Redox reagents and divalent cations alter the kinetics of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channel gating

Cadmium transport by mammalian ATP-binding cassette transporters

Cellular responses to toxic metals depend on metal accessibility to intracellular targets, reaching interaction sites, and the intracellular metal concentration, which is mainly determined by uptake pathways, binding/sequestration and efflux pathways. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are ubiquitous in the human body-usually in epithelia-and are responsible for the transfer of indispensable physiological substrates (e.g. lipids and heme), protection against potentially toxic substances, maintenance of fluid composition, and excretion of metabolic waste products. Derailed regulation and gene variants of ABC transporters culminate in a wide array of pathophysiological disease states, such as oncogenic multidrug resistance or cystic fibrosis. Cadmium (Cd) has no known physiological role in mammalians and poses a health risk due to its release into the environment as a result of industrial activities, and eventually passes into the food chain. Epithelial cells, especially within the liver, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, are particularly susceptible to the multifaceted effects of Cd because of the plethora of uptake pathways available. Pertinent to their broad substrate spectra, ABC transporters represent a major cellular efflux pathway for Cd and Cd complexes. In this review, we summarize current knowledge concerning transport of Cd and its complexes (mainly Cd bound to glutathione) by the ABC transporters ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein, MDR1), ABCB6, ABCC1 (multidrug resistance related protein 1, MRP1), ABCC7 (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, CFTR), and ABCG2 (breast cancer related protein, BCRP). Potential detoxification strategies underlying ABC transporter-mediated efflux of Cd and Cd complexes are discussed.

The COPD-Associated Polymorphism Impairs the CFTR Function to Suppress Excessive IL-8 Production upon Environmental Pathogen Exposure

COPD is a lifestyle-related disease resulting from irreversible damage to respiratory tissues mostly due to chronic exposure to environmental pollutants, including cigarette smoke. Environmental pathogens and pollutants induce the acquired dysfunction of the CFTR Cl^- channel, which is invoked in COPD. Despite the increased incidence of CFTR polymorphism R75Q or M470V in COPD patients, the mechanism of how the CFTR variant affects COPD pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of CFTR polymorphisms (R75Q, M470V) on the CFTR function in airway epithelial cell models. While wild-type (WT) CFTR suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine production induced by COPD-related pathogens including pyocyanin (PYO), R75Q- or M470V-CFTR failed. Mechanistically, the R75Q- or M470V-CFTR fractional PM activity (FPMA) was significantly lower than WT-CFTR in the presence of PYO. Notably, the CF drug Trikafta corrected the PM expression of R75Q- or M470V-CFTR even upon PYO exposure and consequently suppressed the excessive IL-8 production. These results suggest that R75Q or M470V polymorphism impairs the CFTR function to suppress the excessive proinflammatory response to environmental pathogens associated with COPD. Moreover, Trikafta may be useful to prevent the COPD pathogenesis associated with acquired CFTR dysfunction.

The CFTR-Associated Ligand Arrests the Trafficking of the Mutant ΔF508 CFTR Channel in the ER Contributing to Cystic Fibrosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The CFTR-Associated Ligand (CAL), a PDZ domain containing protein with two coiled-coil domains, reduces cell surface WT CFTR through degradation in the lysosome by a well-characterized mechanism. However, CAL's regulatory effect on ΔF508 CFTR has remained almost entirely uninvestigated.

METHODS

In this study, we describe a previously unknown pathway for CAL by which it regulates the membrane expression of ΔF508 CFTR through arrest of ΔF508 CFTR trafficking in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) using a combination of cell biology, biochemistry and electrophysiology.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that CAL is an ER localized protein that binds to ΔF508 CFTR and is degraded in the 26S proteasome. When CAL is inhibited, ΔF508 CFTR retention in the ER decreases and cell surface expression of mature functional ΔF508 CFTR is observed alongside of enhanced expression of plasma membrane scaffolding protein NHERF1. Chaperone proteins regulate this novel process, and ΔF508 CFTR binding to HSP40, HSP90, HSP70, VCP, and Aha1 changes to improve ΔF508 CFTR cell surface trafficking.

CONCLUSION

Our results reveal a pathway in which CAL regulates the cell surface availability and intracellular retention of ΔF508 CFTR.

Redox balance in cystic fibrosis

The homeostatic balance between oxidants and antioxidants in biological systems is known as redox balance, and is regulated by complex processes. Redox balance regulates many of the known cellular pathways and disease processes. The dysregulation of redox balance can lead to acute or long-term oxidative or reductive stresses that are associated with many of the abnormalities observed in cystic fibrosis (CF). Over the past 5 decades researchers have examined contributors to redox dysregulation, their molecular products, and their impact on ion transport, cell proliferation, inflammation, bacterial killing, and the metabolism of nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids in CF. CF patients exhibit elevated markers of oxidative stress when compared to non-CF healthy controls; however, whether the reported redox imbalance is sufficient to produce pathology has been controversial. In addition, comparisons between CF and non-CF disease controls have been lacking. To better understand the mechanisms which mediate the generation of oxidants and antioxidants in CF and the importance of their balance in effecting oxidative or reductive stress, we will review the determinants of redox balance in the blood, lumen, and cellular compartments. From the perspective of methodological application, we will focus on the approaches most often used to study oxidant and antioxidants in CF, including biochemical, proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic studies, with a discussion of the few transcriptomic analyses that predict changes in the expression of regulators of redox. Finally, we will discuss the utility of oxidants and antioxidants as biomarkers of disease and the use of antioxidant therapy in CF.

Cadmium regulates the expression of the CFTR chloride channel in human airway epithelial cells

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal ranked seventh on the Priority List of Hazardous Substances. As a byproduct of smelters, cadmium is a prevalent environmental contaminant. It is also a major component of cigarette smoke, and its inhalation is associated with decreased pulmonary function, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ion channels, including the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), play a central role in maintaining fluid homeostasis and lung functions. CFTR is mostly expressed in epithelial cells, and little is known about the effect of cadmium exposure on lung epithelial cell function. We show that exposure to cadmium decreases the expression of the CFTR protein and subsequent chloride transport in human airway epithelial cells in vitro. Impairment of CFTR protein expression was also observed in vivo in the lung of mice after intranasal instillation of cadmium. We established that the inhibitory effect of cadmium was not a nonspecific effect of heavy metals, as nickel had no effect on CFTR protein levels. Finally, we show that selected antioxidants, including alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), but not N-acetylcysteine, can prevent the cadmium-induced suppression of CFTR. In summary, we have identified cadmium as a regulator of the CFTR chloride channel present in lung epithelial cells. Future strategies to prevent the deleterious effect of cadmium on epithelial cells and lung functions may benefit from the finding that alpha-tocopherol protects CFTR expression and function.

Secondhand smoke inhibits both Cl- and K+ conductances in normal human bronchial epithelial cells

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is an independent risk factor for asthma, rhinosinusitis, and more severe respiratory tract infections in children and adults. Impaired mucociliary clearance with subsequent mucus retention contributes to the pathophysiology of each of these diseases, suggesting that altered epithelial salt and water transport may play an etiological role. To test the hypothesis that SHS would alter epithelial ion transport, we designed a system for in vitro exposure of mature, well-differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells to SHS. We show that SHS exposure inhibits cAMP-stimulated, bumetanide-sensitive anion secretion by 25 to 40% in a time-dependent fashion in these cells. Increasing the amount of carbon monoxide to 100 ppm from 5 ppm did not increase the amount of inhibition, and filtering SHS reduced inhibition significantly. It was determined that SHS inhibited cAMP-dependent apical membrane chloride conductance by 25% and Ba²⁺-sensitive basolateral membrane potassium conductance by 50%. These data confirm previous findings that cigarette smoke inhibits chloride secretion in a novel model of smoke exposure designed to mimic SHS exposure. They also extend previous findings to demonstrate an effect on basolateral K⁺ conductance. Therefore, pharmacological agents that increase either apical membrane chloride conductance or basolateral membrane potassium conductance might be of therapeutic benefit in patients with diseases related to SHS exposure.

Aqueous accessibility to the transmembrane regions of subunit c of the Escherichia coli F1F0 ATP synthase

Rotary catalysis in F(1)F(0) ATP synthase is powered by proton translocation through the membrane-embedded F(0) sector. Proton binding and release occur in the middle of the membrane at Asp-61 on transmembrane helix (TMH) 2 of subunit c. Previously the reactivity of Cys substituted into TMH2 revealed extensive aqueous access at the cytoplasmic side as probed with Ag(+) and other thiolate-directed reagents. The analysis of aqueous accessibility of membrane-embedded regions in subunit c was extended here to TMH1 and the periplasmic side of TMH2. The Ag(+) sensitivity of Cys substitutions was more limited on the periplasmic versus cytoplasmic side of TMH2. In TMH1, Ag(+) sensitivity was restricted to a pocket of four residues lying directly behind Asp-61. Aqueous accessibility was also probed using Cd(2+), a membrane-impermeant soft metal ion with properties similar to Ag(+). Cd(2+) inhibition was restricted to the I28C substitution in TMH1 and residues surrounding Asp-61 in TMH2. The overall pattern of inhibition, by all of the reagents tested, indicates highest accessibility on the cytoplasmic side of TMH2 and in a pocket of residues around Asp-61, including proximal residues in TMH1. Additionally subunit a was shown to mediate access to this region by the membrane-impermeant probe 2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl methanethiosulfonate. Based upon these results and other information, a pocket of aqueous accessible residues, bordered by the peripheral surface of TMH4 of subunit a, is proposed to extend from the cytoplasmic side of cTMH2 to Asp-61 in the center of the membrane.

CFTR mediates cadmium-induced apoptosis through modulation of ROS level in mouse proximal tubule cells

The aim of this study was to characterize the role of CFTR during Cd(2+)-induced apoptosis. For this purpose primary cultures and cell lines originated from proximal tubules (PCT) of wild-type cftr(+/+) and cftr(-/-) mice were used. In cftr(+/+) cells, the application of Cd(2+) (5 microM) stimulated within 8 min an ERK1/2-activated CFTR-like Cl(-) conductance sensitive to CFTR(inh)-172. Thereafter Cd(2+) induced an apoptotic volume decrease (AVD) within 6 h followed by caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. The early increase in CFTR conductance was followed by the activation of volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying (VSOR) Cl(-) and TASK2 K(+) conductances. By contrast, cftr(-/-) cells exposed to Cd(2+) were unable to develop VSOR currents, caspase-3 activity, and AVD process and underwent necrosis. Moreover in cftr(+/+) cells, Cd(2+) enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and induced a 50% decrease in total glutathione content (major ROS scavenger in PCT). ROS generation and glutathione decrease depended on the presence of CFTR, since they did not occur in the presence of CFTR(inh)-172 or in cftr(-/-) cells. Additionally, Cd(2+) exposure accelerates effluxes of fluorescent glutathione S-conjugate in cftr(+/+) cells. Our data suggest that CFTR could modulate ROS levels to ensure apoptosis during Cd(2+) exposure by modulating the intracellular content of glutathione.

Potentiation of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- currents by the chemical solvent tetrahydrofuran

The chemical solvent tetrahydrofuran (THF) increases short-circuit current (I(sc)) in renal epithelia endogenously expressing the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). To understand how THF increases I(sc), we employed the Ussing chamber and patch-clamp techniques to study cells expressing recombinant human CFTR. THF increased I(sc) in Fischer rat thyroid (FRT) epithelia expressing wild-type CFTR with half-maximal effective concentration (K(D)) of 134 mM. This THF-induced increase in I(sc) was enhanced by forskolin (10 microM), inhibited by the PKA inhibitor H-89 (10 microM) and the thiazolidinone CFTR(inh)-172 (10 microM) and attenuated greatly in FRT epithelia expressing the cystic fibrosis mutants F508del- and G551D-CFTR. By contrast, THF (100 mM) was without effect on untransfected FRT epithelia, while other solvents failed to increase I(sc) in FRT epithelia expressing wild-type CFTR. In excised inside-out membrane patches, THF (100 mM) potentiated CFTR Cl(-) channels open in the presence of ATP (1 mM) alone by increasing the frequency of channel openings without altering their duration. However, following the phosphorylation of CFTR by PKA (75 nM), THF (100 mM) did not potentiate channel activity. Similar results were obtained with the triangle upR-S660A-CFTR Cl(-) channel that is not regulated by PKA-dependent phosphorylation and using 2'deoxy-ATP, which gates wild-type CFTR more effectively than ATP. Our data suggest that THF acts directly on CFTR to potentiate channel gating, but that its efficacy is weak and dependent on the phosphorylation status of CFTR.

Oxidative stress caused by pyocyanin impairs CFTR Cl(-) transport in human bronchial epithelial cells

Pyocyanin (N-methyl-1-hydroxyphenazine), a redox-active virulence factor produced by the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is known to compromise mucociliary clearance. Exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells to pyocyanin increased the rate of cellular release of H(2)O(2) threefold above the endogenous H(2)O(2) production. Real-time measurements of the redox potential of the cytosolic compartment using the redox sensor roGFP1 showed that pyocyanin (100 microM) oxidized the cytosol from a resting value of -318+/-5 mV by 48.0+/-4.6 mV within 2 h; a comparable oxidation was induced by 100 microM H(2)O(2). Whereas resting Cl(-) secretion was slightly activated by pyocyanin (to 10% of maximal currents), forskolin-stimulated Cl(-) secretion was inhibited by 86%. The decline was linearly related to the cytosolic redox potential (1.8% inhibition/mV oxidation). Cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial cells homozygous for DeltaF508 CFTR failed to secrete Cl(-) in response to pyocyanin or H(2)O(2), indicating that these oxidants specifically target the CFTR and not other Cl(-) conductances. Treatment with pyocyanin also decreased total cellular glutathione levels to 62% and cellular ATP levels to 46% after 24 h. We conclude that pyocyanin is a key factor that redox cycles in the cytosol, generates H(2)O(2), depletes glutathione and ATP, and impairs CFTR function in Pseudomonas-infected lungs.

State-dependent inhibition of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channels by a novel peptide toxin

Peptide toxins from animal venom have been used for many years for the identification and study of cation-permeable ion channels. However, no peptide toxins have been identified that interact with known anion-selective channels, including cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the protein defective in cystic fibrosis and a member of the ABC transporter superfamily. Here, we describe the identification and initial characterization of a novel 3.7-kDa peptide toxin, GaTx1, which is a potent and reversible inhibitor of CFTR, acting from the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. Thus, GaTx1 is the first peptide toxin identified that inhibits a chloride channel of known molecular identity. GaTx1 exhibited high specificity, showing no effect on a panel of nine transport proteins, including Cl(-) and K(+) channels, and ABC transporters. GaTx1-mediated inhibition of CFTR channel activity is strongly state-dependent; both potency and efficacy are reduced under conditions of elevated [ATP], suggesting that GaTx1 may function as a non-competitive inhibitor of ATP-dependent channel gating. This tool will allow the application of new quantitative approaches to study CFTR structure and function, particularly with respect to the conformational changes that underlie transitions between open and closed states.

Tin protoporphyrin induces intestinal chloride secretion by inducing light oxidation processes

Heme induces Cl(-) secretion in intestinal epithelial cells, most likely via carbon monoxide (CO) generation. The major source of endogenous CO comes from the degradation of heme via heme oxygenase (HO). We hypothesized that an inhibitor of HO activity, tin protoporphyrin (SnPP), may inhibit the stimulatory effect of heme on Cl(-) secretion. To test this hypothesis, we treated an intestinal epithelial cell line (Caco-2 cells) with SnPP. In contrast to our expectations, Caco-2 cells treated with SnPP had an increase in their short-circuit currents (I(sc)) in Ussing chambers. This effect was observed only when the system was exposed to ambient light. SnPP-induced I(sc) was caused by Cl(-) secretion because it was inhibited in Cl(-)-free medium, with ouabain or 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB). The Cl(-) secretion was not via activation of the CFTR, because a specific inhibitor had no effect. Likewise, inhibitors of adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase had no effect on the enhanced I(sc). SnPP-induced I(sc) was inhibited by the antioxidant vitamins, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid. Electron paramagnetic resonance experiments confirmed that oxidative reactions were initiated with light in cells loaded with SnPP. These data suggest that SnPP-induced effects may not be entirely due to the inhibition of HO activity but rather to light-induced oxidative processes. These novel effects of SnPP-photosensitized oxidation may also lead to a new understanding of how intestinal Cl(-) secretion can be regulated by the redox environment of the cell.

Histamine-induced ion secretion across rat distal colon: involvement of histamine H1 and H2 receptors

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of histamine, a product of e.g. mast cells, on short-circuit current (I(sc)) across rat distal colon. Histamine concentration-dependently stimulated an increase in I(sc), which often was preceded by a transient negative current. Neither a release of neurotransmitters nor a release of prostaglandins contributed to the histamine response. The histamine-induced increase in I(sc) was blocked by the histamine H(1) antagonist, pyrilamine, but was resistant against the histamine H(2) antagonist, cimetidine. Conversely, the histamine H(1) agonist, TMPH (2-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)histamine), exclusively evoked an increase in I(sc), whereas the histamine H(2) agonist, amthamine, evoked only a decrease in I(sc) suggesting that stimulation of different types of histamine receptors is responsible for the two phases of the response evoked by native histamine. Histamine induces the opening of glibenclamide-sensitive Cl(-) channels and of charybdotoxin-sensitive K(+) channels in the apical membrane as demonstrated by experiments at basolaterally depolarized epithelia. A further action site is the basolateral membrane, because histamine stimulates a charybdotoxin- and tetrapentylammonium-sensitive K(+) conductance in this membrane as observed in tissues, in which the apical membrane was permeabilized with an ionophore, nystatin. The increase in I(sc) evoked by histamine was blocked after depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores with cyclopiazonic acid and after blockade of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptors, suggesting a release of stored Ca(2+). This was confirmed by the observation that the histamine H(1) agonist TMPH induced an increase in the fura-2 ratio signal of epithelial cells within isolated colonic crypts. Consequently, the mediator histamine seems to stimulate both histamine H(1) and H(2) receptors, from which the former seems to be prominently involved in the induction of epithelial chloride secretion.

Paradoxical effects of hydrogen peroxide on human airway anion secretion

The present study concerns intriguing effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on cAMP-mediated anion secretion in polarized human airway epithelia. Although H2O2 applied to the apical and basolateral membrane increases short-circuit currents (ISC) with analogous properties, it has opposite effects on subsequent cAMP-activated ISC responses. Namely, forskolin (FK)-induced ISC responses were down-regulated by the apical presence of H2O2, whereas they were up-regulated by its basolateral presence. Despite this contrasting effect, oxidative stimuli from either aspect of the monolayer hindered FK-induced increments in cytosolic cAMP levels and apical membrane Cl- conductance. The site-dependent effects of H2O2 were reproduced in the responses to 8-bromo-cAMP. Estimation of the anionic composition of the ISC revealed that the FK up-regulated both bumetanide [an Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC1) inhibitor]-sensitive and 4,4'-dinitrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid [an HCO3--dependent anion transporter (NBC1/AE2) inhibitor]-sensitive ISC in the control, whereas the up-regulation evidently favored bumetanide-sensitive ISC in the basolateral presence of H2O2. The FK-induced NKCC1 augmentation after exposure to basolateral H2O2 was counteracted by cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of microfilament function, but not by charybdotoxin, a blocker of the intermediate conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel, whose activation could be related to NKCC1-mediated Cl- secretion. These observations suggest that basolaterally but not apically applied H2O2 potentiates subsequent cAMP-mediated Cl- secretion by an increase in Cl- uptake via basolateral NKCC1, whose sensitivities to cAMP/protein kinase A are up-regulated, overcoming the H2O2-induced inhibition of cAMP-mediated apical anion conductance. The basolateral membrane-specific effects of H2O2 may be relevant to the basolateral cytoskeleton, which is believed to interact with NKCC1.

S-CMC-Lys-dependent stimulation of electrogenic glutathione secretion by human respiratory epithelium

Glutathione (GSH) is one of the most important defense mechanisms against oxidative stress in the respiratory epithelial lining fluid. Considering that GSH secretion in respiratory cells has been postulated to be at least partially electrogenic, and that the mucoregulator S-carbocysteine lysine salt monohydrate (S-CMC-Lys) can cause an activation of epithelial Cl(-) conductance, the purpose of this study was to verify whether S-CMC-Lys is able to stimulate GSH secretion. Experiments have been performed by patch-clamp technique, by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay, and by Western blot analysis on cultured lines of human respiratory cells (WI-26VA4 and CFT1-C2). In whole-cell configuration, after cell exposure to 100 microM S-CMC-Lys, a current due to an outward GSH flux was observed, which was inhibitable by 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate and glibenclamide. This current was not observed in CFT1-C2 cells, where a functional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is lacking. Inside-out patch-clamp experiments (GSH on the cytoplasm side, Cl(-) on the extracellular side) showed the activity of a channel, which was able to conduct current in both directions: the single channel conductance was 2-4 pS, and the open probability (P(o)) was low and voltage-independent. After preincubation with 100 microM S-CMC-Lys, there was an increase in P(o), in the number of active channels present in each patch, and in the relative permeability to GSH vs Cl(-). Outwardly directed efflux of GSH could also be increased by protein kinase A, adenosine 5'-triphosphate, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) added to the cytoplasmic side (whole-cell configuration). The increased secretion of GSH observed in the presence of S-CMC-Lys or 8-bromoadenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate was also confirmed by HPLC assay of GSH on a confluent monolayer of respiratory cells. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of CFTR in WI-26VA4 cells. This study suggests that S-CMC-Lys is able to stimulate a channel-mediated GSH secretion by human respiratory cells: electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics of this channel are similar to those of the CFTR channel.

Cocoa-related flavonoids inhibit CFTR-mediated chloride transport across T84 human colon epithelia

Cocoa beans have historically been used as a treatment for diarrhea, leading us to hypothesize that polyphenols contained in cocoa inhibit intestinal Cl- secretion. In this study, the dose-dependent effects of flavonoid compounds present in cocoa, or molecularly closely related compounds, were tested on forskolin-stimulated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-mediated Cl- secretion across T84 colonic epithelia in Ussing chambers. Addition of cocoa extract or cocoa flavanols to the mucosal side of tissues caused partial inhibition following Michaelis-Menten kinetics and resulted in a rank order of maximum blocker effects as follows: epicatechin > catechin > or = standardized cocoa preparation > or = procyanidin B2. Half-maximal blocker concentrations (Ki) were not substantially different between the tested preparations and were in the range of 100 micromol/L. For comparison, the structurally related flavonoids, quercetin and luteolin, caused a total block of Cl- currents with Ki values similar to the cocoa flavanols tested. Morin and baicalein were less effective blockers. Effects of test compounds on mucosal redox potential did not correlate with blocker activity. These data indicate that cocoa flavanols target intestinal CFTR Cl- transport and may serve as mild inhibitors of cAMP-stimulated Cl- secretion in the intestine.

Oxidant stress suppresses CFTR expression

Epithelial mucous membranes are repeatedly exposed to oxidants and xenobiotics. CFTR plays a role in glutathione transepithelial flux and in defining the hydration and viscoelasticity of protective mucus. We therefore hypothesized that CFTR expression and function may be modulated by oxidant stress. A sublethal oxidant stress (tert-butylhydroquinone, BHQ) in CFTR-expressing epithelial cells (T84) induced a significant increase in cellular glutathione that was associated with an increase in expression of the gene encoding the heavy subunit of the rate-limiting enzyme for glutathione synthesis, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCShs). CFTR gene expression was markedly decreased according to a time course that mirrored the changes in gamma-GCShs. Western blot analysis confirmed that the decrease in CFTR gene expression was associated with a decrease in CFTR protein. cAMP-dependent iodide efflux was also decreased by the oxidant stress. Nuclear run-on assays indicated that the oxidant stress had no effect on CFTR gene transcription, but the mRNA stability in the oxidant-stressed cells was markedly reduced. Furthermore, BHQ increased gamma-GCShs mRNA while decreasing CFTR mRNA in Calu-3 cells, and taurine chloramine induced similar effects in T84 cells. We conclude that suppression of CFTR expression may represent an adaptive response of mucosal epithelium to an exogenous oxidant stress.

Intracellular Thiol-mediated Modulation of Epithelial Sodium Channel Activity

The epithelial sodium channel ENaC is physiologically important in the kidney for the regulation of the extracellular fluid volume, and in the lungs for the maintenance of the appropriate airway surface liquid volume that lines the pulmonary epithelium. Besides the regulation of ENaC by hormones, intracellular factors such as Na(+) ions, pH, or Ca(2+) are responsible for fast adaptive responses of ENaC activity to changes in the intracellular milieu. In this study, we show that ENaC is rapidly and reversibly inhibited by internal sulfhydryl-reactive molecules such as methanethiosulfonate derivatives of different sizes, the metal cations Cd(2+) and Zn(2+), or copper(II) phenanthroline, a mild oxidizing agent that promotes the formation of disulfide bonds. At the single channel level, these agents applied intracellularly induce the appearance of long channel closures, suggesting an effect on ENaC gating. The intracellular reducing agent dithiothreitol fully reverses the rundown of ENaC activity in inside-out patches. Our observations suggest that changes in intracellular redox potential modulate ENaC activity and may regulate ENaC-mediated Na(+) transport in epithelia. Finally, substitution experiments reveal that multiple cysteine residues in the amino and carboxyl termini of ENaC subunits are responsible for this thiol-mediated inhibition of ENaC.

Reversible silencing of CFTR chloride channels by glutathionylation

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a phosphorylation- and ATP-dependent chloride channel that modulates salt and water transport across lung and gut epithelia. The relationship between CFTR and oxidized forms of glutathione is of potential interest because reactive glutathione species are produced in inflamed epithelia where they may be modulators or substrates of CFTR. Here we show that CFTR channel activity in excised membrane patches is markedly inhibited by several oxidized forms of glutathione (i.e., GSSG, GSNO, and glutathione treated with diamide, a strong thiol oxidizer). Three lines of evidence indicate that the likely mechanism for this inhibitory effect is glutathionylation of a CFTR cysteine (i.e., formation of a mixed disulfide with glutathione): (a) channels could be protected from inhibition by pretreating the patch with NEM (a thiol alkylating agent) or by lowering the bath pH; (b) inhibited channels could be rescued by reducing agents (e.g., DTT) or by purified glutaredoxins (Grxs; thiol disulfide oxidoreductases) including a mutant Grx that specifically reduces mixed disulfides between glutathione and cysteines within proteins; and (c) reversible glutathionylation of CFTR polypeptides in microsomes could be detected biochemically under the same conditions. At the single channel level, the primary effect of reactive glutathione species was to markedly inhibit the opening rates of individual CFTR channels. CFTR channel inhibition was not obviously dependent on phosphorylation state but was markedly slowed when channels were first “locked open” by a poorly hydrolyzable ATP analogue (AMP-PNP). Consistent with the latter finding, we show that the major site of inhibition is cys-1344, a poorly conserved cysteine that lies proximal to the signature sequence in the second nucleotide binding domain (NBD2) of human CFTR. This region is predicted to participate in ATP-dependent channel opening and to be occluded in the nucleotide-bound state of the channel based on structural comparisons to related ATP binding cassette transporters. Our results demonstrate that human CFTR channels are reversibly inhibited by reactive glutathione species, and support an important role of the region proximal to the NBD2 signature sequence in ATP-dependent channel opening.

Normal gating of CFTR requires ATP binding to both nucleotide-binding domains and hydrolysis at the second nucleotide-binding domain

ATP interacts with the two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) of CFTR to control gating. However, it is unclear whether gating involves ATP binding alone, or also involves hydrolysis at each NBD. We introduced phenylalanine residues into nonconserved positions of each NBD Walker A motif to sterically prevent ATP binding. These mutations blocked [alpha-(32)P]8-N(3)-ATP labeling of the mutated NBD and reduced channel opening rate without changing burst duration. Introducing cysteine residues at these positions and modifying with N-ethylmaleimide produced the same gating behavior. These results indicate that normal gating requires ATP binding to both NBDs, but ATP interaction with one NBD is sufficient to support some activity. We also studied mutations of the conserved Walker A lysine residues (K464A and K1250A) that prevent hydrolysis. By combining substitutions that block ATP binding with Walker A lysine mutations, we could differentiate the role of ATP binding vs. hydrolysis at each NBD. The K1250A mutation prolonged burst duration; however, blocking ATP binding prevented the long bursts. These data indicate that ATP binding to NBD2 allowed channel opening and that closing was delayed in the absence of hydrolysis. The corresponding NBD1 mutations showed relatively little effect of preventing ATP hydrolysis but a large inhibition of blocking ATP binding. These data suggest that ATP binding to NBD1 is required for normal activity but that hydrolysis has little effect. Our results suggest that both NBDs contribute to channel gating, NBD1 binds ATP but supports little hydrolysis, and ATP binding and hydrolysis at NBD2 are key for normal gating.

Stimulation of colonic anion secretion by monochloramine: action sites

During inflammatory bowel disease, reactive oxygen metabolites are released by phagocytes reacting with intraluminal NH3 to produce monochloramine (NH2Cl). NH2Cl is assumed to play role in the pathogenesis of inflammation-associated diarrhoea, as it is able to induce intestinal secretion. The aim of the present study was to determine the action sites of NH2Cl in rat colonic epithelium with Ussing chamber and fura-2 experiments. In intact mucosa, NH2Cl (5.10(-6)-10(-4) mol.l(-1)) evoked a concentration-dependent increase in short-circuit current (Isc), consistent with the induction of anion secretion, as demonstrated by anion substitution and transport blocker experiments. When the apical membrane was permeabilised by the ionophore nystatin, two basolateral action sites of NH2Cl (5.10(-5) mol.l(-1)) could be identified, i.e. an increase in the K+ conductance and a stimulation of the Na+-K+ pump. When tissues were basolaterally depolarised by a high K+ concentration, the stimulation of an apical Cl- conductance by NH2Cl was observed. In isolated colonic crypts loaded with the Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2, NH2Cl (5.10(-5) mol.l(-1)) evoked an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. This increase was independent from the presence of Ca2+ in the extracellular medium, but was inhibited by blockade of intracellular sarcoplasmatic, endoplasmatic Ca2+-ATPases with cyclopiazonic acid (10(-5) mol.l(-1)). The NH2Cl-evoked Ca2+ release was sensitive against inhibition of ryanodine receptors with ruthenium red (5.10(-5) mol.l(-1)) and against inhibition of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors with 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (10(-4) mol.l(-1)). Both blockers also inhibited the NH2Cl-induced increase in Isc. These results indicate that an intracellular Ca2+ release via ryanodine and/or IP3 receptors is involved in oxidant stimulation of anion secretion in rat colon.

CFTR: a cysteine at position 338 in TM6 senses a positive electrostatic potential in the pore

We investigated the accessibility to protons and thiol-directed reagents of a cysteine substituted at position 338 in transmembrane segment 6 (TM6) of CFTR to test the hypothesis that T338 resides in the pore. Xenopus oocytes expressing T338C CFTR exhibited pH-dependent changes in gCl and I-V shape that were specific to the substituted cysteine. The apparent pKa of T338C CFTR was more acidic than that expected for a cysteine or similar simple thiols in aqueous solution. The pKa was shifted toward alkaline values when a nearby positive charge (R334) was substituted with neutral or negatively charged residues, consistent with the predicted influence of the positive charge of R334, and perhaps other residues, on the titration of a cysteine at 338. The relative rates of chemical modification of T338C CFTR by MTSET+ and MTSES- were also altered by the charge at 334. These observations support a model for CFTR that places T338 within the anion conduction path. The apparent pKa of a cysteine substituted at 338 and the relative rates of reaction of charged thiol-directed reagents provide a crude measure of a positive electrostatic potential that may be due to R334 and other residues near this position in the pore.

Vitamin C controls the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel

Vitamin C (l-ascorbate) is present in the respiratory lining fluid of human lungs, and local deficits occur during oxidative stress. Here we report a unique function of vitamin C on the cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a cAMP-dependent Cl channel that regulates epithelial surface fluid secretion. Vitamin C (100 microM) induced the openings of CFTR Cl channels by increasing its average open probability from 0 to 0.21 +/- 0.08, without a detectable increase in intracellular cAMP levels. Exposure of the apical airway surface to vitamin C stimulated the transepithelial Cl secretion to 68% of forskolin-stimulated currents. The average half-maximal stimulatory constant was 36.5 +/- 2.9 microM, which corresponds to physiological concentrations. When vitamin C was instilled into the nasal epithelium of human subjects, it effectively activated Cl transport in vivo. In CF epithelia, previous treatment of the underlying trafficking defect with trimethylamine oxide or expression of WT CFTR restored the activation of Cl transport by vitamin C. Sodium dependency and phloretin sensitivity, as well as the expression of transcripts for sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT)-1 and SVCT2, support a model in which an apical vitamin C transporter is central for relaying the effect of vitamin C to CFTR. We conclude that cellular vitamin C is a biological regulator of CFTR-mediated Cl secretion in epithelia. The pool of vitamin C in the respiratory tract represents a potential nutraceutical and pharmaceutical target for the complementary treatment of sticky airway secretions by enhancing epithelial fluid secretion.

A novel topology and redox regulation of the rat brain K+-dependent Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, NCKX2

In this study we have examined the roles of endogenous cysteine residues in the rat brain K(+)-dependent Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger protein, NCKX2, by site-directed mutagenesis. We found that mutation of Cys-614 or Cys-666 to Ala inhibited expression of the exchanger protein in HEK-293 cells, but not in an in vitro translation system. We speculated that Cys-614 and Cys-666 might form an extracellular disulfide bond that stabilized protein structure. Such an arrangement would place the C terminus of the exchanger outside the cell, contrary to the original topological model. This hypothesis was tested by adding a hemagglutinin A epitope to the C terminus of the protein. The hemagglutinin A epitope could be recognized with a specific antibody without permeabilization of the cell membrane, supporting an extracellular location for the C terminus. Additionally, the exchanger molecule could be labeled with biotin maleimide only following extracellular application of beta-mercaptoethanol. Surprisingly, mutation of Cys-395, located in the large intracellular loop, to Ala, prevented reduction-dependent labeling of the protein. The activity of wild-type exchanger, but not the Cys-395 --> Ala mutant, was stimulated after application of beta-mercaptoethanol. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated self-association between wild-type and FLAG-tagged exchanger proteins that could not be inhibited by Cys-395 --> Ala mutation. These results suggest that NCKX2 associates as a dimer, an interaction that does not require, but may be stabilized by, a disulfide linkage through Cys-395. This linkage, perhaps by limiting protein mobility along the dimer interface, reduces the transport activity of NCKX2.

Distinct Mg(2+)-dependent steps rate limit opening and closing of a single CFTR Cl(-) channel

The roles played by ATP binding and hydrolysis in the complex mechanisms that open and close cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channels remain controversial. In this work, the contributions made by ATP and Mg(2+) ions to the gating of phosphorylated cardiac CFTR channels were evaluated separately by measuring the rates of opening and closing of single channels in excised patches exposed to solutions in which [ATP] and [Mg(2+)] were varied independently. Channel opening was found to be rate-limited not by the binding of ATP alone, but by a Mg(2+)-dependent step that followed binding of both ATP and Mg(2+). Once a channel had opened, sudden withdrawal of all Mg(2+) and ATP could prevent it from closing for tens of seconds. But subsequent exposure of such an open channel to Mg(2+) ions alone could close it, and the closing rate increased with [Mg(2+)] over the micromolar range (half maximal at approximately 50 microM [Mg(2+)]). A simple interpretation is that channel closing is stoichiometrically coupled to hydrolysis of an ATP molecule that remains tightly associated with the open CFTR channel despite continuous washing. If correct, that ATP molecule appears able to reside for over a minute in the catalytic site that controls channel closing, implying that the site must entrap, or have an intrinsically high apparent affinity for, ATP, even without a Mg(2+) ion. Such stabilization of the open-channel conformation of CFTR by tight binding, or occlusion, of an ATP molecule echoes the stabilization of the active conformation of a G protein by GTP.

Cysteine residues in the nucleotide binding domains regulate the conductance state of CFTR channels

Gating of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channels requires intermolecular or interdomain interactions, but the exact nature and physiological significance of those interactions remains uncertain. Subconductance states of the channel may result from alterations in interactions among domains, and studying mutant channels enriched for a single conductance type may elucidate those interactions. Analysis of CFTR channels in inside-out patches revealed that mutation of cysteine residues in NBD1 and NBD2 affects the frequency of channel opening to the full-size versus a 3-pS subconductance. Mutating cysteines in NBD1 resulted in channels that open almost exclusively to the 3-pS subconductance, while mutations of cysteines in NBD2 decreased the frequency of subconductance openings. Wild-type channels open to both size conductances and make fast transitions between them within a single open burst. Full-size and subconductance openings of both mutant and wild-type channels are similarly activated by ATP and phosphorylation. However, the different size conductances open very differently in the presence of a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, with subconductance openings significantly shortened by ATPgammaS, while full-size channels are locked open. In wild-type channels, reducing conditions increase the frequency and decrease the open time of subconductance channels, while oxidizing conditions decrease the frequency of subconductance openings. In contrast, in the cysteine mutants studied, altering redox potential has little effect on gating of the subconductance.

Mutations that change the position of the putative gamma-phosphate linker in the nucleotide binding domains of CFTR alter channel gating

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channel is an ATP-binding cassette transporter that contains conserved nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs). In CFTR, the NBDs bind and hydrolyze ATP to open and close the channel. Crystal structures of related NBDs suggest a structural model with an important signaling role for a gamma-phosphate linker peptide that couples bound nucleotide to movement of an alpha-helical subdomain. We mutated two residues in CFTR that the structural model predicts will uncouple effects of nucleotide binding from movement of the alpha-helical subdomain. These residues are Gln-493 and Gln-1291, which may directly connect the ATP gamma-phosphate to the gamma-phosphate linker, and residues Asn-505 and Asn-1303, which may form hydrogen bonds that stabilize the linker. In NBD1, Q493A reduced the frequency of channel opening, suggesting a role for this residue in coupling ATP binding to channel opening. In contrast, N505C increased the frequency of channel opening, consistent with a role for Asn-505 in stabilizing the inactive state of the NBD. In NBD2, Q1291A decreased the effects of pyrophosphate without altering other functions. Mutations of Asn-1303 decreased the rate of channel opening and closing, suggesting an important role for NBD2 in controlling channel burst duration. These findings are consistent with both the bacterial NBD structural model and gating models for CFTR. Our results extend models of nucleotide-induced structural changes from bacterial NBDs to a functional mammalian ATP-binding cassette transporter.

Interdomain but not intermolecular interactions observed in CFTR channels

Gating of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channels requires interdomain and/or intermolecular interactions involving different parts of the protein, yet the exact nature of those interactions remains unclear. In this study we report that treating wild type CFTR-expressing cells with oxidizing agents results in a significant reduction in the gel mobility of the protein indicative of the formation of disulfide bonds. In contrast, mutant CFTR channels in which cysteine residues in both nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) were mutated to serine, showed little change in gel mobility in oxidizing conditions. Mutation of the two cysteine residues in either the first or the second NBD alone also eliminates the change in gel mobility in oxidizing conditions. Wild type channels treated with oxidizing agents did not appear to form disulfide bonds with other proteins, suggesting that the close association that allows the formation of disulfide bonds occurs only within single proteins and not between separate channels interacting in a multimer.

Cysteine substitutions reveal dual functions of the amino-terminal tail in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channel gating

Previously, we observed that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel openings are destabilized by replacing several acidic residues in the amino-terminal tail with alanines (Naren, A. P., Cormet-Boyaka, E., Fu, J., Villain, M., Blalock, J. E., Quick, M. W., and Kirk, K. L. (1999) Science 286, 544-548). Here we determined whether this effect is due to the loss of negative charge at these sites and whether the amino-terminal tail also modulates other aspects of channel gating. We introduced cysteines at two of these positions (E54C/D58C) and tested a series of methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents for their effects on the gating properties of these cysteine mutants in intact Xenopus oocytes and excised membrane patches. Covalent modification of these sites with either neutral (MMTS) or charged (2-carboxyethylmethanethiosulfonate (MTSCE) and 2-(trimethylammonium)ethylmethanethiosulfonate (MTSET)) reagents markedly inhibited channel open probability primarily by reducing the rate of channel opening. The MTS reagents had negligible effects on the gating of the wild type channel or a corresponding double alanine mutant (E54A/D58A) under the same conditions. The inhibition of the opening rate of the E54C/D58C mutant channel by MMTS could be reversed by the reducing agent dithiothreitol (200 microm) or by elevating the bath ATP concentration above that required to activate maximally the wild type channel (>1 mm). Interestingly, the three MTS reagents had qualitatively different effects on the duration of channel openings (i.e. channel closing rate), namely the duration of openings was negligibly changed by the neutral MMTS, decreased by the positively charged MTSET, and increased by the negatively charged MTSCE. Our results indicate that the CFTR amino tail modulates both the rates of channel opening and channel closing and that the negative charges at residues 54 and 58 are important for controlling the duration of channel openings.

Perturbation of the pore of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) inhibits its atpase activity

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) lead to altered chloride (Cl(-)) flux in affected epithelial tissues. CFTR is a Cl(-) channel that is regulated by phosphorylation, nucleotide binding, and hydrolysis. However, the molecular basis for the functional regulation of wild type and mutant CFTR remains poorly understood. CFTR possesses two nucleotide binding domains, a phosphorylation-dependent regulatory domain, and two transmembrane domains that comprise the pore through which Cl(-) permeates. Mutations of residues lining the channel pore (e.g. R347D) are typically thought to cause disease by altering the interaction of Cl(-) with the pore. However, in the present study we show that the R347D mutation and diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (an open pore inhibitor) also inhibit CFTR ATPase activity, revealing a novel mechanism for cross-talk from the pore to the catalytic domains. In both cases, the reduction in ATPase correlates with a decrease in nucleotide turnover rather than affinity. Finally, we demonstrate that glutathione (GSH) inhibits CFTR ATPase and that this inhibition is altered in the CFTR-R347D variant. These findings suggest that cross-talk between the pore and nucleotide binding domains of CFTR may be important in the in vivo regulation of CFTR in health and disease.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gating requires cytosolic electrolytes

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which causes cystic fibrosis when nonfunctional, is an anion channel and a member of the ATP binding cassette superfamily. After phosphorylation, CFTR gates by binding and hydrolyzing ATP. We show that CFTR open probability (P(o)) also depends on the electrolyte concentration of the cytosol. Inside-out patches from Calu-3 cells were transiently exposed to solutions of 160 mm salt or solutions in which up to 90% of the salt was replaced by nonionic osmolytes such as sucrose. In lowered salt solutions, CFTR P(o) declined within 1 s to a stable lower value that depended on the electrolyte concentration, (K(1/2) approximately 80 mm NaCl). P(o) was rapidly restored in normal salt concentrations without regard to the electrolyte species. Reducing external electrolytes did not affect CFTR P(o). The same results were obtained when CFTR was stably phosphorylated with adenosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate). The decrease in P(o) resulted entirely from an increase in mean closed time. Increasing ATP levels up to 20-fold did not counteract the effect of low electrolytes. The same effect was observed for CFTR expressed in C127 cells but not for a different species of anion channel. Cytosolic electrolytes are an unsuspected, essential cofactor for CFTR gating.

Phagocyte oxidants and nitric oxide in cystic fibrosis: new therapeutic targets?

Chronic persistent respiratory tract (RT) infection and overly exuberant activation of host inflammatory-immune processes represent the paramount pathobiologic consequences of cystic fibrosis (CF). The host inflammatory-immune system activation includes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO*), which are helpful in RT antimicrobial defenses but under conditions of excess are believed to be harmful to host tissues. However, the genetic defect underlying CF is recognized to uniquely affect inflammatory-immune (oxidative) processes, including alterations in cytokine release, phagocyte activation, antioxidant mechanisms, and NO* synthesis and metabolism, and these appear to contribute importantly to the persistent inflammation and infection in patients with CF. The dysregulation of inflammatory-immune responses has also been observed in CF epithelial cells and in some mouse models of CF, and marked advances in our understanding of these processes can be expected from future studies in such model systems. The emerging ideas of how ROS may influence molecular events that control inflammatory protease/antiprotease homeostasis and RT epithelial cell signaling and gene expression, and the role that augmentation of local antioxidant micronutrients (aerosolized and/or systemically administrated) might play in these effects, still remain to be further established and clarified. Further understanding of these processes can be expected to play an important role in future treatment directed toward the devastating effects of CF on the RT of patients with this disorder.

Regulation of CFTR Cl- channel gating by ATP binding and hydrolysis

Opening and closing of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channel is regulated by the interaction of ATP with its two cytoplasmic nucleotide-binding domains (NBD). Although ATP hydrolysis by the NBDs is required for normal gating, the influence of ATP binding versus hydrolysis on specific steps in the gating cycle remains uncertain. Earlier work showed that the absence of Mg(2+) prevents hydrolysis. We found that even in the absence of Mg(2+), ATP could support channel activity, albeit at a reduced level compared with the presence of Mg(2+). Application of ATP with a divalent cation, including the poorly hydrolyzed CaATP complex, increased the rate of opening. Moreover, in CFTR variants with mutations that disrupt hydrolysis, ATP alone opened the channel and Mg(2+) further enhanced ATP-dependent opening. These data suggest that ATP alone can open the channel and that divalent cations increase ATP binding. Consistent with this conclusion, when we mutated an aspartate thought to bind Mg(2+), divalent cations failed to increase activity compared with ATP alone. Two observations suggested that divalent cations also stabilize the open state. In wild-type CFTR, CaATP generated a long duration open state, whereas ATP alone did not. With a CFTR variant in which hydrolysis was disrupted, MgATP, but not ATP alone, produced long openings. These results suggest a gating cycle for CFTR in which ATP binding opens the channel and either hydrolysis or dissociation leads to channel closure. In addition, the data suggest that ATP binding and hydrolysis by either NBD can gate the channel.