 channels while the current kinetics of the CaV3.3 current is one order slower than that of the CaV3.1 and CaV3.2 channels. We have analyzed the voltage dependence and kinetics of charge (Q) movement in human recombinant CaV3.3 and CaV3.1 channels. The voltage dependence of voltage sensor activation (Qon-V) of the CaV3.3 channel was significantly shifted with respect to that of the CaV3.1 channel by +18.6 mV and the kinetic of Qon activation in the CaV3.3 channel was significantly slower than that of the CaV3.1 channel. Removal of the gating brake in the intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II in the CaV3.3 channel in the ID12 mutant channel shifted the Qon-V relation to a value even more negative than that for the CaV3.1 channel. The kinetic of Qon activation was not significantly different between ID12 and CaV3.1 channels. Deletion of the gating brake in the CaV3.1 channel resulted in a GD12 channel with the voltage dependence of the gating current activation significantly shifted toward more negative potentials. The Qon kinetic was not significantly altered. ID12 and GD12 mutants did not differ significantly in voltage dependence nor in the kinetic of voltage sensor activation. In conclusion, the putative gating brake in the intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II controls the gating current of the CaV3 channels. We suggest that activation of the voltage sensor in domain I is limiting both the voltage dependence and the kinetics of CaV3 channel activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mária Karmažínová
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vlarska 5, 833 34, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Jašková
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vlarska 5, 833 34, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Griac
- Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovakia
| | - Edward Perez-Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Ľubica Lacinová
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vlarska 5, 833 34, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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6
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Perez-Reyes E, Lee JH. Ins and outs of T-channel structure function. Pflugers Arch 2013; 466:627-33. [PMID: 24337909 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-013-1419-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We review the ins and outs of T-channel structure, focusing on the extracellular high-affinity metal-binding site and intracellular loops. The high-affinity metal-binding site was localized to repeat I of Cav3.2. Interestingly, a similar binding site was found in the high voltage-activated Cav2.3 channel where it controls the channels' voltage dependence. Histidine at position 191 has a particularly interesting role in the high-affinity binding site, and its modification plays an important role in channel regulation by pharmacological agents that alter redox reactions. The intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II plays two important roles in Cav3.2 properties: one, its gating; and two, its surface expression. These studies have also identified a highly conserved intracellular gating brake that is predicted to form a helix-loop-helix structure. We conclude that the gating brake establishes important contacts with the gating machinery, thereby stabilizing a closed state of T-channels. This interaction is disrupted by depolarization, allowing the S6 segments to open and allowing Ca(2+) ions to flow through. Studies in cultured hippocampal neurons provided novel insights into how mutations found in idiopathic generalized epilepsy patients increase seizure susceptibility by both altering T-current pacemaker currents and by activating Ca-activated transcription factors that regulate dendritic arborization. These studies reveal novel roles for T-channels to control cellular physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Perez-Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA,
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7
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Karmažínová M, Baumgart JP, Perez-Reyes E, Lacinová L. The voltage dependence of gating currents of the neuronal CA(v)3.3 channel is determined by the gating brake in the I-II loop. Pflugers Arch 2011; 461:461-8. [PMID: 21340458 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-011-0937-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Revised: 02/06/2011] [Accepted: 02/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Low-voltage-activated Ca(v)3 Ca(2+) channels have an activation threshold around -60 mV, which is lower than the activation threshold of other voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs). The kinetics of their activation at membrane voltages just above the activation threshold is much slower than the activation kinetics of other VDCCs. It was demonstrated recently that the intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II of all three Ca(v)3 channels contains a so-called gating brake. Disruption of this brake yields channels that activate at even more hyperpolarized potentials with significantly accelerated kinetics. We have compared gating of a wild-type Ca(v)3.3 channel and a mutated ID12 channel, in which the putative gating brake at the proximal part of the I-II loop was removed. Voltage dependence of the gating current activation was shifted by 34.6 mV towards more hyperpolarized potentials in ID12 channel. ON-charge movement was significantly faster in the ID12 channel, while the kinetics of the off-charge was not altered by the mutation. We conclude that the putative gating brake in I-II loop hinders not only the opening of the conducting pore but also the activating movement of voltage-sensing S4 segments, stabilizing the channel in its closed state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mária Karmažínová
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Centre of Excellence for Cardiovascular Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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8
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Perez-Reyes E. Characterization of the gating brake in the I-II loop of CaV3 T-type calcium channels. Channels (Austin) 2010; 4:453-8. [PMID: 21099341 DOI: 10.4161/chan.4.6.12889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Our interest was drawn to the I-II loop of Cav3 channels for two reasons: one, transfer of the I-II loop from a high voltage-activated channel (Cav2.2) to a low voltage-activated channel (Cav3.1) unexpectedly produced an ultra-low voltage activated channel; and two, sequence variants of the I-II loop found in childhood absence epilepsy patients altered channel gating and increased surface expression of Cav3.2 channels. To determine the roles of this loop we have studied the structure of the loop and the biophysical consequences of altering its structure. Deletions localized the gating brake to the first 62 amino acids after IS6 in all three Cav3 channels, establishing the evolutionary conservation of this region and its function. Circular dichroism was performed on a purified fragment of the I-II loop from Cav3.2 to reveal a high α-helical content. De novo computer modeling predicted the gating brake formed a helix-loop-helix structure. This model was tested by replacing the helical regions with poly-proline-glycine (PGPGPG), which introduces kinks and flexibility. These mutations had profound effects on channel gating, shifting both steady-state activation and inactivation curves, as well as accelerating channel kinetics. Mutations designed to preserve the helical structure (poly-alanine, which forms α-helices) had more modest effects. Taken together, we conclude the second helix of the gating brake establishes important contacts with the gating machinery, thereby stabilizing a closed state of T-channels, and that this interaction is disrupted by depolarization, allowing the S6 segments to spread open and Ca (2+) ions to flow through.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Perez-Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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9
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Edgerton GB, Blumenthal KM, Hanck DA. Inhibition of the activation pathway of the T-type calcium channel Ca(V)3.1 by ProTxII. Toxicon 2010; 56:624-36. [PMID: 20600227 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2010] [Revised: 06/12/2010] [Accepted: 06/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Toxins have been used extensively to probe the gating mechanisms of voltage-gated ion channels. Relatively few such tools are available to study the low-voltage activated T-type Ca channels, which underlie thalamic neuron firing and affect sleep, resistance to seizures, and weight gain. Here we show that ProTxII, a peptide toxin recently isolated from the venom of the tarantula spider Thrixopelma pruriens, dose-dependently inhibited Ca(V)3.1 causing a decrease in current (81.6% +/- 3.1% at -30 mV in 5 microM toxin) and a positive shift in the voltage range of activation (+34.5 mV +/- 4.4 mV). Toxin-modified currents were slower to activate and faster to deactivate and they displayed a longer lag in the onset of current, i.e. the Cole-Moore shift, consistent with the inhibition of gating transitions along the activation pathway, particularly the final opening transition. Single-channel current amplitude and total gating charge were unaffected by toxin, ruling out a change in ion flux or channel dropout as mechanisms for the decrease in macroscopic conductance. A positive shift in the voltage range of gating charge movement (+30.6 mV +/- 2.6 mV shift in the voltage of half maximal charge movement in the presence of 5 microM toxin) confirmed that ProTxII-induced gating perturbations in this channel occur at the level of the voltage sensors, and kinetic modeling based on these findings suggested that reductions in current magnitude could be largely accounted for by kinetic perturbations of activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle B Edgerton
- Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC6094, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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10
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Baumgart JP, Vitko I, Bidaud I, Kondratskyi A, Lory P, Perez-Reyes E. I-II loop structural determinants in the gating and surface expression of low voltage-activated calcium channels. PLoS One 2008; 3:e2976. [PMID: 18714336 PMCID: PMC2495038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2008] [Accepted: 07/26/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular loops that interlink the four transmembrane domains of Ca2+- and Na+-channels (Cav, Nav) have critical roles in numerous forms of channel regulation. In particular, the intracellular loop that joins repeats I and II (I–II loop) in high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ channels possesses the binding site for Cavβ subunits and plays significant roles in channel function, including trafficking the α1 subunits of HVA channels to the plasma membrane and channel gating. Although there is considerable divergence in the primary sequence of the I–II loop of Cav1/Cav2 HVA channels and Cav3 LVA/T-type channels, evidence for a regulatory role of the I–II loop in T-channel function has recently emerged for Cav3.2 channels. In order to provide a comprehensive view of the role this intracellular region may play in the gating and surface expression in Cav3 channels, we have performed a structure-function analysis of the I–II loop in Cav3.1 and Cav3.3 channels using selective deletion mutants. Here we show the first 60 amino acids of the loop (post IS6) are involved in Cav3.1 and Cav3.3 channel gating and kinetics, which establishes a conserved property of this locus for all Cav3 channels. In contrast to findings in Cav3.2, deletion of the central region of the I–II loop in Cav3.1 and Cav3.3 yielded a modest increase (+30%) and a reduction (−30%) in current density and surface expression, respectively. These experiments enrich our understanding of the structural determinants involved in Cav3 function by highlighting the unique role played by the intracellular I–II loop in Cav3.2 channel trafficking, and illustrating the prominent role of the gating brake in setting the slow and distinctive slow activation kinetics of Cav3.3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel P Baumgart
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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11
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Arias-Olguín II, Vitko I, Fortuna M, Baumgart JP, Sokolova S, Shumilin IA, Van Deusen A, Soriano-García M, Gomora JC, Perez-Reyes E. Characterization of the gating brake in the I-II loop of Ca(v)3.2 T-type Ca(2+) channels. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:8136-44. [PMID: 18218623 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m708761200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the I-II loop of Ca(v)3.2 channels were discovered in patients with childhood absence epilepsy. All of these mutations increased the surface expression of the channel, whereas some mutations, and in particular C456S, altered the biophysical properties of channels. Deletions around C456S were found to produce channels that opened at even more negative potentials than control, suggesting the presence of a gating brake that normally prevents channel opening. The goal of the present study was to identify the minimal sequence of this brake and to provide insights into its structure. A peptide fragment of the I-II loop was purified from bacteria, and its structure was analyzed by circular dichroism. These results indicated that the peptide had a high alpha-helical content, as predicted from secondary structure algorithms. Based on homology modeling, we hypothesized that the proximal region of the I-II loop may form a helix-loop-helix structure. This model was tested by mutagenesis followed by electrophysiological measurement of channel gating. Mutations that disrupted the helices, or the loop region, had profound effects on channel gating, shifting both steady state activation and inactivation curves, as well as accelerating channel kinetics. Mutations designed to preserve the helical structure had more modest effects. Taken together, these studies showed that any mutations in the brake, including C456S, disrupted the structural integrity of the brake and its function to maintain these low voltage-activated channels closed at resting membrane potentials.
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Vitko I, Bidaud I, Arias JM, Mezghrani A, Lory P, Perez-Reyes E. The I-II loop controls plasma membrane expression and gating of Ca(v)3.2 T-type Ca2+ channels: a paradigm for childhood absence epilepsy mutations. J Neurosci 2007; 27:322-30. [PMID: 17215393 PMCID: PMC6672065 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1817-06.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium currents via low-voltage-activated T-type channels mediate burst firing, particularly in thalamic neurons. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that overactive T-channels may contribute to thalamocortical dysrhythmia, including absence epilepsy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in one of the T-channel genes (CACNA1H, which encodes Ca(v)3.2) are associated with childhood absence epilepsy in a Chinese population. Because only a fraction of these polymorphisms are predicted to increase channel activity and neuronal firing, we hypothesized that other channel properties may be affected. Here we describe that all the polymorphisms clustered in the intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II (I-II loop) increase the surface expression of extracellularly tagged Ca(v)3.2 channels. The functional domains within the I-II loop were then mapped by deletion analysis. The first 62 amino acids of the loop (post IS6) are involved in regulating the voltage dependence of channel gating and inactivation. Similarly, the last 15 amino acids of the loop (pre IIS1) are involved in channel inactivation. In contrast, the central region of I-II loop regulates surface expression, with no significant effect on channel biophysics. Electrophysiology, luminometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting measurements, and confocal microscopy studies demonstrate that deletion of this central region leads to enhanced surface expression of channels from intracellular compartments to the plasma membrane. These results provide novel insights into how CACNA1H polymorphisms may contribute to Ca(v)3.2 channel overactivity and consequently to absence epilepsy and establish the I-II loop as an important regulator of Ca(v)3.2 channel function and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Vitko
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, and
| | - Isabelle Bidaud
- Departement de Physiologie, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5203, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 661, Université Montpellier I et II, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Juan Manuel Arias
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, and
| | - Alexandre Mezghrani
- Departement de Physiologie, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5203, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 661, Université Montpellier I et II, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Lory
- Departement de Physiologie, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5203, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 661, Université Montpellier I et II, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Edward Perez-Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, and
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Talavera K, Nilius B. Evidence for common structural determinants of activation and inactivation in T-type Ca2+ channels. Pflugers Arch 2006; 453:189-201. [PMID: 16955311 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-006-0129-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2006] [Revised: 05/30/2006] [Accepted: 06/22/2006] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
One of the most distinctive features of T-type Ca(2+) channels is their fast inactivation. Recent structure-function studies indicate that the rate of macroscopic inactivation of these channels is influenced by several structural components, including intracellular linkers, transmembrane segments, and pore loops. The macroscopic inactivation of T-type channels is partially coupled to activation. It is therefore possible that changes in the rate of macroscopic inactivation after alteration in the structure of these channels might actually result from changes in activation kinetics. In this study, we use kinetic simulations to illustrate how the alteration of the rate of channel activation may lead to changes in the rate of macroscopic inactivation. By examining data pooled from several structure-function studies we demonstrate that gating modifications induced by alteration in the channel structure unveils a correlation between the time constants of macroscopic inactivation and activation. This analysis underscores the relevance of considering the inactivation-activation coupling when analyzing the structural determinants of T-type channel inactivation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that slow-inactivating mutants, with modifications in the IIIS6 segment and the proximal C terminus, display significant alterations in the voltage dependencies of activation and deactivation with respect to the wild type channel Ca(V)3.1. Our results indicate that common structures, most likely the S6 transmembrane segments, are involved in the conformational changes occurring during both channel activation and inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Talavera
- Laboratorium voor Fysiologie, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, LEUVEN, Belgium.
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14
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Freeze BS, McNulty MM, Hanck DA. State-dependent verapamil block of the cloned human Ca(v)3.1 T-type Ca(2+) channel. Mol Pharmacol 2006; 70:718-26. [PMID: 16699084 DOI: 10.1124/mol.106.023473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Verapamil is a potent phenylalkylamine antihypertensive believed to exert its therapeutic effect primarily by blocking high-voltage-activated L-type calcium channels. It was the first clinically used calcium channel blocker and remains in clinical use, although it has been eclipsed by other calcium channel blockers because of its short half-life and interactions with other channels. In addition to blocking L-type channels, it has been reported to block T-type (low-voltage activated) calcium channels. This type of cross-reactivity is likely to be beneficial in the effective control of blood pressure. Although the interactions of T channels with a number of drugs have been described, the mechanisms by which these agents modulate channel activity are largely unknown. Most calcium channel blockers exhibit state-dependence (i.e., preferential binding to certain channel conformations), but little is known about state-dependent verapamil block of T channels. We stably expressed human Ca(v)3.1 T-type channels in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and studied the state-dependence of the drug with macroscopic and gating currents. Verapamil blocked currents at micromolar concentrations at polarized potentials similar to those reported for L-type channels, although unlike for L-type currents, it did not affect current time course. The drug exhibited use-dependence and significantly slowed the apparent recovery from inactivation. Current inhibition was dependent on potential. This dependence was restricted to negative potentials, although all data were consistent with verapamil binding in the pore. Gating currents were unaffected by verapamil. We propose that verapamil achieves its inhibitory effect via occlusion of the channel pore associated with an open/inactivated conformation of the channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Freeze
- Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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15
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Li J, Stevens L, Wray D. Molecular regions underlying the activation of low- and high-voltage activating calcium channels. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2005; 34:1017-29. [PMID: 15924245 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-005-0487-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2005] [Accepted: 04/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We have studied two aspects of calcium channel activation. First, we investigated the molecular regions that are important in determining differences in activation between low- and high-voltage activated channels. For this, we made chimeras between the low-voltage activating Ca(V)3.1 channel and the high-voltage activating Ca(V)1.2 channel. Chimeras were expressed in oocytes, and calcium channel currents recorded by voltage clamp. For domain I, we found that the molecular region that is important in determining the voltage dependence of activation comprises the pore regions S5-P as well as P-S6, but surprisingly not the voltage sensor S1-S4 region, which might have been expected to play a major part. By contrast, the smaller, but still significant, modulating effects of domain II on activation properties were due to effects involving both S1-S4 and S5-S6 but not the I/II linker. Second, during channel activation we studied movement of the S4 segment in domain I of one of the chimeras, using cysteine-scanning mutagenesis. The reagent parachloromercuribenzensulfonate inhibited currents for mutants V263, A265, L266 and A268, but not for F269 and V271, and voltage dependence of inhibition for residue V263 indicated S4 movement, which occurred before channel opening. The data indicate movement outwards upon depolarisation so as to expose amino acids up to residue 268 in S4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junying Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Lacinová L, Klugbauer N. Modulation of gating currents of the Cav3.1 calcium channel by α2δ2a and γ5 subunits. Arch Biochem Biophys 2004; 425:207-13. [PMID: 15111129 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2004.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2004] [Revised: 03/10/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Modulatory effects of auxiliary alpha(2)delta(2) and gamma(5) subunits on intramembrane charge movement originating from the expressed Ca(v)3.1 calcium channel were investigated. Inward current was blocked by 1mM La(3+). Voltage dependences of Q(on) and Q(off), kinetics of ON- and OFF-charge movement, and I(max)/Q(max) ratio were measured in the absence and the presence of an auxiliary subunit. The alpha(2)delta(2) subunit accelerated significantly both ON- and OFF-charge movement. I(max)/Q(max) ratio and Q(on)-V, Q(off)-V relations were not affected. Coexpression of the alpha(2)delta(2) subunit may accelerate channel transitions between individual closed states, but not the transition from the last closed channel state into an open state. Coexpression of the gamma(5) subunit accelerated the decay of the ON-charge transient and enhanced I(max)/Q(max) ratio. These effects suggest improvement of the coupling between the charge movement and the channel opening due to facilitation of transitions between individual closed states and the transition between the last closed state and an open state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubica Lacinová
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vlárska 5, Bratislava 833 04, Slovakia
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Talavera K, Janssens A, Klugbauer N, Droogmans G, Nilius B. Extracellular Ca2+ modulates the effects of protons on gating and conduction properties of the T-type Ca2+ channel alpha1G (CaV3.1). J Gen Physiol 2003; 121:511-28. [PMID: 12743167 PMCID: PMC2217350 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200308793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Since Ca2+ is a major competitor of protons for the modulation of high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels, we have studied the modulation by extracellular Ca2+ of the effects of proton on the T-type Ca2+ channel alpha1G (CaV3.1) expressed in HEK293 cells. At 2 mM extracellular Ca2+ concentration, extracellular acidification in the pH range from 9.1 to 6.2 induced a positive shift of the activation curve and increased its slope factor. Both effects were significantly reduced if the concentration was increased to 20 mM or enhanced in the absence of Ca2+. Extracellular protons shifted the voltage dependence of the time constant of activation and decreased its voltage sensitivity, which excludes a voltage-dependent open pore block by protons as the mechanism modifying the activation curve. Changes in the extracellular pH altered the voltage dependence of steady-state inactivation and deactivation kinetics in a Ca2+-dependent manner, but these effects were not strictly correlated with those on activation. Model simulations suggest that protons interact with intermediate closed states in the activation pathway, decreasing the gating charge and shifting the equilibrium between these states to less negative potentials, with these effects being inhibited by extracellular Ca2+. Extracellular acidification also induced an open pore block and a shift in selectivity toward monovalent cations, which were both modulated by extracellular Ca2+ and Na+. Mutation of the EEDD pore locus altered the Ca2+-dependent proton effects on channel selectivity and permeation. We conclude that Ca2+ modulates T-type channel function by competing with protons for binding to surface charges, by counteracting a proton-induced modification of channel activation and by competing with protons for binding to the selectivity filter of the channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Talavera
- Laboratorium voor Fysiologie, Campus Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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