Arg352 is a major determinant of charge selectivity in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel

Molecular Dynamics and Theratyping in Airway and Gut Organoids Reveal R352Q-CFTR Conductance Defect

A significant challenge to making targeted cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapies accessible to all individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are many mutations in the CFTR gene that can cause CF, most of which remain uncharacterized. Here, we characterized the structural and functional defects of the rare CFTR mutation R352Q, with a potential role contributing to intrapore chloride ion permeation, in patient-derived cell models of the airway and gut. CFTR function in differentiated nasal epithelial cultures and matched intestinal organoids was assessed using an ion transport assay and forskolin-induced swelling assay, respectively. CFTR potentiators (VX-770, GLPG1837, and VX-445) and correctors (VX-809, VX-445, with or without VX-661) were tested. Data from R352Q-CFTR were compared with data of 20 participants with mutations with known impact on CFTR function. R352Q-CFTR has residual CFTR function that was restored to functional CFTR activity by CFTR potentiators but not the corrector. Molecular dynamics simulations of R352Q-CFTR were carried out, which indicated the presence of a chloride conductance defect, with little evidence supporting a gating defect. The combination approach of in vitro patient-derived cell models and in silico molecular dynamics simulations to characterize rare CFTR mutations can improve the specificity and sensitivity of modulator response predictions and aid in their translational use for CF precision medicine.

The CFTR gene variants in Japanese children with idiopathic pancreatitis

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene has been reported as one of the pancreatitis susceptibility genes. Although many variants of CFTR have been reported in Caucasian patients, there are few data in Japanese patients. We aimed to survey CFTR variants in Japanese children with idiopathic pancreatitis. Twenty-eight Japanese paediatric patients with idiopathic pancreatitis were enroled, who were not previously diagnosed by genetic analysis of PRSS1 and SPINK1. The entire CFTR gene was sequenced in the patients by combining LA-PCR and next-generation sequencing analysis. To determine a splice-affecting variant, CFTR expression was investigated in the nasal epithelial cells by RT-PCR. One (3.6%) and 15 (53.6%) of 28 patients had pathogenic and functionally affected variants in the CFTR gene, respectively. Two variants, p.Arg352Gln and p.Arg1453Trp, were found more frequently in the patients compared with one in Japanese healthy controls (p = 0.0078 and 0.044, respectively). We confirmed skipping of exon 10 in the nasal epithelial cells in one patient having a splice-affecting variant (c.1210-12 T(5)) in intron 9. Functionally affected variants of the CFTR gene are not so rare in Japanese paediatric patients with idiopathic pancreatitis. Surveying CFTR gene variants in a Japanese sample could help identify pancreatitis risk in these children.

Mutations in a cystic fibrosis-related gene could help identify Japanese children at risk of developing pancreatic inflammation. Tadashi Kaname, of Tokyo’s National Center for Child Health and Development, and colleagues sequenced the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR) in 28 Japanese children with pancreatitis of unknown origin. The gene is involved in the development of cystic fibrosis and has been reported to be associated with pancreatitis but little is known about its role in idiopathic pancreatitis in Asian populations. The team found CFTR gene mutations in 16 out of the 28 children. Cystic fibrosis is uncommon among Japanese, so CFTR mutations were also thought to be rare. The study suggests, however, that mutations might not be so rare in Japanese children with idiopathic pancreatitis and could help identify those at risk of developing the condition.

Molecular structure of the ATP-bound, phosphorylated human CFTR

Mutations in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) cause cystic fibrosis, a lethal genetic disease occurring in people of northern European descent. Decades of study have been directed toward a molecular understanding of this ion channel. The structure presented here enables a direct correlation of structure with function, most of which has been characterized in human CFTR.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an anion channel important in maintaining proper functions of the lung, pancreas, and intestine. The activity of CFTR is regulated by ATP and protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation. To understand the conformational changes elicited by phosphorylation and ATP binding, we present here the structure of phosphorylated, ATP-bound human CFTR, determined by cryoelectron microscopy to 3.2-Å resolution. This structure reveals the position of the R domain after phosphorylation. By comparing the structures of human CFTR and zebrafish CFTR determined under the same condition, we identified common features essential to channel gating. The differences in their structures indicate plasticity permitted in evolution to achieve the same function. Finally, the structure of CFTR provides a better understanding of why the G178R, R352Q, L927P, and G970R/D mutations would impede conformational changes of CFTR and lead to cystic fibrosis.

Structural mechanisms of CFTR function and dysfunction

Hwang et al. integrate new structural insights with prior functional studies to reveal the functional anatomy of CFTR chloride channels.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel plays a critical role in regulating transepithelial movement of water and electrolyte in exocrine tissues. Malfunction of the channel because of mutations of the cftr gene results in CF, the most prevalent lethal genetic disease among Caucasians. Recently, the publication of atomic structures of CFTR in two distinct conformations provides, for the first time, a clear overview of the protein. However, given the highly dynamic nature of the interactions among CFTR’s various domains, better understanding of the functional significance of these structures requires an integration of these new structural insights with previously established biochemical/biophysical studies, which is the goal of this review.

Correction of CFTR function in nasal epithelial cells from cystic fibrosis patients predicts improvement of respiratory function by CFTR modulators

Clinical studies with modulators of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein have demonstrated that functional restoration of the mutated CFTR can lead to substantial clinical benefit. However, studies have shown highly variable patient responses. The objective of this study was to determine a biomarker predictive of the clinical response. CFTR function was assessed in vivo via nasal potential difference (NPD) and in human nasal epithelial (HNE) cultures by the response to Forskolin/IBMX and the CFTR potentiator VX-770 in short-circuit-current (∆IscF/I+V) experiments. CFTR expression was evaluated by apical membrane fluorescence semi-quantification. Isc measurements discriminated CFTR function between controls, healthy heterozygotes, patients homozygous for the severe F508del mutation and patients with genotypes leading to absent or residual function. ∆IscF/I+V correlated with CFTR cellular apical expression and NPD measurements. The CFTR correctors lumacaftor and tezacaftor significantly increased the ∆IscF/I+V response to about 25% (SEM = 4.4) of the WT-CFTR level and the CFTR apical expression to about 22% (SEM = 4.6) of the WT-CFTR level in F508del/F508del HNE cells. The level of CFTR correction in HNE cultures significantly correlated with the FEV1 change at 6 months in 8 patients treated with CFTR modulators. We provide the first evidence that correction of CFTR function in HNE cell cultures can predict respiratory improvement by CFTR modulators.

Atomic Structure of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an anion channel evolved from the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family. In this study, we determined the structure of zebrafish CFTR in the absence of ATP by electron cryo-microscopy to 3.7 Å resolution. Human and zebrafish CFTR share 55% sequence identity, and 42 of the 46 cystic-fibrosis-causing missense mutational sites are identical. In CFTR, we observe a large anion conduction pathway lined by numerous positively charged residues. A single gate near the extracellular surface closes the channel. The regulatory domain, dephosphorylated, is located in the intracellular opening between the two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), preventing NBD dimerization and channel opening. The structure also reveals why many cystic-fibrosis-causing mutations would lead to defects either in folding, ion conduction, or gating and suggests new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

The Fifth Transmembrane Segment of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Contributes to Its Anion Permeation Pathway

Previous studies have identified several transmembrane segments (TMs), including TM1, TM3, TM6, TM9, TM11, and TM12, as pore-lining segments in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), but the role of TM5 in pore construction remains controversial. In this study, we employed substituted cysteine accessibility methodology (SCAM) to screen the entire TM5 defined by the original topology model and its cytoplasmic extension in a Cysless background. We found six positions (A299, R303, N306, S307, F310, and F311) where engineered cysteines react to intracellular 2-sulfonatoethyl methanethiosulfonate (MTSES⁻). Quantification of the modification rate of engineered cysteines in the presence or absence of ATP suggests that these six residues are accessible in both the open and closed states. Whole-cell experiments with external MTSES⁻ identified only two positive positions (L323 and A326), resulting in a segment containing 11 consecutive amino acids, where substituted cysteines respond to neither internal nor external MTSES⁻, a unique feature not seen previously in CFTR's pore-lining segments. The observation that these positions are inaccessible to channel-permeant thiol-specific reagent [Au(CN)₂]⁻ suggests that this segment of TM5 between F311 and L323 is concealed from the pore by other TMs and/or lipid bilayers. In addition, our data support the idea that the positively charged arginine at position 303 poses a pure electrostatic action in determining the single-channel current amplitude of CFTR and the effect of an open-channel blocker glibencalmide. Collectively, we conclude that the cytoplasmic portion of CFTR's TM5 lines the pore. Our functional data are remarkably consistent with predicted structural arrangements of TM5 in some homology models of CFTR.

Differential contribution of TM6 and TM12 to the pore of CFTR identified by three sulfonylurea-based blockers

Previous studies suggested that four transmembrane domains 5, 6, 11, 12 make the greatest contribution to forming the pore of the CFTR chloride channel. We used excised, inside-out patches from oocytes expressing CFTR with alanine-scanning mutagenesis in amino acids in TM6 and TM12 to probe CFTR pore structure with four blockers: glibenclamide (Glyb), glipizide (Glip), tolbutamide (Tolb), and Meglitinide. Glyb and Glip blocked wildtype (WT)-CFTR in a voltage-, time-, and concentration-dependent manner. At V (M) = -120 mV with symmetrical 150 mM Cl(-) solution, fractional block of WT-CFTR by 50 μM Glyb and 200 μM Glip was 0.64 ± 0.03 (n = 7) and 0.48 ± 0.02 (n = 7), respectively. The major effects on block by Glyb and Glip were found with mutations at F337, S341, I344, M348, and V350 of TM6. Under similar conditions, fractional block of WT-CFTR by 300 μM Tolb was 0.40 ± 0.04. Unlike Glyb, Glip, and Meglitinide, block by Tolb lacked time-dependence (n = 7). We then tested the effects of alanine mutations in TM12 on block by Glyb and Glip; the major effects were found at N1138, T1142, V1147, N1148, S1149, S1150, I1151, and D1152. From these experiments, we infer that amino acids F337, S341, I344, M348, and V350 of TM6 face the pore when the channel is in the open state, while the amino acids of TM12 make less important contributions to pore function. These data also suggest that the region between F337 and S341 forms the narrow part of the CFTR pore.

Alignment of transmembrane regions in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel pore

Different transmembrane (TM) α helices are known to line the pore of the cystic fibrosis TM conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl⁻ channel. However, the relative alignment of these TMs in the three-dimensional structure of the pore is not known. We have used patch-clamp recording to investigate the accessibility of cytoplasmically applied cysteine-reactive reagents to cysteines introduced along the length of the pore-lining first TM (TM1) of a cysteine-less variant of CFTR. We find that methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents irreversibly modify cysteines substituted for TM1 residues K95, Q98, P99, and L102 when applied to the cytoplasmic side of open channels. Residues closer to the intracellular end of TM1 (Y84–T94) were not apparently modified by MTS reagents, suggesting that this part of TM1 does not line the pore. None of the internal MTS reagent-reactive cysteines was modified by extracellular [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl] MTS. Only K95C, closest to the putative intracellular end of TM1, was apparently modified by intracellular [2-sulfonatoethyl] MTS before channel activation. Comparison of these results with recent work on CFTR-TM6 suggests a relative alignment of these two important TMs along the axis of the pore. This alignment was tested experimentally by formation of disulfide bridges between pairs of cysteines introduced into these two TMs. Currents carried by the double mutants K95C/I344C and Q98C/I344C, but not by the corresponding single-site mutants, were inhibited by the oxidizing agent copper(II)-o-phenanthroline. This inhibition was irreversible on washing but could be reversed by the reducing agent dithiothreitol, suggesting disulfide bond formation between the introduced cysteine side chains. These results allow us to develop a model of the relative positions, functional contributions, and alignment of two important TMs lining the CFTR pore. Such functional information is necessary to understand and interpret the three-dimensional structure of the pore.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator: using differential reactivity toward channel-permeant and channel-impermeant thiol-reactive probes to test a molecular model for the pore

The sixth transmembrane segment (TM6) of the CFTR chloride channel has been intensively investigated. The effects of amino acid substitutions and chemical modification of engineered cysteines (cysteine scanning) on channel properties strongly suggest that TM6 is a key component of the anion-conducting pore, but previous cysteine-scanning studies of TM6 have produced conflicting results. Our aim was to resolve these conflicts by combining a screening strategy based on multiple, thiol-directed probes with molecular modeling of the pore. CFTR constructs were screened for reactivity toward both channel-permeant and channel-impermeant thiol-directed reagents, and patterns of reactivity in TM6 were mapped onto two new, molecular models of the CFTR pore: one based on homology modeling using Sav1866 as the template and a second derived from the first by molecular dynamics simulation. Comparison of the pattern of cysteine reactivity with model predictions suggests that nonreactive sites are those where the TM6 side chains are occluded by other TMs. Reactive sites, in contrast, are generally situated such that the respective amino acid side chains either project into the predicted pore or lie within a predicted extracellular loop. Sites where engineered cysteines react with both channel-permeant and channel-impermeant probes occupy the outermost extent of TM6 or the predicted TM5-6 loop. Sites where cysteine reactivity is limited to channel-permeant probes occupy more cytoplasmic locations. The results provide an initial validation of two, new molecular models for CFTR and suggest that molecular dynamics simulation will be a useful tool for unraveling the structural basis of anion conduction by CFTR.

Molecular models of the open and closed states of the whole human CFTR protein

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), involved in cystic fibrosis (CF), is a chloride channel belonging to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily. Using the experimental structure of Sav1866 as template, we previously modeled the human CFTR structure, including membrane-spanning domains (MSD) and nucleotide-binding domains (NBD), in an outward-facing conformation (open channel state). Here, we constructed a model of the CFTR inward-facing conformation (closed channel) on the basis of the recent corrected structures of MsbA and compared the structural features of those two states of the channel. Interestingly, the MSD:NBD coupling interfaces including F508 (DeltaF508 being the most common CF mutation) are mainly left unchanged. This prediction, completed by the modeling of the regulatory R domain, is supported by experimental data and provides a molecular basis for a better understanding of the functioning of CFTR, especially of the structural features that make CFTR the unique channel among the ABC transporters.

Mutations at arginine 352 alter the pore architecture of CFTR

Arginine 352 (R352) in the sixth transmembrane domain of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) previously was reported to form an anion/cation selectivity filter and to provide positive charge in the intracellular vestibule. However, mutations at this site have nonspecific effects, such as inducing susceptibility of endogenous cysteines to chemical modification. We hypothesized that R352 stabilizes channel structure and that charge-destroying mutations at this site disrupt pore architecture, with multiple consequences. We tested the effects of mutations at R352 on conductance, anion selectivity and block by the sulfonylurea drug glipizide, using recordings of wild-type and mutant channels. Charge-altering mutations at R352 destabilized the open state and altered both selectivity and block. In contrast, R352K-CFTR was similar to wild-type. Full conductance state amplitude was similar to that of wild-type CFTR in all mutants except R352E, suggesting that R352 does not itself form an anion coordination site. In an attempt to identify an acidic residue that may interact with R352, we found that permeation properties were similarly affected by charge-reversing mutations at D993. Wild-type-like properties were rescued in R352E/D993R-CFTR, suggesting that R352 and D993 in the wild-type channel may interact to stabilize pore architecture. Finally, R352A-CFTR was sensitive to modification by externally applied MTSEA+, while wild-type and R352E/D993R-CFTR were not. These data suggest that R352 plays an important structural role in CFTR, perhaps reflecting its involvement in forming a salt bridge with residue D993.

Positive charges at the intracellular mouth of the pore regulate anion conduction in the CFTR chloride channel

Many different ion channel pores are thought to have charged amino acid residues clustered around their entrances. The so-called surface charges contributed by these residues can play important roles in attracting oppositely charged ions from the bulk solution on one side of the membrane, increasing effective local counterion concentration and favoring rapid ion movement through the channel. Here we use site-directed mutagenesis to identify arginine residues contributing important surface charges in the intracellular mouth of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl⁻ channel pore. While wild-type CFTR was associated with a linear current–voltage relationship with symmetrical solutions, strong outward rectification was observed after mutagenesis of two arginine residues (R303 and R352) located near the intracellular ends of the fifth and sixth transmembrane regions. Current rectification was dependent on the charge present at these positions, consistent with an electrostatic effect. Furthermore, mutagenesis-induced rectification was more pronounced at lower Cl⁻ concentrations, suggesting that these mutants had a reduced ability to concentrate Cl⁻ ions near the inner pore mouth. R303 and R352 mutants exhibited reduced single channel conductance, especially at negative membrane potentials, that was dependent on the charge of the amino acid residue present at these positions. However, the very low conductance of both R303E and R352E-CFTR could be greatly increased by elevating intracellular Cl⁻ concentration. Modification of an introduced cysteine residue at position 303 by charged methanethiosulfonate reagents reproduced charge-dependent effects on current rectification. Mutagenesis of arginine residues in the second and tenth transmembrane regions also altered channel permeation properties, however these effects were not consistent with changes in channel surface charges. These results suggest that positively charged arginine residues act to concentrate Cl⁻ ions at the inner mouth of the CFTR pore, and that this contributes to maximization of the rate of Cl⁻ ion permeation through the pore.

Insight in eukaryotic ABC transporter function by mutation analysis

With regard to structure-function relations of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters several intriguing questions are in the spotlight of active research: Why do functional ABC transporters possess two ATP binding and hydrolysis domains together with two ABC signatures and to what extent are the individual nucleotide-binding domains independent or interacting? Where is the substrate-binding site and how is ATP hydrolysis functionally coupled to the transport process itself? Although much progress has been made in the elucidation of the three-dimensional structures of ABC transporters in the last years by several crystallographic studies including novel models for the nucleotide hydrolysis and translocation catalysis, site-directed mutagenesis as well as the identification of natural mutations is still a major tool to evaluate effects of individual amino acids on the overall function of ABC transporters. Apart from alterations in characteristic sequence such as Walker A, Walker B and the ABC signature other parts of ABC proteins were subject to detailed mutagenesis studies including the substrate-binding site or the regulatory domain of CFTR. In this review, we will give a detailed overview of the mutation analysis reported for selected ABC transporters of the ABCB and ABCC subfamilies, namely HsCFTR/ABCC7, HsSUR/ABCC8,9, HsMRP1/ABCC1, HsMRP2/ABCC2, ScYCF1 and P-glycoprotein (Pgp)/MDR1/ABCB1 and their effects on the function of each protein.

Ligand-gated ion channels: mechanisms underlying ion selectivity

Anion/cation selectivity is a critical property of ion channels and underpins their physiological function. Recently, there have been numerous mutagenesis studies, which have mapped sites within the ion channel-forming segments of ligand-gated ion channels that are determinants of the ion selectivity. Site-directed mutations to specific amino acids within or flanking the M2 transmembrane segments of the anion-selective glycine, GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors and the cation-selective nicotinic acetylcholine and serotonin (type 3) receptors have revealed discrete, equivalent regions within the ion channel that form the principal selectivity filter, leading to plausible molecular mechanisms and mathematical models to describe how ions preferentially permeate these channels. In particular, the dominant factor determining anion/cation selectivity seems to be the sign and exposure of charged amino acids lining the selectivity filter region of the open channel. In addition, the minimum pore diameter, which can be influenced by the presence of a local proline residue, also makes a contribution to such ion selectivity in LGICs with smaller diameters increasing anion/cation selectivity and larger ones decreasing it.

The ΔF508 Mutation Disrupts Packing of the Transmembrane Segments of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator

The most common mutation in cystic fibrosis (deletion of Phe-508 in the first nucleotide binding domain (DeltaF508)) in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) causes retention of the mutant protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. We previously showed that the DeltaF508 mutation causes the CFTR protein to be retained in the endoplasmic reticulum in an inactive and structurally altered state. Proper packing of the transmembrane (TM) segments is critical for function because the TM segments form the chloride channel. Here we tested whether the DeltaF508 mutation altered packing of the TM segments by disulfide cross-linking analysis between TM6 and TM12 in wild-type and DeltaF508 CFTRs. These TM segments were selected because TM6 appears to line the chloride channel, and cross-linking between these TM segments has been observed in the CFTR sister protein, the multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein. We first mapped potential contact points in wild-type CFTR by cysteine mutagenesis and thiol cross-linking analysis. Disulfide cross-linking was detected in CFTR mutants M348C(TM6)/T1142C(TM12), T351C(TM6)/T1142C(TM12), and W356C(TM6)/W1145C(TM12) in a wild-type background. The disulfide cross-linking occurs intramolecularly and was reducible by dithiothreitol. Introduction of the DeltaF508 mutation into these cysteine mutants, however, abolished cross-linking. The results suggest that the DeltaF508 mutation alters interactions between the TM domains. Therefore, a potential target to correct folding defects in the DeltaF508 mutant of CFTR is to identify compounds that promote correct folding of the TM domains.

Stable dimeric assembly of the second membrane-spanning domain of CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) reconstitutes a chloride-selective pore

Structural information is required to define the molecular basis for chloride conduction through CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator). Towards this goal, we expressed MSD2, the second of the two MSDs (membrane-spanning domains) of CFTR, encompassing residues 857-1158 in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus system. In Sf9 plasma membranes, MSD2 migrates as expected for a dimer in non-dissociative PAGE, and confers the appearance of an anion permeation pathway suggesting that dimeric MSD2 mediates anion flux. To assess directly the function and quaternary structure of MSD2, we purified it from Sf9 cells by virtue of its polyhistidine tag and nickel affinity. Reconstitution of MSD2 into liposomes conferred a 4,4'-di-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonate-inhibitable, chloride-selective electrodiffusion pathway. Further, this activity is probably mediated directly by MSD2 as reaction of its single cysteine residue (Cys866) with the thiol modifying reagent, N(alpha)(3-maleimidylpropionyl)biocytin, inhibited chloride flux. Only MSD2 dimers were labelled by N(alpha)(3-maleimidylpropionyl)biocytin, supporting the idea that only dimeric MSD2 can mediate anion flux. As a further test of this hypothesis, we conducted a second purification procedure, wherein purified dimeric and monomeric MSD2 proteins were reconstituted separately. Only proteoliposomes containing stable MSD2 dimers mediated chloride electrodiffusion, providing direct evidence that dimeric MSD2 mediates chloride channel function. In summary, we have shown that the second membrane domain of CFTR can be purified and functionally reconstituted as a chloride channel, providing a tool for probing the structural basis of chloride conduction through CFTR.

Voltage-dependent gating of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl- channel

When excised inside-out membrane patches are bathed in symmetrical Cl--rich solutions, the current-voltage (I-V) relationship of macroscopic cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- currents inwardly rectifies at large positive voltages. To investigate the mechanism of inward rectification, we studied CFTR Cl- channels in excised inside-out membrane patches from cells expressing wild-type human and murine CFTR using voltage-ramp and -step protocols. Using a voltage-ramp protocol, the magnitude of human CFTR Cl- current at +100 mV was 74 +/- 2% (n = 10) of that at -100 mV. This rectification of macroscopic CFTR Cl- current was reproduced in full by ensemble currents generated by averaging single-channel currents elicited by an identical voltage-ramp protocol. However, using a voltage-step protocol the single-channel current amplitude (i) of human CFTR at +100 mV was 88 +/- 2% (n = 10) of that at -100 mV. Based on these data, we hypothesized that voltage might alter the gating behavior of human CFTR. Using linear three-state kinetic schemes, we demonstrated that voltage has marked effects on channel gating. Membrane depolarization decreased both the duration of bursts and the interburst interval, but increased the duration of gaps within bursts. However, because the voltage dependencies of the different rate constants were in opposite directions, voltage was without large effect on the open probability (Po) of human CFTR. In contrast, the Po of murine CFTR was decreased markedly at positive voltages, suggesting that the rectification of murine CFTR is stronger than that of human CFTR. We conclude that inward rectification of CFTR is caused by a reduction in i and changes in gating kinetics. We suggest that inward rectification is an intrinsic property of the CFTR Cl- channel and not the result of pore block.

Molecular determinants of Au(CN)(2)(-) binding and permeability within the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl(-) channel pore

Lyotropic anions with low free energy of hydration show both high permeability and tight binding in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channel pore. However, the molecular bases of anion selectivity and anion binding within the CFTR pore are not well defined and the relationship between binding and selectivity is unclear. We have studied the effects of point mutations throughout the sixth transmembrane (TM6) region of CFTR on channel block by, and permeability of, the highly lyotropic Au(CN)(2)(-) anion, using patch clamp recording from transiently transfected baby hamster kidney cells. Channel block by 100 microM Au(CN)(2)(-), a measure of intrapore anion binding affinity, was significantly weakened in the CFTR mutants K335A, F337S, T338A and I344A, significantly strengthened in S341A and R352Q and unaltered in K329A. Relative Au(CN)(2)(-) permeability was significantly increased in T338A and S341A, significantly decreased in F337S and unaffected in all other mutants studied. These results are used to define a model of the pore containing multiple anion binding sites but a more localised anion selectivity region. The central part of TM6 (F337-S341) appears to be the main determinant of both anion binding and anion selectivity. However, comparison of the effects of individual mutations on binding and selectivity suggest that these two aspects of the permeation mechanism are not strongly interdependent.

CFTR: covalent and noncovalent modification suggests a role for fixed charges in anion conduction

The goal of the experiments described here was to explore the possible role of fixed charges in determining the conduction properties of CFTR. We focused on transmembrane segment 6 (TM6) which contains four basic residues (R334, K335, R347, and R352) that would be predicted, on the basis of their positions in the primary structure, to span TM6 from near the extracellular (R334, K335) to near the intracellular (R347, R352) end. Cysteines substituted at positions 334 and 335 were readily accessible to thiol reagents, whereas those at positions 347 and 352 were either not accessible or lacked significant functional consequences when modified. The charge at positions 334 and 335 was an important determinant of CFTR channel function. Charge changes at position 334--brought about by covalent modification of engineered cysteine residues, pH titration of cysteine and histidine residues, and amino acid substitution--produced similar effects on macroscopic conductance and the shape of the I-V plot. The effect of charge changes at position 334 on conduction properties could be described by electrodiffusion or rate-theory models in which the charge on this residue lies in an external vestibule of the pore where it functions to increase the concentration of Cl adjacent to the rate-limiting portion of the conduction path. Covalent modification of R334C CFTR increased single-channel conductance determined in detached patches, but did not alter open probability. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that in wild-type CFTR, R334 occupies a position where its charge can influence the distribution of anions near the mouth of the pore.

Identification of a region of strong discrimination in the pore of CFTR

The variety of methods used to identify the structural determinants of anion selectivity in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl(-) channel has made it difficult to assemble the data into a coherent framework that describes the three-dimensional structure of the pore. Here, we compare the relative importance of sites previously studied and identify new sites that contribute strongly to anion selectivity. We studied Cl(-) and substitute anions in oocytes expressing wild-type cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator or 12-pore-domain mutants to determine relative permeability and relative conductance for 9 monovalent anions and 1 divalent anion. The data indicate that the region of strong discrimination resides between T338 and S341 in transmembrane 6, where mutations affected selectivity between Cl(-) and both large and small anions. Mutations further toward the extracellular end of the pore only strongly affected selectivity between Cl(-) and larger anions. Only mutations at S341 affected selectivity between monovalent and divalent anions. The data are consistent with a narrowing of the pore between the extracellular end and a constriction near the middle of the pore.

Charged amino acids in the transmembrane domains are involved in the determination of the substrate specificity of rat Mrp2

Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) transports glutathione conjugates, glucuronide conjugates, and sulfated conjugates of bile acids. In the present study, we examined the role of charged amino acids in the transmembrane domains of rat Mrp2, conserved among MRP families, using the isolated membrane vesicles from Sf9 cells infected with the recombinant baculoviruses. By normalizing the transport activity for compounds by that for estradiol 17beta-D-glucuronide (E(2)17betaG), it was indicated that the site-directed mutagenesis from Lys to Met at 325 (K325M) and from Arg to Leu at 586 (R586L) results in a marked reduction in the transport for glutathione conjugates [2,4-dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione (DNP-SG) and leukotriene (LT) C(4)] without affecting that for 6-hydroxy-5,7-dimethyl-2-methylamino-4-(3-pyridymethyl) benzothiazole glucuronide and taurolithocholate sulfate. In contrast to the reduced affinity for DNP-SG, the affinity for E(2)17betaG was increased severalfold in these mutant Mrp2s, suggesting the amino acids at 325 and 586 play an important role in distinguishing between glutathione and glucuronide conjugates. The comparable affinity for LTD(4), LTE(4), and LTF(4) in these mutant Mrp2s with that in wild-type Mrp2 indicates that recognition of LTC(4) metabolites by Mrp2 is different from that of LTC(4). The transport activity for glutathione conjugate was retained on R586K, whereas no such complementary cationic amino acid effect was observed in K325R. In addition, R1206M and E1208Q exhibited the loss of transport activity for the tested compounds. The results of the present study demonstrate that the charged amino acids in the transmembrane domain of rat Mrp2 may play an important role in the recognition and/or transport of its substrates.

Interaction between permeation and gating in a putative pore domain mutant in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel with distinctive kinetics. At the whole-cell level, CFTR currents in response to voltage steps are time independent for wild type and for the many mutants reported so far. Single channels open for periods lasting up to tens of seconds; the openings are interrupted by brief closures at hyperpolarized, but not depolarized, potentials. Here we report a serine-to-phenylalanine mutation (S1118F) in the 11th transmembrane domain that confers voltage-dependent, single-exponential current relaxations and moderate inward rectification of the macroscopic currents upon expression in Xenopus oocytes. At steady state, the S1118F-CFTR single-channel conductance rectifies, corresponding to the whole-cell rectification. In addition, the open-channel burst duration is decreased 10-fold compared with wild-type channels. S1118F-CFTR currents are blocked in a voltage-dependent manner by diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC); the affinity of S1118F-CFTR for DPC is similar to that of the wild-type channel, but blockade exhibits moderately reduced voltage dependence. Selectivity of the channel to a range of anions is also affected by this mutation. Furthermore, the permeation properties change during the relaxations, which suggests that there is an interaction between gating and permeation in this mutant. The existence of a mutation that confers voltage dependence upon CFTR currents and that changes kinetics and permeation properties of the channel suggests a functional role for the 11th transmembrane domain in the pore in the wild-type channel.

Permeation through the CFTR chloride channel

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein forms a Cl(−) channel found in the plasma membranes of many epithelial cells, including those of the kidney, gut and conducting airways. Mutation of the gene encoding CFTR is the primary defect in cystic fibrosis, a disease that affects approximately 30 000 individuals in the United States alone. Alteration of CFTR function also plays an important role in the pathophysiology of secretory diarrhea and polycystic kidney disease. The basic mechanisms of permeation in this channel are not well understood. It is not known which portions of the protein contribute to forming the pore or which amino acid residues in those domains are involved in the biophysical processes of ion permeation. In this review, I will discuss (i) the present understanding of ion transport processes in the wild-type CFTR channel, (ii) the experimental approaches currently being applied to investigate the pore, and (iii) a proposed structure that takes into account the present data on mechanisms of ion selectivity in the CFTR channel and on blockade of the pore by open-channel blockers.

Molecular determinants of anion selectivity in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel pore

Ionic selectivity in many cation channels is achieved over a short region of the pore known as the selectivity filter, the molecular determinants of which have been identified in Ca(2+), Na(+), and K(+) channels. However, a filter controlling selectivity among different anions has not previously been identified in any Cl(-) channel. In fact, because Cl(-) channels are only weakly selective among small anions, and because their selectivity has proved so resistant to site-directed mutagenesis, the very existence of a discrete anion selectivity filter has been called into question. Here we show that mutation of a putative pore-lining phenylalanine residue, F337, in the sixth membrane-spanning region of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channel, dramatically alters the relative permeabilities of different anions in the channel. Specifically, mutations that reduce the size of the amino acid side chain present at this position virtually abolish the relationship between anion permeability and hydration energy, a relationship that characterizes the anion selectivity not only of wild-type CFTR, but of most classes of Cl(-) channels. These results suggest that the pore of CFTR may indeed contain a specialized region, analogous to the selectivity filter of cation channels, at which discrimination between different permeant anions takes place. Because F337 is adjacent to another amino acid residue, T338, which also affects anion selectivity in CFTR, we suggest that selectivity is predominantly determined over a physically discrete region of the pore located near these important residues.

Protonation of lysine residues inverts cation/anion selectivity in a model channel

A dimeric alamethicin analog with lysine at position 18 in the sequence (alm-K18) was previously shown to form stable anion-selective channels in membranes at pH 7.0 [Starostin, A. V., R. Butan, V. Borisenko, D. A. James, H. Wenschuh, M. S. Sansom, and G. A. Woolley. 1999. Biochemistry. 38:6144-6150]. To probe the charge state of the conducting channel and how this might influence cation versus anion selectivity, we performed a series of single-channel selectivity measurements at different pH values. At pH 7.0 and below, only anion-selective channels were found with P(K(+))/P(Cl(-)) = 0. 25. From pH 8-10, a mixture of anion-selective, non-selective, and cation-selective channels was found. At pH > 11 only cation-selective channels were found with P(K(+))/P(Cl(-)) = 4. In contrast, native alamethicin-Q18 channels (with Gln in place of Lys at position 18) were cation-selective (P(K(+))/P(Cl(-)) = 4) at all pH values. Continuum electrostatics calculations were then carried out using an octameric model of the alm-K18 channel embedded in a low dielectric slab to simulate a membrane. Although the calculations can account for the apparent pK(a) of the channel, they fail to correctly predict the degree of selectivity. Although a switch from cation- to anion-selectivity as the channel becomes protonated is indicated, the degree of anion-selectivity is severely overestimated, suggesting that the continuum approach does not adequately represent some aspect of the electrostatics of permeation in these channels. Side-chain conformational changes upon protonation, conformational changes, and deprotonation caused by permeating cations and counterion binding by lysine residues upon protonation are considered as possible sources of the overestimation.

The intrinsic electrostatic potential and the intermediate ring of charge in the acetylcholine receptor channel

A ring of aligned glutamate residues named the intermediate ring of charge surrounds the intracellular end of the acetylcholine receptor channel and dominates cation conduction (Imoto et al. 1988). Four of the five subunits in mouse-muscle acetylcholine receptor contribute a glutamate to the ring. These glutamates were mutated to glutamine or lysine, and combinations of mutant and native subunits, yielding net ring charges of -1 to -4, were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In all complexes, the alpha subunit contained a Cys substituted for alphaThr244, three residues away from the ring glutamate alphaGlu241. The rate constants for the reactions of alphaThr244Cys with the neutral 2-hydroxyethyl-methanethiosulfonate, the positively charged 2-ammonioethyl-methanethiosulfonate, and the doubly positively charged 2-ammonioethyl-2'-ammonioethanethiosulfonate were determined from the rates of irreversible inhibition of the responses to acetylcholine. The reagents were added in the presence and absence of acetylcholine and at various transmembrane potentials, and the rate constants were extrapolated to zero transmembrane potential. The intrinsic electrostatic potential in the channel in the vicinity of the ring of charge was estimated from the ratios of the rate constants of differently charged reagents. In the acetylcholine-induced open state, this potential was -230 mV with four glutamates in the ring and increased linearly towards 0 mV by +57 mV for each negative charge removed from the ring. Thus, the intrinsic electrostatic potential in the narrow, intracellular end of the open channel is almost entirely due to the intermediate ring of charge and is strongly correlated with alkali-metal-ion conductance through the channel. The intrinsic electrostatic potential in the closed state of the channel was more positive than in the open state at all values of the ring charge. These electrostatic properties were simulated by theoretical calculations based on a simplified model of the channel.