A common inhibitory binding site for zinc and odorants at the voltage-gated K(+) channel of rat olfactory receptor neurons

Experimental evaluation of the generalized vibrational theory of G protein-coupled receptor activation

Recently, an alternative theory concerning the method by which olfactory proteins are activated has garnered attention. This theory proposes that the activation of olfactory G protein-coupled receptors occurs by an inelastic electron tunneling mechanism that is mediated through the presence of an agonist with an appropriate vibrational state to accept the inelastic portion of the tunneling electron's energy. In a recent series of papers, some suggestive theoretical evidence has been offered that this theory may be applied to nonolfactory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including those associated with the central nervous system (CNS). [Chee HK, June OS (2013) Genomics Inform 11(4):282-288; Chee HK, et al. (2015) FEBS Lett 589(4):548-552; Oh SJ (2012) Genomics Inform 10(2):128-132]. Herein, we test the viability of this idea, both by receptor affinity and receptor activation measured by calcium flux. This test was performed using a pair of well-characterized agonists for members of the 5-HT₂ class of serotonin receptors, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and N,N-dimethyllysergamide (DAM-57), and their respective deuterated isotopologues. No evidence was found that selective deuteration affected either the binding affinity or the activation by the selected ligands for the examined members of the 5-HT₂ receptor class.

The role of metals in mammalian olfaction of low molecular weight organosulfur compounds

Covering: up to the end of 2017While suggestions concerning the possible role of metals in olfaction and taste date back 50 years, only recently has it been possible to confirm these proposals with experiments involving individual olfactory receptors (ORs). A detailed discussion of recent experimental results demonstrating the key role of metals in enhancing the response of human and other vertebrate ORs to specific odorants is presented against the backdrop of our knowledge of how the sense of smell functions both at the molecular and whole animal levels. This review emphasizes the role of metals in the detection of low molecular weight thiols, sulfides, and other organosulfur compounds, including those found in strong-smelling animal excretions and plant volatiles, and those used in gas odorization. Alternative theories of olfaction are described, with evidence favoring the modified "shape" theory. The use of quantum mechanical/molecular modeling (QM/MM), site-directed mutagenesis and saturation-transfer-difference (STD) NMR is discussed, providing support for biological studies of mouse and human receptors, MOR244-3 and OR OR2T11, respectively. Copper is bound at the active site of MOR244-3 by cysteine and histidine, while cysteine, histidine and methionine are involved with OR2T11. The binding pockets of these two receptors are found in different locations in the three-dimensional seven transmembrane models. Another recently deorphaned human olfactory receptor, OR2M3, highly selective for a thiol from onions, and a broadly-tuned thiol receptor, OR1A1, are also discussed. Other topics covered include the effects of nanoparticles and heavy metal toxicants on vertebrate and fish ORs, intranasal zinc products and the loss of smell (anosmia).

Cysteine 149 in the extracellular finger domain of acid-sensing ion channel 1b subunit is critical for zinc-mediated inhibition

Acid-sensing ion channel 1b (ASIC1b) is a proton-gated Na(+) channel mostly expressed in peripheral sensory neurons. To date, the functional significance of ASIC1b in these cells is unclear due to the lack of a specific inhibitor/blocker. A better understanding of the regulation of ASIC1b may provide a clue for future investigation of its functional importance. One important regulator of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) is zinc. In this study, we examined the detailed zinc inhibition of ASIC1b currents and specific amino acid(s) involved in the inhibition. In Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing rat ASIC1b subunit, pretreatment with zinc concentration-dependently inhibited the ASIC1b currents triggered by pH dropping from 7.4 to 6.0 with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration of 26 μM. The inhibition of ASIC1b currents by pre-applied zinc was independent of pH, voltage, or extracellular Ca(2+). Further, we showed that the effect of zinc is dependent on the extracellular cysteine, but not histidine residue. Mutating cysteine 149, but not cysteine 58 or cysteine 162, located in the extracellular domain of the ASIC1b subunit abolished the zinc inhibition. These findings suggest that cysteine 149 in the extracellular finger domain of ASIC1b subunit is critical for zinc-mediated inhibition and provide the basis for future mechanistic studies addressing the functional significance of zinc inhibition of ASIC1b.

Involvement of NADPH-dependent and cAMP-PKA sensitive H+ channels in the chorda tympani nerve responses to strong acids

To investigate if chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve responses to strong (HCl) and weak (CO(2) and acetic acid) acidic stimuli are dependent upon NADPH oxidase-linked and cAMP-sensitive proton conductances in taste cell membranes, CT responses were monitored in rats, wild-type (WT) mice, and gp91(phox) knockout (KO) mice in the absence and presence of blockers (Zn(2+) and diethyl pyrocarbonate [DEPC]) or activators (8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP; 8-CPT-cAMP) of proton channels and activators of the NADPH oxidase enzyme (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate [PMA], H(2)O(2), and nitrazepam). Zn(2+) and DEPC inhibited and 8-CPT-cAMP, PMA, H(2)O(2), and nitrazepam enhanced the tonic CT responses to HCl without altering responses to CO(2) and acetic acid. In KO mice, the tonic HCl CT response was reduced by 64% relative to WT mice. The residual CT response was insensitive to H(2)O(2) but was blocked by Zn(2+). Its magnitude was further enhanced by 8-CPT-cAMP treatment, and the enhancement was blocked by 8-CPT-adenosine-3'-5'-cyclic monophospho-rothioate, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. Under voltage-clamp conditions, before cAMP treatment, rat tonic HCl CT responses demonstrated voltage-dependence only at ±90 mV, suggesting the presence of H(+) channels with voltage-dependent conductances. After cAMP treatment, the tonic HCl CT response had a quasi-linear dependence on voltage, suggesting that the cAMP-dependent part of the HCl CT response has a quasi-linear voltage dependence between +60 and -60 mV, only becoming sigmoidal when approaching +90 and -90 mV. The results suggest that CT responses to HCl involve 2 proton entry pathways, an NADPH oxidase-dependent proton channel, and a cAMP-PKA sensitive proton channel.

Inhibitory regulation of acid-sensing ion channel 3 by zinc

Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is a proton-gated, voltage-insensitive Na(+) channel that is expressed primarily in peripheral sensory neurons and plays an important role in pain perception, particularly as a pH sensor following cardiac ischemia. We previously reported that ASIC3 currents are not affected by zinc at nanomolar concentrations. In this study, we examined the potential role of micromolar zinc in the regulation of ASIC3. In CHO cells expressing ASIC3, we found that ASIC3 currents triggered by dropping the pH from 7.4 to 6.0 were inhibited by pretreatment with zinc in a concentration-dependent manner; the half-maximum inhibitory concentration of zinc was 61 muM. ASIC currents activated by a relatively small drop in pH from 7.4 to 7.2 or 7.0 were also subject to inhibition by zinc. The inhibition was fast and pH independent, and occurred within a relatively narrow range of zinc concentrations between 30 and 300 muM. Further, increasing extracellular Ca(2+) concentrations from 2 to 10 mM failed to affect inhibition of ASIC3 currents by zinc. Experimentally elevating intracellular zinc levels did not affect the inhibition of ASIC3 currents by equal concentrations of extracellular zinc, and modification of cysteine or histidine residues had no effect on the inhibition of ASIC3 currents by zinc. These collective results suggest that zinc is an important regulator of ASIC3 at physiological concentrations, that zinc inhibits ASIC3 in a pH- and Ca(2+)-independent manner, and that inhibition of ASIC3 currents is dependent upon the interaction of zinc with extracellular domain(s) of ASIC3.

Zinc modulation of hemi-gap-junction channel currents in retinal horizontal cells

Hemi-gap-junction (HGJ) channels of retinal horizontal cells (HCs) function as transmembrane ion channels that are modulated by voltage and calcium. As an endogenous retinal neuromodulator, zinc, which is coreleased with glutamate at photoreceptor synapses, plays an important role in shaping visual signals by acting on postsynaptic HCs in vivo. To understand more fully the regulation and function of HC HGJ channels, we examined the effect of Zn(2+) on HGJ channel currents in bass retinal HCs. Hemichannel currents elicited by depolarization in Ca(2+)-free medium and in 1 mM Ca(2+) medium were significantly inhibited by extracellular Zn(2+). The inhibition by Zn(2+) of hemichannel currents was dose dependent with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration of 37 microM. Compared with other divalent cations, Zn(2+) exhibited higher inhibitory potency, with the order being Zn(2+) > Cd(2+) approximately Co(2+) > Ca(2+) > Ba(2+) > Mg(2+). Zn(2+) and Ca(2+) were found to modulate HGJ channels independently in additivity experiments. Modification of histidine residues with N-bromosuccinimide suppressed the inhibitory action of Zn(2+), whereas modification of cysteine residues had no significant effect on Zn(2+) inhibition. Taken together, these results suggest that zinc acts on HGJ channels in a calcium-independent way and that histidine residues on the extracellular domain of HGJ channels mediate the inhibitory action of zinc.

Mercury and zinc differentially inhibit shark and human CFTR orthologues: involvement of shark cysteine 102

The apical membrane is an important site of mercury toxicity in shark rectal gland tubular cells. We compared the effects of mercury and other thiol-reacting agents on shark CFTR (sCFTR) and human CFTR (hCFTR) chloride channels using two-electrode voltage clamping of cRNA microinjected Xenopus laevis oocytes. Chloride conductance was stimulated by perfusing with 10 microM forskolin (FOR) and 1 mM IBMX, and then thio-reactive species were added. In oocytes expressing sCFTR, FOR + IBMX mean stimulated Cl(-) conductance was inhibited 69% by 1 microM mercuric chloride and 78% by 5 microM mercuric chloride (IC(50) of 0.8 microM). Despite comparable stimulation of conductance, hCFTR was insensitive to 1 microM HgCl(2) and maximum inhibition was 15% at the highest concentration used (5 microM). Subsequent exposure to glutathione (GSH) did not reverse the inhibition of sCFTR by mercury, but dithiothreitol (DTT) completely reversed this inhibition. Zinc (50-200 microM) also reversibly inhibited sCFTR (40-75%) but did not significantly inhibit hCFTR. Similar inhibition of sCFTR but not hCFTR was observed with an organic mercurial, p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid (pCMBS). The first membrane spanning domain (MSD1) of sCFTR contains two unique cysteines, C102 and C303. A chimeric construct replacing MSD1 of hCFTR with the corresponding sequence of sCFTR was highly sensitive to mercury. Site-specific mutations introducing the first but not the second shark unique cysteine in hCFTR MSD1 resulted in full sensitivity to mercury. These experiments demonstrate a profound difference in the sensitivity of shark vs. human CFTR to inhibition by three thiol-reactive substances, an effect that involves C102 in the shark orthologue.

Effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on voltage-gated K+ and Na+ channels in rat olfactory receptor neurons

Although the polyunsaturated fatty acids arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are enriched in the olfactory mucosa, their possible contribution to olfactory transduction has not been investigated. This study characterized their effects on voltage-gated K+ and Na+ channels of rat olfactory receptor neurons. Physiological (3-10 microm) concentrations of AA and DHA potently and irreversibly inhibited the voltage-gated K+ current in a voltage-independent manner. In addition, both compounds significantly reduced the inhibitory potency of the odorants acetophenone and amyl acetate at these channels. By comparison, the steady-state effects of both AA and DHA on the voltage-gated Na+ channel were relatively weak, with half-maximal inhibition requiring approximately 35 microm of either compound. However, a surprising finding was that the initial application of 3 microm AA to a naïve neuron caused a strong but transient inhibition of the Na+ current. The channels became almost completely resistant to this inhibition within 1 min, and a 2-min wash in control solution was insufficient to restore the strong inhibitory effect. These observations suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids have the potential to strongly influence the coding of odorant information by olfactory receptor neurons.

Modulation of rat chorda tympani NaCl responses and intracellular Na+ activity in polarized taste receptor cells by pH

Mixture interactions between sour and salt taste modalities were investigated in rats by direct measurement of intracellular pH (pH(i)) and Na(+) activity ([Na(+)](i)) in polarized fungiform taste receptor cells (TRCs) and by chorda tympani (CT) nerve recordings. Stimulating the lingual surface with NaCl solutions adjusted to pHs ranging between 2.0 and 10.3 increased the magnitude of NaCl CT responses linearly with increasing external pH (pH(o)). At pH 7.0, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) blocker, benzamil, decreased NaCl CT responses and inhibited further changes in CT responses induced by varying pH(o) to 2.0 or 10.3. At constant pH(o), buffering NaCl solutions with potassium acetate/acetic acid (KA/AA) or HCO(3)(-)/CO(2) inhibited NaCl CT responses relative to CT responses obtained with NaCl solutions buffered with HEPES. The carbonic anhydrase blockers, MK-507 and MK-417, attenuated the inhibition of NaCl CT responses in HCO(3)(-)/CO(2) buffer, suggesting a regulatory role for pH(i). In polarized TRCs step changes in apical pH(o) from 10.3 to 2.0 induced a linear decrease in pH(i) that remained within the physiological range (slope = 0.035; r(2) = 0.98). At constant pH(o), perfusing the apical membrane with Ringer's solutions buffered with KA/AA or HCO(3)(-)/CO(2) decreased resting TRC pH(i), and MK-507 or MK-417 attenuated the decrease in pH(i) in TRCs perfused with HCO(3)(-)/CO(2) buffer. In parallel experiments, TRC [Na(+)](i) decreased with (a) a decrease in apical pH, (b) exposing the apical membrane to amiloride or benzamil, (c) removal of apical Na(+), and (d) acid loading the cells with NH(4)Cl or sodium acetate at constant pH(o). Diethylpyrocarbonate and Zn(2+), modification reagents for histidine residues in proteins, attenuated the CO(2)-induced inhibition of NaCl CT responses and the pH(i)-induced inhibition of apical Na(+) influx in TRCs. We conclude that TRC pH(i) regulates Na(+)-influx through amiloride-sensitive apical ENaCs and hence modulates NaCl CT responses in acid/salt mixtures.