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Wojciechowski MN, McKenzie CE, Hung A, Kuanyshbek A, Soh MS, Reid CA, Forster IC. Different fluorescent labels report distinct components of spHCN channel voltage sensor movement. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202413559. [PMID: 38968404 PMCID: PMC11223168 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202413559] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
We used voltage clamp fluorometry to probe the movement of the S4 helix in the voltage-sensing domain of the sea urchin HCN channel (spHCN) expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We obtained markedly different fluorescence responses with either ALEXA-488 or MTS-TAMRA covalently linked to N-terminal Cys332 of the S4 helix. With hyperpolarizing steps, ALEXA-488 fluorescence increased rapidly, consistent with it reporting the initial inward movement of S4, as previously described. In contrast, MTS-TAMRA fluorescence increased more slowly and its early phase correlated with that of channel opening. Additionally, a slow fluorescence component that tracked the development of the mode shift, or channel hysteresis, could be resolved with both labels. We quantitated this component as an increased deactivation tail current delay with concomitantly longer activation periods and found it to depend strongly on the presence of K+ ions in the pore. Using collisional quenching experiments and structural predictions, we established that ALEXA-488 was more exposed to solvent than MTS-TAMRA. We propose that components of S4 movement during channel activation can be kinetically resolved using different fluorescent probes to reveal distinct biophysical properties. Our findings underscore the need to apply caution when interpreting voltage clamp fluorometry data and demonstrate the potential utility of different labels to interrogate distinct biophysical properties of voltage-gated membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena N. Wojciechowski
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Pharmacampus, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Andrew Hung
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alibek Kuanyshbek
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ming S. Soh
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | | | - Ian C. Forster
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
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2
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Lin JL, Chang Y, Tewari D, Cowgill J, Chanda B. Mapping the contribution of the C-linker domain to gating polarity in CNBD channels. Biophys J 2024; 123:2176-2184. [PMID: 38678368 PMCID: PMC11309966 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Ion channels of the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) family play a crucial role in the regulation of key biological processes, such as photoreception and pacemaking activity in the heart. These channels exhibit high sequence and structural similarity but differ greatly in their functional responses to membrane potential. The CNBD family includes hyperpolarization-activated ion channels and depolarization-activated ether-à-go-go channels. Structural and functional studies show that the differences in the coupling interface between these two subfamilies' voltage-sensing domain and pore domain may underlie their differential response to membrane polarity. However, other structural components may also contribute to defining the polarity differences in activation. Here, we focus on the role of the C-terminal domain, which interacts with elements in both the pore and voltage-sensing domains. By generating a series of chimeras involving the C-terminal domain derived from distant members of the CNBD family, we find that the nature of the C-termini profoundly influences the gating polarity of these ion channels. Scanning mutagenesis of the C-linker region, a helix-turn-helix motif connecting the pore helix to the CNBD, reveals that residues at the intersubunit interface between the C-linkers are crucial for hyperpolarization-dependent activation. These findings highlight the unique and unexpected role of the intersubunit interface of the C-linker region in regulating the gating polarity of voltage-gated ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna L Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Structural Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Yongchang Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Debanjan Tewari
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - John Cowgill
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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3
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Wu X, Cunningham KP, Bruening-Wright A, Pandey S, Larsson HP. Loose Coupling between the Voltage Sensor and the Activation Gate in Mammalian HCN Channels Suggests a Gating Mechanism. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4309. [PMID: 38673895 PMCID: PMC11050684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084309] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels share similar structures but have opposite gating polarity. Kv channels have a strong coupling (>109) between the voltage sensor (S4) and the activation gate: when S4s are activated, the gate is open to >80% but, when S4s are deactivated, the gate is open <10-9 of the time. Using noise analysis, we show that the coupling between S4 and the gate is <200 in HCN channels. In addition, using voltage clamp fluorometry, locking the gate open in a Kv channel drastically altered the energetics of S4 movement. In contrast, locking the gate open or decreasing the coupling between S4 and the gate in HCN channels had only minor effects on the energetics of S4 movement, consistent with a weak coupling between S4 and the gate. We propose that this loose coupling is a prerequisite for the reversed voltage gating in HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (X.W.); (K.P.C.)
| | - Kevin P. Cunningham
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (X.W.); (K.P.C.)
- School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK
| | | | - Shilpi Pandey
- Oregan National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA;
| | - H. Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (X.W.); (K.P.C.)
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
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4
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Peters CH, Singh RK, Langley AA, Nichols WG, Ferris HR, Jeffrey DA, Proenza C, Bankston JR. LRMP inhibits cAMP potentiation of HCN4 channels by disrupting intramolecular signal transduction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.29.555242. [PMID: 37693562 PMCID: PMC10491135 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.29.555242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Lymphoid restricted membrane protein (LRMP) is a specific regulator of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-sensitive isoform 4 (HCN4) channel. LRMP prevents cAMP-dependent potentiation of HCN4 but the interaction domains, mechanisms of action, and basis for isoform-specificity remain unknown. Here we identify the domains of LRMP essential for regulation. We show that LRMP acts by disrupting the intramolecular signal transduction between cyclic nucleotide binding and gating. And we demonstrate that multiple unique regions in HCN4 are required for LRMP isoform-specificity. Using patch clamp electrophysiology and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), we showed that the initial 227 residues of LRMP and the N-terminus of HCN4 are necessary for LRMP to interact with HCN4. We found that the HCN4 N-terminus and HCN4-specific residues in the C-linker are necessary for regulation of HCN4 by LRMP. And we demonstrate that LRMP-regulation can be conferred to HCN2 by addition of the HCN4 N-terminus along with mutation of 5 residues in the S5 region and C-linker to the cognate HCN4 residues. Taken together, these results suggest that LRMP inhibits HCN4 through an isoform-specific interaction involving the N-terminals of both proteins that prevents the transduction of cAMP binding into a change in channel gating via an HCN4-specific orientation of the N-terminus, C-linker, and S4-S5 linker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin H Peters
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Rohit K Singh
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12850 E. Montview Boulevard, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Avery A Langley
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - William G Nichols
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Hannah R Ferris
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Danielle A Jeffrey
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Catherine Proenza
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12631 E. 17 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - John R Bankston
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19 Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045
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5
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Wu X, Cunningham KP, Ramentol R, Perez ME, Larsson HP. Similar voltage-sensor movement in spHCN channels can cause closing, opening, or inactivation. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202213170. [PMID: 36752823 PMCID: PMC9948645 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213170] [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: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels contribute to the rhythmic firing of pacemaker neurons and cardiomyocytes. Mutations in HCN channels are associated with cardiac arrhythmia and epilepsy. HCN channels belong to the superfamily of voltage-gated K+ channels, most of which are activated by depolarization. HCN channels, however, are activated by hyperpolarization. The mechanism behind this reversed gating polarity of HCN channels is not clear. We here show that sea urchin HCN (spHCN) channels with mutations in the C-terminal part of the voltage sensor use the same voltage-sensor movement to either close or open in response to hyperpolarizations depending on the absence or presence of cAMP. Our results support that non-covalent interactions at the C-terminal end of the voltage sensor are critical for HCN gating polarity. These interactions are also critical for the proper closing of the channels because these mutations exhibit large constitutive currents. Since a similar voltage-sensor movement can cause both depolarization- and hyperpolarization-activation in the same channel, this suggests that the coupling between the voltage sensor and the pore is changed to create channels opened by different polarities. We also show an identical voltage-sensor movement in activated and inactivated spHCN channels and suggest a model for spHCN activation and inactivation. Our results suggest the possibility that channels open by opposite voltage dependence, such as HCN and the related EAG channels, use the same voltage-sensor movement but different coupling mechanisms between the voltage sensor and the gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kevin P. Cunningham
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rosamary Ramentol
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Marta E. Perez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - H. Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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6
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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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7
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Kondapuram M, Frieg B, Yüksel S, Schwabe T, Sattler C, Lelle M, Schweinitz A, Schmauder R, Benndorf K, Gohlke H, Kusch J. Functional and structural characterization of interactions between opposite subunits in HCN pacemaker channels. Commun Biol 2022; 5:430. [PMID: 35534535 PMCID: PMC9085832 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03360-6] [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: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide (HCN) modulated channels are tetrameric cation channels. In each of the four subunits, the intracellular cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) is coupled to the transmembrane domain via a helical structure, the C-linker. High-resolution channel structures suggest that the C-linker enables functionally relevant interactions with the opposite subunit, which might be critical for coupling the conformational changes in the CNBD to the channel pore. We combined mutagenesis, patch-clamp technique, confocal patch-clamp fluorometry, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to show that residue K464 of the C-linker is relevant for stabilizing the closed state of the mHCN2 channel by forming interactions with the opposite subunit. MD simulations revealed that in the K464E channel, a rotation of the intracellular domain relative to the channel pore is induced, which is similar to the cAMP-induced rotation, weakening the autoinhibitory effect of the unoccupied CL-CNBD region. We suggest that this CL-CNBD rotation is considerably involved in activation-induced affinity increase but only indirectly involved in gate modulation. The adopted poses shown herein are in excellent agreement with previous structural results. Interactions between opposite subunits of HCN channels are relevant for stabilizing the auto-inhibited state of the channel. Like cAMP-binding, K464E-mutation breaks these interactions to favor a channel’s pre-activated state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Kondapuram
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Benedikt Frieg
- John von Neumann-Institut für Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI-7: Strukturbiochemie), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sezin Yüksel
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Tina Schwabe
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Sattler
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Marco Lelle
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Andrea Schweinitz
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Ralf Schmauder
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Klaus Benndorf
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- John von Neumann-Institut für Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI-7: Strukturbiochemie), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany. .,Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. .,Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften (IBG-4: Bioinformatik), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Jana Kusch
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany.
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Depuydt AS, Peigneur S, Tytgat J. Review: HCN Channels in the Heart. Curr Cardiol Rev 2022; 18:e040222200836. [PMID: 35125083 PMCID: PMC9893134 DOI: 10.2174/1573403x18666220204142436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pacemaker cells are the basis of rhythm in the heart. Cardiovascular diseases, and in particular, arrhythmias are a leading cause of hospital admissions and have been implicated as a cause of sudden death. The prevalence of people with arrhythmias will increase in the next years due to an increase in the ageing population and risk factors. The current therapies are limited, have a lot of side effects, and thus, are not ideal. Pacemaker channels, also called hyperpolarizationactivated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, are the molecular correlate of the hyperpolarization- activated current, called Ih (from hyperpolarization) or If (from funny), that contribute crucially to the pacemaker activity in cardiac nodal cells and impulse generation and transmission in neurons. HCN channels have emerged as interesting targets for the development of drugs, in particular, to lower the heart rate. Nonetheless, their pharmacology is still rather poorly explored in comparison to many other voltage-gated ion channels or ligand-gated ion channels. Ivabradine is the first and currently the only clinically approved compound that specifically targets HCN channels. The therapeutic indication of ivabradine is the symptomatic treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris in patients with coronary artery disease with a normal sinus rhythm. Several other pharmacological agents have been shown to exert an effect on heart rate, although this effect is not always desired. This review is focused on the pacemaking process taking place in the heart and summarizes the current knowledge on HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Depuydt
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N2, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N2, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N2, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000Leuven, Belgium
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9
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A second S4 movement opens hyperpolarization-activated HCN channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2102036118. [PMID: 34504015 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102036118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhythmic activity in pacemaker cells, as in the sino-atrial node in the heart, depends on the activation of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. As in depolarization-activated K+ channels, the fourth transmembrane segment S4 functions as the voltage sensor in hyperpolarization-activated HCN channels. But how the inward movement of S4 in HCN channels at hyperpolarized voltages couples to channel opening is not understood. Using voltage clamp fluorometry, we found here that S4 in HCN channels moves in two steps in response to hyperpolarizations and that the second S4 step correlates with gate opening. We found a mutation in sea urchin HCN channels that separate the two S4 steps in voltage dependence. The E356A mutation in S4 shifts the main S4 movement to positive voltages, but channel opening remains at negative voltages. In addition, E356A reveals a second S4 movement at negative voltages that correlates with gate opening. Cysteine accessibility and molecular models suggest that the second S4 movement opens up an intracellular crevice between S4 and S5 that would allow radial movement of the intracellular ends of S5 and S6 to open HCN channels.
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Biophysical analysis of an HCN1 epilepsy variant suggests a critical role for S5 helix Met-305 in voltage sensor to pore domain coupling. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 166:156-172. [PMID: 34298002 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-gated, cyclic nucleotide-activated (HCN1-4) channels are inwardly rectifying cation channels that display voltage dependent activation and de-activation. Pathogenic variants in HCN1 are associated with severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies including the de novo HCN1 M305L variant. M305 is located in the S5 domain that is implicated in coupling voltage sensor domain movement to pore opening. This variant lacks voltage-dependent activation and de-activation and displays normal cation selectivity. To elucidate the impact of the mutation on the channel structure-function relations, molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type and mutant homotetramers were compared and identified a sulphur-aromatic interaction between M305 and F389 that contributes to the coupling of the voltage-sensing domain to the pore domain. To mimic the heterozygous condition as a heterotetrameric channel assembly, Xenopus oocytes were co-injected with various ratios of wild-type and mutant subunit cRNAs and the biophysical properties of channels with different subunit stoichiometries were determined. The results showed that a single mutated subunit was sufficient to significantly disrupt the voltage dependence of activation. The functional data were qualitatively consistent with predictions of a model that assumes independent activation of the voltage sensing domains allosterically controlling the closed to open transition of the pore. Overall, the M305L mutation results in an HCN1 channel that lacks voltage dependence and facilitates excitatory cation flow at membrane potentials that would normally close the channel. Our findings provide molecular insights into HCN1 channels and reveal the structural and biophysical basis of the severe epilepsy phenotype associated with the M305L mutation.
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11
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Combe CL, Gasparini S. I h from synapses to networks: HCN channel functions and modulation in neurons. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 166:119-132. [PMID: 34181891 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide gated (HCN) channels and the current they carry, Ih, are widely and diversely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS). The distribution of the four subunits of HCN channels is variable within the CNS, within brain regions, and often within subcellular compartments. The precise function of Ih can depend heavily on what other channels are co-expressed. In this review, we give an overview of HCN channel structure, distribution, and modulation by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). We then discuss HCN channel and Ih functions, where we have parsed the roles into two main effects: a steady effect on maintaining the resting membrane potential at relatively depolarized values, and slow channel dynamics. Within this framework, we discuss Ih involvement in resonance, synaptic integration, transmitter release, plasticity, and point out a special case, where the effects of Ih on the membrane potential and its slow channel dynamics have dual roles in thalamic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crescent L Combe
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Sonia Gasparini
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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12
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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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13
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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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14
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Electromechanical coupling mechanism for activation and inactivation of an HCN channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2802. [PMID: 33990563 PMCID: PMC8121817 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pacemaker hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels exhibit a reversed voltage-dependent gating, activating by membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization. Sea urchin HCN (spHCN) channels also undergo inactivation with hyperpolarization which occurs only in the absence of cyclic nucleotide. Here we applied transition metal ion FRET, patch-clamp fluorometry and Rosetta modeling to measure differences in the structural rearrangements between activation and inactivation of spHCN channels. We found that removing cAMP produced a largely rigid-body rotation of the C-linker relative to the transmembrane domain, bringing the A’ helix of the C-linker in close proximity to the voltage-sensing S4 helix. In addition, rotation of the C-linker was elicited by hyperpolarization in the absence but not the presence of cAMP. These results suggest that — in contrast to electromechanical coupling for channel activation — the A’ helix serves to couple the S4-helix movement for channel inactivation, which is likely a conserved mechanism for CNBD-family channels. Sea urchin hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (spHCN) ion channels channels are activated by membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization and undergo inactivation with hyperpolarization. Here authors apply transition metal ion FRET, patch-clamp fluorometry and Rosetta modeling to measure differences in the structural rearrangements between activation and inactivation of spHCN channels.
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15
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Structural Pharmacology of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166967. [PMID: 33794261 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels initiate and propagate action potentials in excitable tissues to mediate key physiological processes including heart contraction and nervous system function. Accordingly, NaV channels are major targets for drugs, toxins and disease-causing mutations. Recent breakthroughs in cryo-electron microscopy have led to the visualization of human NaV1.1, NaV1.2, NaV1.4, NaV1.5 and NaV1.7 channel subtypes at high-resolution. These landmark studies have greatly advanced our structural understanding of channel architecture, ion selectivity, voltage-sensing, electromechanical coupling, fast inactivation, and the molecular basis underlying NaV channelopathies. NaV channel structures have also been increasingly determined in complex with toxin and small molecule modulators that target either the pore module or voltage sensor domains. These structural studies have provided new insights into the mechanisms of pharmacological action and opportunities for subtype-selective NaV channel drug design. This review will highlight the structural pharmacology of human NaV channels as well as the potential use of engineered and chimeric channels in future drug discovery efforts.
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16
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Mapping temperature-dependent conformational change in the voltage-sensing domain of an engineered heat-activated K + channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2017280118. [PMID: 33782120 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017280118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature-dependent regulation of ion channel activity is critical for a variety of physiological processes ranging from immune response to perception of noxious stimuli. Our understanding of the structural mechanisms that underlie temperature sensing remains limited, in part due to the difficulty of combining high-resolution structural analysis with temperature stimulus. Here, we use NMR to compare the temperature-dependent behavior of Shaker potassium channel voltage sensor domain (WT-VSD) to its engineered temperature sensitive (TS-VSD) variant. Further insight into the molecular basis for temperature-dependent behavior is obtained by analyzing the experimental results together with molecular dynamics simulations. Our studies reveal that the overall secondary structure of the engineered TS-VSD is identical to the wild-type channels except for local changes in backbone torsion angles near the site of substitution (V369S and F370S). Remarkably however, these structural differences result in increased hydration of the voltage-sensing arginines and the S4-S5 linker helix in the TS-VSD at higher temperatures, in contrast to the WT-VSD. These findings highlight how subtle differences in the primary structure can result in large-scale changes in solvation and thereby confer increased temperature-dependent activity beyond that predicted by linear summation of solvation energies of individual substituents.
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17
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Pfleger C, Kusch J, Kondapuram M, Schwabe T, Sattler C, Benndorf K, Gohlke H. Allosteric signaling in C-linker and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of HCN2 channels. Biophys J 2021; 120:950-963. [PMID: 33515603 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Opening of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channels is controlled by membrane hyperpolarization and binding of cyclic nucleotides to the tetrameric cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD), attached to the C-linker (CL) disk. Confocal patch-clamp fluorometry revealed pronounced cooperativity of ligand binding among protomers. However, by which pathways allosteric signal transmission occurs remained elusive. Here, we investigate how changes in the structural dynamics of the CL-CNBD of mouse HCN2 upon cAMP binding relate to inter- and intrasubunit signal transmission. Applying a rigidity-theory-based approach, we identify two intersubunit and one intrasubunit pathways that differ in allosteric coupling strength between cAMP-binding sites or toward the CL. These predictions agree with results from electrophysiological and patch-clamp fluorometry experiments. Our results map out distinct routes within the CL-CNBD that modulate different cAMP-binding responses in HCN2 channels. They signify that functionally relevant submodules may exist within and across structurally discernable subunits in HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Pfleger
- Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jana Kusch
- Institute of Physiology II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Tina Schwabe
- Institute of Physiology II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Benndorf
- Institute of Physiology II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; John von Neumann Institute for Computing, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, and Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7, Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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18
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Santoro B, Shah MM. Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels as Drug Targets for Neurological Disorders. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2020; 60:109-131. [PMID: 31914897 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010919-023356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are voltage-gated ion channels that critically modulate neuronal activity. Four HCN subunits (HCN1-4) have been cloned, each having a unique expression profile and distinctive effects on neuronal excitability within the brain. Consistent with this, the expression and function of these subunits are altered in diverse ways in neurological disorders. Here, we review current knowledge on the structure and distribution of the individual HCN channel isoforms, their effects on neuronal activity under physiological conditions, and how their expression and function are altered in neurological disorders, particularly epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and affective disorders. We discuss the suitability of HCN channels as therapeutic targets and how drugs might be strategically designed to specifically act on particular isoforms. We conclude that medicines that target individual HCN isoforms and/or their auxiliary subunit, TRIP8b, may provide valuable means of treating distinct neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bina Santoro
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Mala M Shah
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom;
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19
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Liu F, Wuni GY, Bahuva R, Shafiq MA, Gattas BS, Ibetoh CN, Stratulat E, Gordon DK. Pacemaking Activity in the Peripheral Nervous System: Physiology and Roles of Hyperpolarization Activated and Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels in Neuropathic Pain. Cureus 2020; 12:e11111. [PMID: 33240707 PMCID: PMC7682534 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.11111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The most famous pacemaking activity found in the human body is in the cardiac system. However, pacemaking is also widely present in the nervous system. The ion channels responsible for the pacemaking activity are called hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. HCN channels are activated during hyperpolarization and create an inward current named Ih containing mixed sodium and potassium ions. The molecular mechanism of these unique features remains mysterious. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), pacemaking is unique because it is only present in pathologic states when nerve damage occurs and leads to neuropathic pain. For this reason, pacemaking in neuropathic pain is also known as ectopic discharge. In our literature review, the HCN channel physiology is one of the research interests. We will present studies exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in HCN gating and ion permeability. The second research question is, what makes the pacemaking activity unique in the PNS? Thus, our paper will include studies that discuss the role of HCN channels in neuropathic pain. Given the fundamental role of HCN channels in regulating neuronal cells' discharge activity, the modulation of their function for therapeutic purposes could be useful in various pathological conditions. Here we review the present knowledge of the efficacy of HCN blocker treating neuropathic pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Liu
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - George Y Wuni
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Ronak Bahuva
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.,Internal Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, USA
| | - Muhammad Ahsan Shafiq
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA.,Internal Medicine, Rawalpindi Medical University, Islamabad, PAK
| | - Boula S Gattas
- Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Crystal N Ibetoh
- Cardiology, Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, Beltsville, USA.,Neuroscience, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Eugeniu Stratulat
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Domonick K Gordon
- Internal Medicine, Scarborough General Hospital, Scarborough, TTO.,Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
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20
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Wang ZJ, Blanco I, Hayoz S, Brelidze TI. The HCN domain is required for HCN channel cell-surface expression and couples voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating mechanisms. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8164-8173. [PMID: 32341127 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are major regulators of synaptic plasticity and rhythmic activity in the heart and brain. Opening of HCN channels requires membrane hyperpolarization and is further facilitated by intracellular cyclic nucleotides (cNMPs). In HCN channels, membrane hyperpolarization is sensed by the membrane-spanning voltage sensor domain (VSD), and the cNMP-dependent gating is mediated by the intracellular cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) connected to the pore-forming S6 transmembrane segment via the C-linker. Previous functional analysis of HCN channels has suggested a direct or allosteric coupling between the voltage- and cNMP-dependent activation mechanisms. However, the specifics of this coupling remain unclear. The first cryo-EM structure of an HCN1 channel revealed that a novel structural element, dubbed the HCN domain (HCND), forms a direct structural link between the VSD and C-linker-CNBD. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of the HCND. Deletion of the HCND prevented surface expression of HCN2 channels. Based on the HCN1 structure analysis, we identified Arg237 and Gly239 residues on the S2 of the VSD that form direct interactions with Ile135 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions abolished HCN2 currents. We also identified three residues on the C-linker-CNBD (Glu478, Gln482, and His559) that form direct interactions with residues Arg154 and Ser158 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions affected both voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating of HCN2 channels. These findings indicate that the HCND is necessary for the cell-surface expression of HCN channels and provides a functional link between voltage- and cAMP-dependent mechanisms of HCN channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D. C., USA
| | - Ismary Blanco
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D. C., USA
| | - Sebastien Hayoz
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D. C., USA
| | - Tinatin I Brelidze
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D. C., USA .,Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D. C., USA
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21
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Ramentol R, Perez ME, Larsson HP. Gating mechanism of hyperpolarization-activated HCN pacemaker channels. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1419. [PMID: 32184399 PMCID: PMC7078272 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15233-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are essential for rhythmic activity in the heart and brain, and mutations in HCN channels are linked to heart arrhythmia and epilepsy. HCN channels belong to the family of voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels. However, why HCN channels are activated by hyperpolarization whereas Kv channels are activated by depolarization is not clear. Here we reverse the voltage dependence of HCN channels by mutating only two residues located at the interface between the voltage sensor and the pore domain such that the channels now open upon depolarization instead of hyperpolarization. Our data indicate that what determines whether HCN channels open by hyperpolarizations or depolarizations are small differences in the energies of the closed and open states, due to different interactions between the voltage sensor and the pore in the different channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosamary Ramentol
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Marta E Perez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - H Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
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22
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Lee CH, MacKinnon R. Voltage Sensor Movements during Hyperpolarization in the HCN Channel. Cell 2019; 179:1582-1589.e7. [PMID: 31787376 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel is a voltage-gated cation channel that mediates neuronal and cardiac pacemaker activity. The HCN channel exhibits reversed voltage dependence, meaning it closes with depolarization and opens with hyperpolarization. Different from Na+, Ca2+, and Kv1-Kv7 channels, the HCN channel does not have domain-swapped voltage sensors. We introduced a reversible, metal-mediated cross bridge into the voltage sensors to create the chemical equivalent of a hyperpolarized conformation and determined the structure using cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM). Unlike the depolarized HCN channel, the S4 helix is displaced toward the cytoplasm by two helical turns. Near the cytoplasm, the S4 helix breaks into two helices, one running parallel to the membrane surface, analogous to the S4-S5 linker of domain-swapped voltage-gated channels. These findings suggest a basis for allosteric communication between voltage sensors and the gate in this kind of channel. They also imply that voltage sensor movements are not the same in all voltage-gated channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hsueh Lee
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Roderick MacKinnon
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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23
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Kasimova MA, Tewari D, Cowgill JB, Ursuleaz WC, Lin JL, Delemotte L, Chanda B. Helix breaking transition in the S4 of HCN channel is critical for hyperpolarization-dependent gating. eLife 2019; 8:e53400. [PMID: 31774399 PMCID: PMC6904216 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to most voltage-gated ion channels, hyperpolarization- and cAMP gated (HCN) ion channels open on hyperpolarization. Structure-function studies show that the voltage-sensor of HCN channels are unique but the mechanisms that determine gating polarity remain poorly understood. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations (~20 μs) of HCN1 channel under hyperpolarization reveals an initial downward movement of the S4 voltage-sensor but following the transfer of last gating charge, the S4 breaks into two sub-helices with the lower sub-helix becoming parallel to the membrane. Functional studies on bipolar channels show that the gating polarity strongly correlates with helical turn propensity of the substituents at the breakpoint. Remarkably, in a proto-HCN background, the replacement of breakpoint serine with a bulky hydrophobic amino acid is sufficient to completely flip the gating polarity from inward to outward-rectifying. Our studies reveal an unexpected mechanism of inward rectification involving a linker sub-helix emerging from HCN S4 during hyperpolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Kasimova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied PhysicsKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Debanjan Tewari
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - John B Cowgill
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Graduate program in BiophysicsUniversity of WisconsinMadisonUnited States
| | | | - Jenna L Lin
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Graduate program in BiophysicsUniversity of WisconsinMadisonUnited States
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied PhysicsKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Department of Biomolecular ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
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24
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Porro A, Saponaro A, Gasparri F, Bauer D, Gross C, Pisoni M, Abbandonato G, Hamacher K, Santoro B, Thiel G, Moroni A. The HCN domain couples voltage gating and cAMP response in hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. eLife 2019; 8:e49672. [PMID: 31769408 PMCID: PMC6894927 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels control spontaneous electrical activity in heart and brain. Binding of cAMP to the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) facilitates channel opening by relieving a tonic inhibition exerted by the CNBD. Despite high resolution structures of the HCN1 channel in the cAMP bound and unbound states, the structural mechanism coupling ligand binding to channel gating is unknown. Here we show that the recently identified helical HCN-domain (HCND) mechanically couples the CNBD and channel voltage sensing domain (VSD), possibly acting as a sliding crank that converts the planar rotational movement of the CNBD into a rotational upward displacement of the VSD. This mode of operation and its impact on channel gating are confirmed by computational and experimental data showing that disruption of critical contacts between the three domains affects cAMP- and voltage-dependent gating in three HCN isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daniel Bauer
- Department of BiologyTU-DarmstadtDarmstadtGermany
| | | | - Matteo Pisoni
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | | | - Kay Hamacher
- Department of BiologyTU-DarmstadtDarmstadtGermany
| | - Bina Santoro
- Department of NeuroscienceColumbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Anna Moroni
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
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25
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Robertson GA, Morais-Cabral JH. hERG Function in Light of Structure. Biophys J 2019; 118:790-797. [PMID: 31669064 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human ether-a-go-go-related gene1 (hERG) ion channel has been the subject of fascination since it was identified as a target of long QT syndrome more than 20 years ago. In this Biophysical Perspective, we look at what makes hERG intriguing and vexingly unique. By probing recent high-resolution structures in the context of functional and biochemical data, we attempt to summarize new insights into hERG-specific function and articulate important unanswered questions. X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy have revealed features not previously on the radar-the "nonswapped" transmembrane architecture, an "intrinsic ligand," and hydrophobic pockets off a pore cavity that is surprisingly small. Advances in our understanding of drug block and inactivation mechanisms are noted, but a full picture will require more investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail A Robertson
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | - João H Morais-Cabral
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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26
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Dai G, Aman TK, DiMaio F, Zagotta WN. The HCN channel voltage sensor undergoes a large downward motion during hyperpolarization. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2019; 26:686-694. [PMID: 31285608 PMCID: PMC6692172 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0259-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) contain positively-charged residues within the S4 helix of the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) that are displaced in response to changes in transmembrane voltage, promoting conformational changes that open the pore. Pacemaker HCN channels are unique among VGICs because their open probability is increased by membrane hyperpolarization rather than depolarization. Here we measured the precise movement of the S4 helix of a sea urchin HCN channel using transition metal ion fluorescence resonance energy transfer (tmFRET). We show that the S4 undergoes a significant (~10 Å) downward movement in response to membrane hyperpolarization. Furthermore, by applying distance constraints determined from tmFRET experiments to Rosetta modeling, we reveal that the C-terminal part of the S4 helix exhibits an unexpected tilting motion during hyperpolarization activation. These data provide a long-sought glimpse of the hyperpolarized state of a functioning VSD and also a framework for understanding the dynamics of reverse gating in HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gucan Dai
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Teresa K Aman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William N Zagotta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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27
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Chen H, Pan J, Gandhi DM, Dockendorff C, Cui Q, Chanda B, Henzler-Wildman KA. NMR Structural Analysis of Isolated Shaker Voltage-Sensing Domain in LPPG Micelles. Biophys J 2019; 117:388-398. [PMID: 31301804 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The voltage-sensing domain (VSD) is a conserved structural module that regulates the gating of voltage-dependent ion channels in response to a change in membrane potential. Although the structures of many VSD-containing ion channels are now available, our understanding of the structural dynamics associated with gating transitions remains limited. To probe dynamics with site-specific resolution, we utilized NMR spectroscopy to characterize the VSD derived from Shaker potassium channel in 1-palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (LPPG) micelles. The backbone dihedral angles predicted based on secondary chemical shifts using torsion angle likeliness obtained from shift (TALOS+) showed that the Shaker-VSD shares many structural features with the homologous Kv1.2/2.1 chimera, including a transition from α-helix to 310 helix in the C-terminal portion of the fourth transmembrane helix. Nevertheless, there are clear differences between the Shaker-VSD and Kv1.2/2.1 chimera in the S2-S3 linker and S3 transmembrane region, where the organization of secondary structure elements in Shaker-VSD appears to more closely resemble the KvAP-VSD. Comparison of microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations of Kv 1.2-VSD in LPPG micelles and a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayer showed that LPPG micelles do not induce significant structural distortion in the isolated voltage sensor. To assess the integrity of the tertiary fold, we directly probed the binding of BrMT analog 2-[2-({[3-(2-amino-ethyl)-6-bromo-1H-indol-2-yl]methoxy}k7methyl)-6-bromo-1H-indol-3-yl]ethan-1-amine (BrET), a gating modifier toxin, and identified the location of the putative binding site. Our results suggest that the Shaker-VSD in LPPG micelles is in a native-like fold and is likely to provide valuable insights into the dynamics of voltage-gating and its regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Chen
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Junkun Pan
- Department of Neuroscience, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Disha M Gandhi
- Departments of Chemistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Chris Dockendorff
- Departments of Chemistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Qiang Cui
- Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Baron Chanda
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Neuroscience, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | - Katherine A Henzler-Wildman
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Madison, Wisconsin; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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