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Morse J, Wang D, Mei S, Whitham D, Hladun C, Darie CC, Sintim HO, Wang M, Leung K. Chloride Homeostasis Regulates cGAS-STING Signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.08.588475. [PMID: 38645072 PMCID: PMC11030317 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.08.588475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The cGAS-STING signaling pathway has emerged as a key mediator of inflammation. However, the roles of chloride homeostasis on this pathway are unclear. Here, we uncovered a correlation between chloride homeostasis and cGAS-STING signaling. We found that dysregulation of chloride homeostasis attenuates cGAS-STING signaling in a lysosome-independent manner. Treating immune cells with chloride channel inhibitors attenuated 2'3'-cGAMP production by cGAS and also suppressed STING polymerization, leading to reduced cytokine production. We also demonstrate that non-selective chloride channel blockers can suppress the NPC1 deficiency-induced, hyper-activated STING signaling in skin fibroblasts derived from Niemann Pick disease type C (NPC) patients. Our findings reveal that chloride homeostasis majorly affects cGAS-STING pathway and suggest a provocative strategy to dampen STING-mediated inflammation via targeting chloride channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared Morse
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - Danna Wang
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - Serena Mei
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - Danielle Whitham
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - Colby Hladun
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - Costel C. Darie
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - Herman O. Sintim
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Modi Wang
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
| | - KaHo Leung
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, NY, 13676, United States
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Xu M, Neelands T, Powers AS, Liu Y, Miller SD, Pintilie GD, Bois JD, Dror RO, Chiu W, Maduke M. CryoEM structures of the human CLC-2 voltage-gated chloride channel reveal a ball-and-chain gating mechanism. eLife 2024; 12:RP90648. [PMID: 38345841 PMCID: PMC10942593 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90648] [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] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
CLC-2 is a voltage-gated chloride channel that contributes to electrical excitability and ion homeostasis in many different tissues. Among the nine mammalian CLC homologs, CLC-2 is uniquely activated by hyperpolarization, rather than depolarization, of the plasma membrane. The molecular basis for the divergence in polarity of voltage gating among closely related homologs has been a long-standing mystery, in part because few CLC channel structures are available. Here, we report cryoEM structures of human CLC-2 at 2.46 - 2.76 Å, in the presence and absence of the selective inhibitor AK-42. AK-42 binds within the extracellular entryway of the Cl--permeation pathway, occupying a pocket previously proposed through computational docking studies. In the apo structure, we observed two distinct conformations involving rotation of one of the cytoplasmic C-terminal domains (CTDs). In the absence of CTD rotation, an intracellular N-terminal 15-residue hairpin peptide nestles against the TM domain to physically occlude the Cl--permeation pathway. This peptide is highly conserved among species variants of CLC-2 but is not present in other CLC homologs. Previous studies suggested that the N-terminal domain of CLC-2 influences channel properties via a "ball-and-chain" gating mechanism, but conflicting data cast doubt on such a mechanism, and thus the structure of the N-terminal domain and its interaction with the channel has been uncertain. Through electrophysiological studies of an N-terminal deletion mutant lacking the 15-residue hairpin peptide, we support a model in which the N-terminal hairpin of CLC-2 stabilizes a closed state of the channel by blocking the cytoplasmic Cl--permeation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Torben Neelands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Alexander S Powers
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Yan Liu
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Steven D Miller
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Grigore D Pintilie
- Department of Bioengineering and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - J Du Bois
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Ron O Dror
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Wah Chiu
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Merritt Maduke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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Xu M, Neelands T, Powers AS, Liu Y, Miller SD, Pintilie G, Bois JD, Dror RO, Chiu W, Maduke M. CryoEM structures of the human CLC-2 voltage gated chloride channel reveal a ball and chain gating mechanism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.13.553136. [PMID: 37645939 PMCID: PMC10462068 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.13.553136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
CLC-2 is a voltage-gated chloride channel that contributes to electrical excitability and ion homeostasis in many different mammalian tissues and cell types. Among the nine mammalian CLC homologs, CLC-2 is uniquely activated by hyperpolarization, rather than depolarization, of the plasma membrane. The molecular basis for the divergence in polarity of voltage gating mechanisms among closely related CLC homologs has been a long-standing mystery, in part because few CLC channel structures are available, and those that exist exhibit high conformational similarity. Here, we report cryoEM structures of human CLC-2 at 2.46 - 2.76 Å, in the presence and absence of the potent and selective inhibitor AK-42. AK-42 binds within the extracellular entryway of the Cl--permeation pathway, occupying a pocket previously proposed through computational docking studies. In the apo structure, we observed two distinct apo conformations of CLC-2 involving rotation of one of the cytoplasmic C-terminal domains (CTDs). In the absence of CTD rotation, an intracellular N-terminal 15-residue hairpin peptide nestles against the TM domain to physically occlude the Cl--permeation pathway from the intracellular side. This peptide is highly conserved among species variants of CLC-2 but is not present in any other CLC homologs. Previous studies suggested that the N-terminal domain of CLC-2 influences channel properties via a "ball-and-chain" gating mechanism, but conflicting data cast doubt on such a mechanism, and thus the structure of the N-terminal domain and its interaction with the channel has been uncertain. Through electrophysiological studies of an N-terminal deletion mutant lacking the 15-residue hairpin peptide, we show that loss of this short sequence increases the magnitude and decreases the rectification of CLC-2 currents expressed in mammalian cells. Furthermore, we show that with repetitive hyperpolarization WT CLC-2 currents increase in resemblance to the hairpin-deleted CLC-2 currents. These functional results combined with our structural data support a model in which the N-terminal hairpin of CLC-2 stabilizes a closed state of the channel by blocking the cytoplasmic Cl--permeation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Torben Neelands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Alexander S. Powers
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Yan Liu
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park 94025
| | - Steven D. Miller
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Grigore Pintilie
- Department of Bioengineering and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305
| | - J. Du Bois
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Ron O. Dror
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Wah Chiu
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park 94025
- Department of Bioengineering and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305
| | - Merritt Maduke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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Rodriguez TC, Zhong L, Simpson H, Gleason E. Reduced Expression of TMEM16A Impairs Nitric Oxide-Dependent Cl− Transport in Retinal Amacrine Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:937060. [PMID: 35966201 PMCID: PMC9363626 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.937060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Postsynaptic cytosolic Cl− concentration determines whether GABAergic and glycinergic synapses are inhibitory or excitatory. We have shown that nitric oxide (NO) initiates the release of Cl− from acidic internal stores into the cytosol of retinal amacrine cells (ACs) thereby elevating cytosolic Cl−. In addition, we found that cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) expression and Ca2+ elevations are necessary for the transient effects of NO on cytosolic Cl− levels, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the involvement of TMEM16A as a possible link between Ca2+ elevations and cytosolic Cl− release. TMEM16A is a Ca2+-activated Cl− channel that is functionally coupled with CFTR in epithelia. Both proteins are also expressed in neurons. Based on this and its Ca2+ dependence, we test the hypothesis that TMEM16A participates in the NO-dependent elevation in cytosolic Cl− in ACs. Chick retina ACs express TMEM16A as shown by Western blot analysis, single-cell PCR, and immunocytochemistry. Electrophysiology experiments demonstrate that TMEM16A functions in amacrine cells. Pharmacological inhibition of TMEM16A with T16inh-AO1 reduces the NO-dependent Cl− release as indicated by the diminished shift in the reversal potential of GABAA receptor-mediated currents. We confirmed the involvement of TMEM16A in the NO-dependent Cl− release using CRISPR/Cas9 knockdown of TMEM16A. Two different modalities targeting the gene for TMEM16A (ANO1) were tested in retinal amacrine cells: an all-in-one plasmid vector and crRNA/tracrRNA/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein. The all-in-one CRISPR/Cas9 modality did not change the expression of TMEM16A protein and produced no change in the response to NO. However, TMEM16A-specific crRNA/tracrRNA/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein effectively reduces both TMEM16A protein levels and the NO-dependent shift in the reversal potential of GABA-gated currents. These results show that TMEM16A plays a role in the NO-dependent Cl− release from retinal ACs.
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