1
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García-Morales A, Pulido NO, Balleza D. Relation between flexibility and intrinsically disorder regions in thermosensitive TRP channels reveal allosteric effects. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2024; 53:77-90. [PMID: 37777680 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01682-9] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
How a protein propagates the conformational changes throughout its structure remains largely unknown. In thermosensitive TRP channels, this allosteric communication is triggered by ligand interaction or in response to temperature changes. Because dynamic allostery suggests a dynamic role of disordered regions, in this work we set out to thoroughly evaluate these regions in six thermosensitive TRP channels. Thus, by contrasting the intrinsic flexibility of the transmembrane region as a function of the degree of disorder in those proteins, we discovered several residues that do not show a direct correlation in both parameters. This kind of structural discrepancy revealed residues that are either reported to be dynamic, functionally relevant or are involved in signal propagation and probably part of allosteric networks. These discrepant, potentially dynamic regions are not exclusive of TRP channels, as this same correlation was found in the Kv Shaker channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail García-Morales
- Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Calz. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 2779 Col Formando Hogar, 91897, Veracruz, Ver, Mexico
| | - Nancy O Pulido
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Daniel Balleza
- Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Calz. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 2779 Col Formando Hogar, 91897, Veracruz, Ver, Mexico.
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2
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Priest MF, Lee EE, Bezanilla F. Tracking the movement of discrete gating charges in a voltage-gated potassium channel. eLife 2021; 10:58148. [PMID: 34779404 PMCID: PMC8635975 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Positively charged amino acids respond to membrane potential changes to drive voltage sensor movement in voltage-gated ion channels, but determining the displacements of voltage sensor gating charges has proven difficult. We optically tracked the movement of the two most extracellular charged residues (R1 and R2) in the Shaker potassium channel voltage sensor using a fluorescent positively charged bimane derivative (qBBr) that is strongly quenched by tryptophan. By individually mutating residues to tryptophan within the putative pathway of gating charges, we observed that the charge motion during activation is a rotation and a tilted translation that differs between R1 and R2. Tryptophan-induced quenching of qBBr also indicates that a crucial residue of the hydrophobic plug is linked to the Cole-Moore shift through its interaction with R1. Finally, we show that this approach extends to additional voltage-sensing membrane proteins using the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensitive phosphatase (CiVSP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Priest
- Committee on Neurobiology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Elizabeth El Lee
- Committee on Neurobiology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Committee on Neurobiology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, United States
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3
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A Common Kinetic Property of Mutations Linked to Episodic Ataxia Type 1 Studied in the Shaker Kv Channel. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207602. [PMID: 33066705 PMCID: PMC7589002 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Episodic ataxia type 1 is caused by mutations in the KCNA1 gene encoding for the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.1. There have been many mutations in Kv1.1 linked to episodic ataxia reported and typically investigated by themselves or in small groups. The aim of this article is to determine whether we can define a functional parameter common to all Kv1.1 mutants that have been linked to episodic ataxia. (2) Methods: We introduced the disease mutations linked to episodic ataxia in the drosophila analog of Kv1.1, the Shaker Kv channel, and expressed the channels in Xenopus oocytes. Using the cut-open oocyte technique, we characterized the gating and ionic currents. (3) Results: We found that the episodic ataxia mutations variably altered the different gating mechanisms described for Kv channels. The common characteristic was a conductance voltage relationship and inactivation shifted to less polarized potentials. (4) Conclusions: We suggest that a combination of a prolonged action potential and slowed and incomplete inactivation leads to development of ataxia when Kv channels cannot follow or adapt to high firing rates.
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4
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Bassetto CAZ, Carvalho-de-Souza JL, Bezanilla F. Metal Bridge in S4 Segment Supports Helix Transition in Shaker Channel. Biophys J 2019; 118:922-933. [PMID: 31635788 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels play important roles in physiological processes, especially in excitable cells, in which they shape the action potential. In S4-based voltage sensors voltage-gated channels, a common feature is shared; the transmembrane segment 4 (S4) contains positively charged residues intercalated by hydrophobic residues. Although several advances have been made in understating how S4 moves through a hydrophobic plug upon voltage changes, the possible helix transition from α- to 310-helix in S4 during the activation process is still unresolved. Here, we have mutated several hydrophobic residues from I360 to F370 in the S4 segment into histidine, in i, i + 3 and i, i + 6 or i, i + 4 and i, i + 7 pairs, to favor 310- or α-helical conformations, respectively. We have taken advantage of the ability of His to coordinate Zn2+ to promote metal ion bridges, and we have found that the histidine introduced at position 366 (L366H) can interact with the introduced histidine at position 370 (stabilizing that portion of the S4 segment in α-helical conformation). In the presence of 20 μM of Zn2+, the activation currents of L366H:F370H channels were slowed down by a factor of 3.5, and the voltage dependence is shifted by 10 mV toward depolarized potentials with no change on the deactivation time constant. Our data supports that by stabilizing a region of the S4 segment in α-helical conformation, a closed (resting or intermediate) state is stabilized rather than destabilizing the open (active) state. Taken together, our data indicates that S4 undergoes α-helical conformation to a short-lived different secondary structure transiently before reaching the active state in the activation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Z Bassetto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
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5
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Lopez-Rodriguez A, Holmgren M. Deglycosylation of Shaker K V channels affects voltage sensing and the open-closed transition. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:1025-1034. [PMID: 29880580 PMCID: PMC6028503 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels are subject to posttranslational modification, including glycosylation. Lopez-Rodriguez and Holmgren show that, in Shaker KV channels, deglycosylation influences voltage sensing and open–closed transitions but not binding of ligands to the protein. Most membrane proteins are subject to posttranslational glycosylation, which influences protein function, folding, solubility, stability, and trafficking. This modification has been proposed to protect proteins from proteolysis and modify protein–protein interactions. Voltage-activated ion channels are heavily glycosylated, which can result in up to 30% of the mature molecular mass being contributed by glycans. Normally, the functional consequences of glycosylation are assessed by comparing the function of fully glycosylated proteins with those in which glycosylation sites have been mutated or by expressing proteins in model cells lacking glycosylation enzymes. Here, we study the functional consequences of deglycosylation by PNGase F within the same population of voltage-activated potassium (KV) channels. We find that removal of sugar moieties has a small, but direct, influence on the voltage-sensing properties and final opening–closing transition of Shaker KV channels. Yet, we observe that the interactions of various ligands with different domains of the protein are not affected by deglycosylation. These results imply that the sugar mass attached to the voltage sensor neither represents a cargo for the dynamics of this domain nor imposes obstacles to the access of interacting molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Lopez-Rodriguez
- Neurophysiology Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD .,Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, México
| | - Miguel Holmgren
- Neurophysiology Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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6
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Carvalho-de-Souza JL, Bezanilla F. Nonsensing residues in S3-S4 linker's C terminus affect the voltage sensor set point in K + channels. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:307-321. [PMID: 29321262 PMCID: PMC5806678 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-dependent gating in ion channels is achieved by the movement of voltage-sensing arginine residues across an electric field. Carvalho-de-Souza and Bezanilla reveal that the size and hydrophobicity of two non–voltage-sensing residues (L358 and L361) affect voltage dependence in Shaker K+ channels. Voltage sensitivity in ion channels is a function of highly conserved arginine residues in their voltage-sensing domains (VSDs), but this conservation does not explain the diversity in voltage dependence among different K+ channels. Here we study the non–voltage-sensing residues 353 to 361 in Shaker K+ channels and find that residues 358 and 361 strongly modulate the voltage dependence of the channel. We mutate these two residues into all possible remaining amino acids (AAs) and obtain Q-V and G-V curves. We introduced the nonconducting W434F mutation to record sensing currents in all mutants except L361R, which requires K+ depletion because it is affected by W434F. By fitting Q-Vs with a sequential three-state model for two voltage dependence–related parameters (V0, the voltage-dependent transition from the resting to intermediate state and V1, from the latter to the active state) and G-Vs with a two-state model for the voltage dependence of the pore domain parameter (V1/2), Spearman’s coefficients denoting variable relationships with hydrophobicity, available area, length, width, and volume of the AAs in 358 and 361 positions could be calculated. We find that mutations in residue 358 shift Q-Vs and G-Vs along the voltage axis by affecting V0, V1, and V1/2 according to the hydrophobicity of the AA. Mutations in residue 361 also shift both curves, but V0 is affected by the hydrophobicity of the AA in position 361, whereas V1 and V1/2 are affected by size-related AA indices. Small-to-tiny AAs have opposite effects on V1 and V1/2 in position 358 compared with 361. We hypothesize possible coordination points in the protein that residues 358 and 361 would temporarily and differently interact with in an intermediate state of VSD activation. Our data contribute to the accumulating knowledge of voltage-dependent ion channel activation by adding functional information about the effects of so-called non–voltage-sensing residues on VSD dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL .,Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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7
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Zhao J, Blunck R. The isolated voltage sensing domain of the Shaker potassium channel forms a voltage-gated cation channel. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27710769 PMCID: PMC5092046 DOI: 10.7554/elife.18130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Domains in macromolecular complexes are often considered structurally and functionally conserved while energetically coupled to each other. In the modular voltage-gated ion channels the central ion-conducting pore is surrounded by four voltage sensing domains (VSDs). Here, the energetic coupling is mediated by interactions between the S4-S5 linker, covalently linking the domains, and the proximal C-terminus. In order to characterize the intrinsic gating of the voltage sensing domain in the absence of the pore domain, the Shaker Kv channel was truncated after the fourth transmembrane helix S4 (Shaker-iVSD). Shaker-iVSD showed significantly altered gating kinetics and formed a cation-selective ion channel with a strong preference for protons. Ion conduction in Shaker-iVSD developed despite identical primary sequence, indicating an allosteric influence of the pore domain. Shaker-iVSD also displays pronounced 'relaxation'. Closing of the pore correlates with entry into relaxation suggesting that the two processes are energetically related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Zhao
- Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Rikard Blunck
- Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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8
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Linsdell P. Metal bridges to probe membrane ion channel structure and function. Biomol Concepts 2016; 6:191-203. [PMID: 26103632 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2015-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels are integral membrane proteins that undergo important conformational changes as they open and close to control transmembrane flux of different ions. The molecular underpinnings of these dynamic conformational rearrangements are difficult to ascertain using current structural methods. Several functional approaches have been used to understand two- and three-dimensional dynamic structures of ion channels, based on the reactivity of the cysteine side-chain. Two-dimensional structural rearrangements, such as changes in the accessibility of different parts of the channel protein to the bulk solution on either side of the membrane, are used to define movements within the permeation pathway, such as those that open and close ion channel gates. Three-dimensional rearrangements – in which two different parts of the channel protein change their proximity during conformational changes – are probed by cross-linking or bridging together two cysteine side-chains. Particularly useful in this regard are so-called metal bridges formed when two or more cysteine side-chains form a high-affinity binding site for metal ions such as Cd2+ or Zn2+. This review describes the use of these different techniques for the study of ion channel dynamic structure and function, including a comprehensive review of the different kinds of conformational rearrangements that have been studied in different channel types via the identification of intra-molecular metal bridges. Factors that influence the affinities and conformational sensitivities of these metal bridges, as well as the kinds of structural inferences that can be drawn from these studies, are also discussed.
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9
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Gawali V, Todt H. Mechanism of Inactivation in Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2016; 78:409-50. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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10
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Vitamin A Transport Mechanism of the Multitransmembrane Cell-Surface Receptor STRA6. MEMBRANES 2015; 5:425-53. [PMID: 26343735 PMCID: PMC4584289 DOI: 10.3390/membranes5030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin A has biological functions as diverse as sensing light for vision, regulating stem cell differentiation, maintaining epithelial integrity, promoting immune competency, regulating learning and memory, and acting as a key developmental morphogen. Vitamin A derivatives have also been used in treating human diseases. If vitamin A is considered a drug that everyone needs to take to survive, evolution has come up with a natural drug delivery system that combines sustained release with precise and controlled delivery to the cells or tissues that depend on it. This "drug delivery system" is mediated by plasma retinol binding protein (RBP), the principle and specific vitamin A carrier protein in the blood, and STRA6, the cell-surface receptor for RBP that mediates cellular vitamin A uptake. The mechanism by which the RBP receptor absorbs vitamin A from the blood is distinct from other known cellular uptake mechanisms. This review summarizes recent progress in elucidating the fundamental molecular mechanism mediated by the RBP receptor and multiple newly discovered catalytic activities of this receptor, and compares this transport system with retinoid transport independent of RBP/STRA6. How to target this new type of transmembrane receptor using small molecules in treating diseases is also discussed.
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11
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Miceli F, Soldovieri MV, Ambrosino P, De Maria M, Manocchio L, Medoro A, Taglialatela M. Molecular pathophysiology and pharmacology of the voltage-sensing module of neuronal ion channels. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:259. [PMID: 26236192 PMCID: PMC4502356 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) are membrane proteins that switch from a closed to open state in response to changes in membrane potential, thus enabling ion fluxes across the cell membranes. The mechanism that regulate the structural rearrangements occurring in VGICs in response to changes in membrane potential still remains one of the most challenging topic of modern biophysics. Na+, Ca2+ and K+ voltage-gated channels are structurally formed by the assembly of four similar domains, each comprising six transmembrane segments. Each domain can be divided into two main regions: the Pore Module (PM) and the Voltage-Sensing Module (VSM). The PM (helices S5 and S6 and intervening linker) is responsible for gate opening and ion selectivity; by contrast, the VSM, comprising the first four transmembrane helices (S1–S4), undergoes the first conformational changes in response to membrane voltage variations. In particular, the S4 segment of each domain, which contains several positively charged residues interspersed with hydrophobic amino acids, is located within the membrane electric field and plays an essential role in voltage sensing. In neurons, specific gating properties of each channel subtype underlie a variety of biological events, ranging from the generation and propagation of electrical impulses, to the secretion of neurotransmitters and to the regulation of gene expression. Given the important functional role played by the VSM in neuronal VGICs, it is not surprising that various VSM mutations affecting the gating process of these channels are responsible for human diseases, and that compounds acting on the VSM have emerged as important investigational tools with great therapeutic potential. In the present review we will briefly describe the most recent discoveries concerning how the VSM exerts its function, how genetically inherited diseases caused by mutations occurring in the VSM affects gating in VGICs, and how several classes of drugs and toxins selectively target the VSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Miceli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Ambrosino
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Michela De Maria
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Laura Manocchio
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Alessandro Medoro
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Maurizio Taglialatela
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Italy ; Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
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12
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Stadler T, O'Reilly AO, Lampert A. Erythromelalgia mutation Q875E Stabilizes the activated state of sodium channel Nav1.7. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:6316-25. [PMID: 25575597 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.605899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 plays a crucial role in transmission of noxious stimuli. The inherited pain disorder erythromelalgia (IEM) has been linked to Nav1.7 gain-of-function mutations. Here we show that the IEM-associated Q875E mutation located on the pore module of Nav1.7 produces a large hyperpolarizing shift (-18 mV) in the voltage dependence of activation. Three-dimensional homology modeling indicates that the side chains of Gln-875 and the gating charge Arg-214 of the domain I voltage sensor are spatially close in the activated conformation of the channel. We verified this proximity by using an engineered disulfide bridge approach. The Q875E mutation introduces a negative charge that may modify the local electrical field experienced by the voltage sensor and, upon activation, interact directly via a salt bridge with the Arg-214 gating charge residue. Together these processes could promote transition to, and stabilization of, the domain I voltage sensor in the activated conformation and thus produce the observed gain of function. In support of this hypothesis, an increase in the extracellular concentration of Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) reverted the voltage dependence of activation of the IEM mutant to near WT values, suggesting a cation-mediated electrostatic screening of the proposed interaction between Q875E and Arg-214.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Stadler
- From the Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andrias O O'Reilly
- From the Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany, the School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Merseyside L3 3AF, United Kingdom, and
| | - Angelika Lampert
- From the Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany, the Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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13
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Gourgy-Hacohen O, Kornilov P, Pittel I, Peretz A, Attali B, Paas Y. Capturing distinct KCNQ2 channel resting states by metal ion bridges in the voltage-sensor domain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 144:513-27. [PMID: 25385787 PMCID: PMC4242811 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although crystal structures of various voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) and Na(+) channels have provided substantial information on the activated conformation of the voltage-sensing domain (VSD), the topology of the VSD in its resting conformation remains highly debated. Numerous studies have investigated the VSD resting state in the Kv Shaker channel; however, few studies have explored this issue in other Kv channels. Here, we investigated the VSD resting state of KCNQ2, a K(+) channel subunit belonging to the KCNQ (Kv7) subfamily of Kv channels. KCNQ2 can coassemble with the KCNQ3 subunit to mediate the IM current that regulates neuronal excitability. In humans, mutations in KCNQ2 are associated with benign neonatal forms of epilepsy or with severe epileptic encephalopathy. We introduced cysteine mutations into the S4 transmembrane segment of the KCNQ2 VSD and determined that external application of Cd(2+) profoundly reduced the current amplitude of S4 cysteine mutants S195C, R198C, and R201C. Based on reactivity with the externally accessible endogenous cysteine C106 in S1, we infer that each of the above S4 cysteine mutants forms Cd(2+) bridges to stabilize a channel closed state. Disulfide bonds and metal bridges constrain the S4 residues S195, R198, and R201 near C106 in S1 in the resting state, and experiments using concatenated tetrameric constructs indicate that this occurs within the same VSD. KCNQ2 structural models suggest that three distinct resting channel states have been captured by the formation of different S4-S1 Cd(2+) bridges. Collectively, this work reveals that residue C106 in S1 can be very close to several N-terminal S4 residues for stabilizing different KCNQ2 resting conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Gourgy-Hacohen
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Polina Kornilov
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ilya Pittel
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Asher Peretz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Bernard Attali
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yoav Paas
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
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14
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Fujiwara Y, Kurokawa T, Okamura Y. Long α helices projecting from the membrane as the dimer interface in the voltage-gated H(+) channel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 143:377-86. [PMID: 24567511 PMCID: PMC3933940 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201311082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Continuous helices extending from the transmembrane region to the cytoplasmic region form a dimeric interface to regulate activation of the voltage-gated H+ channel. The voltage-gated H+ channel (Hv) is a H+-permeable voltage-sensor domain (VSD) protein that consists of four transmembrane segments (S1–S4). Hv assembles as a dimeric channel and two transmembrane channel domains function cooperatively, which is mediated by the coiled-coil assembly domain in the cytoplasmic C terminus. However, the structural basis of the interdomain interactions remains unknown. Here, we provide a picture of the dimer configuration based on the analyses of interactions among two VSDs and a coiled-coil domain. Systematic mutations of the linker region between S4 of VSD and the coiled-coil showed that the channel gating was altered in the helical periodicity with the linker length, suggesting that two domains are linked by helices. Cross-linking analyses revealed that the two S4 helices were situated closely in the dimeric channel. The interaction interface between the two S4 and the assembly interface of the coiled-coil domain were aligned in the same direction based on the phase angle calculation along α helices. Collectively, we propose that continuous helices stretching from the transmembrane to the cytoplasmic region in the dimeric interface regulate the channel activation in the Hv dimer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichiro Fujiwara
- Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, and 2 Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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15
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Jarecki BW, Zheng S, Zhang L, Li X, Zhou X, Cui Q, Tang W, Chanda B. Tethered spectroscopic probes estimate dynamic distances with subnanometer resolution in voltage-dependent potassium channels. Biophys J 2014; 105:2724-32. [PMID: 24359744 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurements of inter- and intramolecular distances are important for monitoring structural changes and understanding protein interaction networks. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer and functionalized chemical spacers are the two predominantly used strategies to map short-range distances in living cells. Here, we describe the development of a hybrid approach that combines the key advantages of spectroscopic and chemical methods to estimate dynamic distance information from labeled proteins. Bifunctional spectroscopic probes were designed to make use of adaptable-anchor and length-varied spacers to estimate molecular distances by exploiting short-range collisional electron transfer. The spacers were calibrated using labeled polyproline peptides of defined lengths and validated by molecular simulations. This approach was extended to estimate distance restraints that enable us to evaluate the resting-state model of the Shaker potassium channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian W Jarecki
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Suqing Zheng
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Leili Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Xiaoxun Li
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Xin Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Qiang Cui
- Department of Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Weiping Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
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16
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Gamal El-Din TM, Martinez GQ, Payandeh J, Scheuer T, Catterall WA. A gating charge interaction required for late slow inactivation of the bacterial sodium channel NavAb. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 142:181-90. [PMID: 23980192 PMCID: PMC3753604 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201311012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels undergo slow inactivation during repetitive depolarizations, which controls the frequency and duration of bursts of action potentials and prevents excitotoxic cell death. Although homotetrameric bacterial sodium channels lack the intracellular linker-connecting homologous domains III and IV that causes fast inactivation of eukaryotic sodium channels, they retain the molecular mechanism for slow inactivation. Here, we examine the functional properties and slow inactivation of the bacterial sodium channel NavAb expressed in insect cells under conditions used for structural studies. NavAb activates at very negative membrane potentials (V1/2 of approximately −98 mV), and it has both an early phase of slow inactivation that arises during single depolarizations and reverses rapidly, and a late use-dependent phase of slow inactivation that reverses very slowly. Mutation of Asn49 to Lys in the S2 segment in the extracellular negative cluster of the voltage sensor shifts the activation curve ∼75 mV to more positive potentials and abolishes the late phase of slow inactivation. The gating charge R3 interacts with Asn49 in the crystal structure of NavAb, and mutation of this residue to Cys causes a similar positive shift in the voltage dependence of activation and block of the late phase of slow inactivation as mutation N49K. Prolonged depolarizations that induce slow inactivation also cause hysteresis of gating charge movement, which results in a requirement for very negative membrane potentials to return gating charges to their resting state. Unexpectedly, the mutation N49K does not alter hysteresis of gating charge movement, even though it prevents the late phase of slow inactivation. Our results reveal an important molecular interaction between R3 in S4 and Asn49 in S2 that is crucial for voltage-dependent activation and for late slow inactivation of NavAb, and they introduce a NavAb mutant that enables detailed functional studies in parallel with structural analysis.
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17
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Shem-Ad T, Irit O, Yifrach O. Inter-subunit interactions across the upper voltage sensing-pore domain interface contribute to the concerted pore opening transition of Kv channels. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82253. [PMID: 24340010 PMCID: PMC3858418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The tight electro-mechanical coupling between the voltage-sensing and pore domains of Kv channels lies at the heart of their fundamental roles in electrical signaling. Structural data have identified two voltage sensor pore inter-domain interaction surfaces, thus providing a framework to explain the molecular basis for the tight coupling of these domains. While the contribution of the intra-subunit lower domain interface to the electro-mechanical coupling that underlies channel opening is relatively well understood, the contribution of the inter-subunit upper interface to channel gating is not yet clear. Relying on energy perturbation and thermodynamic coupling analyses of tandem-dimeric Shaker Kv channels, we show that mutation of upper interface residues from both sides of the voltage sensor-pore domain interface stabilizes the closed channel state. These mutations, however, do not affect slow inactivation gating. We, moreover, find that upper interface residues form a network of state-dependent interactions that stabilize the open channel state. Finally, we note that the observed residue interaction network does not change during slow inactivation gating. The upper voltage sensing-pore interaction surface thus only undergoes conformational rearrangements during channel activation gating. We suggest that inter-subunit interactions across the upper domain interface mediate allosteric communication between channel subunits that contributes to the concerted nature of the late pore opening transition of Kv channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzilhav Shem-Ad
- Department of Life Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neurosciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Orr Irit
- Department of Life Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neurosciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Ofer Yifrach
- Department of Life Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neurosciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
- * E-mail:
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18
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Lau AY, Salazar H, Blachowicz L, Ghisi V, Plested AJR, Roux B. A conformational intermediate in glutamate receptor activation. Neuron 2013; 79:492-503. [PMID: 23931998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) transduce the chemical signal of neurotransmitter release into membrane depolarization at excitatory synapses in the brain. The opening of the transmembrane ion channel of these ligand-gated receptors is driven by conformational transitions that are induced by the association of glutamate molecules to the ligand-binding domains (LBDs). Here, we describe the crystal structure of a GluA2 LBD tetramer in a configuration that involves an ∼30° rotation of the LBD dimers relative to the crystal structure of the full-length receptor. The configuration is stabilized by an engineered disulfide crosslink. Biochemical and electrophysiological studies on full-length receptors incorporating either this crosslink or an engineered metal bridge show that this LBD configuration corresponds to an intermediate state of receptor activation. GluA2 activation therefore involves a combination of both intra-LBD (cleft closure) and inter-LBD dimer conformational transitions. Overall, these results provide a comprehensive structural characterization of an iGluR intermediate state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Y Lau
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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19
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Zhong M, Kawaguchi R, Ter-Stepanian M, Kassai M, Sun H. Vitamin A transport and the transmembrane pore in the cell-surface receptor for plasma retinol binding protein. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73838. [PMID: 24223695 PMCID: PMC3815300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin A and its derivatives (retinoids) play diverse and crucial functions from embryogenesis to adulthood and are used as therapeutic agents in human medicine for eye and skin diseases, infections and cancer. Plasma retinol binding protein (RBP) is the principal and specific vitamin A carrier in the blood and binds vitamin A at 1∶1 ratio. STRA6 is the high-affinity membrane receptor for RBP and mediates cellular vitamin A uptake. STRA6 null mice have severely depleted vitamin A reserves for vision and consequently have vision loss, even under vitamin A sufficient conditions. STRA6 null humans have a wide range of severe pathological phenotypes in many organs including the eye, brain, heart and lung. Known membrane transport mechanisms involve transmembrane pores that regulate the transport of the substrate (e.g., the gating of ion channels). STRA6 represents a new type of membrane receptor. How this receptor interacts with its transport substrate vitamin A and the functions of its nine transmembrane domains are still completely unknown. These questions are critical to understanding the molecular basis of STRA6′s activities and its regulation. We employ acute chemical modification to introduce chemical side chains to STRA6 in a site-specific manner. We found that modifications with specific chemicals at specific positions in or near the transmembrane domains of this receptor can almost completely suppress its vitamin A transport activity. These experiments provide the first evidence for the existence of a transmembrane pore, analogous to the pore of ion channels, for this new type of cell-surface receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhong
- Department of Physiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Department of Physiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Mariam Ter-Stepanian
- Department of Physiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Miki Kassai
- Department of Physiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Hui Sun
- Department of Physiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Demers-Giroux PO, Bourdin B, Sauvé R, Parent L. Cooperative activation of the T-type CaV3.2 channel: interaction between Domains II and III. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:29281-93. [PMID: 23970551 PMCID: PMC3795230 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.500975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
T-type CaV3 channels are important mediators of Ca(2+) entry near the resting membrane potential. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for channel activation. Homology models based upon the high-resolution structure of bacterial NaV channels predict interaction between the S4-S5 helix of Domain II (IIS4-S5) and the distal S6 pore region of Domain II (IIS6) and Domain III (IIIS6). Functional intra- and inter-domain interactions were investigated with a double mutant cycle analysis. Activation gating and channel kinetics were measured for 47 single mutants and 20 pairs of mutants. Significant coupling energies (ΔΔG(interact) ≥ 1.5 kcal mol(-1)) were measured for 4 specific pairs of mutants introduced between IIS4-S5 and IIS6 and between IIS4-S5 and IIIS6. In agreement with the computer based models, Thr-911 in IIS4-S5 was functionally coupled with Ile-1013 in IIS6 during channel activation. The interaction energy was, however, found to be stronger between Val-907 in IIS4-S5 and Ile-1013 in IIS6. In addition Val-907 was significantly coupled with Asn-1548 in IIIS6 but not with Asn-1853 in IVS6. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the S4-S5 and S6 helices from adjacent domains are energetically coupled during the activation of a low voltage-gated T-type CaV3 channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Olivier Demers-Giroux
- From the Département de Physiologie, Membrane Protein Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Benoîte Bourdin
- From the Département de Physiologie, Membrane Protein Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Rémy Sauvé
- From the Département de Physiologie, Membrane Protein Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Lucie Parent
- From the Département de Physiologie, Membrane Protein Research Group, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
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21
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Santos JS, Syeda R, Montal M. Stabilization of the conductive conformation of a voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel: the lid mechanism. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:16619-16628. [PMID: 23609443 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.468728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels are molecular switches that sense membrane potential and in response open to allow K(+) ions to diffuse out of the cell. In these proteins, sensor and pore belong to two distinct structural modules. We previously showed that the pore module alone is a robust yet dynamic structural unit in lipid membranes and that it senses potential and gates open to conduct K(+) with unchanged fidelity. The implication is that the voltage sensitivity of K(+) channels is not solely encoded in the sensor. Given that the coupling between sensor and pore remains elusive, we asked whether it is then possible to convert a pore module characterized by brief openings into a conductor with a prolonged lifetime in the open state. The strategy involves selected probes targeted to the filter gate of the channel aiming to modulate the probability of the channel being open assayed by single channel recordings from the sensorless pore module reconstituted in lipid bilayers. Here we show that the premature closing of the pore is bypassed by association of the filter gate with two novel open conformation stabilizers: an antidepressant and a peptide toxin known to act selectively on Kv channels. Such stabilization of the conductive conformation of the channel is faithfully mimicked by the covalent attachment of fluorescein at a cysteine residue selectively introduced near the filter gate. This modulation prolongs the occupancy of permeant ions at the gate. It is this longer embrace between ion and gate that we conjecture underlies the observed stabilization of the conductive conformation. This study provides a new way of thinking about gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose S Santos
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Ruhma Syeda
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Mauricio Montal
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093.
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22
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Energetic role of the paddle motif in voltage gating of Shaker K(+) channels. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2013; 20:574-81. [PMID: 23542156 PMCID: PMC3777420 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels underlie rapid electric signaling in excitable cells. Electrophysiological studies have established that the N-terminal half of the fourth transmembrane segment (NTS4) of these channels functions as the primary voltage sensor, whereas crystallographic studies have shown that NTS4 is not located within a proteinaceous pore. Rather, NTS4 and the C-terminal half of S3 (CTS3 or S3b) form a helix-turn-helix motif, termed the voltage-sensor paddle. This unexpected structural finding raises two fundamental questions: does the paddle motif also exist in voltage-gated channels in a biological membrane and, if so, what is its function in voltage gating. Here, we provide evidence that the paddle motif exists in the open state of Drosophila Shaker voltage-gated K+ channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes and that CTS3 acts as an extracellular hydrophobic "stabilizer" for NTS4, biasing the gating chemical equilibrium towards the open state.
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23
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Nano-positioning system for structural analysis of functional homomeric proteins in multiple conformations. Structure 2013; 20:1629-40. [PMID: 23063010 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2012.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Proteins may undergo multiple conformational changes required for their function. One strategy used to estimate target-site positions in unknown structural conformations involves single-pair resonance energy transfer (RET) distance measurements. However, interpretation of inter-residue distances is difficult when applied to three-dimensional structural rearrangements, especially in homomeric systems. We developed a positioning method using inverse trilateration/triangulation to map target sites within a homomeric protein in all defined states, with simultaneous functional recordings. The procedure accounts for probe diffusion to accurately determine the three-dimensional position and confidence region of lanthanide LRET donors attached to a target site (one per subunit), relative to a single fluorescent acceptor placed in a static site. As first application, the method is used to determine the position of a functional voltage-gated potassium channel's voltage sensor. Our results verify the crystal structure relaxed conformation and report on the resting and active conformations for which crystal structures are not available.
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24
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Niu X, Liu G, Wu RS, Chudasama N, Zakharov SI, Karlin A, Marx SO. Orientations and proximities of the extracellular ends of transmembrane helices S0 and S4 in open and closed BK potassium channels. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58335. [PMID: 23472181 PMCID: PMC3589268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The large-conductance potassium channel (BK) α subunit contains a transmembrane (TM) helix S0 preceding the canonical TM helices S1 through S6. S0 lies between S4 and the TM2 helix of the regulatory β1 subunit. Pairs of Cys were substituted in the first helical turns in the membrane of BK α S0 and S4 and in β1 TM2. One such pair, W22C in S0 and W203C in S4, was 95% crosslinked endogenously. Under voltage-clamp conditions in outside-out patches, this crosslink was reduced by DTT and reoxidized by a membrane-impermeant bis-quaternary ammonium derivative of diamide. The rate constants for this reoxidation were not significantly different in the open and closed states of the channel. Thus, these two residues are approximately equally close in the two states. In addition, 90% crosslinking of a second pair, R20C in S0 and W203C in S4, had no effect on the V50 for opening. Taken together, these findings indicate that separation between residues at the extracellular ends of S0 and S4 is not required for voltage-sensor activation. On the contrary, even though W22C and W203C were equally likely to form a disulfide in the activated and deactivated states, relative immobilization by crosslinking of these two residues favored the activated state. Furthermore, the efficiency of recrosslinking of W22C and W203C on the cell surface was greater in the presence of the β1 subunit than in its absence, consistent with β1 acting through S0 to stabilize its immobilization relative to α S4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Niu
- From the Center for Molecular Recognition, Departments of Biochemistry, Physiology, and Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Guoxia Liu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Roland S. Wu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Neelesh Chudasama
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sergey I. Zakharov
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Arthur Karlin
- From the Center for Molecular Recognition, Departments of Biochemistry, Physiology, and Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AK); (SOM)
| | - Steven O. Marx
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AK); (SOM)
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25
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Sand R, Sharmin N, Morgan C, Gallin WJ. Fine-tuning of voltage sensitivity of the Kv1.2 potassium channel by interhelix loop dynamics. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:9686-9695. [PMID: 23413033 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.437483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Many proteins function by changing conformation in response to ligand binding or changes in other factors in their environment. Any change in the sequence of a protein, for example during evolution, which alters the relative free energies of the different functional conformations changes the conditions under which the protein will function. Voltage-gated ion channels are membrane proteins that open and close an ion-selective pore in response to changes in transmembrane voltage. The charged S4 transmembrane helix transduces changes in transmembrane voltage into a change in protein internal energy by interacting with the rest of the channel protein through a combination of non-covalent interactions between adjacent helices and covalent interactions along the peptide backbone. However, the structural basis for the wide variation in the V50 value between different voltage-gated potassium channels is not well defined. To test the role of the loop linking the S3 helix and the S4 helix in voltage sensitivity, we have constructed a set of mutants of the rat Kv1.2 channel that vary solely in the length and composition of the extracellular loop that connects S4 to S3. We evaluated the effect of these different loop substitutions on the voltage sensitivity of the channel and compared these experimental results with molecular dynamics simulations of the loop structures. Here, we show that this loop has a significant role in setting the precise V50 of activation in Kv1 family channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rheanna Sand
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Nazlee Sharmin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Carla Morgan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Warren J Gallin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada; Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada.
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26
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Jensen MØ, Jogini V, Borhani DW, Leffler AE, Dror RO, Shaw DE. Mechanism of voltage gating in potassium channels. Science 2012; 336:229-33. [PMID: 22499946 DOI: 10.1126/science.1216533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 433] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The mechanism of ion channel voltage gating-how channels open and close in response to voltage changes-has been debated since Hodgkin and Huxley's seminal discovery that the crux of nerve conduction is ion flow across cellular membranes. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we show how a voltage-gated potassium channel (KV) switches between activated and deactivated states. On deactivation, pore hydrophobic collapse rapidly halts ion flow. Subsequent voltage-sensing domain (VSD) relaxation, including inward, 15-angstrom S4-helix motion, completes the transition. On activation, outward S4 motion tightens the VSD-pore linker, perturbing linker-S6-helix packing. Fluctuations allow water, then potassium ions, to reenter the pore; linker-S6 repacking stabilizes the open pore. We propose a mechanistic model for the sodium/potassium/calcium voltage-gated ion channel superfamily that reconciles apparently conflicting experimental data.
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27
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Blunck R, Batulan Z. Mechanism of electromechanical coupling in voltage-gated potassium channels. Front Pharmacol 2012; 3:166. [PMID: 22988442 PMCID: PMC3439648 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels play a central role in the generation of action potentials in the nervous system. They are selective for one type of ion - sodium, calcium, or potassium. Voltage-gated ion channels are composed of a central pore that allows ions to pass through the membrane and four peripheral voltage sensing domains that respond to changes in the membrane potential. Upon depolarization, voltage sensors in voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) undergo conformational changes driven by positive charges in the S4 segment and aided by pairwise electrostatic interactions with the surrounding voltage sensor. Structure-function relations of Kv channels have been investigated in detail, and the resulting models on the movement of the voltage sensors now converge to a consensus; the S4 segment undergoes a combined movement of rotation, tilt, and vertical displacement in order to bring 3-4e(+) each through the electric field focused in this region. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which the voltage sensor movement leads to pore opening, the electromechanical coupling, is still not fully understood. Thus, recently, electromechanical coupling in different Kv channels has been investigated with a multitude of techniques including electrophysiology, 3D crystal structures, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. Evidently, the S4-S5 linker, the covalent link between the voltage sensor and pore, plays a crucial role. The linker transfers the energy from the voltage sensor movement to the pore domain via an interaction with the S6 C-termini, which are pulled open during gating. In addition, other contact regions have been proposed. This review aims to provide (i) an in-depth comparison of the molecular mechanisms of electromechanical coupling in different Kv channels; (ii) insight as to how the voltage sensor and pore domain influence one another; and (iii) theoretical predictions on the movement of the cytosolic face of the Kv channels during gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikard Blunck
- Groupe d’étude des protéines membranairesMontreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Université de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physics, Université de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Zarah Batulan
- Groupe d’étude des protéines membranairesMontreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Université de MontréalMontreal, QC, Canada
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28
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Bähring R, Barghaan J, Westermeier R, Wollberg J. Voltage sensor inactivation in potassium channels. Front Pharmacol 2012; 3:100. [PMID: 22654758 PMCID: PMC3358694 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels membrane depolarization causes movement of a voltage sensor domain. This conformational change of the protein is transmitted to the pore domain and eventually leads to pore opening. However, the voltage sensor domain may interact with two distinct gates in the pore domain: the activation gate (A-gate), involving the cytoplasmic S6 bundle crossing, and the pore gate (P-gate), located externally in the selectivity filter. How the voltage sensor moves and how tightly it interacts with these two gates on its way to adopt a relaxed conformation when the membrane is depolarized may critically determine the mode of Kv channel inactivation. In certain Kv channels, voltage sensor movement leads to a tight interaction with the P-gate, which may cause conformational changes that render the selectivity filter non-conductive (“P/C-type inactivation”). Other Kv channels may preferably undergo inactivation from pre-open closed-states during voltage sensor movement, because the voltage sensor temporarily uncouples from the A-gate. For this behavior, known as “preferential” closed-state inactivation, we introduce the term “A/C-type inactivation”. Mechanistically, P/C- and A/C-type inactivation represent two forms of “voltage sensor inactivation.”
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Bähring
- Institut für Zelluläre und Integrative Physiologie, Zentrum für Experimentelle Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany
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29
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Vargas E, Bezanilla F, Roux B. In search of a consensus model of the resting state of a voltage-sensing domain. Neuron 2012; 72:713-20. [PMID: 22153369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) undergo conformational changes in response to the membrane potential and are the critical structural modules responsible for the activation of voltage-gated channels. Structural information about the key conformational states underlying voltage activation is currently incomplete. Through the use of experimentally determined residue-residue interactions as structural constraints, we determine and refine a model of the Kv channel VSD in the resting conformation. The resulting structural model is in broad agreement with results that originate from various labs using different techniques, indicating the emergence of a consensus for the structural basis of voltage sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Vargas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Lin MCA, Hsieh JY, Mock AF, Papazian DM. R1 in the Shaker S4 occupies the gating charge transfer center in the resting state. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 138:155-63. [PMID: 21788609 PMCID: PMC3149438 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201110642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During voltage-dependent activation in Shaker channels, four arginine residues in the S4 segment (R1-R4) cross the transmembrane electric field. It has been proposed that R1-R4 movement is facilitated by a "gating charge transfer center" comprising a phenylalanine (F290) in S2 plus two acidic residues, one each in S2 and S3. According to this proposal, R1 occupies the charge transfer center in the resting state, defined as the conformation in which S4 is maximally retracted toward the cytoplasm. However, other evidence suggests that R1 is located extracellular to the charge transfer center, near I287 in S2, in the resting state. To investigate the resting position of R1, we mutated I287 to histidine (I287H), paired it with histidine mutations of key voltage sensor residues, and determined the effect of extracellular Zn(2+) on channel activity. In I287H+R1H, Zn(2+) generated a slow component of activation with a maximum amplitude (A(slow,max)) of ∼56%, indicating that only a fraction of voltage sensors can bind Zn(2+) at a holding potential of -80 mV. A(slow,max) decreased after applying either depolarizing or hyperpolarizing prepulses from -80 mV. The decline of A(slow,max) after negative prepulses indicates that R1 moves inward to abolish ion binding, going beyond the point where reorientation of the I287H and R1H side chains would reestablish a binding site. These data support the proposal that R1 occupies the charge transfer center upon hyperpolarization. Consistent with this, pairing I287H with A359H in the S3-S4 loop generated a Zn(2+)-binding site. At saturating concentrations, A(slow,max) reached 100%, indicating that Zn(2+) traps the I287H+A359H voltage sensor in an absorbing conformation. Transferring I287H+A359H into a mutant background that stabilizes the resting state significantly enhanced Zn(2+) binding at -80 mV. Our results strongly support the conclusion that R1 occupies the gating charge transfer center in the resting conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-chin A Lin
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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31
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Börjesson SI, Elinder F. An electrostatic potassium channel opener targeting the final voltage sensor transition. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 137:563-77. [PMID: 21624947 PMCID: PMC3105513 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201110599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Free polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) modulate the voltage dependence of voltage-gated ion channels. As an important consequence thereof, PUFAs can suppress epileptic seizures and cardiac arrhythmia. However, molecular details for the interaction between PUFA and ion channels are not well understood. In this study, we have localized the site of action for PUFAs on the voltage-gated Shaker K channel by introducing positive charges on the channel surface, which potentiated the PUFA effect. Furthermore, we found that PUFA mainly affects the final voltage sensor movement, which is closely linked to channel opening, and that specific charges at the extracellular end of the voltage sensor are critical for the PUFA effect. Because different voltage-gated K channels have different charge profiles, this implies channel-specific PUFA effects. The identified site and the pharmacological mechanism will potentially be very useful in future drug design of small-molecule compounds specifically targeting neuronal and cardiac excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara I Börjesson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Cell Biology, Linköping University, Sweden
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32
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Phillips LR, Swartz KJ. Position and motions of the S4 helix during opening of the Shaker potassium channel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 136:629-44. [PMID: 21115696 PMCID: PMC2995149 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201010517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The four voltage sensors in voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels activate upon membrane depolarization and open the pore. The location and motion of the voltage-sensing S4 helix during the early activation steps and the final opening transition are unresolved. We studied Zn2+ bridges between two introduced His residues in Shaker Kv channels: one in the R1 position at the outer end of the S4 helix (R362H), and another in the S5 helix of the pore domain (A419H or F416H). Zn2+ bridges readily form between R362H and A419H in open channels after the S4 helix has undergone its final motion. In contrast, a distinct bridge forms between R362H and F416H after early S4 activation, but before the final S4 motion. Both bridges form rapidly, providing constraints on the average position of S4 relative to the pore. These results demonstrate that the outer ends of S4 and S5 remain in close proximity during the final opening transition, with the S4 helix translating a significant distance normal to the membrane plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Revell Phillips
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Shimomura T, Irie K, Nagura H, Imai T, Fujiyoshi Y. Arrangement and mobility of the voltage sensor domain in prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channels. J Biol Chem 2010; 286:7409-17. [PMID: 21177850 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.186510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channels (Na(V)s) form homotetramers with each subunit contributing six transmembrane α-helices (S1-S6). Helices S5 and S6 form the ion-conducting pore, and helices S1-S4 function as the voltage sensor with helix S4 thought to be the essential element for voltage-dependent activation. Although the crystal structures have provided insight into voltage-gated K channels (K(V)s), revealing a characteristic domain arrangement in which the voltage sensor domain of one subunit is close to the pore domain of an adjacent subunit in the tetramer, the structural and functional information on Na(V)s remains limited. Here, we show that the domain arrangement in NaChBac, a firstly cloned prokaryotic Na(V), is similar to that in K(V)s. Cysteine substitutions of three residues in helix S4, Q107C, T110C, and R113C, effectively induced intersubunit disulfide bond formation with a cysteine introduced in helix S5, M164C, of the adjacent subunit. In addition, substituting two acidic residues with lysine, E43K and D60K, shifted the activation of the channel to more positive membrane potentials and consistently shifted the preferentially formed disulfide bond from T110C/M164C to Q107C/M164C. Because Gln-107 is located closer to the extracellular side of helix S4 than Thr-110, this finding suggests that the functional shift in the voltage dependence of activation is related to a restriction of the position of helix S4 in the lipid bilayer. The domain arrangement and vertical mobility of helix S4 in NaChBac indicate that the structure and the mechanism of voltage-dependent activation in prokaryotic Na(V)s are similar to those in canonical K(V)s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takushi Shimomura
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Oiwake, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Bähring R, Covarrubias M. Mechanisms of closed-state inactivation in voltage-gated ion channels. J Physiol 2010; 589:461-79. [PMID: 21098008 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.191965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Inactivation of voltage-gated ion channels is an intrinsic auto-regulatory process necessary to govern the occurrence and shape of action potentials and establish firing patterns in excitable tissues. Inactivation may occur from the open state (open-state inactivation, OSI) at strongly depolarized membrane potentials, or from pre-open closed states (closed-state inactivation, CSI) at hyperpolarized and modestly depolarized membrane potentials. Voltage-gated Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+) and non-selective cationic channels utilize both OSI and CSI. Whereas there are detailed mechanistic descriptions of OSI, much less is known about the molecular basis of CSI. Here, we review evidence for CSI in voltage-gated cationic channels (VGCCs) and recent findings that shed light on the molecular mechanisms of CSI in voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels. Particularly, complementary observations suggest that the S4 voltage sensor, the S4S5 linker and the main S6 activation gate are instrumental in the installment of CSI in Kv4 channels. According to this hypothesis, the voltage sensor may adopt a distinct conformation to drive CSI and, depending on the stability of the interactions between the voltage sensor and the pore domain, a closed-inactivated state results from rearrangements in the selectivity filter or failure of the activation gate to open. Kv4 channel CSI may efficiently exploit the dynamics of the subthreshold membrane potential to regulate spiking properties in excitable tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Bähring
- Zentrum für Experimentelle Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Calculation of the gating charge for the Kv1.2 voltage-activated potassium channel. Biophys J 2010; 98:2189-98. [PMID: 20483327 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.02.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2009] [Revised: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 02/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The atomic models of the Kv1.2 potassium channel in the active and resting state, originally presented elsewhere, are here refined using molecular dynamics simulations in an explicit membrane-solvent environment. With a minor adjustment of the orientation of the first arginine along the S4 segment, the total gating charge of the channel determined from >0.5 mus of molecular dynamics simulation is approximately 12-12.7 e, in good accord with experimental estimates for the Shaker potassium channel, indicating that the final models offer a realistic depiction of voltage-gating. In the resting state of Kv1.2, the S4 segment in the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) spontaneously converts into a 3(10) helix over a stretch of 10 residues. The 3(10) helical conformation orients the gating arginines on S4 toward a water-filled crevice within the VSD and allows salt-bridge interactions with negatively charged residues along S2 and S3. Free energy calculations of the fractional transmembrane potential, acting upon key charged residues of the VSD, reveals that the applied field varies rapidly over a narrow region of 10-15 A corresponding to the outer leaflet of the bilayer. The focused field allows the transfer of a large gating charge without translocation of S4 across the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Silva
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Lin MCA, Abramson J, Papazian DM. Transfer of ion binding site from ether-a-go-go to Shaker: Mg2+ binds to resting state to modulate channel opening. J Gen Physiol 2010; 135:415-31. [PMID: 20385745 PMCID: PMC2860588 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200910320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In ether-à-go-go (eag) K(+) channels, extracellular divalent cations bind to the resting voltage sensor and thereby slow activation. Two eag-specific acidic residues in S2 and S3b coordinate the bound ion. Residues located at analogous positions are approximately 4 A apart in the x-ray structure of a Kv1.2/Kv2.1 chimera crystallized in the absence of a membrane potential. It is unknown whether these residues remain in proximity in Kv1 channels at negative voltages when the voltage sensor domain is in its resting conformation. To address this issue, we mutated Shaker residues I287 and F324, which correspond to the binding site residues in eag, to aspartate and recorded ionic and gating currents in the presence and absence of extracellular Mg(2+). In I287D+F324D, Mg(2+) significantly increased the delay before ionic current activation and slowed channel opening with no readily detectable effect on closing. Because the delay before Shaker opening reflects the initial phase of voltage-dependent activation, the results indicate that Mg(2+) binds to the voltage sensor in the resting conformation. Supporting this conclusion, Mg(2+) shifted the voltage dependence and slowed the kinetics of gating charge movement. Both the I287D and F324D mutations were required to modulate channel function. In contrast, E283, a highly conserved residue in S2, was not required for Mg(2+) binding. Ion binding affected activation by shielding the negatively charged side chains of I287D and F324D. These results show that the engineered divalent cation binding site in Shaker strongly resembles the naturally occurring site in eag. Our data provide a novel, short-range structural constraint for the resting conformation of the Shaker voltage sensor and are valuable for evaluating existing models for the resting state and voltage-dependent conformational changes that occur during activation. Comparing our data to the chimera x-ray structure, we conclude that residues in S2 and S3b remain in proximity throughout voltage-dependent activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-chin A Lin
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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38
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Reduced voltage sensitivity in a K+-channel voltage sensor by electric field remodeling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:5178-83. [PMID: 20194763 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1000963107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Propagation of the nerve impulse relies on the extreme voltage sensitivity of Na(+) and K(+) channels. The transmembrane movement of four arginine residues, located at the fourth transmembrane segment (S4), in each of their four voltage-sensing domains is mostly responsible for the translocation of 12 to 13 e(o) across the transmembrane electric field. Inserting additional positively charged residues between the voltage-sensing arginines in S4 would, in principle, increase voltage sensitivity. Here we show that either positively or negatively charged residues added between the two most external sensing arginines of S4 decreased voltage sensitivity of a Shaker voltage-gated K(+)-channel by up to approximately 50%. The replacement of Val363 with a charged residue displaced inwardly the external boundaries of the electric field by at least 6 A, leaving the most external arginine of S4 constitutively exposed to the extracellular space and permanently excluded from the electric field. Both the physical trajectory of S4 and its electromechanical coupling to open the pore gate seemed unchanged. We propose that the separation between the first two sensing charges at resting is comparable to the thickness of the low dielectric transmembrane barrier they must cross. Thus, at most a single sensing arginine side chain could be found within the field. The conserved hydrophobic nature of the residues located between the voltage-sensing arginines in S4 may shape the electric field geometry for optimal voltage sensitivity in voltage-gated ion channels.
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39
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Yang YC, Hsieh JY, Kuo CC. The external pore loop interacts with S6 and S3-S4 linker in domain 4 to assume an essential role in gating control and anticonvulsant action in the Na(+) channel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 134:95-113. [PMID: 19635852 PMCID: PMC2717694 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200810158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Carbamazepine, phenytoin, and lamotrigine are widely prescribed anticonvulsants in neurological clinics. These drugs bind to the same receptor site, probably with the diphenyl motif in their structure, to inhibit the Na+ channel. However, the location of the drug receptor remains controversial. In this study, we demonstrate close proximity and potential interaction between an external aromatic residue (W1716 in the external pore loop) and an internal aromatic residue (F1764 in the pore-lining part of the sixth transmembrane segment, S6) of domain 4 (D4), both being closely related to anticonvulsant and/or local anesthetic binding to the Na+ channel. Double-mutant cycle analysis reveals significant cooperativity between the two phenyl residues for anticonvulsant binding. Concomitant F1764C mutation evidently decreases the susceptibility of W1716C to external Cd2+ and membrane-impermeable methanethiosulfonate reagents. Also, the W1716E/F1764R and G1715E/F1764R double mutations significantly alter the selectivity for Na+ over K+ and markedly shift the activation curve, respectively. W1716 and F1764 therefore very likely form a link connecting the outer and inner compartments of the Na+ channel pore (in addition to the selectivity filter). Anticonvulsants and local anesthetics may well traverse this “S6 recess” without trespassing on the selectivity filter. Furthermore, we found that Y1618K, a point mutation in the S3-4 linker (the extracellular extension of D4S4), significantly alters the consequences of carbamazepine binding to the Na+ channel. The effect of Y1618K mutation, however, is abolished by concomitant point mutations in the vicinity of Y1618, but not by those in the internally located inactivation machinery, supporting a direct local rather than a long-range allosteric action. Moreover, Y1618 could interact with D4 pore residues W1716 and L1719 to have a profound effect on both channel gating and anticonvulsant action. We conclude that there are direct interactions among the external S3-4 linker, the external pore loop, and the internal S6 segment in D4, making the external pore loop a pivotal point critically coordinating ion permeation, gating, and anticonvulsant binding in the Na+ channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Chin Yang
- Department of Life Science, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
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40
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Ma Z, Kong J, Kallen RG. Studies of alpha-helicity and intersegmental interactions in voltage-gated Na+ channels: S2D4. PLoS One 2009; 4:e7674. [PMID: 19881885 PMCID: PMC2766034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2009] [Accepted: 04/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Much data, including crystallographic, support structural models of sodium and potassium channels consisting of S1–S4 transmembrane segments (the “voltage-sensing domain”) clustered around a central pore-forming region (S5–S6 segments and the intervening loop). Voltage gated sodium channels have four non-identical domains which differentiates them from the homotetrameric potassium channels that form the basis for current structural models. Since potassium and sodium channels also exhibit many different functional characteristics and the fourth domain (D4) of sodium channels differs in function from other domains (D1–D3), we have explored its structure in order to determine whether segments in D4 of sodium channels differ significantly from that determined for potassium channels. We have probed the secondary and tertiary structure and the role of the individual amino acid residues of the S2D4) of Nav1.4 by employing cysteine-scanning mutagenesis (with tryptophan and glutamine substituted for native cysteine). A Fourier transform power spectrum of perturbations in free energy of steady-state inactivation gating (using midpoint potentials and slopes of Boltzmann equation fits of channel availability, h∞-V plots) indicates a substantial amount of α-helical structure in S2D4 (peak at 106°, α-Periodicity Index (α-PI) of 3.10), This conclusion is supported by α-PI values of 3.28 and 2.84 for the perturbations in rate constants of entry into (β) and exit from (α) fast inactivation at 0 mV for mutant channels relative to WT channels assuming a simple two-state model for transition from the open to inactivated state. The results of cysteine substitution at the two most sensitive sites of the S2D4 α-helix (N1382 and E1392C) support the existence of electrostatic network interactions between S2 and other transmembrane segments within Nav1.4D4 similar to but not identical to those proposed for K+ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongming Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jun Kong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Roland G. Kallen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Mahoney Institute for Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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41
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Duclohier H. Structure-function studies on the voltage-gated sodium channel. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2009; 1788:2374-9. [PMID: 19747894 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2009] [Revised: 08/18/2009] [Accepted: 08/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent research on structure-function relationships aspects of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are reviewed. Data issued from the literature are summarized and compared, including results from our own studies. The latter deal with the effects of drug binding, deglycosylation and the role of hydrophobic residues in the voltage sensors. Methods mainly consist of circular dichroism (CD) to asses the channel's secondary structure and conductance measurements after reconstitution into planar lipid bilayers. Molecular modelling was also used to tentatively explain experimental data. Since 30% of the channel's mass are glycoconjugates, the effects of removing them were first investigated. Then, the effects of the neurotoxin Batrachotoxin and the anticonvulsant Lamotrigine were studied. Both drugs induced a significant increase in the channel's helical content and a molecular model shows that lamotrigine interacts with residues previously identified as forming the binding sites in the pore. Finally, the role of hydrophobic residues with long sidechains in the voltage sensors (S4s) was investigated. Recent research on related studies on VGSCs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hervé Duclohier
- Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, UMR 6187 CNRS-Université de Poitiers, Pôle Biologie Santé, 40 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86022 POITIERS, France.
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42
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Nielsen CH. Biomimetic membranes for sensor and separation applications. Anal Bioanal Chem 2009; 395:697-718. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-009-2960-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2009] [Revised: 07/02/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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43
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Gagnon DG, Bezanilla F. A single charged voltage sensor is capable of gating the Shaker K+ channel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 133:467-83. [PMID: 19398775 PMCID: PMC2712970 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200810082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We sought to determine the contribution of an individual voltage sensor to Shaker's function. Concatenated heterotetramers of Shaker zH4 Δ(6–46) wild type (wt) in combination with a neutral S4 segment Shaker mutant (mut) with stoichiometries 2wt/2mut and 1wt/3mut were studied and compared with the 4wt concatenated homotetramer. A single charged voltage sensor is sufficient to open Shaker conductance with reduced delay (<1 ms) and at more hyperpolarized voltages compared with 4wt. In addition, the wt-like slow inactivation of 1wt/3mut was almost completely eliminated by mutations T449V-I470C in its single wt subunit, indicating that the subunits bearing a neutral S4 were unable to trigger slow inactivation. Our results strongly suggest that a neutral S4 segment of Shaker's subunit is voltage insensitive and its voltage sensor is in the activated position (i.e., ready for pore opening), and provide experimental support to the proposed model of independent voltage sensors with a final, almost voltage-independent concerted step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique G Gagnon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Bell DC, Turbendian HK, Valley MT, Zhou L, Riley JH, Siegelbaum SA, Tibbs GR. Probing S4 and S5 segment proximity in mammalian hyperpolarization-activated HCN channels by disulfide bridging and Cd2+ coordination. Pflugers Arch 2009; 458:259-72. [PMID: 19034494 PMCID: PMC2748781 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-008-0613-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2008] [Accepted: 10/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We explored the structural basis of voltage sensing in the HCN1 hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel by examining the relative orientation of the voltage sensor and pore domains. The opening of channels engineered to contain single cysteine residues at the extracellular ends of the voltage-sensing S4 (V246C) and pore-forming S5 (C303) domains is inhibited by formation of disulfide or cysteine:Cd(2+) bonds. As Cd(2+) coordination is promoted by depolarization, the S4-S5 interaction occurs preferentially in the closed state. The failure of oxidation to catalyze dimer formation, as assayed by Western blotting, indicates the V246C:C303 interaction occurs within a subunit. Intriguingly, a similar interaction has been observed in depolarization-activated Shaker voltage-dependent potassium (Kv) channels at depolarized potentials but such an intrasubunit interaction is inconsistent with the X-ray crystal structure of Kv1.2, wherein S4 approaches S5 of an adjacent subunit. These findings suggest channels of opposite voltage-sensing polarity adopt a conserved S4-S5 orientation in the depolarized state that is distinct from that trapped upon crystallization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian C. Bell
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
| | - Harma K. Turbendian
- Department of Anesthesiology, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
| | - Matthew T. Valley
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
| | - Lei Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
| | - John H. Riley
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
| | - Steven A. Siegelbaum
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
| | - Gareth R. Tibbs
- Department of Anesthesiology, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Surgeons & Physicians, Columbia University New York, NY 10032, U.S.A
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45
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Barghaan J, Bähring R. Dynamic coupling of voltage sensor and gate involved in closed-state inactivation of kv4.2 channels. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 133:205-24. [PMID: 19171772 PMCID: PMC2638201 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200810073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels related to the Shal gene of Drosophila (Kv4 channels) mediate a subthreshold-activating current (ISA) that controls dendritic excitation and the backpropagation of action potentials in neurons. Kv4 channels also exhibit a prominent low voltage–induced closed-state inactivation, but the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we examined a structural model in which dynamic coupling between the voltage sensors and the cytoplasmic gate underlies inactivation in Kv4.2 channels. We performed an alanine-scanning mutagenesis in the S4-S5 linker, the initial part of S5, and the distal part of S6 and functionally characterized the mutants under two-electrode voltage clamp in Xenopus oocytes. In a large fraction of the mutants (>80%) normal channel function was preserved, but the mutations influenced the likelihood of the channel to enter the closed-inactivated state. Depending on the site of mutation, low-voltage inactivation kinetics were slowed or accelerated, and the voltage dependence of steady-state inactivation was shifted positive or negative. Still, in some mutants these inactivation parameters remained unaffected. Double mutant cycle analysis based on kinetic and steady-state parameters of low-voltage inactivation revealed that residues known to be critical for voltage-dependent gate opening, including Glu 323 and Val 404, are also critical for Kv4.2 closed-state inactivation. Selective redox modulation of corresponding double-cysteine mutants supported the idea that these residues are involved in a dynamic coupling, which mediates both transient activation and closed-state inactivation in Kv4.2 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Barghaan
- Zentrum für Experimentelle Medizin, Institut für Vegetative Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Universit ä tsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Abstract
The detection of electrical potentials across lipid bilayers by specialized membrane proteins is required for many fundamental cellular processes such as the generation and propagation of nerve impulses. These membrane proteins possess modular voltage-sensing domains, a notable example being the S1-S4 domains of voltage-activated ion channels. Ground-breaking structural studies on these domains explain how voltage sensors are designed and reveal important interactions with the surrounding lipid membrane. Although further structures are needed to understand the conformational changes that occur during voltage sensing, the available data help to frame several key concepts that are fundamental to the mechanism of voltage sensing.
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47
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Abstract
In this perspective I tell the story (albeit a clearly abridged version) of how our knowledge of ion conduction through ion channels has evolved from a purely electrical concept to a structural dynamics view of ions interacting with a membrane protein. Our progress in this field has shown steady growth over the years but has also been interspersed with sudden jumps of discovery. These leaps have normally been associated with the introduction of a new technical advance or the development of a new biological preparation; therefore, it is quite certain that we have not seen them all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Bezanilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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48
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Structure, function, and modification of the voltage sensor in voltage-gated ion channels. Cell Biochem Biophys 2008; 52:149-74. [PMID: 18989792 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-008-9032-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2008] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels are crucial for both neuronal and cardiac excitability. Decades of research have begun to unravel the intriguing machinery behind voltage sensitivity. Although the details regarding the arrangement and movement in the voltage-sensor domain are still debated, consensus is slowly emerging. There are three competing conceptual models: the helical-screw, the transporter, and the paddle model. In this review we explore the structure of the activated voltage-sensor domain based on the recent X-ray structure of a chimera between Kv1.2 and Kv2.1. We also present a model for the closed state. From this we conclude that upon depolarization the voltage sensor S4 moves approximately 13 A outwards and rotates approximately 180 degrees, thus consistent with the helical-screw model. S4 also moves relative to S3b which is not consistent with the paddle model. One interesting feature of the voltage sensor is that it partially faces the lipid bilayer and therefore can interact both with the membrane itself and with physiological and pharmacological molecules reaching the channel from the membrane. This type of channel modulation is discussed together with other mechanisms for how voltage-sensitivity is modified. Small effects on voltage-sensitivity can have profound effects on excitability. Therefore, medical drugs designed to alter the voltage dependence offer an interesting way to regulate excitability.
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49
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Large-scale movement within the voltage-sensor paddle of a potassium channel-support for a helical-screw motion. Neuron 2008; 59:770-7. [PMID: 18786360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2008] [Revised: 05/20/2008] [Accepted: 07/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The size of the movement and the molecular identity of the moving parts of the voltage sensor of a voltage-gated ion channel are debated. In the helical-screw model, the positively charged fourth transmembrane segment S4 slides and rotates along negative counter charges in S2 and S3, while in the paddle model, S4 carries the extracellular part of S3 (S3b) as a cargo. Here, we show that S4 slides 16-26 A along S3b. We introduced pairs of cysteines in S4 and S3b of the Shaker K channel to make disulfide bonds. Residue 325 in S3b makes close and state-dependent contacts with a long stretch of residues in S4. A disulfide bond between 325 and 360 was formed in the closed state, while a bond between 325 and 366 was formed in the open state. These data are not compatible with the voltage-sensor paddle model, but support the helical-screw model.
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50
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Lewis A, Jogini V, Blachowicz L, Lainé M, Roux B. Atomic constraints between the voltage sensor and the pore domain in a voltage-gated K+ channel of known structure. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 131:549-61. [PMID: 18504314 PMCID: PMC2391244 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200809962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
In voltage-gated K+ channels (Kv), membrane depolarization promotes a structural reorganization of each of the four voltage sensor domains surrounding the conducting pore, inducing its opening. Although the crystal structure of Kv1.2 provided the first atomic resolution view of a eukaryotic Kv channel, several components of the voltage sensors remain poorly resolved. In particular, the position and orientation of the charged arginine side chains in the S4 transmembrane segments remain controversial. Here we investigate the proximity of S4 and the pore domain in functional Kv1.2 channels in a native membrane environment using electrophysiological analysis of intersubunit histidine metallic bridges formed between the first arginine of S4 (R294) and residues A351 or D352 of the pore domain. We show that histidine pairs are able to bind Zn2+ or Cd2+ with high affinity, demonstrating their close physical proximity. The results of molecular dynamics simulations, consistent with electrophysiological data, indicate that the position of the S4 helix in the functional open-activated state could be shifted by ∼7–8 Å and rotated counterclockwise by 37° along its main axis relative to its position observed in the Kv1.2 x-ray structure. A structural model is provided for this conformation. The results further highlight the dynamic and flexible nature of the voltage sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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