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Zhang S, Ma D, Wang K, Li Y, Yang Z, Li X, Li J, He J, Mei L, Ye Y, Chen Z, Shen J, Hou P, Guo J, Zhang Q, Yang H. A small-molecule activation mechanism that directly opens the KCNQ2 channel. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:847-856. [PMID: 38167918 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01515-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacological activation of voltage-gated ion channels by ligands serves as the basis for therapy and mainly involves a classic gating mechanism that augments the native voltage-dependent open probability. Through structure-based virtual screening, we identified a new scaffold compound, Ebio1, serving as a potent and subtype-selective activator for the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ2 and featuring a new activation mechanism. Single-channel patch-clamp, cryogenic-electron microscopy and molecular dynamic simulations, along with chemical derivatives, reveal that Ebio1 engages the KCNQ2 activation by generating an extended channel gate with a larger conductance at the saturating voltage (+50 mV). This mechanism is different from the previously observed activation mechanism of ligands on voltage-gated ion channels. Ebio1 caused S6 helices from residues S303 and F305 to perform a twist-to-open movement, which was sufficient to open the KCNQ2 gate. Overall, our findings provide mechanistic insights into the activation of KCNQ2 channel by Ebio1 and lend support for KCNQ-related drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoying Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Demin Ma
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenni Yang
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Li
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junnan Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiangnan He
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lianghe Mei
- Suzhou Institute of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Yangliang Ye
- Suzhou Institute of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Zongsheng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Wuhu Hospital Affiliated to East China Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Juwen Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Panpan Hou
- Dr Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Jiangtao Guo
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Fedida D, Sastre D, Dou Y, Westhoff M, Eldstrom J. Evaluating sequential and allosteric activation models in IKs channels with mutated voltage sensors. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202313465. [PMID: 38294435 PMCID: PMC10829594 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The ion-conducting IKs channel complex, important in cardiac repolarization and arrhythmias, comprises tetramers of KCNQ1 α-subunits along with 1-4 KCNE1 accessory subunits and calmodulin regulatory molecules. The E160R mutation in individual KCNQ1 subunits was used to prevent activation of voltage sensors and allow direct determination of transition rate data from complexes opening with a fixed number of 1, 2, or 4 activatable voltage sensors. Markov models were used to test the suitability of sequential versus allosteric models of IKs activation by comparing simulations with experimental steady-state and transient activation kinetics, voltage-sensor fluorescence from channels with two or four activatable domains, and limiting slope currents at negative potentials. Sequential Hodgkin-Huxley-type models approximately describe IKs currents but cannot explain an activation delay in channels with only one activatable subunit or the hyperpolarizing shift in the conductance-voltage relationship with more activatable voltage sensors. Incorporating two voltage sensor activation steps in sequential models and a concerted step in opening via rates derived from fluorescence measurements improves models but does not resolve fundamental differences with experimental data. Limiting slope current data that show the opening of channels at negative potentials and very low open probability are better simulated using allosteric models of activation with one transition per voltage sensor, which implies that movement of all four sensors is not required for IKs conductance. Tiered allosteric models with two activating transitions per voltage sensor can fully account for IKs current and fluorescence activation kinetics in constructs with different numbers of activatable voltage sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Daniel Sastre
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ying Dou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maartje Westhoff
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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3
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Clatot J, Currin CB, Liang Q, Pipatpolkai T, Massey SL, Helbig I, Delemotte L, Vogels TP, Covarrubias M, Goldberg EM. A structurally precise mechanism links an epilepsy-associated KCNC2 potassium channel mutation to interneuron dysfunction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307776121. [PMID: 38194456 PMCID: PMC10801864 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307776121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
De novo heterozygous variants in KCNC2 encoding the voltage-gated potassium (K+) channel subunit Kv3.2 are a recently described cause of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). A de novo variant in KCNC2 c.374G > A (p.Cys125Tyr) was identified via exome sequencing in a patient with DEE. Relative to wild-type Kv3.2, Kv3.2-p.Cys125Tyr induces K+ currents exhibiting a large hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of activation, accelerated activation, and delayed deactivation consistent with a relative stabilization of the open conformation, along with increased current density. Leveraging the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of Kv3.1, molecular dynamic simulations suggest that a strong π-π stacking interaction between the variant Tyr125 and Tyr156 in the α-6 helix of the T1 domain promotes a relative stabilization of the open conformation of the channel, which underlies the observed gain of function. A multicompartment computational model of a Kv3-expressing parvalbumin-positive cerebral cortex fast-spiking γ-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) interneuron (PV-IN) demonstrates how the Kv3.2-Cys125Tyr variant impairs neuronal excitability and dysregulates inhibition in cerebral cortex circuits to explain the resulting epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Clatot
- Division of Neurology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- The Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,PA19104
| | | | - Qiansheng Liang
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Tanadet Pipatpolkai
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, SolnaSE-171 21, Sweden
| | - Shavonne L. Massey
- Division of Neurology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- The Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,PA19104
- The Department of Neurology, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Ingo Helbig
- Division of Neurology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- The Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,PA19104
- The Department of Neurology, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, SolnaSE-171 21, Sweden
| | - Tim P. Vogels
- The Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg3400, Austria
| | - Manuel Covarrubias
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA19107
| | - Ethan M. Goldberg
- Division of Neurology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- The Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia,PA19104
- The Department of Neurology, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA19104
- The Department of Neuroscience, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA19104
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4
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Archer C. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry for Fragment-Based Analysis of Ion Channel Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2796:271-289. [PMID: 38856907 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3818-7_16] [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] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Ion channels are membrane proteins that may also have intracellular and extracellular domains that interact with other ligands. In many cases, these interaction sites are highly mobile and may undergo changes in the configuration upon binding with regulatory signaling molecules. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a powerful technique to quantify protein-ligand interactions of purified samples in solution. This chapter describes a fragment-based analysis method using ITC to quantify the interactions between a domain of the voltage-gated Kv7 channel and the calcium-regulated protein calmodulin. This example can be used to quantify the interactions between specific domains of other ion channels and their regulatory signaling proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Archer
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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5
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Huang Y, Ma D, Yang Z, Zhao Y, Guo J. Voltage-gated potassium channels KCNQs: Structures, mechanisms, and modulations. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 689:149218. [PMID: 37976835 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149218] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
KCNQ (Kv7) channels are voltage-gated, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate- (PIP2-) modulated potassium channels that play essential roles in regulating the activity of neurons and cardiac myocytes. Hundreds of mutations in KCNQ channels are closely related to various cardiac and neurological disorders, such as long QT syndrome, epilepsy, and deafness, which makes KCNQ channels important drug targets. During the past several years, the application of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) technique in the structure determination of KCNQ channels has greatly advanced our understanding of their molecular mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the currently available structures of KCNQ channels, analyze their special voltage gating mechanism, and discuss their activation mechanisms by both the endogenous membrane lipid and the exogenous synthetic ligands. These structural studies of KCNQ channels will guide the development of drugs targeting KCNQ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Huang
- Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Demin Ma
- Department of Biophysics and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhenni Yang
- Department of Biophysics and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yiwen Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jiangtao Guo
- Department of Biophysics and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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6
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Pökl M, Sridhar A, Frampton DJA, Linhart VA, Delemotte L, Liin SI. Subtype-specific modulation of human K V 7 channels by the anticonvulsant cannabidiol through a lipid-exposed pore-domain site. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2956-2972. [PMID: 37377025 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16183] [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: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cannabidiol (CBD) is used clinically as an anticonvulsant. Its precise mechanism of action has remained unclear. CBD was recently demonstrated to enhance the activity of the neuronal KV 7.2/7.3 channel, which may be one important contributor to CBD anticonvulsant effect. Curiously, CBD inhibits the closely related cardiac KV 7.1/KCNE1 channel. Whether and how CBD affects other KV 7 subtypes remains uninvestigated and the CBD interaction sites mediating these diverse effects remain unknown. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Here, we used electrophysiology, molecular dynamics simulations, molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis to address these questions. KEY RESULTS We found that CBD modulates the activity of all human KV 7 subtypes and that the effects are subtype dependent. CBD enhanced the activity of KV 7.2-7.5 subtypes, seen as a V50 shift towards more negative voltages or increased maximum conductance. In contrast, CBD inhibited the KV 7.1 and KV 7.1/KCNE1 channels, seen as a V50 shift towards more positive voltages and reduced conductance. In KV 7.2 and KV 7.4, we propose a CBD interaction site at the subunit interface in the pore domain that overlaps with the interaction site of other compounds, notably the anticonvulsant retigabine. However, CBD relies on other residues for its effects than the conserved tryptophan that is critical for retigabine effects. We propose a similar, though not identical CBD site in KV 7.1, with a non-conserved phenylalanine being important. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We identify novel targets of CBD, contributing to a better understanding of CBD clinical effects and provide mechanistic insights into how CBD modulates different KV 7 subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pökl
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Akshay Sridhar
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Damon J A Frampton
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Veronika A Linhart
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sara I Liin
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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7
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Kang PW, Woodbury L, Angsutararux P, Sambare N, Shi J, Marras M, Abella C, Bedi A, Zinn D, Cui J, Silva JR. Arrhythmia-associated calmodulin variants interact with KCNQ1 to confer aberrant membrane trafficking and function. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad335. [PMID: 37965565 PMCID: PMC10642763 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Missense variants in calmodulin (CaM) predispose patients to arrhythmias associated with high mortality rates ("calmodulinopathy"). As CaM regulates many key cardiac ion channels, an understanding of disease mechanism associated with CaM variant arrhythmias requires elucidating individual CaM variant effects on distinct channels. One key CaM regulatory target is the KCNQ1 (KV7.1) voltage-gated potassium channel that carries the IKs current. Yet, relatively little is known as to how CaM variants interact with KCNQ1 or affect its function. Here, we take a multipronged approach employing a live-cell fluorescence resonance energy transfer binding assay, fluorescence trafficking assay, and functional electrophysiology to characterize >10 arrhythmia-associated CaM variants for effect on KCNQ1 CaM binding, membrane trafficking, and channel function. We identify one variant (G114W) that exhibits severely weakened binding to KCNQ1 but find that most other CaM variants interact with similar binding affinity to KCNQ1 when compared with CaM wild-type over physiological Ca2+ ranges. We further identify several CaM variants that affect KCNQ1 and IKs membrane trafficking and/or baseline current activation kinetics, thereby delineating KCNQ1 dysfunction in calmodulinopathy. Lastly, we identify CaM variants with no effect on KCNQ1 function. This study provides extensive functional data that reveal how CaM variants contribute to creating a proarrhythmic substrate by causing abnormal KCNQ1 membrane trafficking and current conduction. We find that CaM variant regulation of KCNQ1 is not uniform with effects varying from benign to significant loss of function, suggesting how CaM variants predispose patients to arrhythmia via the dysregulation of multiple cardiac ion channels. Classification: Biological, Health, and Medical Sciences, Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po wei Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Lucy Woodbury
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Paweorn Angsutararux
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Namit Sambare
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Martina Marras
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Carlota Abella
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Anish Bedi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - DeShawn Zinn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jonathan R Silva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St.Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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8
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Catacuzzeno L, Conti F, Franciolini F. Fifty years of gating currents and channel gating. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202313380. [PMID: 37410612 PMCID: PMC10324510 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We celebrate this year the 50th anniversary of the first electrophysiological recordings of the gating currents from voltage-dependent ion channels done in 1973. This retrospective tries to illustrate the context knowledge on channel gating and the impact gating-current recording had then, and how it continued to clarify concepts, elaborate new ideas, and steer the scientific debate in these 50 years. The notion of gating particles and gating currents was first put forward by Hodgkin and Huxley in 1952 as a necessary assumption for interpreting the voltage dependence of the Na and K conductances of the action potential. 20 years later, gating currents were actually recorded, and over the following decades have represented the most direct means of tracing the movement of the gating charges and gaining insights into the mechanisms of channel gating. Most work in the early years was focused on the gating currents from the Na and K channels as found in the squid giant axon. With channel cloning and expression on heterologous systems, other channels as well as voltage-dependent enzymes were investigated. Other approaches were also introduced (cysteine mutagenesis and labeling, site-directed fluorometry, cryo-EM crystallography, and molecular dynamics [MD] modeling) to provide an integrated and coherent view of voltage-dependent gating in biological macromolecules. The layout of this retrospective reflects the past 50 years of investigations on gating currents, first addressing studies done on Na and K channels and then on other voltage-gated channels and non-channel structures. The review closes with a brief overview of how the gating-charge/voltage-sensor movements are translated into pore opening and the pathologies associated with mutations targeting the structures involved with the gating currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Catacuzzeno
- Department of Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Franco Conti
- Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Franciolini
- Department of Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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9
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Paul A, Chumbale SS, Lakra A, Kumar V, Alhat DS, Singh S. Insights into Leishmania donovani potassium channel family and their biological functions. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:266. [PMID: 37425093 PMCID: PMC10326225 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03692-y] [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: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania donovani is the causative organism for visceral leishmaniasis. Although this parasite was discovered over a century ago, nothing is known about role of potassium channels in L. donovani. Potassium channels are known for their crucial roles in cellular functions in other organisms. Recently the presence of a calcium-activated potassium channel in L. donovani was reported which prompted us to look for other proteins which could be potassium channels and to investigate their possible physiological roles. Twenty sequences were identified in L. donovani genome and subjected to estimation of physio-chemical properties, motif analysis, localization prediction and transmembrane domain analysis. Structural predictions were also done. The channels were majorly α-helical and predominantly localized in cell membrane and lysosomes. The signature selectivity filter of potassium channel was present in all the sequences. In addition to the conventional potassium channel activity, they were associated with gene ontology terms for mitotic cell cycle, cell death, modulation by virus of host process, cell motility etc. The entire study indicates the presence of potassium channel families in L. donovani which may have involvement in several cellular pathways. Further investigations on these putative potassium channels are needed to elucidate their roles in Leishmania. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03692-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anindita Paul
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, SAS Nagar, Mohali, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Shubham Sunil Chumbale
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, SAS Nagar, Mohali, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Anjana Lakra
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, SAS Nagar, Mohali, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, SAS Nagar, Mohali, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Dhanashri Sudam Alhat
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, SAS Nagar, Mohali, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Sushma Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, SAS Nagar, Mohali, 160062 Punjab India
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10
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Yan Z, Zhong L, Zhu W, Chung SK, Hou P. Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases ─ targeting cardiac ion channels. Pharmacol Res 2023; 192:106765. [PMID: 37075871 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, imposing an increasing global health burden. Cardiac ion channels (voltage-gated NaV, CaV, KVs, and others) synergistically shape the cardiac action potential (AP) and control the heartbeat. Dysfunction of these channels, due to genetic mutations, transcriptional or post-translational modifications, may disturb the AP and lead to arrhythmia, a major risk for CVD patients. Although there are five classes of anti-arrhythmic drugs available, they can have varying levels of efficacies and side effects on patients, possibly due to the complex pathogenesis of arrhythmias. As an alternative treatment option, Chinese herbal remedies have shown promise in regulating cardiac ion channels and providing anti-arrhythmic effects. In this review, we first discuss the role of cardiac ion channels in maintaining normal heart function and the pathogenesis of CVD, then summarize the classification of Chinese herbal compounds, and elaborate detailed mechanisms of their efficacy in regulating cardiac ion channels and in alleviating arrhythmia and CVD. We also address current limitations and opportunities for developing new anti-CVD drugs based on Chinese herbal medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Yan
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Ling Zhong
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Wandi Zhu
- Cardiovascular Medicine Division and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sookja Kim Chung
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China; Faculty of Medicine & Faculty of Innovation Engineering at Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Panpan Hou
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China; Macau University of Science and Technology Zhuhai MUST Science and Technology Research Institute. Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
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11
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Kang PW, Woodbury L, Angsutararux P, Sambare N, Shi J, Marras M, Abella C, Bedi A, Zinn D, Cui J, Silva JR. Arrhythmia-associated Calmodulin Variants Interact with KCNQ1 to Confer Aberrant Membrane Trafficking and Function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.28.526031. [PMID: 36747728 PMCID: PMC9900995 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.28.526031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Rationale Missense variants in calmodulin (CaM) predispose patients to arrhythmias associated with high mortality rates. As CaM regulates several key cardiac ion channels, a mechanistic understanding of CaM variant-associated arrhythmias requires elucidating individual CaM variant effect on distinct channels. One key CaM regulatory target is the KCNQ1 (K V 7.1) voltage-gated potassium channel that underlie the I Ks current. Yet, relatively little is known as to how CaM variants interact with KCNQ1 or affect its function. Objective To observe how arrhythmia-associated CaM variants affect binding to KCNQ1, channel membrane trafficking, and KCNQ1 function. Methods and Results We combine a live-cell FRET binding assay, fluorescence trafficking assay, and functional electrophysiology to characterize >10 arrhythmia-associated CaM variants effect on KCNQ1. We identify one variant (G114W) that exhibits severely weakened binding to KCNQ1 but find that most other CaM variants interact with similar binding affinity to KCNQ1 when compared to CaM wild-type over physiological Ca 2+ ranges. We further identify several CaM variants that affect KCNQ1 and I Ks membrane trafficking and/or baseline current activation kinetics, thereby contextualizing KCNQ1 dysfunction in calmodulinopathy. Lastly, we delineate CaM variants with no effect on KCNQ1 function. Conclusions This study provides comprehensive functional data that reveal how CaM variants contribute to creating a pro-arrhythmic substrate by causing abnormal KCNQ1 membrane trafficking and current conduction. We find that CaM variant regulation of KCNQ1 is not uniform with effects varying from benign to significant loss of function. This study provides a new approach to collecting details of CaM binding that are key for understanding how CaM variants predispose patients to arrhythmia via the dysregulation of multiple cardiac ion channels.
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12
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Kongmeneck AD, Kasimova MA, Tarek M. Modulation of the IKS channel by PIP2 requires two binding sites per monomer. BBA ADVANCES 2023; 3:100073. [PMID: 37082259 PMCID: PMC10074941 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2023.100073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The phosphatidyl-inositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) lipid has been shown to be crucial for the coupling between the voltage sensor and the pore of the potassium voltage-gated KV7 channel family, especially the KV7.1 channel. Expressed in the myocardium membrane, KV7.1 forms a complex with KCNE1 auxiliary subunits to generate the IKS current. Here we present molecular models of the transmembrane region of this complex in its three known states, namely the Resting/Closed (RC), the Intermediate/Closed (IC), and the Activated/Open (AO), robustness of which is assessed by agreement with a range of biophysical data. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of these models embedded in a lipid bilayer including phosphatidyl-inositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) lipids show that in presence of KCNE1, two PIP2 lipids are necessary to stabilize each state. The simulations also show that KCNE1 interacts with both PIP2 binding sites, forming a tourniquet around the pore and preventing its opening. The present investigation provides therefore key molecular elements that govern the role of PIP2 in KCNE1 modulation of IKS channels, possibly a common mechanism by which auxiliary KCNE subunits might modulate a variety of other ion channels.
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13
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Sun L, Horrigan FT. A gating lever and molecular logic gate that couple voltage and calcium sensor activation to opening in BK potassium channels. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq5772. [PMID: 36516264 PMCID: PMC9750137 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq5772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BK channels uniquely integrate voltage and calcium signaling in diverse cell types through allosteric activation of their K+-conducting pore by structurally distinct V and Ca2+ sensor domains. Here, we define mechanisms and interaction pathways that link V sensors to the pore by analyzing effects on allosteric coupling of point mutations in the context of Slo1 BK channel structure. A gating lever, mediated by S4/S5 segment interaction within the transmembrane domain, rotates to engage and stabilize the open conformation of the S6 inner pore helix upon V sensor activation. In addition, an indirect pathway, mediated by the carboxyl-terminal cytosolic domain (CTD) and C-linker that connects the CTD to S6, stabilizes the closed conformation when V sensors are at rest. Unexpectedly, this mechanism, which bypasses the covalent connections of C-linker to CTD and pore, also transduces Ca2+-dependent coupling in a manner that is completely nonadditive with voltage, analogous to the function of a digital logic (OR) gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Sun
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Frank T. Horrigan
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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14
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Slobodyanyuk M, Banda-Vázquez JA, Thompson MJ, Dean RA, Baenziger JE, Chica RA, daCosta CJB. Origin of acetylcholine antagonism in ELIC, a bacterial pentameric ligand-gated ion channel. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1264. [PMID: 36400839 PMCID: PMC9674596 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04227-6] [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: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
ELIC is a prokaryotic homopentameric ligand-gated ion channel that is homologous to vertebrate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Acetylcholine binds to ELIC but fails to activate it, despite bringing about conformational changes indicative of activation. Instead, acetylcholine competitively inhibits agonist-activated ELIC currents. What makes acetylcholine an agonist in an acetylcholine receptor context, and an antagonist in an ELIC context, is not known. Here we use available structures and statistical coupling analysis to identify residues in the ELIC agonist-binding site that contribute to agonism. Substitution of these ELIC residues for their acetylcholine receptor counterparts does not convert acetylcholine into an ELIC agonist, but in some cases reduces the sensitivity of ELIC to acetylcholine antagonism. Acetylcholine antagonism can be abolished by combining two substitutions that together appear to knock out acetylcholine binding. Thus, making the ELIC agonist-binding site more acetylcholine receptor-like, paradoxically reduces the apparent affinity for acetylcholine, demonstrating that residues important for agonist binding in one context can be deleterious in another. These findings reinforce the notion that although agonism originates from local interactions within the agonist-binding site, it is a global property with cryptic contributions from distant residues. Finally, our results highlight an underappreciated mechanism of antagonism, where agonists with appreciable affinity, but negligible efficacy, present as competitive antagonists. A structural and functional study of the prokaryotic ligand-gated ion channel, ELIC, provides insight into the origin of agonism and antagonism at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
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15
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Structural mechanisms for the activation of human cardiac KCNQ1 channel by electro-mechanical coupling enhancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2207067119. [PMID: 36763058 PMCID: PMC9661191 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207067119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The cardiac KCNQ1 potassium channel carries the important IKs current and controls the heart rhythm. Hundreds of mutations in KCNQ1 can cause life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. Although KCNQ1 structures have been recently resolved, the structural basis for the dynamic electro-mechanical coupling, also known as the voltage sensor domain-pore domain (VSD-PD) coupling, remains largely unknown. In this study, utilizing two VSD-PD coupling enhancers, namely, the membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and a small-molecule ML277, we determined 2.5-3.5 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of full-length human KCNQ1-calmodulin (CaM) complex in the apo closed, ML277-bound open, and ML277-PIP2-bound open states. ML277 binds at the "elbow" pocket above the S4-S5 linker and directly induces an upward movement of the S4-S5 linker and the opening of the activation gate without affecting the C-terminal domain (CTD) of KCNQ1. PIP2 binds at the cleft between the VSD and the PD and brings a large structural rearrangement of the CTD together with the CaM to activate the PD. These findings not only elucidate the structural basis for the dynamic VSD-PD coupling process during KCNQ1 gating but also pave the way to develop new therapeutics for anti-arrhythmia.
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16
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Yang ND, Kanyo R, Zhao L, Li J, Kang PW, Dou AK, White KM, Shi J, Nerbonne JM, Kurata HT, Cui J. Electro-mechanical coupling of KCNQ channels is a target of epilepsy-associated mutations and retigabine. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo3625. [PMID: 35857840 PMCID: PMC9299555 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo3625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 form the M-channels that are important in regulating neuronal excitability. Inherited mutations that alter voltage-dependent gating of M-channels are associated with neonatal epilepsy. In the homolog KCNQ1 channel, two steps of voltage sensor activation lead to two functionally distinct open states, the intermediate-open (IO) and activated-open (AO), which define the gating, physiological, and pharmacological properties of KCNQ1. However, whether the M-channel shares the same mechanism is unclear. Here, we show that KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 feature only a single conductive AO state but with a conserved mechanism for the electro-mechanical (E-M) coupling between voltage sensor activation and pore opening. We identified some epilepsy-linked mutations in KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 that disrupt E-M coupling. The antiepileptic drug retigabine rescued KCNQ3 currents that were abolished by a mutation disrupting E-M coupling, suggesting that modulating the E-M coupling in KCNQ channels presents a potential strategy for antiepileptic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nien-Du Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Richard Kanyo
- Department of Pharmacology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lu Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jingru Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Po Wei Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Alex Kelly Dou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Kelli McFarland White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jeanne M. Nerbonne
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Harley T. Kurata
- Department of Pharmacology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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17
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Willegems K, Eldstrom J, Kyriakis E, Ataei F, Sahakyan H, Dou Y, Russo S, Van Petegem F, Fedida D. Structural and electrophysiological basis for the modulation of KCNQ1 channel currents by ML277. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3760. [PMID: 35768468 PMCID: PMC9243137 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31526-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The KCNQ1 ion channel plays critical physiological roles in electrical excitability and K+ recycling in organs including the heart, brain, and gut. Loss of function is relatively common and can cause sudden arrhythmic death, sudden infant death, epilepsy and deafness. Here, we report cryogenic electron microscopic (cryo-EM) structures of Xenopus KCNQ1 bound to Ca2+/Calmodulin, with and without the KCNQ1 channel activator, ML277. A single binding site for ML277 was identified, localized to a pocket lined by the S4-S5 linker, S5 and S6 helices of two separate subunits. Several pocket residues are not conserved in other KCNQ isoforms, explaining specificity. MD simulations and point mutations support this binding location for ML277 in open and closed channels and reveal that prevention of inactivation is an important component of the activator effect. Our work provides direction for therapeutic intervention targeting KCNQ1 loss of function pathologies including long QT interval syndrome and seizures. KCNQ1 channels are active in heart, brain and gut. Functional loss causes epilepsy and sudden arrhythmic death. Here, authors describe a key activator drug binding site, explaining isoform and drug selectivity, and point the way for new drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien Willegems
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Efthimios Kyriakis
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fariba Ataei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Harutyun Sahakyan
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes for Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ying Dou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sophia Russo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Filip Van Petegem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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18
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Interaction between S4 and the phosphatase domain mediates electrochemical coupling in voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200364119. [PMID: 35733115 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200364119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a voltage sensor domain (VSD) and a cytoplasmic catalytic region (CCR), which is similar to phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). How the VSD regulates the innate enzyme component of VSP remains unclear. Here, we took a combined approach that entailed the use of electrophysiology, fluorometry, and structural modeling to study the electrochemical coupling in Ciona intestinalis VSP. We found that two hydrophobic residues at the lowest part of S4 play an essential role in the later transition of VSD-CCR coupling. Voltage clamp fluorometry and disulfide bond locking indicated that S4 and its neighboring linker move as one helix (S4-linker helix) and approach the hydrophobic spine in the CCR, a structure located near the cell membrane and also conserved in PTEN. We propose that the hydrophobic spine operates as a hub for translating an electrical signal into a chemical one in VSP.
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19
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Edmond MA, Hinojo-Perez A, Wu X, Perez Rodriguez ME, Barro-Soria R. Distinctive mechanisms of epilepsy-causing mutants discovered by measuring S4 movement in KCNQ2 channels. eLife 2022; 11:77030. [PMID: 35642783 PMCID: PMC9197397 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal KCNQ channels mediate the M-current, a key regulator of membrane excitability in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Mutations in KCNQ2 channels cause severe neurodevelopmental disorders, including epileptic encephalopathies. However, the impact that different mutations have on channel function remains poorly defined, largely because of our limited understanding of the voltage-sensing mechanisms that trigger channel gating. Here, we define the parameters of voltage sensor movements in wt-KCNQ2 and channels bearing epilepsy-associated mutations using cysteine accessibility and voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF). Cysteine modification reveals that a stretch of eight to nine amino acids in the S4 becomes exposed upon voltage sensing domain activation of KCNQ2 channels. VCF shows that the voltage dependence and the time course of S4 movement and channel opening/closing closely correlate. VCF reveals different mechanisms by which different epilepsy-associated mutations affect KCNQ2 channel voltage-dependent gating. This study provides insight into KCNQ2 channel function, which will aid in uncovering the mechanisms underlying channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela A Edmond
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Andy Hinojo-Perez
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Marta E Perez Rodriguez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Rene Barro-Soria
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
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20
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A benzodiazepine activator locks K v7.1 channels open by electro-mechanical uncoupling. Commun Biol 2022; 5:301. [PMID: 35365746 PMCID: PMC8976019 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in Kv7.1 often lead to long QT syndrome (LQTS), a cardiac repolarization disorder associated with arrhythmia and subsequent sudden cardiac death. The discovery of agonistic IKs modulators may offer a new potential strategy in pharmacological treatment of this disorder. The benzodiazepine derivative (R)-L3 potently activates Kv7.1 channels and shortens action potential duration, thus may represent a starting point for drug development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying modulation by (R)-L3 are still unknown. By combining alanine scanning mutagenesis, non-canonical amino acid incorporation, voltage-clamp electrophysiology and fluorometry, and in silico protein modelling, we show that (R)-L3 not only stimulates currents by allosteric modulation of the pore domain but also alters the kinetics independently from the pore domain effects. We identify novel (R)-L3-interacting key residues in the lower S4-segment of Kv7.1 and observed an uncoupling of the outer S4 segment with the inner S5, S6 and selectivity filter segments.
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21
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Hou P, Du X, An H. Editorial: Ion Channels: Therapeutic Targets for Neurological Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:797327. [PMID: 34867195 PMCID: PMC8636780 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.797327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Hou
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China.,State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Xiaona Du
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.,The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.,The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Hailong An
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Hebei, Institute of Biophysics, School of Science, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
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22
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Eldstrom J, McAfee DA, Dou Y, Wang Y, Fedida D. ML277 regulates KCNQ1 single-channel amplitudes and kinetics, modified by voltage sensor state. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212696. [PMID: 34636894 PMCID: PMC8515649 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202112969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
KCNQ1 is a pore-forming K+ channel subunit critically important to cardiac repolarization at high heart rates. (2R)-N-[4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-thiazolyl]-1-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]-2 piperidinecarboxamide, or ML277, is an activator of this channel that rescues function of pathophysiologically important mutant channel complexes in human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes, and that therefore may have therapeutic potential. Here we extend our understanding of ML277 actions through cell-attached single-channel recordings of wild-type and mutant KCNQ1 channels with voltage sensor domains fixed in resting, intermediate, and activated states. ML277 has profound effects on KCNQ1 single-channel kinetics, eliminating the flickering nature of the openings, converting them to discrete opening bursts, and increasing their amplitudes approximately threefold. KCNQ1 single-channel behavior after ML277 treatment most resembles IO state-locked channels (E160R/R231E) rather than AO state channels (E160R/R237E), suggesting that at least during ML277 treatment, KCNQ1 does not frequently visit the AO state. Introduction of KCNE1 subunits reduces the effectiveness of ML277, but some enhancement of single-channel openings is still observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Donald A McAfee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ying Dou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yundi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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23
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Cui J. BK Channel Gating Mechanisms: Progresses Toward a Better Understanding of Variants Linked Neurological Diseases. Front Physiol 2021; 12:762175. [PMID: 34744799 PMCID: PMC8567085 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.762175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The large conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) channel is activated by both membrane potential depolarization and intracellular Ca2+ with distinct mechanisms. Neural physiology is sensitive to the function of BK channels, which is shown by the discoveries of neurological disorders that are associated with BK channel mutations. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of BK channel activation in response to voltage and Ca2+ binding, including the recent progress since the publication of the atomistic structure of the whole BK channel protein, and the neurological disorders associated with BK channel mutations. These results demonstrate the unique mechanisms of BK channel activation and that these mechanisms are important factors in linking BK channel mutations to neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
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24
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PIP 2-dependent coupling of voltage sensor and pore domains in K v7.2 channel. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1189. [PMID: 34650221 PMCID: PMC8517023 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02729-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is a signaling lipid which regulates voltage-gated Kv7/KCNQ potassium channels. Altered PIP2 sensitivity of neuronal Kv7.2 channel is involved in KCNQ2 epileptic encephalopathy. However, the molecular action of PIP2 on Kv7.2 gating remains largely elusive. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations and electrophysiology to characterize PIP2 binding sites in a human Kv7.2 channel. In the closed state, PIP2 localizes to the periphery of the voltage-sensing domain (VSD). In the open state, PIP2 binds to 4 distinct interfaces formed by the cytoplasmic ends of the VSD, the gate, intracellular helices A and B and their linkers. PIP2 binding induces bilayer-interacting conformation of helices A and B and the correlated motion of the VSD and the pore domain, whereas charge-neutralizing mutations block this coupling and reduce PIP2 sensitivity of Kv7.2 channels by disrupting PIP2 binding. These findings reveal the allosteric role of PIP2 in Kv7.2 channel activation. Pant et al. describe the mechanism by which PIP2 might regulate homomeric Kv7.2 channels. They identify sites important in the binding of the PIP2 lipid to Kv7.2 channels and propose that the PIP2 binding to a specific site results in the coupling between the voltage sensor domain (VSD) and pore domain (PD), which stabilizes the open state of the channel.
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25
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Bai D, Wang J, Li T, Chan R, Atalla M, Chen RC, Khazaneh MT, An RJ, Stathopulos PB. Differential Domain Distribution of gnomAD- and Disease-Linked Connexin Missense Variants. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157832. [PMID: 34360596 PMCID: PMC8346055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty-one human genes encode connexins, a family of homologous proteins making gap junction (GJ) channels, which mediate direct intercellular communication to synchronize tissue/organ activities. Genetic variants in more than half of the connexin genes are associated with dozens of different Mendelian inherited diseases. With rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology, more variants are being identified not only in families and individuals with diseases but also in people in the general population without any apparent linkage to Mendelian inherited diseases. Nevertheless, it remains challenging to classify the pathogenicity of a newly identified connexin variant. Here, we analyzed the disease- and Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD, as a proxy of the general population)-linked variants in the coding region of the four disease-linked α connexin genes. We found that the most abundant and position-sensitive missense variants showed distinct domain distribution preference between disease- and gnomAD-linked variants. Plotting missense variants on topological and structural models revealed that disease-linked missense variants are highly enriched on the structurally stable/resolved domains, especially the pore-lining domains, while the gnomAD-linked missense variants are highly enriched in the structurally unstable/unresolved domains, especially the carboxyl terminus. In addition, disease-linked variants tend to be on highly conserved residues and those positions show evolutionary co-variation, while the gnomAD-linked missense variants are likely on less conserved residue positions and on positions without co-variation. Collectively, the revealed distribution patterns of disease- and gnomAD-linked missense variants further our understanding of the GJ structure–biological function relationship, which is valuable for classifying the pathogenicity of newly identified connexin variants.
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26
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Wu X, Perez ME, Noskov SY, Larsson HP. A general mechanism of KCNE1 modulation of KCNQ1 channels involving non-canonical VSD-PD coupling. Commun Biol 2021; 4:887. [PMID: 34285340 PMCID: PMC8292421 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02418-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated KCNQ1 channels contain four separate voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) and a pore domain (PD). KCNQ1 expressed alone opens when the VSDs are in an intermediate state. In cardiomyocytes, KCNQ1 co-expressed with KCNE1 opens mainly when the VSDs are in a fully activated state. KCNE1 also drastically slows the opening of KCNQ1 channels and shifts the voltage dependence of opening by >40 mV. We here show that mutations of conserved residues at the VSD-PD interface alter the VSD-PD coupling so that the mutant KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels open in the intermediate VSD state. Using recent structures of KCNQ1 and KCNE beta subunits in different states, we present a mechanism by which KCNE1 rotates the VSD relative to the PD and affects the VSD-PD coupling of KCNQ1 channels in a non-canonical way, forcing KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels to open in the fully-activated VSD state. This would explain many of the KCNE1-induced effects on KCNQ1 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Marta E Perez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sergei Yu Noskov
- Centre for Molecular Simulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - H Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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27
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Cowgill J, Chanda B. Mapping Electromechanical Coupling Pathways in Voltage-Gated Ion Channels: Challenges and the Way Forward. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167104. [PMID: 34139217 PMCID: PMC8579740 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Inter- and intra-molecular allosteric interactions underpin regulation of activity in a variety of biological macromolecules. In the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily, the conformational state of the voltage-sensing domain regulates the activity of the pore domain via such long-range allosteric interactions. Although the overall structure of these channels is conserved, allosteric interactions between voltage-sensor and pore varies quite dramatically between the members of this superfamily. Despite the progress in identifying key residues and structural interfaces involved in mediating electromechanical coupling, our understanding of the biophysical mechanisms remains limited. Emerging new structures of voltage-gated ion channels in various conformational states will provide a better three-dimensional view of the process but to conclusively establish a mechanism, we will also need to quantitate the energetic contribution of various structural elements to this process. Using rigorous unbiased metrics, we want to compare the efficiency of electromechanical coupling between various sub-families in order to gain a comprehensive understanding. Furthermore, quantitative understanding of the process will enable us to correctly parameterize computational approaches which will ultimately enable us to predict allosteric activation mechanisms from structures. In this review, we will outline the challenges and limitations of various experimental approaches to measure electromechanical coupling and highlight the best practices in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Cowgill
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Center for Investigations of Membrane Excitability Disorders (CIMED), Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Center for Investigations of Membrane Excitability Disorders (CIMED), Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
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28
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Elbahnsi A, Delemotte L. Structure and Sequence-based Computational Approaches to Allosteric Signal Transduction: Application to Electromechanical Coupling in Voltage-gated Ion Channels. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167095. [PMID: 34107281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Allosteric signaling underlies the function of many biomolecules, including membrane proteins such as ion channels. Experimental methods have enabled specific quantitative insights into the coupling between the voltage sensing domain (VSD) and the pore gate of voltage-gated ion channels, located tens of Ångström apart from one another, as well as pinpointed specific residues and domains that participate in electromechanical signal transmission. Nevertheless, an overall atomic-level resolution picture is difficult to obtain from these methods alone. Today, thanks to the cryo-EM resolution revolution, we have access to high resolution structures of many different voltage-gated ion channels in various conformational states, putting a quantitative description of the processes at the basis of these changes within our close reach. Here, we review computational methods that build on structures to detect and characterize allosteric signaling and pathways. We then examine what has been learned so far about electromechanical coupling between VSD and pore using such methods. While no general theory of electromechanical coupling in voltage-gated ion channels integrating results from all these methods is available yet, we outline the types of insights that could be achieved in the near future using the methods that have not yet been put to use in this field of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Elbahnsi
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden.
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29
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Modulating the voltage sensor of a cardiac potassium channel shows antiarrhythmic effects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2024215118. [PMID: 33990467 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024215118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are the most common cause of sudden cardiac death worldwide. Lengthening the ventricular action potential duration (APD), either congenitally or via pathologic or pharmacologic means, predisposes to a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, Torsade de Pointes. IKs (KCNQ1+KCNE1), a slowly activating K+ current, plays a role in action potential repolarization. In this study, we screened a chemical library in silico by docking compounds to the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) of the IKs channel. Here, we show that C28 specifically shifted IKs VSD activation in ventricle to more negative voltages and reversed the drug-induced lengthening of APD. At the same dosage, C28 did not cause significant changes of the normal APD in either ventricle or atrium. This study provides evidence in support of a computational prediction of IKs VSD activation as a potential therapeutic approach for all forms of APD prolongation. This outcome could expand the therapeutic efficacy of a myriad of currently approved drugs that may trigger arrhythmias.
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30
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Kang PW, Westerlund AM, Shi J, White KM, Dou AK, Cui AH, Silva JR, Delemotte L, Cui J. Calmodulin acts as a state-dependent switch to control a cardiac potassium channel opening. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/50/eabd6798. [PMID: 33310856 PMCID: PMC7732179 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd6798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Calmodulin (CaM) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) are potent regulators of the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ1 (KV7.1), which conducts the cardiac I Ks current. Although cryo-electron microscopy structures revealed intricate interactions between the KCNQ1 voltage-sensing domain (VSD), CaM, and PIP2, the functional consequences of these interactions remain unknown. Here, we show that CaM-VSD interactions act as a state-dependent switch to control KCNQ1 pore opening. Combined electrophysiology and molecular dynamics network analysis suggest that VSD transition into the fully activated state allows PIP2 to compete with CaM for binding to VSD. This leads to conformational changes that alter VSD-pore coupling to stabilize open states. We identify a motif in the KCNQ1 cytosolic domain, which works downstream of CaM-VSD interactions to facilitate the conformational change. Our findings suggest a gating mechanism that integrates PIP2 and CaM in KCNQ1 voltage-dependent activation, yielding insights into how KCNQ1 gains the phenotypes critical for its physiological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po Wei Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Annie M Westerlund
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Kelli McFarland White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Alex K Dou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Amy H Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jonathan R Silva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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31
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Miceli F, Carotenuto L, Barrese V, Soldovieri MV, Heinzen EL, Mandel AM, Lippa N, Bier L, Goldstein DB, Cooper EC, Cilio MR, Taglialatela M, Sands TT. A Novel Kv7.3 Variant in the Voltage-Sensing S 4 Segment in a Family With Benign Neonatal Epilepsy: Functional Characterization and in vitro Rescue by β-Hydroxybutyrate. Front Physiol 2020; 11:1040. [PMID: 33013448 PMCID: PMC7498716 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, paralogous genes encoding Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 voltage-gated K+ channel subunits, are responsible for early-onset developmental/epileptic disorders characterized by heterogeneous clinical phenotypes ranging from benign familial neonatal epilepsy (BFNE) to early-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). KCNQ2 variants account for the majority of pedigrees with BFNE and KCNQ3 variants are responsible for a much smaller subgroup, but the reasons for this imbalance remain unclear. Analysis of additional pedigrees is needed to further clarify the nature of this genetic heterogeneity and to improve prediction of pathogenicity for novel variants. We identified a BFNE family with two siblings and a parent affected. Exome sequencing on samples from both parents and siblings revealed a novel KCNQ3 variant (c.719T>G; p.M240R), segregating in the three affected individuals. The M240 residue is conserved among human Kv7.2-5 and lies between the two arginines (R5 and R6) closest to the intracellular side of the voltage-sensing S4 transmembrane segment. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells revealed that homomeric Kv7.3 M240R channels were not functional, whereas heteromeric channels incorporating Kv7.3 M240R mutant subunits with Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 displayed a depolarizing shift of about 10 mV in activation gating. Molecular modeling results suggested that the M240R substitution preferentially stabilized the resting state and possibly destabilized the activated state of the Kv7.3 subunits, a result consistent with functional data. Exposure to β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a ketone body generated during the ketogenic diet (KD), reversed channel dysfunction induced by the M240R variant. In conclusion, we describe the first missense loss-of-function (LoF) pathogenic variant within the S4 segment of Kv7.3 identified in patients with BFNE. Studied under conditions mimicking heterozygosity, the M240R variant mainly affects the voltage sensitivity, in contrast to previously analyzed BFNE Kv7.3 variants that reduce current density. Our pharmacological results provide a rationale for the use of KD in patients carrying LoF variants in Kv7.2 or Kv7.3 subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Miceli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Lidia Carotenuto
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barrese
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Erin L Heinzen
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Arthur M Mandel
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Natalie Lippa
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Louise Bier
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - David B Goldstein
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Edward C Cooper
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Maria Roberta Cilio
- Department of Pediatrics and Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Tristan T Sands
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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32
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Liu Y, Xu X, Gao J, Naffaa MM, Liang H, Shi J, Wang HZ, Yang ND, Hou P, Zhao W, White KM, Kong W, Dou A, Cui A, Zhang G, Cohen IS, Zou X, Cui J. A PIP 2 substitute mediates voltage sensor-pore coupling in KCNQ activation. Commun Biol 2020; 3:385. [PMID: 32678288 PMCID: PMC7367283 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1104-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
KCNQ family K+ channels (KCNQ1-5) in the heart, nerve, epithelium and ear require phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) for voltage dependent activation. While membrane lipids are known to regulate voltage sensor domain (VSD) activation and pore opening in voltage dependent gating, PIP2 was found to interact with KCNQ1 and mediate VSD-pore coupling. Here, we show that a compound CP1, identified in silico based on the structures of both KCNQ1 and PIP2, can substitute for PIP2 to mediate VSD-pore coupling. Both PIP2 and CP1 interact with residues amongst a cluster of amino acids critical for VSD-pore coupling. CP1 alters KCNQ channel function due to different interactions with KCNQ compared with PIP2. We also found that CP1 returned drug-induced action potential prolongation in ventricular myocytes to normal durations. These results reveal the structural basis of PIP2 regulation of KCNQ channels and indicate a potential approach for the development of anti-arrhythmic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfeng Liu
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Xianjin Xu
- grid.134936.a0000 0001 2162 3504Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Data Science & Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 USA
| | - Junyuan Gao
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Institute for Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
| | - Moawiah M. Naffaa
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Hongwu Liang
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Jingyi Shi
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Hong Zhan Wang
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Institute for Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
| | - Nien-Du Yang
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Panpan Hou
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Wenshan Zhao
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Kelli McFarland White
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Wenjuan Kong
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Alex Dou
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Amy Cui
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Guohui Zhang
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Ira S. Cohen
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Institute for Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
| | - Xiaoqin Zou
- grid.134936.a0000 0001 2162 3504Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Data Science & Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 USA
| | - Jianmin Cui
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
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33
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Larsson JE, Frampton DJA, Liin SI. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Modulators of K V7 Channels. Front Physiol 2020; 11:641. [PMID: 32595524 PMCID: PMC7300222 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels of the KV7 family are expressed in many tissues. The physiological importance of KV7 channels is evident from specific forms of disorders linked to dysfunctional KV7 channels, including variants of epilepsy, cardiac arrhythmia and hearing impairment. Thus, understanding how KV7 channels are regulated in the body is of great interest. This Mini Review focuses on the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on KV7 channel activity and possible underlying mechanisms of action. By summarizing reported effects of PUFAs on KV7 channels and native KV7-mediated currents, we conclude that the generally observed effect is a PUFA-induced increase in current amplitude. The increase in current is commonly associated with a shift in the voltage-dependence of channel opening and in some cases with increased maximum conductance. Auxiliary KCNE subunits, which associate with KV7 channels in certain tissues, may influence PUFA effects, though findings are conflicting. Both direct and indirect activating PUFA effects have been described, direct effects having been most extensively studied on KV7.1. The negative charge of the PUFA head-group has been identified as critical for electrostatic interaction with conserved positively charged amino acids in transmembrane segments 4 and 6. Additionally, the localization of double bonds in the PUFA tail tunes the apparent affinity of PUFAs to KV7.1. Indirect effects include those mediated by PUFA metabolites. Indirect inhibitory effects involve KV7 channel degradation and re-distribution from lipid rafts. Understanding how PUFAs regulate KV7 channels may provide insight into physiological regulation of KV7 channels and bring forth new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan E Larsson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Damon J A Frampton
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sara I Liin
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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34
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Wang Y, Eldstrom J, Fedida D. Gating and Regulation of KCNQ1 and KCNQ1 + KCNE1 Channel Complexes. Front Physiol 2020; 11:504. [PMID: 32581825 PMCID: PMC7287213 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The IKs channel complex is formed by the co-assembly of Kv7.1 (KCNQ1), a voltage-gated potassium channel, with its β-subunit, KCNE1 and the association of numerous accessory regulatory molecules such as PIP2, calmodulin, and yotiao. As a result, the IKs potassium current shows kinetic and regulatory flexibility, which not only allows IKs to fulfill physiological roles as disparate as cardiac repolarization and the maintenance of endolymph K+ homeostasis, but also to cause significant disease when it malfunctions. Here, we review new areas of understanding in the assembly, kinetics of activation and inactivation, voltage-sensor pore coupling, unitary events and regulation of this important ion channel complex, all of which have been given further impetus by the recent solution of cryo-EM structural representations of KCNQ1 alone and KCNQ1+KCNE3. Recently, the stoichiometric ratio of KCNE1 to KCNQ1 subunits has been confirmed to be variable up to a ratio of 4:4, rather than fixed at 2:4, and we will review the results and new methodologies that support this conclusion. Significant advances have been made in understanding differences between KCNQ1 and IKs gating using voltage clamp fluorimetry and mutational analysis to illuminate voltage sensor activation and inactivation, and the relationship between voltage sensor translation and pore domain opening. We now understand that the KCNQ1 pore can open with different permeabilities and conductance when the voltage sensor is in partially or fully activated positions, and the ability to make robust single channel recordings from IKs channels has also revealed the complicated pore subconductance architecture during these opening steps, during inactivation, and regulation by 1−4 associated KCNE1 subunits. Experiments placing mutations into individual voltage sensors to drastically change voltage dependence or prevent their movement altogether have demonstrated that the activation of KCNQ1 alone and IKs can best be explained using allosteric models of channel gating. Finally, we discuss how the intrinsic gating properties of KCNQ1 and IKs are highly modulated through the impact of intracellular signaling molecules and co-factors such as PIP2, protein kinase A, calmodulin and ATP, all of which modulate IKs current kinetics and contribute to diverse IKs channel complex function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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35
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Brewer KR, Kuenze G, Vanoye CG, George AL, Meiler J, Sanders CR. Structures Illuminate Cardiac Ion Channel Functions in Health and in Long QT Syndrome. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:550. [PMID: 32431610 PMCID: PMC7212895 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cardiac action potential is critical to the production of a synchronized heartbeat. This electrical impulse is governed by the intricate activity of cardiac ion channels, among them the cardiac voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels KCNQ1 and hERG as well as the voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel encoded by SCN5A. Each channel performs a highly distinct function, despite sharing a common topology and structural components. These three channels are also the primary proteins mutated in congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), a genetic condition that predisposes to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death due to impaired repolarization of the action potential and has a particular proclivity for reentrant ventricular arrhythmias. Recent cryo-electron microscopy structures of human KCNQ1 and hERG, along with the rat homolog of SCN5A and other mammalian sodium channels, provide atomic-level insight into the structure and function of these proteins that advance our understanding of their distinct functions in the cardiac action potential, as well as the molecular basis of LQTS. In this review, the gating, regulation, LQTS mechanisms, and pharmacological properties of KCNQ1, hERG, and SCN5A are discussed in light of these recent structural findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. Brewer
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Georg Kuenze
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Carlos G. Vanoye
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alfred L. George
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, United States
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical School, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charles R. Sanders
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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Taylor KC, Kang PW, Hou P, Yang ND, Kuenze G, Smith JA, Shi J, Huang H, White KM, Peng D, George AL, Meiler J, McFeeters RL, Cui J, Sanders CR. Structure and physiological function of the human KCNQ1 channel voltage sensor intermediate state. eLife 2020; 9:e53901. [PMID: 32096762 PMCID: PMC7069725 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels feature voltage sensor domains (VSDs) that exist in three distinct conformations during activation: resting, intermediate, and activated. Experimental determination of the structure of a potassium channel VSD in the intermediate state has previously proven elusive. Here, we report and validate the experimental three-dimensional structure of the human KCNQ1 voltage-gated potassium channel VSD in the intermediate state. We also used mutagenesis and electrophysiology in Xenopus laevisoocytes to functionally map the determinants of S4 helix motion during voltage-dependent transition from the intermediate to the activated state. Finally, the physiological relevance of the intermediate state KCNQ1 conductance is demonstrated using voltage-clamp fluorometry. This work illuminates the structure of the VSD intermediate state and demonstrates that intermediate state conductivity contributes to the unusual versatility of KCNQ1, which can function either as the slow delayed rectifier current (IKs) of the cardiac action potential or as a constitutively active epithelial leak current.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keenan C Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Po Wei Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Panpan Hou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Nien-Du Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Georg Kuenze
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Departments of Chemistry and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Jarrod A Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Hui Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Kelli McFarland White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Dungeng Peng
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Alfred L George
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoUnited States
| | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Departments of Chemistry and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Bioinformatics, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Robert L McFeeters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsvilleUnited States
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity, and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Charles R Sanders
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
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