1
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Liu Z, Wang F, Yuan H, Tian F, Yang C, Hu F, Liu Y, Tang M, Ping M, Kang C, Luo T, Yang G, Hu M, Gao Z, Li P. An LQT2-related mutation in the voltage-sensing domain is involved in switching the gating polarity of hERG. BMC Biol 2024; 22:29. [PMID: 38317233 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01833-0] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclic Nucleotide-Binding Domain (CNBD)-family channels display distinct voltage-sensing properties despite sharing sequence and structural similarity. For example, the human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (hERG) channel and the Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel share high amino acid sequence similarity and identical domain structures. hERG conducts outward current and is activated by positive membrane potentials (depolarization), whereas HCN conducts inward current and is activated by negative membrane potentials (hyperpolarization). The structural basis for the "opposite" voltage-sensing properties of hERG and HCN remains unknown. RESULTS We found the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) involves in modulating the gating polarity of hERG. We identified that a long-QT syndrome type 2-related mutation within the VSD, K525N, mediated an inwardly rectifying non-deactivating current, perturbing the channel closure, but sparing the open state and inactivated state. K525N rescued the current of a non-functional mutation in the pore helix region (F627Y) of hERG. K525N&F627Y switched hERG into a hyperpolarization-activated channel. The reactivated inward current induced by hyperpolarization mediated by K525N&F627Y can be inhibited by E-4031 and dofetilide quite well. Moreover, we report an extracellular interaction between the S1 helix and the S5-P region is crucial for modulating the gating polarity. The alanine substitution of several residues in this region (F431A, C566A, I607A, and Y611A) impaired the inward current of K525N&F627Y. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that a potential cooperation mechanism in the extracellular vestibule of the VSD and the PD would determine the gating polarity in hERG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipei Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Feng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Hui Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Fuyun Tian
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chuanyan Yang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yiyao Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Meiqin Tang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Meixuan Ping
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chunlan Kang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Guimei Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Mei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, 528401, China
| | - Zhaobing Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Ping Li
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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2
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Ngo K, Yarov-Yarovoy V, Clancy CE, Vorobyov I. Harnessing AlphaFold to reveal state secrets: Prediction of hERG closed and inactivated states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.27.577468. [PMID: 38352360 PMCID: PMC10862728 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.27.577468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
To design safe, selective, and effective new therapies, there must be a deep understanding of the structure and function of the drug target. One of the most difficult problems to solve has been resolution of discrete conformational states of transmembrane ion channel proteins. An example is KV11.1 (hERG), comprising the primary cardiac repolarizing current, IKr. hERG is a notorious drug anti-target against which all promising drugs are screened to determine potential for arrhythmia. Drug interactions with the hERG inactivated state are linked to elevated arrhythmia risk, and drugs may become trapped during channel closure. However, the structural details of multiple conformational states have remained elusive. Here, we guided AlphaFold2 to predict plausible hERG inactivated and closed conformations, obtaining results consistent with myriad available experimental data. Drug docking simulations demonstrated hERG state-specific drug interactions aligning well with experimental results, revealing that most drugs bind more effectively in the inactivated state and are trapped in the closed state. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated ion conduction that aligned with earlier studies. Finally, we identified key molecular determinants of state transitions by analyzing interaction networks across closed, open, and inactivated states in agreement with earlier mutagenesis studies. Here, we demonstrate a readily generalizable application of AlphaFold2 as a novel method to predict discrete protein conformations and novel linkages from structure to function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khoa Ngo
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA
- Center for Precision Medicine and Data Science, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Colleen E. Clancy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA
- Center for Precision Medicine and Data Science, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Igor Vorobyov
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA
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3
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AlRawashdeh S, Chandrasekaran S, Barakat KH. Structural analysis of hERG channel blockers and the implications for drug design. J Mol Graph Model 2023; 120:108405. [PMID: 36680816 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2023.108405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The repolarizing current (Ikr) produced by the hERG potassium channel forms a major component of the cardiac action potential and blocking this current by small molecule drugs can lead to life-threatening cardiotoxicity. Understanding the mechanisms of drug-mediated hERG inhibition is essential to develop a second generation of safe drugs, with minimal cardiotoxic effects. Although various computational tools and drug design guidelines have been developed to avoid binding of drugs to the hERG pore domain, there are many other aspects that are still open for investigation. This includes the use computational modelling to study the implications of hERG mutations on hERG structure and trafficking, the interactions of hERG with hERG chaperone proteins and with membrane-soluble molecules, the mechanisms of drugs that inhibit hERG trafficking and drugs that rescue hERG mutations. The plethora of available experimental data regarding all these aspects can guide the construction of much needed robust computational structural models to study these mechanisms for the rational design of safe drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara AlRawashdeh
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Khaled H Barakat
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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4
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Alberini G, Alexis Paz S, Corradi B, Abrams CF, Benfenati F, Maragliano L. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Ion Permeation in Human Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:2953-2972. [PMID: 37116214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The recent determination of cryo-EM structures of voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels has revealed many details of these proteins. However, knowledge of ionic permeation through the Nav pore remains limited. In this work, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the structural features of various neuronal Nav channels based on homology modeling of the cryo-EM structure of the human Nav1.4 channel and, in addition, on the recently resolved configuration for Nav1.2. In particular, single Na+ permeation events during standard MD runs suggest that the ion resides in the inner part of the Nav selectivity filter (SF). On-the-fly free energy parametrization (OTFP) temperature-accelerated molecular dynamics (TAMD) was also used to calculate two-dimensional free energy surfaces (FESs) related to single/double Na+ translocation through the SF of the homology-based Nav1.2 model and the cryo-EM Nav1.2 structure, with different realizations of the DEKA filter domain. These additional simulations revealed distinct mechanisms for single and double Na+ permeation through the wild-type SF, which has a charged lysine in the DEKA ring. Moreover, the configurations of the ions in the SF corresponding to the metastable states of the FESs are specific for each SF motif. Overall, the description of these mechanisms gives us new insights into ion conduction in human Nav cryo-EM-based and cryo-EM configurations that could advance understanding of these systems and how they differ from potassium and bacterial Nav channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Alberini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Sergio Alexis Paz
- Departamento de Química Teórica y Computacional, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Beatrice Corradi
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Cameron F Abrams
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Maragliano
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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5
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Pettini F, Domene C, Furini S. Early Steps in C-Type Inactivation of the hERG Potassium Channel. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:251-258. [PMID: 36512342 PMCID: PMC9832476 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Fast C-type inactivation confers distinctive functional properties to the hERG potassium channel, and its association to inherited and acquired cardiac arrythmias makes the study of the inactivation mechanism of hERG at the atomic detail of paramount importance. At present, two models have been proposed to describe C-type inactivation in K+-channels. Experimental data and computational work on the bacterial KcsA channel support the hypothesis that C-type inactivation results from a closure of the selectivity filter that sterically impedes ion conduction. Alternatively, recent experimental structures of a mutated Shaker channel revealed a widening of the extracellular portion of the selectivity filter, which might diminish conductance by interfering with the mechanism of ion permeation. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the wild-type hERG, a non-inactivating mutant (hERG-N629D), and a mutant that inactivates faster than the wild-type channel (hERG-F627Y) to find out which and if any of the two reported C-type inactivation mechanisms applies to hERG. Closure events of the selectivity filter were not observed in any of the simulated trajectories but instead, the extracellular section of the selectivity filter deviated from the canonical conductive structure of potassium channels. The degree of widening of the potassium binding sites at the extracellular entrance of the channel was directly related to the degree of inactivation with hERG-F627Y > wild-type hERG > hERG-N629D. These findings support the hypothesis that C-type inactivation in hERG entails a widening of the extracellular entrance of the channel rather than a closure of the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pettini
- Department
of Medical Biotechnologies, University of
Siena, viale Mario Bracci 12, Siena 53100, Italy,Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, viale Mario Bracci 12, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Carmen Domene
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.,Department
of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K.,
| | - Simone Furini
- Department
of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering ″Guglielmo
Marconi”, University of Bologna, via dell’Università
50, Cesena (FC) 47521, Italy,
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6
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Maly J, Emigh AM, DeMarco KR, Furutani K, Sack JT, Clancy CE, Vorobyov I, Yarov-Yarovoy V. Structural modeling of the hERG potassium channel and associated drug interactions. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:966463. [PMID: 36188564 PMCID: PMC9523588 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.966463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated potassium channel, KV11.1, encoded by the human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene (hERG), is expressed in cardiac myocytes, where it is crucial for the membrane repolarization of the action potential. Gating of the hERG channel is characterized by rapid, voltage-dependent, C-type inactivation, which blocks ion conduction and is suggested to involve constriction of the selectivity filter. Mutations S620T and S641A/T within the selectivity filter region of hERG have been shown to alter the voltage dependence of channel inactivation. Because hERG channel blockade is implicated in drug-induced arrhythmias associated with both the open and inactivated states, we used Rosetta to simulate the effects of hERG S620T and S641A/T mutations to elucidate conformational changes associated with hERG channel inactivation and differences in drug binding between the two states. Rosetta modeling of the S641A fast-inactivating mutation revealed a lateral shift of the F627 side chain in the selectivity filter into the central channel axis along the ion conduction pathway and the formation of four lateral fenestrations in the pore. Rosetta modeling of the non-inactivating mutations S620T and S641T suggested a potential molecular mechanism preventing F627 side chain from shifting into the ion conduction pathway during the proposed inactivation process. Furthermore, we used Rosetta docking to explore the binding mechanism of highly selective and potent hERG blockers - dofetilide, terfenadine, and E4031. Our structural modeling correlates well with much, but not all, existing experimental evidence involving interactions of hERG blockers with key residues in hERG pore and reveals potential molecular mechanisms of ligand interactions with hERG in an inactivated state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Maly
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Aiyana M. Emigh
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Kevin R. DeMarco
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Kazuharu Furutani
- Department of Pharmacology, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Jon T. Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Colleen E. Clancy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Igor Vorobyov
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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7
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Kekenes-Huskey PM, Burgess DE, Sun B, Bartos DC, Rozmus ER, Anderson CL, January CT, Eckhardt LL, Delisle BP. Mutation-Specific Differences in Kv7.1 ( KCNQ1) and Kv11.1 ( KCNH2) Channel Dysfunction and Long QT Syndrome Phenotypes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7389. [PMID: 35806392 PMCID: PMC9266926 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The electrocardiogram (ECG) empowered clinician scientists to measure the electrical activity of the heart noninvasively to identify arrhythmias and heart disease. Shortly after the standardization of the 12-lead ECG for the diagnosis of heart disease, several families with autosomal recessive (Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome) and dominant (Romano-Ward Syndrome) forms of long QT syndrome (LQTS) were identified. An abnormally long heart rate-corrected QT-interval was established as a biomarker for the risk of sudden cardiac death. Since then, the International LQTS Registry was established; a phenotypic scoring system to identify LQTS patients was developed; the major genes that associate with typical forms of LQTS were identified; and guidelines for the successful management of patients advanced. In this review, we discuss the molecular and cellular mechanisms for LQTS associated with missense variants in KCNQ1 (LQT1) and KCNH2 (LQT2). We move beyond the "benign" to a "pathogenic" binary classification scheme for different KCNQ1 and KCNH2 missense variants and discuss gene- and mutation-specific differences in K+ channel dysfunction, which can predispose people to distinct clinical phenotypes (e.g., concealed, pleiotropic, severe, etc.). We conclude by discussing the emerging computational structural modeling strategies that will distinguish between dysfunctional subtypes of KCNQ1 and KCNH2 variants, with the goal of realizing a layered precision medicine approach focused on individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M. Kekenes-Huskey
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Don E. Burgess
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (D.E.B.); (E.R.R.)
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China;
| | | | - Ezekiel R. Rozmus
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (D.E.B.); (E.R.R.)
| | - Corey L. Anderson
- Cellular and Molecular Arrythmias Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (C.L.A.); (C.T.J.); (L.L.E.)
| | - Craig T. January
- Cellular and Molecular Arrythmias Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (C.L.A.); (C.T.J.); (L.L.E.)
| | - Lee L. Eckhardt
- Cellular and Molecular Arrythmias Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (C.L.A.); (C.T.J.); (L.L.E.)
| | - Brian P. Delisle
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (D.E.B.); (E.R.R.)
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8
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Tsai WH, Grauffel C, Huang MY, Postić S, Rupnik MS, Lim C, Yang SB. Allosteric coupling between transmembrane segment 4 and the selectivity filter of TALK1 potassium channels regulates their gating by extracellular pH. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101998. [PMID: 35500647 PMCID: PMC9168622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Opening of two-pore domain K+ channels (K2Ps) is regulated by various external cues, such as pH, membrane tension, or temperature, which allosterically modulate the selectivity filter (SF) gate. However, how these cues cause conformational changes in the SF of some K2P channels remains unclear. Herein, we investigate the mechanisms by which extracellular pH affects gating in an alkaline-activated K2P channel, TALK1, using electrophysiology and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We show that R233, located at the N-terminal end of transmembrane segment 4, is the primary pHo sensor. This residue distally regulates the orientation of the carbonyl group at the S1 potassium-binding site through an interacting network composed of residues on transmembrane segment 4, the pore helix domain 1, and the SF. Moreover, in the presence of divalent cations, we found the acidic pH-activated R233E mutant recapitulates the network interactions of protonated R233. Intriguingly, our data further suggested stochastic coupling between R233 and the SF gate, which can be described by an allosteric gating model. We propose that this allosteric model could predict the hybrid pH sensitivity in heterodimeric channels with alkaline-activated and acidic-activated K2P subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hao Tsai
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cédric Grauffel
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yueh Huang
- Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sandra Postić
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marjan Slak Rupnik
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia; Alma Mater Europaea - European Center Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Carmay Lim
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Bing Yang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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9
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A distinct mechanism of C-type inactivation in the Kv-like KcsA mutant E71V. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1574. [PMID: 35322021 PMCID: PMC8943062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28866-9] [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: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
C-type inactivation is of great physiological importance in voltage-activated K+ channels (Kv), but its structural basis remains unresolved. Knowledge about C-type inactivation has been largely deduced from the bacterial K+ channel KcsA, whose selectivity filter constricts under inactivating conditions. However, the filter is highly sensitive to its molecular environment, which is different in Kv channels than in KcsA. In particular, a glutamic acid residue at position 71 along the pore helix in KcsA is substituted by a valine conserved in most Kv channels, suggesting that this side chain is a molecular determinant of function. Here, a combination of X-ray crystallography, solid-state NMR and MD simulations of the E71V KcsA mutant is undertaken to explore inactivation in this Kv-like construct. X-ray and ssNMR data show that the filter of the Kv-like mutant does not constrict under inactivating conditions. Rather, the filter adopts a conformation that is slightly narrowed and rigidified. On the other hand, MD simulations indicate that the constricted conformation can nonetheless be stably established in the mutant channel. Together, these findings suggest that the Kv-like KcsA mutant may be associated with different modes of C-type inactivation, showing that distinct filter environments entail distinct C-type inactivation mechanisms.
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10
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Rearrangement of a unique Kv1.3 selectivity filter conformation upon binding of a drug. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2113536119. [PMID: 35091471 PMCID: PMC8812516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113536119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) open with membrane depolarization and allow the flow of K+ ions. Ion flow is tightly governed by time-dependent entry into nonconducting inactivated states. Here, we focus on Kv1.3, a channel of physiological importance in immune cells. We used cryogenic electron microscopy to determine structures of human Kv1.3 alone and bound to dalazatide, a peptide inhibitor in human trials. In the unbound state, Kv1.3’s outer pore is rearranged compared to all other K+ channels analyzed. Interaction of dalazatide with Kv1.3’s outer pore causes a dynamic rearrangement of the selectivity filter as Kv1.3 enters a drug-blocked state. We report two structures of the human voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv) Kv1.3 in immune cells alone (apo-Kv1.3) and bound to an immunomodulatory drug called dalazatide (dalazatide–Kv1.3). Both the apo-Kv1.3 and dalazatide–Kv1.3 structures are in an activated state based on their depolarized voltage sensor and open inner gate. In apo-Kv1.3, the aromatic residue in the signature sequence (Y447) adopts a position that diverges 11 Å from other K+ channels. The outer pore is significantly rearranged, causing widening of the selectivity filter and perturbation of ion binding within the filter. This conformation is stabilized by a network of intrasubunit hydrogen bonds. In dalazatide–Kv1.3, binding of dalazatide to the channel’s outer vestibule narrows the selectivity filter, Y447 occupies a position seen in other K+ channels, and this conformation is stabilized by a network of intersubunit hydrogen bonds. These remarkable rearrangements in the selectivity filter underlie Kv1.3’s transition into the drug-blocked state.
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11
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Hendriks K, Öster C, Lange A. Structural Plasticity of the Selectivity Filter in Cation Channels. Front Physiol 2021; 12:792958. [PMID: 34950061 PMCID: PMC8689586 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.792958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels allow for the passage of ions across biological membranes, which is essential for the functioning of a cell. In pore loop channels the selectivity filter (SF) is a conserved sequence that forms a constriction with multiple ion binding sites. It is becoming increasingly clear that there are several conformations and dynamic states of the SF in cation channels. Here we outline specific modes of structural plasticity observed in the SFs of various pore loop channels: disorder, asymmetry, and collapse. We summarize the multiple atomic structures with varying SF conformations as well as asymmetric and more dynamic states that were discovered recently using structural biology, spectroscopic, and computational methods. Overall, we discuss here that structural plasticity within the SF is a key molecular determinant of ion channel gating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Hendriks
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carl Öster
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam Lange
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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12
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Wang W, Tsirulnikov K, Zhekova HR, Kayık G, Khan HM, Azimov R, Abuladze N, Kao L, Newman D, Noskov SY, Zhou ZH, Pushkin A, Kurtz I. Cryo-EM structure of the sodium-driven chloride/bicarbonate exchanger NDCBE. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5690. [PMID: 34584093 PMCID: PMC8478935 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25998-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
SLC4 transporters play significant roles in pH regulation and cellular sodium transport. The previously solved structures of the outward facing (OF) conformation for AE1 (SLC4A1) and NBCe1 (SLC4A4) transporters revealed an identical overall fold despite their different transport modes (chloride/bicarbonate exchange versus sodium-carbonate cotransport). However, the exact mechanism determining the different transport modes in the SLC4 family remains unknown. In this work, we report the cryo-EM 3.4 Å structure of the OF conformation of NDCBE (SLC4A8), which shares transport properties with both AE1 and NBCe1 by mediating the electroneutral exchange of sodium-carbonate with chloride. This structure features a fully resolved extracellular loop 3 and well-defined densities corresponding to sodium and carbonate ions in the tentative substrate binding pocket. Further, we combine computational modeling with functional studies to unravel the molecular determinants involved in NDCBE and SLC4 transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiguang Wang
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.509979.b0000 0004 7666 6191Electron Imaging Center for Nanomachines, California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Kirill Tsirulnikov
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Hristina R. Zhekova
- grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Centre for Molecular Simulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Gülru Kayık
- grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Centre for Molecular Simulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Hanif Muhammad Khan
- grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Centre for Molecular Simulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Rustam Azimov
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Natalia Abuladze
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Liyo Kao
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Debbie Newman
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Sergei Yu. Noskov
- grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Centre for Molecular Simulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Z. Hong Zhou
- grid.509979.b0000 0004 7666 6191Electron Imaging Center for Nanomachines, California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Alexander Pushkin
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Ira Kurtz
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
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13
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Abstract
Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system relies on the AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR). This receptor incorporates a nonselective cation channel, which is opened by the binding of glutamate. Although the open pore structure has recently became available from cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), the molecular mechanisms governing cation permeability in AMPA receptors are not understood. Here, we combined microsecond molecular dynamic (MD) simulations on a putative open-state structure of GluA2 with electrophysiology on cloned channels to elucidate ion permeation mechanisms. Na+, K+, and Cs+ permeated at physiological rates, consistent with a structure that represents a true open state. A single major ion binding site for Na+ and K+ in the pore represents the simplest selectivity filter (SF) structure for any tetrameric cation channel of known structure. The minimal SF comprised only Q586 and Q587, and other residues on the cytoplasmic side formed a water-filled cavity with a cone shape that lacked major interactions with ions. We observed that Cl- readily enters the upper pore, explaining anion permeation in the RNA-edited (Q586R) form of GluA2. A permissive architecture of the SF accommodated different alkali metals in distinct solvation states to allow rapid, nonselective cation permeation and copermeation by water. Simulations suggested Cs+ uses two equally populated ion binding sites in the filter, and we confirmed with electrophysiology of GluA2 that Cs+ is slightly more permeant than Na+, consistent with serial binding sites preferentially driving selectivity.
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14
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Colombian Scorpion Centruroides margaritatus: Purification and Characterization of a Gamma Potassium Toxin with Full-Block Activity on the hERG1 Channel. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13060407. [PMID: 34201318 PMCID: PMC8273696 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Colombian scorpion Centruroides margaritatus produces a venom considered of low toxicity. Nevertheless, there are known cases of envenomation resulting in cardiovascular disorders, probably due to venom components that target ion channels. Among them, the humanether-à-go-go-Related gene (hERG1) potassium channels are critical for cardiac action potential repolarization and alteration in its functionality are associated with cardiac disorders. This work describes the purification and electrophysiological characterization of a Centruroides margaritatus venom component acting on hERG1 channels, the CmERG1 toxin. This novel peptide is composed of 42 amino acids with a MW of 4792.88 Da, folded by four disulfide bonds and it is classified as member number 10 of the γ-KTx1 toxin family. CmERG1 inhibits hERG1 currents with an IC50 of 3.4 ± 0.2 nM. Despite its 90.5% identity with toxin ɣ-KTx1.1, isolated from Centruroides noxius, CmERG1 completely blocks hERG1 current, suggesting a more stable plug of the hERG channel, compared to that formed by other ɣ-KTx.
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15
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Hendriks K, Öster C, Shi C, Sun H, Lange A. Sodium Ions Do Not Stabilize the Selectivity Filter of a Potassium Channel. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167091. [PMID: 34090923 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ion conduction is an essential function for electrical activity in all organisms. The non-selective ion channel NaK was previously shown to adopt two stable conformations of the selectivity filter. Here, we present solid-state NMR measurements of NaK demonstrating a population shift between these conformations induced by changing the ions in the sample while the overall structure of NaK is not affected. We show that two K+-selective mutants (NaK2K and NaK2K-Y66F) suffer a complete loss of selectivity filter stability under Na+ conditions, but do not collapse into a defined structure. Widespread chemical shift perturbations are seen between the Na+ and K+ states of the K+-selective mutants in the region of the pore helix indicating structural changes. We conclude that the stronger link between the selectivity filter and the pore helix in the K+-selective mutants, compared to the non-selective wild-type NaK channel, reduces the ion-dependent conformational flexibility of the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Hendriks
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carl Öster
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Chaowei Shi
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Huangshan Road 443, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Han Sun
- Structural Chemistry and Computational Biophysics Group, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam Lange
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
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16
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DeMarco KR, Yang PC, Singh V, Furutani K, Dawson JRD, Jeng MT, Fettinger JC, Bekker S, Ngo VA, Noskov SY, Yarov-Yarovoy V, Sack JT, Wulff H, Clancy CE, Vorobyov I. Molecular determinants of pro-arrhythmia proclivity of d- and l-sotalol via a multi-scale modeling pipeline. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2021; 158:163-177. [PMID: 34062207 PMCID: PMC8906354 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Drug isomers may differ in their proarrhythmia risk. An interesting example is the drug sotalol, an antiarrhythmic drug comprising d- and l- enantiomers that both block the hERG cardiac potassium channel and confer differing degrees of proarrhythmic risk. We developed a multi-scale in silico pipeline focusing on hERG channel – drug interactions and used it to probe and predict the mechanisms of pro-arrhythmia risks of the two enantiomers of sotalol. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations predicted comparable hERG channel binding affinities for d- and l-sotalol, which were validated with electrophysiology experiments. MD derived thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were used to build multi-scale functional computational models of cardiac electrophysiology at the cell and tissue scales. Functional models were used to predict inactivated state binding affinities to recapitulate electrocardiogram (ECG) QT interval prolongation observed in clinical data. Our study demonstrates how modeling and simulation can be applied to predict drug effects from the atom to the rhythm for dl-sotalol and also increased proarrhythmia proclivity of d- vs. l-sotalol when accounting for stereospecific beta-adrenergic receptor blocking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R DeMarco
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Pei-Chi Yang
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Vikrant Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kazuharu Furutani
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - John R D Dawson
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Mao-Tsuen Jeng
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - James C Fettinger
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Slava Bekker
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Science and Engineering, American River College, Sacramento, CA 95841, USA
| | - Van A Ngo
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Biochemistry Research Cluster, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
| | - Sergei Y Noskov
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Biochemistry Research Cluster, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jon T Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Colleen E Clancy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Igor Vorobyov
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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17
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Mironenko A, Zachariae U, de Groot BL, Kopec W. The Persistent Question of Potassium Channel Permeation Mechanisms. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167002. [PMID: 33891905 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Potassium channels play critical roles in many physiological processes, providing a selective permeation route for K+ ions in and out of a cell, by employing a carefully designed selectivity filter, evolutionarily conserved from viruses to mammals. The structure of the selectivity filter was determined at atomic resolution by x-ray crystallography, showing a tight coordination of desolvated K+ ions by the channel. However, the molecular mechanism of K+ ions permeation through potassium channels remains unclear, with structural, functional and computational studies often providing conflicting data and interpretations. In this review, we will present the proposed mechanisms, discuss their origins, and will critically assess them against all available data. General properties shared by all potassium channels are introduced first, followed by the introduction of two main mechanisms of ion permeation: soft and direct knock-on. Then, we will discuss critical computational and experimental studies that shaped the field. We will especially focus on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, that provided mechanistic and energetic aspects of K+ permeation, but at the same time created long-standing controversies. Further challenges and possible solutions are presented as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Mironenko
- Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Zachariae
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Bert L de Groot
- Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wojciech Kopec
- Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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18
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Miranda WE, Guo J, Mesa-Galloso H, Corradi V, Lees-Miller JP, Tieleman DP, Duff HJ, Noskov SY. Lipid regulation of hERG1 channel function. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1409. [PMID: 33658490 PMCID: PMC7930123 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21681-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The lipid regulation of mammalian ion channel function has emerged as a fundamental mechanism in the control of electrical signalling and transport specificity in various cell types. In this work, we combine molecular dynamics simulations, mutagenesis, and electrophysiology to provide mechanistic insights into how lipophilic molecules (ceramide-sphingolipid probe) alter gating kinetics and K+ currents of hERG1. We show that the sphingolipid probe induced a significant left shift of activation voltage, faster deactivation rates, and current blockade comparable to traditional hERG1 blockers. Microseconds-long MD simulations followed by experimental mutagenesis elucidated ceramide specific binding locations at the interface between the pore and voltage sensing domains. This region constitutes a unique crevice present in mammalian channels with a non-swapped topology. The combined experimental and simulation data provide evidence for ceramide-induced allosteric modulation of the channel by a conformational selection mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Williams E Miranda
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, 507 Campus Drive, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jiqing Guo
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, 3280 Hospital Dr., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Haydee Mesa-Galloso
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, 507 Campus Drive, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Valentina Corradi
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, 507 Campus Drive, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - James P Lees-Miller
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, 3280 Hospital Dr., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - D Peter Tieleman
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, 507 Campus Drive, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Henry J Duff
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, 3280 Hospital Dr., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Sergei Yu Noskov
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, 507 Campus Drive, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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19
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Rao S, Klesse G, Lynch CI, Tucker SJ, Sansom MSP. Molecular Simulations of Hydrophobic Gating of Pentameric Ligand Gated Ion Channels: Insights into Water and Ions. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:981-994. [PMID: 33439645 PMCID: PMC7869105 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels are proteins which form gated nanopores in biological membranes. Many channels exhibit hydrophobic gating, whereby functional closure of a pore occurs by local dewetting. The pentameric ligand gated ion channels (pLGICs) provide a biologically important example of hydrophobic gating. Molecular simulation studies comparing additive vs polarizable models indicate predictions of hydrophobic gating are robust to the model employed. However, polarizable models suggest favorable interactions of hydrophobic pore-lining regions with chloride ions, of relevance to both synthetic carriers and channel proteins. Electrowetting of a closed pLGIC hydrophobic gate requires too high a voltage to occur physiologically but may inform designs for switchable nanopores. Global analysis of ∼200 channels yields a simple heuristic for structure-based prediction of (closed) hydrophobic gates. Simulation-based analysis is shown to provide an aid to interpretation of functional states of new channel structures. These studies indicate the importance of understanding the behavior of water and ions within the nanoconfined environment presented by ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanlin Rao
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
| | - Gianni Klesse
- Clarendon
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
| | | | - Stephen J. Tucker
- Clarendon
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
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20
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Refinement of a cryo-EM structure of hERG: Bridging structure and function. Biophys J 2021; 120:738-748. [PMID: 33476597 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The human-ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) encodes the voltage-gated potassium channel (KCNH2 or Kv11.1, commonly known as hERG). This channel plays a pivotal role in the stability of phase 3 repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Although a high-resolution cryo-EM structure is available for its depolarized (open) state, the structure surprisingly did not feature many functionally important interactions established by previous biochemical and electrophysiology experiments. Using molecular dynamics flexible fitting (MDFF), we refined the structure and recovered the missing functionally relevant salt bridges in hERG in its depolarized state. We also performed electrophysiology experiments to confirm the functional relevance of a novel salt bridge predicted by our refinement protocol. Our work shows how refinement of a high-resolution cryo-EM structure helps to bridge the existing gap between the structure and function in the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) of hERG.
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21
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Li J, Shen R, Reddy B, Perozo E, Roux B. Mechanism of C-type inactivation in the hERG potassium channel. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/5/eabd6203. [PMID: 33514547 PMCID: PMC7846155 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd6203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The fast C-type inactivation displayed by the voltage-activated potassium channel hERG plays a critical role in the repolarization of cardiac cells, and malfunction caused by nonspecific binding of drugs or naturally occurring missense mutations affecting inactivation can lead to pathologies. Because of its impact on human health, understanding the molecular mechanism of C-type inactivation in hERG represents an advance of paramount importance. Here, long-time scale molecular dynamics simulations, free energy landscape calculations, and electrophysiological experiments are combined to address the structural and functional impacts of several disease-associated mutations. Results suggest that C-type inactivation in hERG is associated with an asymmetrical constricted-like conformation of the selectivity filter, identifying F627 side-chain rotation and the hydrogen bond between Y616 and N629 as key determinants. Comparison of hERG with other K+ channels suggests that C-type inactivation depends on the degree of opening of the intracellular gate via the filter-gate allosteric coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bharat Reddy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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22
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Furini S, Domene C. Critical Assessment of Common Force Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Potassium Channels. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:7148-7159. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Furini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Carmen Domene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
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23
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Lolicato M, Natale AM, Abderemane-Ali F, Crottès D, Capponi S, Duman R, Wagner A, Rosenberg JM, Grabe M, Minor DL. K 2P channel C-type gating involves asymmetric selectivity filter order-disorder transitions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/44/eabc9174. [PMID: 33127683 PMCID: PMC7608817 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
K2P potassium channels regulate cellular excitability using their selectivity filter (C-type) gate. C-type gating mechanisms, best characterized in homotetrameric potassium channels, remain controversial and are attributed to selectivity filter pinching, dilation, or subtle structural changes. The extent to which such mechanisms control C-type gating of innately heterodimeric K2Ps is unknown. Here, combining K2P2.1 (TREK-1) x-ray crystallography in different potassium concentrations, potassium anomalous scattering, molecular dynamics, and electrophysiology, we uncover unprecedented, asymmetric, potassium-dependent conformational changes that underlie K2P C-type gating. These asymmetric order-disorder transitions, enabled by the K2P heterodimeric architecture, encompass pinching and dilation, disrupt the S1 and S2 ion binding sites, require the uniquely long K2P SF2-M4 loop and conserved "M3 glutamate network," and are suppressed by the K2P C-type gate activator ML335. These findings demonstrate that two distinct C-type gating mechanisms can operate in one channel and underscore the SF2-M4 loop as a target for K2P channel modulator development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Lolicato
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Andrew M Natale
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Fayal Abderemane-Ali
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - David Crottès
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Sara Capponi
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Ramona Duman
- Science Division, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Armin Wagner
- Science Division, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - John M Rosenberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Michael Grabe
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA.
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 93858-2330, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA
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24
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Long QT Syndrome Type 2: Emerging Strategies for Correcting Class 2 KCNH2 ( hERG) Mutations and Identifying New Patients. Biomolecules 2020. [PMID: 32759882 DOI: 10.3390/biom10081144s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Significant advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) have been made. A wide variety of experimental approaches, including heterologous expression of mutant ion channel proteins and the use of inducible pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) from LQTS patients offer insights into etiology and new therapeutic strategies. This review briefly discusses the major molecular mechanisms underlying LQTS type 2 (LQT2), which is caused by loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in the KCNH2 gene (also known as the human ether-à-go-go-related gene or hERG). Almost half of suspected LQT2-causing mutations are missense mutations, and functional studies suggest that about 90% of these mutations disrupt the intracellular transport, or trafficking, of the KCNH2-encoded Kv11.1 channel protein to the cell surface membrane. In this review, we discuss emerging strategies that improve the trafficking and functional expression of trafficking-deficient LQT2 Kv11.1 channel proteins to the cell surface membrane and how new insights into the structure of the Kv11.1 channel protein will lead to computational approaches that identify which KCNH2 missense variants confer a high-risk for LQT2.
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25
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Ono M, Burgess DE, Schroder EA, Elayi CS, Anderson CL, January CT, Sun B, Immadisetty K, Kekenes-Huskey PM, Delisle BP. Long QT Syndrome Type 2: Emerging Strategies for Correcting Class 2 KCNH2 ( hERG) Mutations and Identifying New Patients. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1144. [PMID: 32759882 PMCID: PMC7464307 DOI: 10.3390/biom10081144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) have been made. A wide variety of experimental approaches, including heterologous expression of mutant ion channel proteins and the use of inducible pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) from LQTS patients offer insights into etiology and new therapeutic strategies. This review briefly discusses the major molecular mechanisms underlying LQTS type 2 (LQT2), which is caused by loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in the KCNH2 gene (also known as the human ether-à-go-go-related gene or hERG). Almost half of suspected LQT2-causing mutations are missense mutations, and functional studies suggest that about 90% of these mutations disrupt the intracellular transport, or trafficking, of the KCNH2-encoded Kv11.1 channel protein to the cell surface membrane. In this review, we discuss emerging strategies that improve the trafficking and functional expression of trafficking-deficient LQT2 Kv11.1 channel proteins to the cell surface membrane and how new insights into the structure of the Kv11.1 channel protein will lead to computational approaches that identify which KCNH2 missense variants confer a high-risk for LQT2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Ono
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.O.); (D.E.B.); (E.A.S.)
| | - Don E. Burgess
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.O.); (D.E.B.); (E.A.S.)
| | - Elizabeth A. Schroder
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.O.); (D.E.B.); (E.A.S.)
| | | | - Corey L. Anderson
- Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (C.L.A.); (C.T.J.)
| | - Craig T. January
- Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (C.L.A.); (C.T.J.)
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60153, USA; (B.S.); (K.I.); (P.M.K.-H.)
| | - Kalyan Immadisetty
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60153, USA; (B.S.); (K.I.); (P.M.K.-H.)
| | - Peter M. Kekenes-Huskey
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60153, USA; (B.S.); (K.I.); (P.M.K.-H.)
| | - Brian P. Delisle
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.O.); (D.E.B.); (E.A.S.)
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