1
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Cole BA, Kalli AC, Pilati N, Muench SP, Lippiat JD. A molecular switch in RCK2 triggers sodium-dependent activation of K Na1.1 (KCNT1) potassium channels. Biophys J 2024; 123:2145-2153. [PMID: 38605520 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The Na+-activated K+ channel KNa1.1, encoded by the KCNT1 gene, is an important regulator of neuronal excitability. How intracellular Na+ ions bind and increase channel activity is not well understood. Analysis of KNa1.1 channel structures indicate that there is a large twisting of the βN-αQ loop in the intracellular RCK2 domain between the inactive and Na+-activated conformations, with a lysine (K885, human subunit numbering) close enough to potentially form a salt bridge with an aspartate (D839) in βL in the Na+-activated state. Concurrently, an aspartate (D884) adjacent in the same loop adopts a position within a pocket formed by the βO strand. In carrying out mutagenesis and electrophysiology with human KNa1.1, we found that alanine substitution of selected residues in these regions resulted in almost negligible currents in the presence of up to 40 mM intracellular Na+. The exception was D884A, which resulted in constitutively active channels in both the presence and absence of intracellular Na+. Further mutagenesis of this site revealed an amino acid size-dependent effect. Substitutions at this site by an amino acid smaller than aspartate (D884V) also yielded constitutively active KNa1.1, and D884I had Na+ dependence similar to wild-type KNa1.1, while increasing the side-chain size larger than aspartate (D884E or D884F) yielded channels that could not be activated by up to 40 mM intracellular Na+. We conclude that Na+ binding results in a conformational change that accommodates D884 in the βO pocket, which triggers further conformational changes in the RCK domains and channel activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan A Cole
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Antreas C Kalli
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom; Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Stephen P Muench
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom; Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D Lippiat
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
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2
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Di Matteo F, Mancuso F, Turcio R, Ciaglia T, Stagno C, Di Chio C, Campiglia P, Bertamino A, Giofrè SV, Ostacolo C, Iraci N. KCNT1 Channel Blockers: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective. Molecules 2024; 29:2940. [PMID: 38931004 PMCID: PMC11206332 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels have recently emerged as suitable target for the treatment of epileptic diseases. Among potassium channels, KCNT1 channels are the most widely characterized as responsible for several epileptic and developmental encephalopathies. Nevertheless, the medicinal chemistry of KCNT1 blockers is underdeveloped so far. In the present review, we describe and analyse the papers addressing the issue of KCNT1 blockers' development and identification, also evidencing the pros and the cons of the scientific approaches therein described. After a short introduction describing the epileptic diseases and the structure-function of potassium channels, we provide an extensive overview of the chemotypes described so far as KCNT1 blockers, and the scientific approaches used for their identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Matteo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Francesca Mancuso
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Rita Turcio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Tania Ciaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Claudio Stagno
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Pietro Campiglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Alessia Bertamino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Salvatore Vincenzo Giofrè
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmine Ostacolo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via G. Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy (R.T.); (T.C.)
| | - Nunzio Iraci
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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3
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Chiang WT, Chang YK, Hui WH, Chang SW, Liao CY, Chang YC, Chen CJ, Wang WC, Lai CC, Wang CH, Luo SY, Huang YP, Chou SH, Horng TL, Hou MH, Muench SP, Chen RS, Tsai MD, Hu NJ. Structural basis and synergism of ATP and Na + activation in bacterial K + uptake system KtrAB. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3850. [PMID: 38719864 PMCID: PMC11078986 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48057-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The K+ uptake system KtrAB is essential for bacterial survival in low K+ environments. The activity of KtrAB is regulated by nucleotides and Na+. Previous studies proposed a putative gating mechanism of KtrB regulated by KtrA upon binding to ATP or ADP. However, how Na+ activates KtrAB and the Na+ binding site remain unknown. Here we present the cryo-EM structures of ATP- and ADP-bound KtrAB from Bacillus subtilis (BsKtrAB) both solved at 2.8 Å. A cryo-EM density at the intra-dimer interface of ATP-KtrA was identified as Na+, as supported by X-ray crystallography and ICP-MS. Thermostability assays and functional studies demonstrated that Na+ binding stabilizes the ATP-bound BsKtrAB complex and enhances its K+ flux activity. Comparing ATP- and ADP-BsKtrAB structures suggests that BsKtrB Arg417 and Phe91 serve as a channel gate. The synergism of ATP and Na+ in activating BsKtrAB is likely applicable to Na+-activated K+ channels in central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley Tien Chiang
- Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Kai Chang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Han Hui
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106319, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Wei Chang
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106319, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10663, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yi Liao
- Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chuan Chang
- Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Jung Chen
- Life Science Group, Scientific Research Division, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, 30092, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chen Wang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chen Lai
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 406040, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsiung Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan
| | - Siou-Ying Luo
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ping Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Tzyy-Leng Horng
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Feng Chia University, Taichung, 407102, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hon Hou
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan
| | - Stephen P Muench
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences and the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Ren-Shiang Chen
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, 407224, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Daw Tsai
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115201, Taiwan.
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106319, Taiwan.
| | - Nien-Jen Hu
- Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan.
- Ph.D Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402202, Taiwan.
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4
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Wu J, El-Hassar L, Datta D, Thomas M, Zhang Y, Jenkins DP, DeLuca NJ, Chatterjee M, Gribkoff VK, Arnsten AFT, Kaczmarek LK. Interaction Between HCN and Slack Channels Regulates mPFC Pyramidal Cell Excitability in Working Memory Circuits. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2430-2445. [PMID: 37889366 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03719-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The ability of monkeys and rats to carry out spatial working memory tasks has been shown to depend on the persistent firing of pyramidal cells in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), arising from recurrent excitatory connections on dendritic spines. These spines express hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels whose open state is increased by cAMP signaling, and which markedly alter PFC network connectivity and neuronal firing. In traditional neural circuits, activation of these non-selective cation channels leads to neuronal depolarization and increased firing rate. Paradoxically, cAMP activation of HCN channels in PFC pyramidal cells reduces working memory-related neuronal firing. This suggests that activation of HCN channels may hyperpolarize rather than depolarize these neurons. The current study tested the hypothesis that Na+ influx through HCN channels activates Slack Na+-activated K+ (KNa) channels to hyperpolarize the membrane. We have found that HCN and Slack KNa channels co-immunoprecipitate in cortical extracts and that, by immunoelectron microscopy, they colocalize at postsynaptic spines of PFC pyramidal neurons. A specific blocker of HCN channels, ZD7288, reduces KNa current in pyramidal cells that express both HCN and Slack channels, but has no effect on KNa currents in an HEK cell line expressing Slack without HCN channels, indicating that blockade of HCN channels in neurons reduces K+ current indirectly by lowering Na+ influx. Activation of HCN channels by cAMP in a cell line expressing a Ca2+ reporter results in elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+, but the effect of cAMP is reversed if the HCN channels are co-expressed with Slack channels. Finally, we used a novel pharmacological blocker of Slack channels to show that inhibition of Slack in rat PFC improves working memory performance, an effect previously demonstrated for blockers of HCN channels. Our results suggest that the regulation of working memory by HCN channels in PFC pyramidal neurons is mediated by an HCN-Slack channel complex that links activation HCN channels to suppression of neuronal excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Lynda El-Hassar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Merrilee Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Yalan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - David P Jenkins
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Nicholas J DeLuca
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Manavi Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Valentin K Gribkoff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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5
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Delgado-Bermúdez A, Yeste M, Bonet S, Pinart E. Physiological role of potassium channels in mammalian germ cell differentiation, maturation, and capacitation. Andrology 2024. [PMID: 38436215 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ion channels are essential for differentiation and maturation of germ cells, and even for fertilization in mammals. Different types of potassium channels have been identified, which are grouped into voltage-gated channels (Kv), ligand-gated channels (Kligand ), inwardly rectifying channels (Kir ), and tandem pore domain channels (K2P ). MATERIAL-METHODS The present review includes recent findings on the role of potassium channels in sperm physiology of mammals. RESULTS-DISCUSSION While most studies conducted thus far have been focused on the physiological role of voltage- (Kv1, Kv3, and Kv7) and calcium-gated channels (SLO1 and SLO3) during sperm capacitation, especially in humans and rodents, little data about the types of potassium channels present in the plasma membrane of differentiating germ cells exist. In spite of this, recent evidence suggests that the content and regulation mechanisms of these channels vary throughout spermatogenesis. Potassium channels are also essential for the regulation of sperm cell volume during epididymal maturation and for preventing premature membrane hyperpolarization. It is important to highlight that the nature, biochemical properties, localization, and regulation mechanisms of potassium channels are species-specific. In effect, while SLO3 is the main potassium channel involved in the K+ current during sperm capacitation in rodents, different potassium channels are implicated in the K+ outflow and, thus, plasma membrane hyperpolarization during sperm capacitation in other mammalian species, such as humans and pigs. CONCLUSIONS Potassium conductance is essential for male fertility, not only during sperm capacitation but throughout the spermiogenesis and epididymal maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Delgado-Bermúdez
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Unit of Cell Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Marc Yeste
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Unit of Cell Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Bonet
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Unit of Cell Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Pinart
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Unit of Cell Biology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
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6
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Zhang J, Liu S, Fan J, Yan R, Huang B, Zhou F, Yuan T, Gong J, Huang Z, Jiang D. Structural basis of human Slo2.2 channel gating and modulation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112858. [PMID: 37494189 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The sodium-activated Slo2.2 channel is abundantly expressed in the brain, playing a critical role in regulating neuronal excitability. The Na+-binding site and the underlying mechanisms of Na+-dependent activation remain unclear. Here, we present cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of human Slo2.2 in closed, open, and inhibitor-bound form at resolutions of 2.6-3.2 Å, revealing gating mechanisms of Slo2.2 regulation by cations and a potent inhibitor. The cytoplasmic gating ring domain of the closed Slo2.2 harbors multiple K+ and Zn2+ sites, which stabilize the channel in the closed conformation. The open Slo2.2 structure reveals at least two Na+-sensitive sites where Na+ binding induces expansion and rotation of the gating ring that opens the inner gate. Furthermore, a potent inhibitor wedges into a pocket formed by pore helix and S6 helix and blocks the pore. Together, our results provide a comprehensive structural framework for the investigation of Slo2.2 channel gating, Na+ sensation, and inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Zhang
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shiqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Junping Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Yan
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Beijing StoneWise Technology Co Ltd., Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Beijing StoneWise Technology Co Ltd., Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jianke Gong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhuo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Daohua Jiang
- Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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7
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Chen GL, Li J, Zhang J, Zeng B. To Be or Not to Be an Ion Channel: Cryo-EM Structures Have a Say. Cells 2023; 12:1870. [PMID: 37508534 PMCID: PMC10378246 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels are the second largest class of drug targets after G protein-coupled receptors. In addition to well-recognized ones like voltage-gated Na/K/Ca channels in the heart and neurons, novel ion channels are continuously discovered in both excitable and non-excitable cells and demonstrated to play important roles in many physiological processes and diseases such as developmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. However, in the field of ion channel discovery, there are an unignorable number of published studies that are unsolid and misleading. Despite being the gold standard of a functional assay for ion channels, electrophysiological recordings are often accompanied by electrical noise, leak conductance, and background currents of the membrane system. These unwanted signals, if not treated properly, lead to the mischaracterization of proteins with seemingly unusual ion-conducting properties. In the recent ten years, the technical revolution of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has greatly advanced our understanding of the structures and gating mechanisms of various ion channels and also raised concerns about the pore-forming ability of some previously identified channel proteins. In this review, we summarize cryo-EM findings on ion channels with molecular identities recognized or disputed in recent ten years and discuss current knowledge of proposed channel proteins awaiting cryo-EM analyses. We also present a classification of ion channels according to their architectures and evolutionary relationships and discuss the possibility and strategy of identifying more ion channels by analyzing structures of transmembrane proteins of unknown function. We propose that cross-validation by electrophysiological and structural analyses should be essentially required for determining molecular identities of novel ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Lan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Jian Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
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8
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Potassium channelopathies associated with epilepsy-related syndromes and directions for therapeutic intervention. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 208:115413. [PMID: 36646291 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
A number of mutations to members of several CNS potassium (K) channel families have been identified which result in rare forms of neonatal onset epilepsy, or syndromes of which one prominent characteristic is a form of epilepsy. Benign Familial Neonatal Convulsions or Seizures (BFNC or BFNS), also referred to as Self-Limited Familial Neonatal Epilepsy (SeLNE), results from mutations in 2 members of the KV7 family (KCNQ) of K channels; while generally self-resolving by about 15 weeks of age, these mutations significantly increase the probability of generalized seizure disorders in the adult, in some cases they result in more severe developmental syndromes. Epilepsy of Infancy with Migrating Focal Seizures (EIMSF), or Migrating Partial Seizures of Infancy (MMPSI), is a rare severe form of epilepsy linked primarily to gain of function mutations in a member of the sodium-dependent K channel family, KCNT1 or SLACK. Finally, KCNMA1 channelopathies, including Liang-Wang syndrome (LIWAS), are rare combinations of neurological symptoms including seizure, movement abnormalities, delayed development and intellectual disabilities, with Liang-Wang syndrome an extremely serious polymalformative syndrome with a number of neurological sequelae including epilepsy. These are caused by mutations in the pore-forming subunit of the large-conductance calcium-activated K channel (BK channel) KCNMA1. The identification of these rare but significant channelopathies has resulted in a resurgence of interest in their treatment by direct pharmacological or genetic modulation. We will briefly review the genetics, biophysics and pharmacology of these K channels, their linkage with the 3 syndromes described above, and efforts to more effectively target these syndromes.
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9
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Matamoros M, Ng XW, Brettmann JB, Piston DW, Nichols CG. Conformational plasticity of NaK2K and TREK2 potassium channel selectivity filters. Nat Commun 2023; 14:89. [PMID: 36609575 PMCID: PMC9822992 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35756-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The K+ channel selectivity filter (SF) is defined by TxGYG amino acid sequences that generate four identical K+ binding sites (S1-S4). Only two sites (S3, S4) are present in the non-selective bacterial NaK channel, but a four-site K+-selective SF is obtained by mutating the wild-type TVGDGN SF sequence to a canonical K+ channel TVGYGD sequence (NaK2K mutant). Using single molecule FRET (smFRET), we show that the SF of NaK2K, but not of non-selective NaK, is ion-dependent, with the constricted SF configuration stabilized in high K+ conditions. Patch-clamp electrophysiology and non-canonical fluorescent amino acid incorporation show that NaK2K selectivity is reduced by crosslinking to limit SF conformational movement. Finally, the eukaryotic K+ channel TREK2 SF exhibits essentially identical smFRET-reported ion-dependent conformations as in prokaryotic K+ channels. Our results establish the generality of K+-induced SF conformational stability across the K+ channel superfamily, and introduce an approach to study manipulation of channel selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Matamoros
- Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xue Wen Ng
- Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua B Brettmann
- Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Millipore-Sigma Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David W Piston
- Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Colin G Nichols
- Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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10
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Wang ZW, Trussell LO, Vedantham K. Regulation of Neurotransmitter Release by K + Channels. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 33:305-331. [PMID: 37615872 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-34229-5_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
K+ channels play potent roles in the process of neurotransmitter release by influencing the action potential waveform and modulating neuronal excitability and release probability. These diverse effects of K+ channel activation are ensured by the wide variety of K+ channel genes and their differential expression in different cell types. Accordingly, a variety of K+ channels have been implicated in regulating neurotransmitter release, including the Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ channel Slo1 (also known as BK channel), voltage-gated K+ channels of the Kv3 (Shaw-type), Kv1 (Shaker-type), and Kv7 (KCNQ) families, G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels, and SLO-2 (a Ca2+-. Cl-, and voltage-gated K+ channel in C. elegans). These channels vary in their expression patterns, subcellular localization, and biophysical properties. Their roles in neurotransmitter release may also vary depending on the synapse and physiological or experimental conditions. This chapter summarizes key findings about the roles of K+ channels in regulating neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Wen Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kiranmayi Vedantham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
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11
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Kurauskas V, Tonelli M, Henzler-Wildman K. Full opening of helix bundle crossing does not lead to NaK channel activation. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:213659. [PMID: 36326620 PMCID: PMC9640265 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical part of ion channel function is the ability to open and close in response to stimuli and thus conduct ions in a regulated fashion. While x-ray diffraction studies of ion channels suggested a general steric gating mechanism located at the helix bundle crossing (HBC), recent functional studies on several channels indicate that the helix bundle crossing is wide-open even in functionally nonconductive channels. Two NaK channel variants were crystallized in very different open and closed conformations, which served as important models of the HBC gating hypothesis. However, neither of these NaK variants is conductive in liposomes unless phenylalanine 92 is mutated to alanine (F92A). Here, we use NMR to probe distances at near-atomic resolution of the two NaK variants in lipid bicelles. We demonstrate that in contrast to the crystal structures, both NaK variants are in a fully open conformation, akin to Ca2+-bound MthK channel structure where the HBC is widely open. While we were not able to determine what a conductive NaK structure is like, our further inquiry into the gating mechanism suggests that the selectivity filter and pore helix are coupled to the M2 helix below and undergo changes in the structure when F92 is mutated. Overall, our data show that NaK exhibits coupling between the selectivity filter and HBC, similar to K+ channels, and has a more complex gating mechanism than previously thought, where the full opening of HBC does not lead to channel activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilius Kurauskas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Marco Tonelli
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Katherine Henzler-Wildman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
- Correspondence to Katherine Henzler-Wildman:
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12
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Rychkov GY, Shaukat Z, Lim CX, Hussain R, Roberts BJ, Bonardi CM, Rubboli G, Meaney BF, Whitney R, Møller RS, Ricos MG, Dibbens LM. Functional Effects of Epilepsy Associated KCNT1 Mutations Suggest Pathogenesis via Aberrant Inhibitory Neuronal Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315133. [PMID: 36499459 PMCID: PMC9740882 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
KCNT1 (K+ channel subfamily T member 1) is a sodium-activated potassium channel highly expressed in the nervous system which regulates neuronal excitability by contributing to the resting membrane potential and hyperpolarisation following a train of action potentials. Gain of function mutations in the KCNT1 gene are the cause of neurological disorders associated with different forms of epilepsy. To gain insights into the underlying pathobiology we investigated the functional effects of 9 recently published KCNT1 mutations, 4 previously studied KCNT1 mutations, and one previously unpublished KCNT1 variant of unknown significance. We analysed the properties of KCNT1 potassium currents and attempted to find a correlation between the changes in KCNT1 characteristics due to the mutations and severity of the neurological disorder they cause. KCNT1 mutations identified in patients with epilepsy were introduced into the full length human KCNT1 cDNA using quick-change site-directed mutagenesis protocol. Electrophysiological properties of different KCNT1 constructs were investigated using a heterologous expression system (HEK293T cells) and patch clamping. All mutations studied, except T314A, increased the amplitude of KCNT1 currents, and some mutations shifted the voltage dependence of KCNT1 open probability, increasing the proportion of channels open at the resting membrane potential. The T314A mutation did not affect KCNT1 current amplitude but abolished its voltage dependence. We observed a positive correlation between the severity of the neurological disorder and the KCNT1 channel open probability at resting membrane potential. This suggests that gain of function KCNT1 mutations cause epilepsy by increasing resting potassium conductance and suppressing the activity of inhibitory neurons. A reduction in action potential firing in inhibitory neurons due to excessively high resting potassium conductance leads to disinhibition of neural circuits, hyperexcitability and seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigori Y. Rychkov
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Zeeshan Shaukat
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Chiao Xin Lim
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Rashid Hussain
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Ben J. Roberts
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Health and Biomedical Innovation, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Claudia M. Bonardi
- Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy
- The Danish Epilepsy Centre, 4293 Dianalund, Denmark
| | - Guido Rubboli
- Denmark Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Brandon F. Meaney
- Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON 8SL 4L8, Canada
| | - Robyn Whitney
- Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON 8SL 4L8, Canada
| | - Rikke S. Møller
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, Member of the ERN EpiCARE, The Danish Epilepsy Centre, 4293 Dianalund, Denmark
- Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Michael G. Ricos
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Leanne M. Dibbens
- Clinical and Health Sciences, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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13
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Miziak B, Czuczwar SJ. Approaches for the discovery of drugs that target K Na 1.1 channels in KCNT1-associated epilepsy. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:1313-1328. [PMID: 36408599 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2150164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There are approximately 70 million people with epilepsy and about 30% of patients are not satisfactorily treated. A link between gene mutations and epilepsy is well documented. A number of pathological variants of KCNT1 gene (encoding the weakly voltage-dependent sodium-activated potassium channel - KNa 1.1) mutations has been found. For instance, epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures, autosomal sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy or Ohtahara syndrome have been associated with KCNT1 gene mutations. AREAS COVERED Several methods for studies on KNa 1.1 channels have been reviewed - patch clamp analysis, Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy and whole-exome sequencing. The authors also review available drugs for the management of KCNT1 epilepsies. EXPERT OPINION The current methods enable deeper insights into electrophysiology of KNa 1.1 channels or its functioning in different activation states. It is also possible to identify a given KCNT1 mutation. Quinidine and cannabidiol show variable efficacy as add-on to baseline antiepileptic drugs so more effective treatments are required. A combined approach with the methods shown above, in silico methods and the animal model of KCNT1 epilepsies seems likely to create personalized treatment of patients with KCNT1 gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Miziak
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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14
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Xue H, Zhang M, Liu J, Wang J, Ren G. Cryo-electron tomography related radiation-damage parameters for individual-molecule 3D structure determination. Front Chem 2022; 10:889203. [PMID: 36110139 PMCID: PMC9468540 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.889203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the dynamic structure-function relationship of soft- and biomolecules, the determination of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of each individual molecule (nonaveraged structure) in its native state is sought-after. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a unique tool for imaging an individual object from a series of tilted views. However, due to radiation damage from the incident electron beam, the tolerable electron dose limits image contrast and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the data, preventing the 3D structure determination of individual molecules, especially at high-resolution. Although recently developed technologies and techniques, such as the direct electron detector, phase plate, and computational algorithms, can partially improve image contrast/SNR at the same electron dose, the high-resolution structure, such as tertiary structure of individual molecules, has not yet been resolved. Here, we review the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-ET experimental parameters to discuss how these parameters affect the extent of radiation damage. This discussion can guide us in optimizing the experimental strategy to increase the imaging dose or improve image SNR without increasing the radiation damage. With a higher dose, a higher image contrast/SNR can be achieved, which is crucial for individual-molecule 3D structure. With 3D structures determined from an ensemble of individual molecules in different conformations, the molecular mechanism through their biochemical reactions, such as self-folding or synthesis, can be elucidated in a straightforward manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xue
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jianfang Liu
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jianjun Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Ren
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
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15
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Guan F, Li T, Dong W, Guo R, Chai H, Chen Z, Ren Z, Li Y, Ye S. Novel insights into the allosteric gating mechanism of MthK channel. Natl Sci Rev 2022; 9:nwac072. [PMID: 36072506 PMCID: PMC9440719 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Allostery is a fundamental element during channel gating in response to an appropriate stimulus by which events occurring at one site are transmitted to distal sites to regulate activity. To address how binding of the first Ca2+ ion at one of the eight chemically identical subunits facilitates the other Ca2+-binding events in MthK, a Ca2+-gated K+ channel containing a conserved ligand-binding RCK domain, we analysed a large collection of MthK structures and performed the corresponding thermodynamic and electrophysiological measurements. These structural and functional studies led us to conclude that the conformations of the Ca2+-binding sites alternate between two quaternary states and exhibit significant differences in Ca2+ affinity. We further propose an allosteric model of the MthK-gating mechanism by which a cascade of structural events connect the initial Ca2+-binding to the final changes of the ring structure that open the ion-conduction pore. This mechanical model reveals the exquisite design that achieves the allosteric gating and could be of general relevance for the action of other ligand-gated ion channels containing the RCK domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghui Guan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin300072, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang310022, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing100049, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058Zhejiang, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Logistics, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin300072, China
| | - Hao Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing100049, China
| | - Zhiqiu Chen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing100049, China
| | - Zhong Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL60607, USA
- Renz Research Inc., Westmont, IL60559, USA
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing100049, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, China
| | - Sheng Ye
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin300072, China
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058Zhejiang, China
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16
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Gertler TS, Cherian S, DeKeyser JM, Kearney JA, George AL. K Na1.1 gain-of-function preferentially dampens excitability of murine parvalbumin-positive interneurons. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 168:105713. [PMID: 35346832 PMCID: PMC9169414 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
KCNT1 encodes the sodium-activated potassium channel KNa1.1, expressed preferentially in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brainstem. Pathogenic missense variants in KCNT1 are associated with intractable epilepsy, namely epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS), and sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE). In vitro studies of pathogenic KCNT1 variants support predominantly a gain-of-function molecular mechanism, yet how these variants behave in a neuron or ultimately drive formation of an epileptogenic circuit is an important and timely question. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, we introduced a gain-of-function variant into the endogenous mouse Kcnt1 gene. Compared to wild-type (WT) littermates, heterozygous and homozygous knock-in mice displayed greater seizure susceptibility to the chemoconvulsants kainate and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), but not to flurothyl. Using acute slice electrophysiology in heterozygous and homozygous Kcnt1 knock-in and WT littermates, we demonstrated that CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons exhibit greater amplitude of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents in mutant mice with no difference in frequency, suggesting greater inhibitory tone associated with the Kcnt1 mutation. To address alterations in GABAergic signaling, we bred Kcnt1 knock-in mice to a parvalbumin-tdTomato reporter line, and found that parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons failed to fire repetitively with large amplitude current injections and were more prone to depolarization block. These alterations in firing can be recapitulated by direct application of the KNa1.1 channel activator loxapine in WT but are occluded in knock-in littermates, supporting a direct channel gain-of-function mechanism. Taken together, these results suggest that KNa1.1 gain-of-function dampens interneuron excitability to a greater extent than it impacts pyramidal neuron excitability, driving seizure susceptibility in a mouse model of KCNT1-associated epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy S Gertler
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America.
| | - Suraj Cherian
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America; Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America
| | - Jean-Marc DeKeyser
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A Kearney
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America
| | - Alfred L George
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America.
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17
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Zhang Q, Liu Y, Xu J, Teng Y, Zhang Z. The Functional Properties, Physiological Roles, Channelopathy and Pharmacological Characteristics of the Slack (KCNT1) Channel. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1349:387-400. [PMID: 35138624 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4254-8_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The KCNT1 gene encodes the sodium-activated potassium channel that is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system of mammalians and plays an important role in reducing neuronal excitability. Structurally, the KCNT1 channel is absent of voltage sensor but possesses a long C-terminus including RCK1 and RCK2domain, to which the intracellular sodium and chloride bind to activate the channel. Recent publications using electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) revealed the open and closed structural characteristics of the KCNT1 channel and co-assembly of functional domains. The activation of the KCNT1 channel regulates various physiological processes including nociceptive behavior, itch, spatial learning. Meanwhile, malfunction of this channel causes important pathophysiological consequences, including Fragile X syndrome and a wide spectrum of seizure disorders. This review comprehensively describes the structure, expression patterns, physiological functions of the KCNT1 channel and emphasizes the channelopathy of gain-of-function KCNT1 mutations in epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ye Liu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yue Teng
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
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18
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Cole BA, Clapcote SJ, Muench SP, Lippiat JD. Targeting K Na1.1 channels in KCNT1-associated epilepsy. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:700-713. [PMID: 34074526 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Gain-of-function (GOF) pathogenic variants of KCNT1, the gene encoding the largest known potassium channel subunit, KNa1.1, are associated with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies accompanied by severe psychomotor and intellectual disabilities. Blocking hyperexcitable KNa1.1 channels with quinidine, a class I antiarrhythmic drug, has shown variable success in patients in part because of dose-limiting off-target effects, poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, and low potency. In recent years, high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the chicken KNa1.1 channel in different activation states have been determined, and animal models of the diseases have been generated. Alongside increasing information about the functional effects of GOF pathogenic variants on KNa1.1 channel behaviour and how they lead to hyperexcitability, these tools will facilitate the development of more effective treatment strategies. We review the range of KCNT1 variants and their functional effects, the challenges posed by current treatment strategies, and recent advances in finding more potent and selective therapeutic interventions for KCNT1-related epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan A Cole
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Steven J Clapcote
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Stephen P Muench
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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19
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Therapeutic Antibodies Targeting Potassium Ion Channels. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 267:507-545. [PMID: 33963460 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies combine specificity and high affinity binding with excellent pharmacokinetic properties and are rapidly being developed for a wide range of drug targets including clinically important potassium ion channels. Nonetheless, while therapeutic antibodies come with great promise, K+ channels represent particularly difficult targets for biologics development for a variety of reasons that include their dynamic structures and relatively small extracellular loops, their high degree of sequence conservation (leading to immune tolerance), and their generally low-level expression in vivo. The process is made all the more difficult when large numbers of antibody candidates must be screened for a given target, or when lead candidates fail to cross-react with orthologous channels in animal disease models due to their highly selective binding properties. While the number of antibodies targeting potassium channels in preclinical or clinical development is still modest, significant advances in the areas of protein expression and antibody screening are converging to open the field to an avalanche of new drugs. Here, the opportunities and constraints associated with the discovery of antibodies against K+ channels are discussed, with an emphasis on novel technologies that are opening the field to exciting new possibilities for biologics development.
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20
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Stautz J, Hellmich Y, Fuss MF, Silberberg JM, Devlin JR, Stockbridge RB, Hänelt I. Molecular Mechanisms for Bacterial Potassium Homeostasis. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166968. [PMID: 33798529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Potassium ion homeostasis is essential for bacterial survival, playing roles in osmoregulation, pH homeostasis, regulation of protein synthesis, enzyme activation, membrane potential adjustment and electrical signaling. To accomplish such diverse physiological tasks, it is not surprising that a single bacterium typically encodes several potassium uptake and release systems. To understand the role each individual protein fulfills and how these proteins work in concert, it is important to identify the molecular details of their function. One needs to understand whether the systems transport ions actively or passively, and what mechanisms or ligands lead to the activation or inactivation of individual systems. Combining mechanistic information with knowledge about the physiology under different stress situations, such as osmostress, pH stress or nutrient limitation, one can identify the task of each system and deduce how they are coordinated with each other. By reviewing the general principles of bacterial membrane physiology and describing the molecular architecture and function of several bacterial K+-transporting systems, we aim to provide a framework for microbiologists studying bacterial potassium homeostasis and the many K+-translocating systems that are still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Stautz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yvonne Hellmich
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael F Fuss
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jakob M Silberberg
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jason R Devlin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Randy B Stockbridge
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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21
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Li F, Egea PF, Vecchio AJ, Asial I, Gupta M, Paulino J, Bajaj R, Dickinson MS, Ferguson-Miller S, Monk BC, Stroud RM. Highlighting membrane protein structure and function: A celebration of the Protein Data Bank. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100557. [PMID: 33744283 PMCID: PMC8102919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological membranes define the boundaries of cells and compartmentalize the chemical and physical processes required for life. Many biological processes are carried out by proteins embedded in or associated with such membranes. Determination of membrane protein (MP) structures at atomic or near-atomic resolution plays a vital role in elucidating their structural and functional impact in biology. This endeavor has determined 1198 unique MP structures as of early 2021. The value of these structures is expanded greatly by deposition of their three-dimensional (3D) coordinates into the Protein Data Bank (PDB) after the first atomic MP structure was elucidated in 1985. Since then, free access to MP structures facilitates broader and deeper understanding of MPs, which provides crucial new insights into their biological functions. Here we highlight the structural and functional biology of representative MPs and landmarks in the evolution of new technologies, with insights into key developments influenced by the PDB in magnifying their impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pascal F Egea
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alex J Vecchio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | | | - Meghna Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joana Paulino
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ruchika Bajaj
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miles Sasha Dickinson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shelagh Ferguson-Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian C Monk
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute and Department of Oral Sciences, University of Otago, North Dunedin, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert M Stroud
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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22
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Abstract
Potassium channels are present in every living cell and essential to setting up a stable, non-zero transmembrane electrostatic potential which manifests the off-equilibrium livelihood of the cell. They are involved in other cellular activities and regulation, such as the controlled release of hormones, the activation of T-cells for immune response, the firing of action potential in muscle cells and neurons, etc. Pharmacological reagents targeting potassium channels are important for treating various human diseases linked to dysfunction of the channels. High-resolution structures of these channels are very useful tools for delineating the detailed chemical basis underlying channel functions and for structure-based design and optimization of their pharmacological and pharmaceutical agents. Structural studies of potassium channels have revolutionized biophysical understandings of key concepts in the field - ion selectivity, conduction, channel gating, and modulation, making them multi-modality targets of pharmacological regulation. In this chapter, I will select a few high-resolution structures to illustrate key structural insights, proposed allostery behind channel functions, disagreements still open to debate, and channel-lipid interactions and co-evolution. The known structural consensus allows the inference of conserved molecular mechanisms shared among subfamilies of K+ channels and makes it possible to develop channel-specific pharmaceutical agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Xing Jiang
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and the Cryo-EM Center, Hauptmann-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Departments of Materials Design and Invention and Physiology and Biophysics, University of Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
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23
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Yao X, Fan X, Yan N. Cryo-EM analysis of a membrane protein embedded in the liposome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:18497-18503. [PMID: 32680969 PMCID: PMC7414195 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009385117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins (MPs) used to be the most difficult targets for structural biology when X-ray crystallography was the mainstream approach. With the resolution revolution of single-particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM), rapid progress has been made for structural elucidation of isolated MPs. The next challenge is to preserve the electrochemical gradients and membrane curvature for a comprehensive structural elucidation of MPs that rely on these chemical and physical properties for their biological functions. Toward this goal, here we present a convenient workflow for cryo-EM structural analysis of MPs embedded in liposomes, using the well-characterized AcrB as a prototype. Combining optimized proteoliposome isolation, cryo-sample preparation on graphene grids, and an efficient particle selection strategy, the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of AcrB embedded in liposomes was obtained at 3.9 Å resolution. The conformation of the homotrimeric AcrB remains the same when the surrounding membranes display different curvatures. Our approach, which can be widely applied to cryo-EM analysis of MPs with distinctive soluble domains, lays out the foundation for cryo-EM analysis of integral or peripheral MPs whose functions are affected by transmembrane electrochemical gradients or/and membrane curvatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Yao
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Xiao Fan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Nieng Yan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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24
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Membrane interactions in drug delivery: Model cell membranes and orthogonal techniques. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 281:102177. [PMID: 32417568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
To generate the desired effect in the human body, the active pharmaceutical ingredient usually needs to interact with a receptor located on the cell membrane or inside the cell. Thus, understanding membrane interactions is of great importance when it comes to the development and testing of new drug molecules or new drug delivery systems. Nowadays, there is a tremendous selection of both model cell membranes and of techniques that can be used to characterize interactions between selected model cell membranes and a drug molecule, an excipient, or a drug delivery system. Having such a wide selection of model cell membranes and techniques available makes it sometimes challenging to select the optimal combination for a specific study. Furthermore, it is difficult to compare results obtained using different model cell membranes and techniques, and not all in vitro studies translate as well to an estimation of the in vivo biological activity or understanding of mode of action. This review provides an overview of the available lipid bilayer-based model cell membranes and of the most widely employed techniques for studying membrane interactions. Finally, the need for employing complimentary characterization techniques in order to acquire more reliable and in-depth information is highlighted.
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25
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Cole BA, Johnson RM, Dejakaisaya H, Pilati N, Fishwick CWG, Muench SP, Lippiat JD. Structure-Based Identification and Characterization of Inhibitors of the Epilepsy-Associated K Na1.1 (KCNT1) Potassium Channel. iScience 2020; 23:101100. [PMID: 32408169 PMCID: PMC7225746 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-resistant epileptic encephalopathies of infancy have been associated with KCNT1 gain-of-function mutations, which increase the activity of KNa1.1 sodium-activated potassium channels. Pharmacological inhibition of hyperactive KNa1.1 channels by quinidine has been proposed as a stratified treatment, but mostly this has not been successful, being linked to the low potency and lack of specificity of the drug. Here we describe the use of a previously determined cryo-electron microscopy-derived KNa1.1 structure and mutational analysis to identify how quinidine binds to the channel pore and, using computational methods, screened for compounds predicated to bind to this site. We describe six compounds that inhibited KNa1.1 channels with low- and sub-micromolar potencies, likely also through binding in the intracellular pore vestibule. In hERG inhibition and cytotoxicity assays, two compounds were ineffective. These may provide starting points for the development of new pharmacophores and could become tool compounds to study this channel further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan A Cole
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Rachel M Johnson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Hattapark Dejakaisaya
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Nadia Pilati
- Autifony Srl, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Citta' della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti, 4f, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Colin W G Fishwick
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Stephen P Muench
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jonathan D Lippiat
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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26
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Barros F, de la Peña P, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, Pardo LA. The EAG Voltage-Dependent K + Channel Subfamily: Similarities and Differences in Structural Organization and Gating. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:411. [PMID: 32351384 PMCID: PMC7174612 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
EAG (ether-à-go-go or KCNH) are a subfamily of the voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. Like for all potassium channels, opening of EAG channels drives the membrane potential toward its equilibrium value for potassium, thus setting the resting potential and repolarizing action potentials. As voltage-dependent channels, they switch between open and closed conformations (gating) when changes in membrane potential are sensed by a voltage sensing domain (VSD) which is functionally coupled to a pore domain (PD) containing the permeation pathway, the potassium selectivity filter, and the channel gate. All Kv channels are tetrameric, with four VSDs formed by the S1-S4 transmembrane segments of each subunit, surrounding a central PD with the four S5-S6 sections arranged in a square-shaped structure. Structural information, mutagenesis, and functional experiments, indicated that in "classical/Shaker-type" Kv channels voltage-triggered VSD reorganizations are transmitted to PD gating via the α-helical S4-S5 sequence that links both modules. Importantly, these Shaker-type channels share a domain-swapped VSD/PD organization, with each VSD contacting the PD of the adjacent subunit. In this case, the S4-S5 linker, acting as a rigid mechanical lever (electromechanical lever coupling), would lead to channel gate opening at the cytoplasmic S6 helices bundle. However, new functional data with EAG channels split between the VSD and PD modules indicate that, in some Kv channels, alternative VSD/PD coupling mechanisms do exist. Noticeably, recent elucidation of the architecture of some EAG channels, and other relatives, showed that their VSDs are non-domain swapped. Despite similarities in primary sequence and predicted structural organization for all EAG channels, they show marked kinetic differences whose molecular basis is not completely understood. Thus, while a common general architecture may establish the gating system used by the EAG channels and the physicochemical coupling of voltage sensing to gating, subtle changes in that common structure, and/or allosteric influences of protein domains relatively distant from the central gating machinery, can crucially influence the gating process. We consider here the latest advances on these issues provided by the elucidation of eag1 and erg1 three-dimensional structures, and by both classical and more recent functional studies with different members of the EAG subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis A. Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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27
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Si D, Moritz SA, Pfab J, Hou J, Cao R, Wang L, Wu T, Cheng J. Deep Learning to Predict Protein Backbone Structure from High-Resolution Cryo-EM Density Maps. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4282. [PMID: 32152330 PMCID: PMC7063051 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60598-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a leading technology for determining protein structures. Recent advances in this field have allowed for atomic resolution. However, predicting the backbone trace of a protein has remained a challenge on all but the most pristine density maps (<2.5 Å resolution). Here we introduce a deep learning model that uses a set of cascaded convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to predict Cα atoms along a protein's backbone structure. The cascaded-CNN (C-CNN) is a novel deep learning architecture comprised of multiple CNNs, each predicting a specific aspect of a protein's structure. This model predicts secondary structure elements (SSEs), backbone structure, and Cα atoms, combining the results of each to produce a complete prediction map. The cascaded-CNN is a semantic segmentation image classifier and was trained using thousands of simulated density maps. This method is largely automatic and only requires a recommended threshold value for each protein density map. A specialized tabu-search path walking algorithm was used to produce an initial backbone trace with Cα placements. A helix-refinement algorithm made further improvements to the α-helix SSEs of the backbone trace. Finally, a novel quality assessment-based combinatorial algorithm was used to effectively map protein sequences onto Cα traces to obtain full-atom protein structures. This method was tested on 50 experimental maps between 2.6 Å and 4.4 Å resolution. It outperformed several state-of-the-art prediction methods including Rosetta de-novo, MAINMAST, and a Phenix based method by producing the most complete predicted protein structures, as measured by percentage of found Cα atoms. This method accurately predicted 88.9% (mean) of the Cα atoms within 3 Å of a protein's backbone structure surpassing the 66.8% mark achieved by the leading alternate method (Phenix based fully automatic method) on the same set of density maps. The C-CNN also achieved an average root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of 1.24 Å on a set of 50 experimental density maps which was tested by the Phenix based fully automatic method. The source code and demo of this research has been published at https://github.com/DrDongSi/Ca-Backbone-Prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Si
- Division of Computing & Software Systems, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, 98011, USA.
| | - Spencer A Moritz
- Division of Computing & Software Systems, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, 98011, USA
| | - Jonas Pfab
- Division of Computing & Software Systems, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, 98011, USA
| | - Jie Hou
- Department of Computer Science, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63103, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63103, USA
| | - Renzhi Cao
- Department of Computer Science, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, 98447, USA
| | - Liguo Wang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98185, USA
| | - Tianqi Wu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jianlin Cheng
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
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28
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Impaired motor skill learning and altered seizure susceptibility in mice with loss or gain of function of the Kcnt1 gene encoding Slack (K Na1.1) Na +-activated K + channels. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3213. [PMID: 32081855 PMCID: PMC7035262 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60028-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function mutations in KCNT1, the gene encoding Slack (KNa1.1) channels, result in epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) and several other forms of epilepsy associated with severe intellectual disability. We have generated a mouse model of this condition by replacing the wild type gene with one encoding Kcnt1R455H, a cytoplasmic C-terminal mutation homologous to a human R474H variant that results in EIMFS. We compared behavior patterns and seizure activity in these mice with those of wild type mice and Kcnt1-/- mice. Complete loss of Kcnt1 produced deficits in open field behavior and motor skill learning. Although their thresholds for electrically and chemically induced seizures were similar to those of wild type animals, Kcnt1-/- mice were significantly protected from death after maximum electroshock-induced seizures. In contrast, homozygous Kcnt1R455H/R455H mice were embryonic lethal. Video-EEG monitoring of heterozygous Kcnt1+/R455H animals revealed persistent interictal spikes, spontaneous seizures and a substantially decreased threshold for pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. Surprisingly, Kcnt1+/R455H mice were not impaired in tasks of exploratory behavior or procedural motor learning. These findings provide an animal model for EIMFS and suggest that Slack channels are required for the development of procedural learning and of pathways that link cortical seizures to other regions required for animal survival.
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29
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Schrecker M, Wunnicke D, Hänelt I. How RCK domains regulate gating of K+ channels. Biol Chem 2020; 400:1303-1322. [PMID: 31361596 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2019-0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Potassium channels play a crucial role in the physiology of all living organisms. They maintain the membrane potential and are involved in electrical signaling, pH homeostasis, cell-cell communication and survival under osmotic stress. Many prokaryotic potassium channels and members of the eukaryotic Slo channels are regulated by tethered cytoplasmic domains or associated soluble proteins, which belong to the family of regulator of potassium conductance (RCK). RCK domains and subunits form octameric rings, which control ion gating. For years, a common regulatory mechanism was suggested: ligand-induced conformational changes in the octameric ring would pull open a gate in the pore via flexible linkers. Consistently, ligand-dependent conformational changes were described for various RCK gating rings. Yet, recent structural and functional data of complete ion channels uncovered that the following signal transduction to the pore domains is divers. The different RCK-regulated ion channels show remarkably heterogeneous mechanisms with neither the connection from the RCK domain to the pore nor the gate being conserved. Some channels even lack the flexible linkers, while in others the gate cannot easily be assigned. In this review we compare available structures of RCK-gated potassium channels, highlight the similarities and differences of channel gating, and delineate existing inconsistencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Schrecker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt Main, Germany
| | - Dorith Wunnicke
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt Main, Germany
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Str. 9, D-60438 Frankfurt Main, Germany
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30
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Bajaj S, Ong ST, Chandy KG. Contributions of natural products to ion channel pharmacology. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 37:703-716. [PMID: 32065187 DOI: 10.1039/c9np00056a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Covering: Up to 2020Ion channels are a vast super-family of membrane proteins that play critical physiological roles in excitable and non-excitable cells. Their biomedical importance makes them valuable and attractive drug targets for neurological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, and for cancer therapy and immune modulation. Current therapeutics target only a minor subset of ion channels, leaving a large unexploited space within the ion channel field. Natural products harnessed from the almost unlimited and diverse universe of compounds within the bioenvironment have been used to modulate channels for decades. In this review we highlight the impact made by natural products on ion channel pharmacology, specifically on K+, NaV and CaV channels, and use case studies to describe the development of ion channel-modulating drugs from natural sources for the treatment of pain, heart disease and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Bajaj
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, 636921, Singapore.
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31
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Tonggu L, Wang L. Cryo-EM sample preparation method for extremely low concentration liposomes. Ultramicroscopy 2020; 208:112849. [PMID: 31622807 PMCID: PMC7058178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2019.112849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Liposomes are widely used as delivery systems in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries, as well as a system for structural and functional study of membrane proteins. To accurately characterize liposomes, cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) has been employed as it is the most precise and direct method to determine liposome lamellarity, size, shape and ultrastructure. However, its use is limited by the number of liposomes that can be trapped in the thin layer of ice that spans holes in the perforated carbon film on EM grids. We report a long-incubation method for increasing the density of liposomes in holes. By increasing the incubation time, high liposome density was achieved even with extremely dilute (in the nanomolar range) liposome solutions. This long-incubation method has been successfully employed to study the structure of an ion channel reconstituted into liposomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lige Tonggu
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Liguo Wang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
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32
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Teixeira-Duarte CM, Fonseca F, Morais-Cabral JH. Activation of a nucleotide-dependent RCK domain requires binding of a cation cofactor to a conserved site. eLife 2019; 8:50661. [PMID: 31868587 PMCID: PMC6957272 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
RCK domains regulate the activity of K+ channels and transporters in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms by responding to ions or nucleotides. The mechanisms of RCK activation by Ca2+ in the eukaryotic BK and bacterial MthK K+ channels are well understood. However, the molecular details of activation in nucleotide-dependent RCK domains are not clear. Through a functional and structural analysis of the mechanism of ATP activation in KtrA, a RCK domain from the B. subtilis KtrAB cation channel, we have found that activation by nucleotide requires binding of cations to an intra-dimer interface site in the RCK dimer. In particular, divalent cations are coordinated by the γ-phosphates of bound-ATP, tethering the two subunits and stabilizing the active state conformation. Strikingly, the binding site residues are highly conserved in many different nucleotide-dependent RCK domains, indicating that divalent cations are a general cofactor in the regulatory mechanism of many nucleotide-dependent RCK domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celso M Teixeira-Duarte
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Programa Doutoral em Biologia Molecular e Celular (MCbiology), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Fonseca
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João H Morais-Cabral
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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33
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Kopec W, Rothberg BS, de Groot BL. Molecular mechanism of a potassium channel gating through activation gate-selectivity filter coupling. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5366. [PMID: 31772184 PMCID: PMC6879586 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels are presumed to have two allosterically coupled gates, the activation gate and the selectivity filter gate, that control channel opening, closing, and inactivation. However, the molecular mechanism of how these gates regulate K+ ion flow through the channel remains poorly understood. An activation process, occurring at the selectivity filter, has been recently proposed for several potassium channels. Here, we use X-ray crystallography and extensive molecular dynamics simulations, to study ion permeation through a potassium channel MthK, for various opening levels of both gates. We find that the channel conductance is controlled at the selectivity filter, whose conformation depends on the activation gate. The crosstalk between the gates is mediated through a collective motion of channel helices, involving hydrophobic contacts between an isoleucine and a conserved threonine in the selectivity filter. We propose a gating model of selectivity filter-activated potassium channels, including pharmacologically relevant two-pore domain (K2P) and big potassium (BK) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Kopec
- Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Brad S Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Bert L de Groot
- Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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34
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Mikušević V, Schrecker M, Kolesova N, Patiño-Ruiz M, Fendler K, Hänelt I. A channel profile report of the unusual K + channel KtrB. J Gen Physiol 2019; 151:1357-1368. [PMID: 31624134 PMCID: PMC6888753 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
KtrAB is a key player in bacterial K+ uptake required for K+ homeostasis and osmoadaptation. The system is unique in structure and function. It consists of the K+-translocating channel subunit KtrB, which forms a dimer in the membrane, and the soluble regulatory subunit KtrA, which attaches to the cytoplasmic side of the dimer as an octameric ring conferring Na+ and ATP dependency to the system. Unlike most K+ channels, KtrB lacks the highly conserved T(X)GYG selectivity filter sequence. Instead, only a single glycine residue is found in each pore loop, which raises the question of how selective the ion channel is. Here, we characterized the KtrB subunit from the Gram-negative pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus by isothermal titration calorimetry, solid-supported membrane-based electrophysiology, whole-cell K+ uptake, and ACMA-based transport assays. We found that, despite its simple selectivity filter, KtrB selectively binds K+ with micromolar affinity. Rb+ and Cs+ bind with millimolar affinities. However, only K+ and the poorly binding Na+ are efficiently translocated, based on size exclusion by the gating loop. Importantly, the physiologically required K+ over Na+ selectivity is provided by the channel's high affinity for potassium, which interestingly results from the presence of the sodium ions themselves. In the presence of the KtrA subunit, sodium ions further decrease the Michaelis-Menten constant for K+ uptake from milli- to micromolar concentrations and increase the Vmax, suggesting that Na+ also facilitates channel gating. In conclusion, high binding affinity and facilitated K+ gating allow KtrAB to function as a selective K+ channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vedrana Mikušević
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marina Schrecker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Natalie Kolesova
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Miyer Patiño-Ruiz
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Klaus Fendler
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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35
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Van Hook MJ, Nawy S, Thoreson WB. Voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels of neurons in the vertebrate retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2019; 72:100760. [PMID: 31078724 PMCID: PMC6739185 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize studies investigating the types and distribution of voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels in the different classes of retinal neurons: rods, cones, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, interplexiform cells, and ganglion cells. We discuss differences among cell subtypes within these major cell classes, as well as differences among species, and consider how different ion channels shape the responses of different neurons. For example, even though second-order bipolar and horizontal cells do not typically generate fast sodium-dependent action potentials, many of these cells nevertheless possess fast sodium currents that can enhance their kinetic response capabilities. Ca2+ channel activity can also shape response kinetics as well as regulating synaptic release. The L-type Ca2+ channel subtype, CaV1.4, expressed in photoreceptor cells exhibits specific properties matching the particular needs of these cells such as limited inactivation which allows sustained channel activity and maintained synaptic release in darkness. The particular properties of K+ and Cl- channels in different retinal neurons shape resting membrane potentials, response kinetics and spiking behavior. A remaining challenge is to characterize the specific distributions of ion channels in the more than 100 individual cell types that have been identified in the retina and to describe how these particular ion channels sculpt neuronal responses to assist in the processing of visual information by the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Scott Nawy
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Structure Determination by Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy: Only the Sky (and Intrinsic Disorder) is the Limit. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20174186. [PMID: 31461845 PMCID: PMC6747279 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy represent major workhorses of structural biologists, with the lion share of protein structures reported in protein data bank (PDB) being generated by these powerful techniques. Despite their wide utilization in protein structure determination, these two techniques have logical limitations, with X-ray crystallography being unsuitable for the analysis of highly dynamic structures and with NMR spectroscopy being restricted to the analysis of relatively small proteins. In recent years, we have witnessed an explosive development of the techniques based on Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) for structural characterization of biological molecules. In fact, single-particle Cryo-EM is a special niche as it is a technique of choice for the structural analysis of large, structurally heterogeneous, and dynamic complexes. Here, sub-nanometer atomic resolution can be achieved (i.e., resolution below 10 Å) via single-particle imaging of non-crystalline specimens, with accurate 3D reconstruction being generated based on the computational averaging of multiple 2D projection images of the same particle that was frozen rapidly in solution. We provide here a brief overview of single-particle Cryo-EM and show how Cryo-EM has revolutionized structural investigations of membrane proteins. We also show that the presence of intrinsically disordered or flexible regions in a target protein represents one of the major limitations of this promising technique.
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Ca 2+-regulated Ca 2+ channels with an RCK gating ring control plant symbiotic associations. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3703. [PMID: 31420535 PMCID: PMC6697748 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11698-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A family of plant nuclear ion channels, including DMI1 (Does not Make Infections 1) and its homologs CASTOR and POLLUX, are required for the establishment of legume-microbe symbioses by generating nuclear and perinuclear Ca2+ spiking. Here we show that CASTOR from Lotus japonicus is a highly selective Ca2+ channel whose activation requires cytosolic/nucleosolic Ca2+, contrary to the previous suggestion of it being a K+ channel. Structurally, the cytosolic/nucleosolic ligand-binding soluble region of CASTOR contains two tandem RCK (Regulator of Conductance for K+) domains, and four subunits assemble into the gating ring architecture, similar to that of large conductance, Ca2+-gated K+ (BK) channels despite the lack of sequence similarity. Multiple ion binding sites are clustered at two locations within each subunit, and three of them are identified to be Ca2+ sites. Our in vitro and in vivo assays also demonstrate the importance of these gating-ring Ca2+ binding sites to the physiological function of CASTOR as well as DMI1. CASTOR is a Lotus japonicus ion channel required for nuclear Ca2+ spiking and establishing rhizobial and mycorrhizal symbioses. Here, via structural and functional analysis, Kim et al. show that CASTOR is a Ca2+-selective channel activated via Ca2+ binding to a soluble gating ring consisting of tandem RCK domains.
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An Epilepsy-Associated KCNT1 Mutation Enhances Excitability of Human iPSC-Derived Neurons by Increasing Slack K Na Currents. J Neurosci 2019; 39:7438-7449. [PMID: 31350261 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1628-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the KCNT1 (Slack, KNa1.1) sodium-activated potassium channel produce severe epileptic encephalopathies. Expression in heterologous systems has shown that the disease-causing mutations give rise to channels that have increased current amplitude. It is not known, however, whether such gain of function occurs in human neurons, nor whether such increased KNa current is expected to suppress or increase the excitability of cortical neurons. Using genetically engineered human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, we have now found that sodium-dependent potassium currents are increased several-fold in neurons bearing a homozygous P924L mutation. In current-clamp recordings, the increased KNa current in neurons with the P924L mutation acts to shorten the duration of action potentials and to increase the amplitude of the afterhyperpolarization that follows each action potential. Strikingly, the number of action potentials that were evoked by depolarizing currents as well as maximal firing rates were increased in neurons expressing the mutant channel. In networks of spontaneously active neurons, the mean firing rate, the occurrence of rapid bursts of action potentials, and the intensity of firing during the burst were all increased in neurons with the P924L Slack mutation. The feasibility of an increased KNa current to increase firing rates independent of any compensatory changes was validated by numerical simulations. Our findings indicate that gain-of-function in Slack KNa channels causes hyperexcitability in both isolated neurons and in neural networks and occurs by a cell-autonomous mechanism that does not require network interactions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT KCNT1 mutations lead to severe epileptic encephalopathies for which there are no effective treatments. This study is the first demonstration that a KCNT1 mutation increases the Slack current in neurons. It also provides the first explanation for how this increased potassium current induces hyperexcitability, which could be the underlining factor causing seizures.
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Gertler TS, Thompson CH, Vanoye CG, Millichap JJ, George AL. Functional consequences of a KCNT1 variant associated with status dystonicus and early-onset infantile encephalopathy. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019; 6:1606-1615. [PMID: 31560846 PMCID: PMC6764634 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.50847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective We identified a novel de novo KCNT1 variant in a patient with early‐infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) and status dystonicus, a life‐threatening movement disorder. We determined the functional consequences of this variant on the encoded KNa1.1 channel to investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for this disorder. Methods A retrospective case review of the proband is presented. We performed manual and automated electrophysiologic analyses of the KCNT1‐L437F variant expressed heterologously in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in the presence of channel activators/blockers. Results The KCNT1‐L437F variant, identified in a patient with refractory EIEE and status dystonicus, confers a gain‐of‐function channel phenotype characterized by instantaneous, voltage‐dependent activation. Channel openers do not further increase L437F channel function, suggesting maximal activation, whereas channel blockers similarly block wild‐type and variant channels. We further demonstrated that KCNT1 current can be measured on a high‐throughput automated electrophysiology platform with potential value for future screening of novel and repurposed pharmacotherapies. Interpretation A novel pathogenic variant in KCNT1 associated with early‐onset, medication‐refractory epilepsy and dystonia causes gain‐of‐function with rapid activation kinetics. Our findings extend the genotype–phenotype relationships of KCNT1 variants to include severe dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy S Gertler
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Christopher H Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Carlos G Vanoye
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John J Millichap
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Alfred L George
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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Importance of the Choice of a Recombinant System to Produce Large Amounts of Functional Membrane Protein hERG. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20133181. [PMID: 31261773 PMCID: PMC6651182 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human ether-a-gogo related gene (hERG) product is the membrane potassium channel Kv11.1, which is involved in the electrical activity of the heart. As such, it is a key player in the toxicity of many drug candidates. Therefore, having this protein at hand during earlier stages of drug discovery is important for preventing later toxicity. Furthermore, having a fair quantity of functional channels may help in the development of the necessary techniques for gaining insight in this channel structure. Thus, we performed a comparative study of methods for over-expressing a mutated but functional, hERG in different orthologous hosts, such as yeast, bacteria, insect and human cell lines. We also engineered the protein to test various constructs of a functional channel. We obtained a significant amount of a functional mutant channel from HEK cells that we thoroughly characterized. The present work paves the way for the expression of large amounts of this protein, with which protein crystallization or cryo-electronic microscopy will be attempted. This will be a way to gain information on the structure of the hERG active site and its modelization to obtain data on the pauses of various reference compounds from the pharmacopeia, as well as to gain information about the thermodynamics of the hERG/ligand relationship.
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41
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Rocha R, Teixeira-Duarte CM, Jorge JMP, Morais-Cabral JH. Characterization of the molecular properties of KtrC, a second RCK domain that regulates a Ktr channel in Bacillus subtilis. J Struct Biol 2019; 205:34-43. [PMID: 30753894 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RCK (regulating conductance of K+) domains are common regulatory domains that control the activity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic K+ channels and transporters. In bacteria these domains play roles in osmoregulation, regulation of turgor and membrane potential and in pH homeostasis. Whole-genome sequencing unveiled RCK gene redundancy, however the biological role of this redundancy is not well understood. In Bacillus subtilis, there are two closely related RCK domain proteins (KtrA and KtrC) that regulate the activity of the Ktr cation channels. KtrA has been well characterized but little is known about KtrC. We have characterized the structural and biochemical proprieties of KtrC and conclude that KtrC binds ATP and ADP, just like KtrA. However, in solution KtrC exist in a dynamic equilibrium between octamers and non-octameric species that is dependent on the bound ligand, with ATP destabilizing the octameric ring relative to ADP. Accordingly, KtrC-ADP crystal structures reveal closed octameric rings similar to those in KtrA, while KtrC-ATP adopts an open assembly with RCK domains forming a super-helix. In addition, both KtrC-ATP and -ADP octamers are stabilized by the signaling molecule cyclic-di-AMP, which binds to KtrC with high affinity. In contrast, c-di-AMP binds with 100-fold lower affinity to KtrA. Despite these differences we show with an E. coli complementation assay that KtrC and KtrA are interchangeable and able to form functional transporters with both KtrB and KtrD. The distinctive properties of KtrC, in particular ligand-dependent assembly/disassembly, suggest that this protein has a specific physiological role that is distinct from KtrA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Rocha
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Celso M Teixeira-Duarte
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Programa Doutoral em Biologia Molecular e Celular (MCbiology), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João M P Jorge
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João Henrique Morais-Cabral
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Brown BM, Nguyen HM, Wulff H. Recent advances in our understanding of the structure and function of more unusual cation channels. F1000Res 2019; 8. [PMID: 30755796 PMCID: PMC6354322 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.17163.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As their name implies, cation channels allow the regulated flow of cations such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium across cellular and intracellular membranes. Cation channels have long been known for their fundamental roles in controlling membrane potential and excitability in neurons and muscle. In this review, we provide an update on the recent advances in our understanding of the structure–function relationship and the physiological and pathophysiological role of cation channels. The most exciting developments in the last two years, in our opinion, have been the insights that cryoelectron microscopy has provided into the inner life and the gating of not only voltage-gated channels but also mechanosensitive and calcium- or sodium-activated channels. The mechanosensitive Piezo channels especially have delighted the field not only with a fascinating new type of structure but with important roles in blood pressure regulation and lung function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Hai M Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
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43
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Barros F, Pardo LA, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, de la Peña P. New Structures and Gating of Voltage-Dependent Potassium (Kv) Channels and Their Relatives: A Multi-Domain and Dynamic Question. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20020248. [PMID: 30634573 PMCID: PMC6359393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kv channels) are crucial regulators of cell excitability that participate in a range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. These channels are molecular machines that display a mechanism (known as gating) for opening and closing a gate located in a pore domain (PD). In Kv channels, this mechanism is triggered and controlled by changes in the magnitude of the transmembrane voltage sensed by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD). In this review, we consider several aspects of the VSD–PD coupling in Kv channels, and in some relatives, that share a common general structure characterized by a single square-shaped ion conduction pore in the center, surrounded by four VSDs located at the periphery. We compile some recent advances in the knowledge of their architecture, based in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data for high-resolution determination of their structure, plus some new functional data obtained with channel variants in which the covalent continuity between the VSD and PD modules has been interrupted. These advances and new data bring about some reconsiderations about the use of exclusively a classical electromechanical lever model of VSD–PD coupling by some Kv channels, and open a view of the Kv-type channels as allosteric machines in which gating may be dynamically influenced by some long-range interactional/allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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OKAMURA Y, OKOCHI Y. Molecular mechanisms of coupling to voltage sensors in voltage-evoked cellular signals. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2019; 95:111-135. [PMID: 30853698 PMCID: PMC6541726 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.95.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The voltage sensor domain (VSD) has long been studied as a unique domain intrinsic to voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs). Within VGICs, the VSD is tightly coupled to the pore-gate domain (PGD) in diverse ways suitable for its specific function in each physiological context, including action potential generation, muscle contraction and relaxation, hormone and neurotransmitter secretion, and cardiac pacemaking. However, some VSD-containing proteins lack a PGD. Voltage-sensing phosphatase contains a cytoplasmic phosphoinositide phosphatase with similarity to phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Hv1, a voltage-gated proton channel, also lacks a PGD. Within Hv1, the VSD operates as a voltage sensor, gate, and pore for both proton sensing and permeation. Hv1 has a C-terminal coiled coil that mediates dimerization for cooperative gating. Recent progress in the structural biology of VGICs and VSD proteins provides insights into the principles of VSD coupling conserved among these proteins as well as the hierarchy of protein organization for voltage-evoked cell signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi OKAMURA
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi OKOCHI
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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45
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Structural biology and structure–function relationships of membrane proteins. Biochem Soc Trans 2018; 47:47-61. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20180269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The study of structure–function relationships of membrane proteins (MPs) has been one of the major goals in the field of structural biology. Many Noble Prizes regarding remarkable accomplishments in MP structure determination and biochemistry have been awarded over the last few decades. Mutations or improper folding of these proteins are associated with numerous serious illnesses. Therefore, as important drug targets, the study of their primary sequence and three-dimensional fold, combined with cell-based assays, provides vital information about their structure–function relationships. Today, this information is vital to drug discovery and medicine. In the last two decades, many have been the technical advances and breakthroughs in the field of MP structural biology that have contributed to an exponential growth in the number of unique MP structures in the Protein Data Bank. Nevertheless, given the medical importance and many unanswered questions, it will never be an excess of MP structures, regardless of the method used. Owing to the extension of the field, in this brief review, we will only focus on structure–function relationships of the three most significant pharmaceutical classes: G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and transporters.
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Benton DJ, Nans A, Calder LJ, Turner J, Neu U, Lin YP, Ketelaars E, Kallewaard NL, Corti D, Lanzavecchia A, Gamblin SJ, Rosenthal PB, Skehel JJ. Influenza hemagglutinin membrane anchor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:10112-10117. [PMID: 30224494 PMCID: PMC6176637 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1810927115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses with membranes fuse them with cellular membranes, to transfer their genomes into cells at the beginning of infection. For Influenza virus, the membrane glycoprotein involved in fusion is the hemagglutinin (HA), the 3D structure of which is known from X-ray crystallographic studies. The soluble ectodomain fragments used in these studies lacked the "membrane anchor" portion of the molecule. Since this region has a role in membrane fusion, we have determined its structure by analyzing the intact, full-length molecule in a detergent micelle, using cryo-EM. We have also compared the structures of full-length HA-detergent micelles with full-length HA-Fab complex detergent micelles, to describe an infectivity-neutralizing monoclonal Fab that binds near the ectodomain membrane anchor junction. We determine a high-resolution HA structure which compares favorably in detail with the structure of the ectodomain seen by X-ray crystallography; we detect, clearly, all five carbohydrate side chains of HA; and we find that the ectodomain is joined to the membrane anchor by flexible, eight-residue-long, linkers. The linkers extend into the detergent micelle to join a central triple-helical structure that is a major component of the membrane anchor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald J Benton
- Structural Biology of Disease Processes Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom;
| | - Andrea Nans
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
- Structural Biology Science Technology Platform, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Lesley J Calder
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Turner
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Ursula Neu
- Structural Biology of Disease Processes Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Yi Pu Lin
- Worldwide Influenza Centre, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Ketelaars
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Steven J Gamblin
- Structural Biology of Disease Processes Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter B Rosenthal
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom;
| | - John J Skehel
- Structural Biology of Disease Processes Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom;
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An iris diaphragm mechanism to gate a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3978. [PMID: 30266906 PMCID: PMC6162275 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06414-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are non-selective cation channels key to signal transduction. The free energy difference of cyclic-nucleotide (cAMP/cGMP) binding/unbinding is translated into mechanical work to modulate the open/closed probability of the pore, i.e., gating. Despite the recent advances in structural determination of CNG channels, the conformational changes associated with gating remain unknown. Here we examine the conformational dynamics of a prokaryotic homolog of CNG channels, SthK, using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). HS-AFM of SthK in lipid bilayers shows that the CNBDs undergo dramatic conformational changes during the interconversion between the resting (apo and cGMP) and the activated (cAMP) states: the CNBDs approach the membrane and splay away from the 4-fold channel axis accompanied by a clockwise rotation with respect to the pore domain. We propose that these movements may be converted by the C-linker to pull the pore helices open in an iris diaphragm-like mechanism. Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are non-selective cation channels key to signal transduction, but conformational changes associated with gating remained unknown. Here authors use high-speed atomic force microscopy to visualize SthK channels dynamics in response to cyclic nucleotides.
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48
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Aoki I, Tateyama M, Shimomura T, Ihara K, Kubo Y, Nakano S, Mori I. SLO potassium channels antagonize premature decision making in C. elegans. Commun Biol 2018; 1:123. [PMID: 30272003 PMCID: PMC6123717 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0124-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals must modify their behavior with appropriate timing to respond to environmental changes. Yet, the molecular and neural mechanisms regulating the timing of behavioral transition remain largely unknown. By performing forward genetics to reveal mechanisms that underlie the plasticity of thermotaxis behavior in C. elegans, we demonstrated that SLO potassium channels and a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, CNG-3, determine the timing of transition of temperature preference after a shift in cultivation temperature. We further revealed that SLO and CNG-3 channels act in thermosensory neurons and decelerate alteration in the responsiveness of these neurons, which occurs prior to the preference transition after a temperature shift. Our results suggest that regulation of sensory adaptation is a major determinant of latency before animals make decisions to change their behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Aoki
- Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nnagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan
| | - Michihiro Tateyama
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Takushi Shimomura
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Kunio Ihara
- Center for Gene Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kubo
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shunji Nakano
- Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nnagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan.
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nnagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan.
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49
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Rauh O, Hansen UP, Scheub DD, Thiel G, Schroeder I. Site-specific ion occupation in the selectivity filter causes voltage-dependent gating in a viral K + channel. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10406. [PMID: 29991721 PMCID: PMC6039446 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28751-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many potassium channels show voltage-dependent gating without a dedicated voltage sensor domain. This is not fully understood yet, but often explained by voltage-induced changes of ion occupation in the five distinct K+ binding sites in the selectivity filter. To better understand this mechanism of filter gating we measured the single-channel current and the rate constant of sub-millisecond channel closure of the viral K+ channel KcvNTS for a wide range of voltages and symmetric and asymmetric K+ concentrations in planar lipid membranes. A model-based analysis employed a global fit of all experimental data, i.e., using a common set of parameters for current and channel closure under all conditions. Three different established models of ion permeation and various relationships between ion occupation and gating were tested. Only one of the models described the data adequately. It revealed that the most extracellular binding site (S0) in the selectivity filter functions as the voltage sensor for the rate constant of channel closure. The ion occupation outside of S0 modulates its dependence on K+ concentration. The analysis uncovers an important role of changes in protein flexibility in mediating the effect from the sensor to the gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Rauh
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - U P Hansen
- Department of Structural Biology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - D D Scheub
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - G Thiel
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - I Schroeder
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
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50
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Lau C, Hunter MJ, Stewart A, Perozo E, Vandenberg JI. Never at rest: insights into the conformational dynamics of ion channels from cryo-electron microscopy. J Physiol 2018; 596:1107-1119. [PMID: 29377132 PMCID: PMC5878226 DOI: 10.1113/jp274888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The tightly regulated opening and closure of ion channels underlies the electrical signals that are vital for a wide range of physiological processes. Two decades ago the first atomic level view of ion channel structures led to a detailed understanding of ion selectivity and conduction. In recent years, spectacular developments in the field of cryo-electron microscopy have resulted in cryo-EM superseding crystallography as the technique of choice for determining near-atomic resolution structures of ion channels. Here, we will review the recent developments in cryo-EM and its specific application to the study of ion channel gating. We will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the current technology and where the field is likely to head in the next few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carus Lau
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research InstituteDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical SchoolUniversity of NSWDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
| | - Mark J. Hunter
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research InstituteDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
| | - Alastair Stewart
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research InstituteDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical SchoolUniversity of NSWDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIL60637USA
| | - Jamie I. Vandenberg
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research InstituteDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical SchoolUniversity of NSWDarlinghurstNSW2010Australia
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