1
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Sure F, Einsiedel J, Gmeiner P, Duchstein P, Zahn D, Korbmacher C, Ilyaskin AV. The small molecule activator S3969 stimulates the epithelial sodium channel by interacting with a specific binding pocket in the channel's β-subunit. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105785. [PMID: 38401845 PMCID: PMC11065748 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is essential for mediating sodium absorption in several epithelia. Its impaired function leads to severe disorders, including pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 and respiratory distress. Therefore, pharmacological ENaC activators have potential therapeutic implications. Previously, a small molecule ENaC activator (S3969) was developed. So far, little is known about molecular mechanisms involved in S3969-mediated ENaC stimulation. Here, we identified an S3969-binding site in human ENaC by combining structure-based simulations with molecular biological methods and electrophysiological measurements of ENaC heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. We confirmed a previous observation that the extracellular loop of β-ENaC is essential for ENaC stimulation by S3969. Molecular dynamics simulations predicted critical residues in the thumb domain of β-ENaC (Arg388, Phe391, and Tyr406) that coordinate S3969 within a binding site localized at the β-γ-subunit interface. Importantly, mutating each of these residues reduced (R388H; R388A) or nearly abolished (F391G; Y406A) the S3969-mediated ENaC activation. Molecular dynamics simulations also suggested that S3969-mediated ENaC stimulation involved a movement of the α5 helix of the thumb domain of β-ENaC away from the palm domain of γ-ENaC. Consistent with this, the introduction of two cysteine residues (βR437C - γS298C) to form a disulfide bridge connecting these two domains prevented ENaC stimulation by S3969 unless the disulfide bond was reduced by DTT. Finally, we demonstrated that S3969 stimulated ENaC endogenously expressed in cultured human airway epithelial cells (H441). These new findings may lead to novel (patho-)physiological and therapeutic concepts for disorders associated with altered ENaC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Sure
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Einsiedel
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Gmeiner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Patrick Duchstein
- Theoretical Chemistry/Computer Chemistry Center (CCC), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dirk Zahn
- Theoretical Chemistry/Computer Chemistry Center (CCC), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christoph Korbmacher
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexandr V Ilyaskin
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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2
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Liu F, Dang Y, Li L, Feng H, Li J, Wang H, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Ye S, Tian Y, Chen Q. Structure and mechanism of a neuropeptide-activated channel in the ENaC/DEG superfamily. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1276-1285. [PMID: 37550431 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01401-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-amide (FMRFamide)-activated sodium channels (FaNaCs) are a family of channels activated by the neuropeptide FMRFamide, and, to date, the underlying ligand gating mechanism remains unknown. Here we present the high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of Aplysia californica FaNaC in both apo and FMRFamide-bound states. AcFaNaC forms a chalice-shaped trimer and possesses several notable features, including two FaNaC-specific insertion regions, a distinct finger domain and non-domain-swapped transmembrane helix 2 in the transmembrane domain (TMD). One FMRFamide binds to each subunit in a cleft located in the top-most region of the extracellular domain, with participation of residues from the neighboring subunit. Bound FMRFamide adopts an extended conformation. FMRFamide binds tightly to A. californica FaNaC in an N terminus-in manner, which causes collapse of the binding cleft and induces large local conformational rearrangements. Such conformational changes are propagated downward toward the TMD via the palm domain, possibly resulting in outward movement of the TMD and dilation of the ion conduction pore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenglian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yu Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Li
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine (AMT) and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Feng
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianlin Li
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine (AMT) and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Haowei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Sheng Ye
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures, School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Yutao Tian
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine (AMT) and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.
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3
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Elkhatib W, Yanez-Guerra LA, Mayorova TD, Currie MA, Singh A, Perera M, Gauberg J, Senatore A. Function and phylogeny support the independent evolution of an ASIC-like Deg/ENaC channel in the Placozoa. Commun Biol 2023; 6:951. [PMID: 37723223 PMCID: PMC10507113 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05312-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
ASIC channels are bilaterian proton-gated sodium channels belonging to the large and functionally-diverse Deg/ENaC family that also includes peptide- and mechanically-gated channels. Here, we report that the non-bilaterian invertebrate Trichoplax adhaerens possesses a proton-activated Deg/ENaC channel, TadNaC2, with a unique combination of biophysical features including tachyphylaxis like ASIC1a, reduced proton sensitivity like ASIC2a, biphasic macroscopic currents like ASIC3, as well as low sensitivity to the Deg/ENaC channel blocker amiloride and Ca2+ ions. Structural modeling and mutation analyses reveal that TadNaC2 proton gating is different from ASIC channels, lacking key molecular determinants, and involving unique residues within the palm and finger regions. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that a monophyletic clade of T. adhaerens Deg/ENaC channels, which includes TadNaC2, is phylogenetically distinct from ASIC channels, instead forming a clade with BASIC channels. Altogether, this work suggests that ASIC-like channels evolved independently in T. adhaerens and its phylum Placozoa. Our phylogenetic analysis also identifies several clades of uncharacterized metazoan Deg/ENaC channels, and provides phylogenetic evidence for the existence of Deg/ENaC channels outside of Metazoa, present in the gene data of select unicellular heterokont and filasterea-related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wassim Elkhatib
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Luis A Yanez-Guerra
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, England
| | | | - Mark A Currie
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Anhadvir Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Maria Perera
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Julia Gauberg
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Adriano Senatore
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.
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4
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Kaulich E, McCubbin PTN, Schafer WR, Walker DS. Physiological insight into the conserved properties of Caenorhabditis elegans acid-sensing degenerin/epithelial sodium channels. J Physiol 2023; 601:1625-1653. [PMID: 36200489 PMCID: PMC10424705 DOI: 10.1113/jp283238] [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: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are members of the diverse family of degenerin/epithelial sodium channels (DEG/ENaCs). They perform a wide range of physiological roles in healthy organisms, including in gut function and synaptic transmission, but also play important roles in disease, as acidosis is a hallmark of painful inflammatory and ischaemic conditions. We performed a screen for acid sensitivity on all 30 subunits of the Caenorhabditis elegans DEG/ENaC family using two-electrode voltage clamp in Xenopus oocytes. We found two groups of acid-sensitive DEG/ENaCs characterised by being either inhibited or activated by increasing proton concentrations. Three of these acid-sensitive C. elegans DEG/ENaCs were activated by acidic pH, making them functionally similar to the vertebrate ASICs. We also identified three new members of the acid-inhibited DEG/ENaC group, giving a total of seven additional acid-sensitive channels. We observed sensitivity to the anti-hypertensive drug amiloride as well as modulation by the trace element zinc. Acid-sensitive DEG/ENaCs were found to be expressed in both neurons and non-neuronal tissue, highlighting the likely functional diversity of these channels. Our findings provide a framework to exploit the C. elegans channels as models to study the function of these acid-sensing channels in vivo, as well as to study them as potential targets for anti-helminthic drugs. KEY POINTS: Acidosis plays many roles in healthy physiology, including synaptic transmission and gut function, but is also a key feature of inflammatory pain, ischaemia and many other conditions. Cells monitor acidosis of their surroundings via pH-sensing channels, including the acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). These are members of the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (DEG/ENaC) family, along with, as the name suggests, vertebrate ENaCs and degenerins of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. By screening all 30 C. elegans DEG/ENaCs for pH dependence, we describe, for the first time, three acid-activated members, as well as three additional acid-inhibited channels. We surveyed both groups for sensitivity to amiloride and zinc; like their mammalian counterparts, their currents can be blocked, enhanced or unaffected by these modulators. Likewise, they exhibit diverse ion selectivity. Our findings underline the diversity of acid-sensitive DEG/ENaCs across species and provide a comparative resource for better understanding the molecular basis of their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kaulich
- Neurobiology DivisionMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUK
| | | | - William R. Schafer
- Neurobiology DivisionMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUK
- Department of BiologyKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Denise S. Walker
- Neurobiology DivisionMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUK
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5
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Verkest C, Salinas M, Diochot S, Deval E, Lingueglia E, Baron A. Mechanisms of Action of the Peptide Toxins Targeting Human and Rodent Acid-Sensing Ion Channels and Relevance to Their In Vivo Analgesic Effects. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14100709. [PMID: 36287977 PMCID: PMC9612379 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14100709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are voltage-independent H+-gated cation channels largely expressed in the nervous system of rodents and humans. At least six isoforms (ASIC1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3 and 4) associate into homotrimers or heterotrimers to form functional channels with highly pH-dependent gating properties. This review provides an update on the pharmacological profiles of animal peptide toxins targeting ASICs, including PcTx1 from tarantula and related spider toxins, APETx2 and APETx-like peptides from sea anemone, and mambalgin from snake, as well as the dimeric protein snake toxin MitTx that have all been instrumental to understanding the structure and the pH-dependent gating of rodent and human cloned ASICs and to study the physiological and pathological roles of native ASICs in vitro and in vivo. ASICs are expressed all along the pain pathways and the pharmacological data clearly support a role for these channels in pain. ASIC-targeting peptide toxins interfere with ASIC gating by complex and pH-dependent mechanisms sometimes leading to opposite effects. However, these dual pH-dependent effects of ASIC-inhibiting toxins (PcTx1, mambalgin and APETx2) are fully compatible with, and even support, their analgesic effects in vivo, both in the central and the peripheral nervous system, as well as potential effects in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Verkest
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), IPMC (Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), LabEx ICST (Laboratory of Excellence in Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics), FHU InovPain (Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire “Innovative Solutions in Refractory Chronic Pain”), Université Côte d’Azur, 660 Route des Lucioles, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Nice, France
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Miguel Salinas
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), IPMC (Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), LabEx ICST (Laboratory of Excellence in Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics), FHU InovPain (Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire “Innovative Solutions in Refractory Chronic Pain”), Université Côte d’Azur, 660 Route des Lucioles, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Nice, France
| | - Sylvie Diochot
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), IPMC (Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), LabEx ICST (Laboratory of Excellence in Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics), FHU InovPain (Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire “Innovative Solutions in Refractory Chronic Pain”), Université Côte d’Azur, 660 Route des Lucioles, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Nice, France
| | - Emmanuel Deval
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), IPMC (Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), LabEx ICST (Laboratory of Excellence in Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics), FHU InovPain (Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire “Innovative Solutions in Refractory Chronic Pain”), Université Côte d’Azur, 660 Route des Lucioles, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Nice, France
| | - Eric Lingueglia
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), IPMC (Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), LabEx ICST (Laboratory of Excellence in Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics), FHU InovPain (Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire “Innovative Solutions in Refractory Chronic Pain”), Université Côte d’Azur, 660 Route des Lucioles, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Nice, France
| | - Anne Baron
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), IPMC (Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire), LabEx ICST (Laboratory of Excellence in Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics), FHU InovPain (Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire “Innovative Solutions in Refractory Chronic Pain”), Université Côte d’Azur, 660 Route des Lucioles, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560 Nice, France
- Correspondence:
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6
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Dandamudi M, Hausen H, Lynagh T. Comparative analysis defines a broader FMRFamide-gated sodium channel family and determinants of neuropeptide sensitivity. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102086. [PMID: 35636513 PMCID: PMC9234716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-amide, FMRFa) and similar neuropeptides are important physiological modulators in most invertebrates, but the molecular basis of FMRFa activity at its receptors is unknown. We therefore sought to identify the molecular determinants of FMRFa potency against one of its native targets, the excitatory FMRFa-gated sodium channel (FaNaC) from gastropod mollusks. Using molecular phylogenetics and electrophysiological measurement of neuropeptide activity, we identified a broad FaNaC family that includes mollusk and annelid channels gated by FMRFa, FVRIamides, and/or Wamides (or myoinhibitory peptides). A comparative analysis of this broader FaNaC family and other channels from the overarching degenerin (DEG)/epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) superfamily, incorporating mutagenesis and experimental dissection of channel function, identified a pocket of amino acid residues that determines activation of FaNaCs by neuropeptides. Although this pocket has diverged in distantly related DEG/ENaC channels that are activated by other ligands but enhanced by FMRFa, such as mammalian acid-sensing ion channels, we show that it nonetheless contains residues that determine enhancement of those channels by similar peptides. This study thus identifies amino acid residues that determine FMRFa neuropeptide activity at FaNaC receptor channels and illuminates the evolution of ligand recognition in one branch of the DEG/ENaC superfamily of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mowgli Dandamudi
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Harald Hausen
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Timothy Lynagh
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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7
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On the quest of small molecules that can mimic Psalmotoxin-1, the most powerful peptidic modulator of the acid sensing channel ASIC1a. Struct Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-021-01826-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Dulai JS, Smith ESJ, Rahman T. Acid-sensing ion channel 3: An analgesic target. Channels (Austin) 2021; 15:94-127. [PMID: 33258401 PMCID: PMC7801124 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1852831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) belongs to the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) superfamily. There are 7 different ASIC subunits encoded by 5 different genes. Most ASIC subunits form trimeric ion channels that upon activation by extracellular protons mediate a transient inward current inducing cellular excitability. ASIC subunits exhibit differential tissue expression and biophysical properties, and the ability of subunits to form homo- and heteromeric trimers further increases the complexity of currents measured and their pharmacological properties. ASIC3 is of particular interest, not only because it exhibits high expression in sensory neurones, but also because upon activation it does not fully inactivate: a transient current is followed by a sustained current that persists during a period of extracellular acidity, i.e. ASIC3 can encode prolonged acidosis as a nociceptive signal. Furthermore, certain mediators sensitize ASIC3 enabling smaller proton concentrations to activate it and other mediators can directly activate the channel at neutral pH. Moreover, there is a plethora of evidence using transgenic mouse models and pharmacology, which supports ASIC3 as being a potential target for development of analgesics. This review will focus on current understanding of ASIC3 function to provide an overview of how ASIC3 contributes to physiology and pathophysiology, examining the mechanisms by which it can be modulated, and highlighting gaps in current understanding and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Taufiq Rahman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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9
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Páez O, Segura-Chama P, Almanza A, Pellicer F, Mercado F. Properties and Differential Expression of H + Receptors in Dorsal Root Ganglia: Is a Labeled-Line Coding for Acid Nociception Possible? Front Physiol 2021; 12:733267. [PMID: 34764880 PMCID: PMC8576393 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.733267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain by chemical irritants is one of the less well-described aspects of nociception. The acidic substance is the paradigm of the chemical noxious compound. An acidic insult on cutaneous, subcutaneous and muscle tissue results in pain sensation. Acid (or H+) has at least two main receptor channels in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) nociceptors: the heat receptor transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and the acid-sensing ionic channels (ASICs). TRPV1 is a low-sensitivity H+ receptor, whereas ASIC channels display a higher H+ sensitivity of at least one order of magnitude. In this review, we first describe the functional and structural characteristics of these and other H+-receptor candidates and the biophysics of their responses to low pH. Additionally, we compile reports of the expression of these H+-receptors (and other possible complementary proteins) within the DRG and compare these data with mRNA expression profiles from single-cell sequencing datasets for ASIC3, ASIC1, transient receptor potential Ankiryn subtype 1 (TRPA1) and TRPV1. We show that few nociceptor subpopulations (discriminated by unbiased classifications) combine acid-sensitive channels. This comparative review is presented in light of the accumulating evidence for labeled-line coding for most noxious sensory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Páez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Dirección de Investigaciones en Nuerociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Pedro Segura-Chama
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Dirección de Investigaciones en Nuerociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Cátedras CONACyT, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Angélica Almanza
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Dirección de Investigaciones en Nuerociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Francisco Pellicer
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Integrativa, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Francisco Mercado
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Dirección de Investigaciones en Nuerociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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10
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Ji Y, Lisabeth EM, Neubig RR. Transforming Growth Factor β1 Increases Expression of Contractile Genes in Human Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells by Potentiating Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Signaling. Mol Pharmacol 2021; 100:53-60. [PMID: 34031187 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.120.000019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and carries a very poor prognosis. Understanding of PAH pathogenesis is needed to support the development of new therapeutic strategies. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) drives vascular remodeling and increases vascular resistance by regulating differentiation and proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Also, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has been implicated in PAH, but the relation between these two signaling mechanisms is not well understood. Here, we characterize the signaling networks downstream of TGF-β in human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs), which involves mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD) signaling as well as Rho GTPases. Activation of Rho GTPases regulates myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) and serum response factor (SRF) transcription activity and results in upregulation of contractile gene expression. Our genetic and pharmacologic data show that in HPASMCs upregulation of α smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and calponin by TGF-β is dependent on both SMAD and Rho/MRTF-A/SRF transcriptional mechanisms.The kinetics of TGF-β-induced myosin light chain (MLC) 2 phosphorylation, a measure of RhoA activation, are slow, as is regulation of the Rho/MRTF/SRF-induced αSMA expression. These results suggest that TGF-β1 activates Rho/phosphorylated MLC2 through an indirect mechanism, which was confirmed by sensitivity to cycloheximide treatment. As a potential mechanism for this indirect action, TGF-β1 upregulates mRNA for sphingosine kinase (SphK1), the enzyme that produces S1P, an upstream Rho activator, as well as mRNA levels of the S1P receptor (S1PR) 3. SphK1 inhibitor and S1PR3 inhibitors (PF543 and TY52156/VPC23019) reduce TGF-β1-induced αSMA upregulation. Overall, we propose a model in which TGF-β1 activates Rho/MRTF-A/SRF by potentiating an autocrine/paracrine S1P signaling mechanism through SphK1 and S1PR3. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: In human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells, transforming growth factor β depends on sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling to bridge the interaction between mothers against decapentaplegic homolog and Rho/myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) signaling in regulating α smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression. The Rho/MRTF pathway is a signaling node in the αSMA regulatory network and is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (Y.J., E.M.L., R.R.N.) and Nicholas V. Perricone, MD, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.)
| | - Erika M Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (Y.J., E.M.L., R.R.N.) and Nicholas V. Perricone, MD, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.)
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (Y.J., E.M.L., R.R.N.) and Nicholas V. Perricone, MD, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.)
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11
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Rook ML, Miaro M, Couch T, Kneisley DL, Musgaard M, MacLean DM. Mutation of a conserved glutamine residue does not abolish desensitization of acid-sensing ion channel 1. THE JOURNAL OF GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 153:212203. [PMID: 34061161 PMCID: PMC8167889 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Desensitization is a common feature of ligand-gated ion channels, although the molecular cause varies widely between channel types. Mutations that greatly reduce or nearly abolish desensitization have been described for many ligand-gated ion channels, including glutamate, GABA, glycine, and nicotinic receptors, but not for acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) until recently. Mutating Gln276 to a glycine (Q276G) in human ASIC1a was reported to mostly abolish desensitization at both the macroscopic and the single channel levels, potentially providing a valuable tool for subsequent studies. However, we find that in both human and chicken ASIC1, the effect of Q276G is modest. In chicken ASIC1, the equivalent Q277G slightly reduces desensitization when using pH 6.5 as a stimulus but desensitizes, essentially like wild-type, when using more acidic pH values. In addition, steady-state desensitization is intact, albeit right-shifted, and recovery from desensitization is accelerated. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the Gln277 side chain participates in a hydrogen bond network that might stabilize the desensitized conformation. Consistent with this, destabilizing this network with the Q277N or Q277L mutations largely mimics the Q277G phenotype. In human ASIC1a, the Q276G mutation also reduces desensitization, but not to the extent reported previously. Interestingly, the kinetic consequences of Q276G depend on the human variant used. In the common G212 variant, Q276G slows desensitization, while in the rare D212 variant desensitization accelerates. Our data reveal that while the Q/G mutation does not abolish or substantially impair desensitization as previously reported, it does point to unexpected differences between chicken and human ASICs and the need for careful scrutiny before using this mutation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Rook
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Megan Miaro
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tyler Couch
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Dana L Kneisley
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Maria Musgaard
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David M MacLean
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
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12
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Li W, Wang X, Meng X, Wei D. The Intracellular N-Terminal Domain of the Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a Participates in Channel Opening and Membrane Expression. Mol Pharmacol 2021; 100:113-118. [PMID: 34074676 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.120.000153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are widely expressed in the nervous system. The intracellular C terminus of ASIC1a has many sites involved in regulating its expression and the opening mechanism, but the role of the intracellular N-terminal domain is poorly understood. Here, we explored the correlation of ASIC1a intracellular N terminus with membrane expression and gate opening. We modified the N-terminal structure of ASICs by deletion/truncation/mutation strategies and transfected the recombinant plasmids into CHO cells. Protein expression was analyzed with immunofluorescence, Western blots, and patch-clamp experiments. Deleting the entire N terminus decreased the membrane expression of channel proteins, and ion channel opening was lost. Deleting sections of the N terminus also decreased membrane expression and suggested that all areas were significant, with no single or group of amino acid residues playing a decisive role in regulating ASIC1a membrane expression. In terms of gate opening, five amino acid (AA) residues from AA 16 to AA 20 participated in gate opening, and isoleucine at AA 18 was the most important. The whole N terminus of ASICs participates in the membrane expression of ASIC1a, and five amino acid residues (AA 16-20) are involved in the gate opening mechanism. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The whole N terminus of ASICs participates in the membrane expression of ASIC1a, and five amino acid resi-dues (amino acid 16-20) are involved in the gate opening mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China (W.L., X.W., D.W.), and The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, China (X.M.)
| | - Xiaomu Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China (W.L., X.W., D.W.), and The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, China (X.M.)
| | - Xiandong Meng
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China (W.L., X.W., D.W.), and The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, China (X.M.)
| | - Dong Wei
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China (W.L., X.W., D.W.), and The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Lanzhou, China (X.M.)
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13
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Chen Z, Kuenze G, Meiler J, Canessa CM. An arginine residue in the outer segment of hASIC1a TM1 affects both proton affinity and channel desensitization. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:211986. [PMID: 33851970 PMCID: PMC8050794 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) respond to changes in pH in the central and peripheral nervous systems and participate in synaptic plasticity and pain perception. Understanding the proton-mediated gating mechanism remains elusive despite the of their structures in various conformational states. We report here that R64, an arginine located in the outer segment of the first transmembrane domain of all three isoforms of mammalian ASICs, markedly impacts the apparent proton affinity of activation and the degree of desensitization from the open and preopen states. Rosetta calculations of free energy changes predict that substitutions of R64 in hASIC1a by aromatic residues destabilize the closed conformation while stabilizing the open conformation. Accordingly, F64 enhances the efficacy of proton-mediated gating of hASIC1a, which increases the apparent pH50 and facilitates channel opening when only one or two subunits are activated. F64 also lengthens the duration of opening events, thus keeping channels open for extended periods of time and diminishing low pH-induced desensitization. Our results indicate that activation of a proton sensor(s) with pH50 equal to or greater than pH 7.2–7.1 opens F64hASIC1a, whereas it induces steady-state desensitization in wildtype channels due to the high energy of activation imposed by R64, which prevents opening of the pore. Together, these findings suggest that activation of a high-affinity proton-sensor(s) and a common gating mechanism may mediate the processes of activation and steady-state desensitization of hASIC1a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuyuan Chen
- Department of Basic Sciences, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Georg Kuenze
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Meiler
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.,Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cecilia M Canessa
- Department of Basic Sciences, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China.,Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
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14
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Vullo S, Ambrosio N, Kucera JP, Bignucolo O, Kellenberger S. Kinetic analysis of ASIC1a delineates conformational signaling from proton-sensing domains to the channel gate. eLife 2021; 10:66488. [PMID: 33729158 PMCID: PMC8009679 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66488] [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: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are neuronal Na+ channels that are activated by a drop in pH. Their established physiological and pathological roles, involving fear behaviors, learning, pain sensation, and neurodegeneration after stroke, make them promising targets for future drugs. Currently, the ASIC activation mechanism is not understood. Here, we used voltage-clamp fluorometry (VCF) combined with fluorophore-quencher pairing to determine the kinetics and direction of movements. We show that conformational changes with the speed of channel activation occur close to the gate and in more distant extracellular sites, where they may be driven by local protonation events. Further, we provide evidence for fast conformational changes in a pathway linking protonation sites to the channel pore, in which an extracellular interdomain loop interacts via aromatic residue interactions with the upper end of a transmembrane helix and would thereby open the gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Vullo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Ambrosio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan P Kucera
- Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Bignucolo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,SIB, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Kellenberger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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15
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DEG/ENaC Ion Channels in the Function of the Nervous System: From Worm to Man. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1349:165-192. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4254-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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16
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Wichmann L, Althaus M. Evolution of epithelial sodium channels: current concepts and hypotheses. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2020; 319:R387-R400. [PMID: 32783689 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00144.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The conquest of freshwater and terrestrial habitats was a key event during vertebrate evolution. Occupation of low-salinity and dry environments required significant osmoregulatory adaptations enabling stable ion and water homeostasis. Sodium is one of the most important ions within the extracellular liquid of vertebrates, and molecular machinery for urinary reabsorption of this electrolyte is critical for the maintenance of body osmoregulation. Key ion channels involved in the fine-tuning of sodium homeostasis in tetrapod vertebrates are epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs), which allow the selective influx of sodium ions across the apical membrane of epithelial cells lining the distal nephron or the colon. Furthermore, ENaC-mediated sodium absorption across tetrapod lung epithelia is crucial for the control of liquid volumes lining the pulmonary surfaces. ENaCs are vertebrate-specific members of the degenerin/ENaC family of cation channels; however, there is limited knowledge on the evolution of ENaC within this ion channel family. This review outlines current concepts and hypotheses on ENaC phylogeny and discusses the emergence of regulation-defining sequence motifs in the context of osmoregulatory adaptations during tetrapod terrestrialization. In light of the distinct regulation and expression of ENaC isoforms in tetrapod vertebrates, we discuss the potential significance of ENaC orthologs in osmoregulation of fishes as well as the putative fates of atypical channel isoforms in mammals. We hypothesize that ancestral proton-sensitive ENaC orthologs might have aided the osmoregulatory adaptation to freshwater environments whereas channel regulation by proteases evolved as a molecular adaptation to lung liquid homeostasis in terrestrial tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Wichmann
- Institute for Animal Physiology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Mike Althaus
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Rheinbach, Germany
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17
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Pattison LA, Callejo G, St John Smith E. Evolution of acid nociception: ion channels and receptors for detecting acid. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190291. [PMID: 31544616 PMCID: PMC6790391 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nociceptors, i.e. sensory neurons tuned to detect noxious stimuli, are found in numerous phyla of the Animalia kingdom and are often polymodal, responding to a variety of stimuli, e.g. heat, cold, pressure and chemicals, such as acid. Owing to the ability of protons to have a profound effect on ionic homeostasis and damage macromolecular structures, it is no wonder that the ability to detect acid is conserved across many species. To detect changes in pH, nociceptors are equipped with an assortment of different acid sensors, some of which can detect mild changes in pH, such as the acid-sensing ion channels, proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptors and several two-pore potassium channels, whereas others, such as the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 ion channel, require larger shifts in pH. This review will discuss the evolution of acid sensation and the different mechanisms by which nociceptors can detect acid. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
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18
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Elkhatib W, Smith CL, Senatore A. A Na + leak channel cloned from Trichoplax adhaerens extends extracellular pH and Ca 2+ sensing for the DEG/ENaC family close to the base of Metazoa. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:16320-16336. [PMID: 31527080 PMCID: PMC6827283 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensitive ion channels belonging to the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (DEG/ENaC) family activate in response to extracellular protons and are considered unique to deuterostomes. However, sensitivity to pH/protons is more widespread, where, for example, human ENaC Na+ leak channels are potentiated and mouse BASIC and Caenorhabditis elegans ACD-1 Na+ leak channels are blocked by extracellular protons. For many DEG/ENaC channels, extracellular Ca2+ ions modulate gating, and in some cases, the binding of protons and Ca2+ is interdependent. Here, we functionally characterize a DEG/ENaC channel from the early-diverging animal Trichoplax adhaerens, TadNaC6, that conducts Na+-selective leak currents in vitro sensitive to blockade by both extracellular protons and Ca2+. We determine that proton block is enhanced in low external Ca2+ concentration, whereas calcium block is enhanced in low external proton concentration, indicative of competitive binding of these two ligands to extracellular sites of the channel protein. TadNaC6 lacks most determinant residues for proton and Ca2+ sensitivity in other DEG/ENaC channels, and a mutation of one conserved residue (S353A) associated with Ca2+ block in rodent BASIC channels instead affected proton sensitivity, all indicative of independent evolution of H+ and Ca2+ sensitivity. Strikingly, TadNaC6 was potently activated by the general DEG/ENaC channel blocker amiloride, a rare feature only reported for the acid-activated channel ASIC3. The sequence and structural divergence of TadNaC6, coupled with its noncanonical functional features, provide unique opportunities for probing the proton, Ca2+, and amiloride regulation of DEG/ENaC channels and insight into the possible core-gating features of ancestral ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wassim Elkhatib
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Carolyn L Smith
- NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Adriano Senatore
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
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19
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Tikhonov DB, Magazanik LG, Nagaeva EI. Ligands of Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a: Mechanisms of Action and Binding Sites. Acta Naturae 2019; 11:4-13. [PMID: 31024743 PMCID: PMC6475867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The proton-gated cationic channels belonging to the ASIC family are widely distributed in the central nervous system of vertebrates and play an important role in several physiological and pathological processes. ASIC1a are most sensitive to acidification of the external medium, which is the reason for the current interest in their function and pharmacology. Recently, the list of ASIC1a ligands has been rapidly expanding. It includes inorganic cations, a large number of synthetic and endogenous small molecules, and peptide toxins. The information on the mechanisms of action and the binding sites of the ligands comes from electrophysiological, mutational and structural studies. In the present review, we attempt to present a systematic view of the complex pattern of interactions between ligands and ASIC1a.
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20
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Lynagh T, Mikhaleva Y, Colding JM, Glover JC, Pless SA. Acid-sensing ion channels emerged over 600 Mya and are conserved throughout the deuterostomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:8430-8435. [PMID: 30061402 PMCID: PMC6099870 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1806614115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated ion channels broadly expressed in the vertebrate nervous system, converting decreased extracellular pH into excitatory sodium current. ASICs were previously thought to be a vertebrate-specific branch of the DEG/ENaC family, a broadly conserved but functionally diverse family of channels. Here, we provide phylogenetic and experimental evidence that ASICs are conserved throughout deuterostome animals, showing that ASICs evolved over 600 million years ago. We also provide evidence of ASIC expression in the central nervous system of the tunicate, Oikopleura dioica Furthermore, by comparing broadly related ASICs, we identify key molecular determinants of proton sensitivity and establish that proton sensitivity of the ASIC4 isoform was lost in the mammalian lineage. Taken together, these results suggest that contributions of ASICs to neuronal function may also be conserved broadly in numerous animal phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Lynagh
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Center for Biopharmaceuticals, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Yana Mikhaleva
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, 5006 Bergen, Norway
| | - Janne M Colding
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Center for Biopharmaceuticals, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joel C Glover
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, 5006 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Stephan A Pless
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Center for Biopharmaceuticals, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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21
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Xu Y, Jiang YQ, Li C, He M, Rusyniak WG, Annamdevula N, Ochoa J, Leavesley SJ, Xu J, Rich TC, Lin MT, Zha XM. Human ASIC1a mediates stronger acid-induced responses as compared with mouse ASIC1a. FASEB J 2018; 32:3832-3843. [PMID: 29447005 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701367r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are the major proton receptor in the brain and a key mediator of acidosis-induced neuronal injuries in disease. Most of published data on ASIC function came from studies performed in mice, and relatively little is known about potential differences between human and mouse ASICs (hASIC and mASIC, respectively). This information is critical for us to better interpret the functional importance of ASICs in human disease. Here, we examined the expression of ASICs in acutely resected human cortical tissue. Compared with mouse cortex, human cortical tissue showed a similar ratio of ASIC1a:ASIC2a expression, had reduced ASIC2b level, and exhibited a higher membrane:total ratio of ASIC1a. We further investigated the mechanism for higher surface trafficking of hASIC1a in heterologous cells. A single amino acid at position 285 was critical for increased N-glycosylation and surface expression of hASIC1a. Consistent with the changes in trafficking and current, cells expressing hASIC1a or mASIC1a S285P mutant had a higher acid-activated calcium increase and exhibited worsened acidotoxicity. These data suggest that ASICs are likely to have a larger impact on acidosis-induced neuronal injuries in humans than mice, and this effect is, at least in part, a result of more efficient trafficking of hASIC1a.-Xu, Y., Jiang, Y.-Q., Li, C., He, M., Rusyniak, W. G., Annamdevula, N., Ochoa, J., Leavesley, S. J., Xu, J., Rich, T. C., Lin, M. T., Zha, X.-M. Human ASIC1a mediates stronger acid-induced responses as compared with mouse ASIC1a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xu
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA.,Department of Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Qing Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA.,The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, ShiJiaZhuang, China
| | - Ce Li
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mindi He
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - W George Rusyniak
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Naga Annamdevula
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Juan Ochoa
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Silas J Leavesley
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Jiangping Xu
- Department of Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Thomas C Rich
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Mike T Lin
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
| | - Xiang-Ming Zha
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, USA
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22
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Schuhmacher LN, Callejo G, Srivats S, Smith ESJ. Naked mole-rat acid-sensing ion channel 3 forms nonfunctional homomers, but functional heteromers. J Biol Chem 2017; 293:1756-1766. [PMID: 29237731 PMCID: PMC5798305 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.807859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) form both homotrimeric and heterotrimeric ion channels that are activated by extracellular protons and are involved in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes, including pain and anxiety. ASIC proteins can form both homotrimeric and heterotrimeric ion channels. The ASIC3 subunit has been shown to be of particular importance in the peripheral nervous system with pharmacological and genetic manipulations demonstrating a role in pain. Naked mole-rats, despite having functional ASICs, are insensitive to acid as a noxious stimulus and show diminished avoidance of acidic fumes, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. Here we cloned naked mole-rat ASIC3 (nmrASIC3) and used a cell-surface biotinylation assay to demonstrate that it traffics to the plasma membrane, but using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology we observed that nmrASIC3 is insensitive to both protons and the non-proton ASIC3 agonist 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline. However, in line with previous reports of ASIC3 mRNA expression in dorsal root ganglia neurons, we found that the ASIC3 antagonist APETx2 reversibly inhibits ASIC-like currents in naked mole-rat dorsal root ganglia neurons. We further show that like the proton-insensitive ASIC2b and ASIC4, nmrASIC3 forms functional, proton-sensitive heteromers with other ASIC subunits. An amino acid alignment of ASIC3s between 9 relevant rodent species and human identified unique sequence differences that might underlie the proton insensitivity of nmrASIC3. However, introducing nmrASIC3 differences into rat ASIC3 (rASIC3) produced only minor differences in channel function, and replacing the nmrASIC3 sequence with that of rASIC3 did not produce a proton-sensitive ion channel. Our observation that nmrASIC3 forms nonfunctional homomers may reflect a further adaptation of the naked mole-rat to living in an environment with high-carbon dioxide levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Nadine Schuhmacher
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Gerard Callejo
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Shyam Srivats
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
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23
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Chauhan AS, Ansari MY, Mansuri R, Dikhit MR, Ali V, Sahoo GC, Das P. Computational elucidation, mutational and hot spot-based designing of potential inhibitors against human acid-sensing ion channels (hASIC-1a) to treat various physiological conditions. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:3513-3530. [PMID: 29039242 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1392364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels are ligand/proton-gated ion channels belonging to the family of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel (DEG/ENaC). They function as a sodium-selective pore for Ca2+ entry into neuronal cells during pathological conditions. The blocking of this channel has therapeutic importance, because at basal physiological pH (7.2), it is in a closed state and under a more acidic condition, and the ASIC1a ion channel is activated. To investigate the different states of the hASIC1a channel based on mutational analysis, structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation studies. The system showed stability after 30 ns (after 1500 frame), and it was stabilized to an average value around 2.2Å. During the simulation, the ion channel residues in persistent contact with toxin PcTx1 were D237, E238, D347, D351, E219 and E355. These residues are important physiologically for the activation of the channel. From in silico alanine scanning, the significant hotspots obtained in hASIC1 are E344, P347, F352, D351, E355 and E219. From the sitemap analysis, it was evident that the sitemap found one of the active sites at the PcTx1 binding site with a site score of 1.086 and a D-score of 1.035 for hASIC1. We obtained a few promising hits and final potential hits from the virtual screening in hASIC1 that made interactions with the residues in the acidic pocket (E344, P347, F352, D351, E355 and E219). Based on these studies, the hits and scaffolds of potential therapeutic interest against various pathological conditions are associated with hASIC1a for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Singh Chauhan
- a Biomedical Informatics, Indian Council of Medical Research , Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Agamkuan, Patna 800 007 , Bihar , India.,d Department of Pharmacoinformatics , National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research , Hajipur 844 102 , Bihar , India
| | - Md Yousuf Ansari
- b Deparment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar University , Mullana 133207 , Haryana , India.,d Department of Pharmacoinformatics , National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research , Hajipur 844 102 , Bihar , India
| | - Rani Mansuri
- a Biomedical Informatics, Indian Council of Medical Research , Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Agamkuan, Patna 800 007 , Bihar , India.,d Department of Pharmacoinformatics , National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research , Hajipur 844 102 , Bihar , India
| | - Manas Ranjan Dikhit
- a Biomedical Informatics, Indian Council of Medical Research , Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Agamkuan, Patna 800 007 , Bihar , India
| | - Vahab Ali
- a Biomedical Informatics, Indian Council of Medical Research , Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Agamkuan, Patna 800 007 , Bihar , India
| | - Ganesh Chandra Sahoo
- a Biomedical Informatics, Indian Council of Medical Research , Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Agamkuan, Patna 800 007 , Bihar , India
| | - Pradeep Das
- c Department of Molecular Parasitology, Indian Council of Medical Research , Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences , Agamkuan, Patna 800 007 , Bihar , India
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Besson T, Lingueglia E, Salinas M. Pharmacological modulation of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels 1a and 3 by amiloride and 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline (GMQ). Neuropharmacology 2017; 125:429-440. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Lynagh T, Romero-Rojo JL, Lund C, Pless SA. Molecular Basis for Allosteric Inhibition of Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a by Ibuprofen. J Med Chem 2017; 60:8192-8200. [PMID: 28949138 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence links certain aspects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) pharmacology with acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), a small family of excitatory neurotransmitter receptors implicated in pain and neuroinflammation. The molecular basis of NSAID inhibition of ASICs has remained unknown, hindering the exploration of this line of therapy. Here, we characterized the mechanism of inhibition, explored the molecular determinants of sensitivity, and sought to establish informative structure-activity relationships, using electrophysiology, site-directed mutagenesis, and voltage-clamp fluorometry. Our results show that ibuprofen is an allosteric inhibitor of ASIC1a, which binds to a crucial site in the agonist transduction pathway and causes conformational changes that oppose channel activation. Ibuprofen inhibits several ASIC subtypes, but certain ibuprofen derivatives show some selectivity for ASIC1a over ASIC2a and vice versa. These results thus define the NSAID/ASIC interaction and pave the way for small-molecule drug design targeting pain and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Lynagh
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 160, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - José Luis Romero-Rojo
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 160, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla Lund
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 160, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stephan A Pless
- Center for Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 160, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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Conformational dynamics and role of the acidic pocket in ASIC pH-dependent gating. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:3768-3773. [PMID: 28320963 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620560114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-activated Na+ channels expressed in the nervous system, where they are involved in learning, fear behaviors, neurodegeneration, and pain sensation. In this work, we study the role in pH sensing of two regions of the ectodomain enriched in acidic residues: the acidic pocket, which faces the outside of the protein and is the binding site of several animal toxins, and the palm, a central channel domain. Using voltage clamp fluorometry, we find that the acidic pocket undergoes conformational changes during both activation and desensitization. Concurrently, we find that, although proton sensing in the acidic pocket is not required for channel function, it does contribute to both activation and desensitization. Furthermore, protonation-mimicking mutations of acidic residues in the palm induce a dramatic acceleration of desensitization followed by the appearance of a sustained current. In summary, this work describes the roles of potential pH sensors in two extracellular domains, and it proposes a model of acidification-induced conformational changes occurring in the acidic pocket of ASIC1a.
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Deactivation kinetics of acid-sensing ion channel 1a are strongly pH-sensitive. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2504-E2513. [PMID: 28265090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620508114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are trimeric cation-selective ion channels activated by protons in the physiological range. Recent reports have revealed that postsynaptically localized ASICs contribute to the excitatory postsynaptic current by responding to the transient acidification of the synaptic cleft that accompanies neurotransmission. In response to such brief acidic transients, both recombinant and native ASICs show extremely rapid deactivation in outside-out patches when jumping from a pH 5 stimulus to a single resting pH of 8. Given that the resting pH of the synaptic cleft is highly dynamic and depends on recent synaptic activity, we explored the kinetics of ASIC1a and 1a/2a heteromers to such brief pH transients over a wider [H+] range to approximate neuronal conditions better. Surprisingly, the deactivation of ASICs was steeply dependent on the pH, spanning nearly three orders of magnitude from extremely fast (<1 ms) at pH 8 to very slow (>300 ms) at pH 7. This study provides an example of a ligand-gated ion channel whose deactivation is sensitive to agonist concentrations that do not directly activate the receptor. Kinetic simulations and further mutagenesis provide evidence that ASICs show such steeply agonist-dependent deactivation because of strong cooperativity in proton binding. This capacity to signal across such a large synaptically relevant bandwidth enhances the response to small-amplitude acidifications likely to occur at the cleft and may provide ASICs with the ability to shape activity in response to the recent history of the synapse.
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Buck TM, Jordahl AS, Yates ME, Preston GM, Cook E, Kleyman TR, Brodsky JL. Interactions between intersubunit transmembrane domains regulate the chaperone-dependent degradation of an oligomeric membrane protein. Biochem J 2017; 474:357-376. [PMID: 27903760 PMCID: PMC5423784 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In the kidney, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) regulates blood pressure through control of sodium and volume homeostasis, and in the lung, ENaC regulates the volume of airway and alveolar fluids. ENaC is a heterotrimer of homologous α-, β- and γ-subunits, and assembles in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before it traffics to and functions at the plasma membrane. Improperly folded or orphaned ENaC subunits are subject to ER quality control and targeted for ER-associated degradation (ERAD). We previously established that a conserved, ER lumenal, molecular chaperone, Lhs1/GRP170, selects αENaC, but not β- or γ-ENaC, for degradation when the ENaC subunits were individually expressed. We now find that when all three subunits are co-expressed, Lhs1-facilitated ERAD was blocked. To determine which domain-domain interactions between the ENaC subunits are critical for chaperone-dependent quality control, we employed a yeast model and expressed chimeric α/βENaC constructs in the context of the ENaC heterotrimer. We discovered that the βENaC transmembrane domain was sufficient to prevent the Lhs1-dependent degradation of the α-subunit in the context of the ENaC heterotrimer. Our work also found that Lhs1 delivers αENaC for proteasome-mediated degradation after the protein has become polyubiquitinated. These data indicate that the Lhs1 chaperone selectively recognizes an immature form of αENaC, one which has failed to correctly assemble with the other channel subunits via its transmembrane domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa M Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Alexa S Jordahl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Megan E Yates
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - G Michael Preston
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Emily Cook
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Thomas R Kleyman
- Department of Medicine, Renal-Electrolyte Division, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Jeffrey L Brodsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
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Nagaeva EI, Potapieva NN, Nikolaev MV, Gmiro VE, Magazanik LG, Tikhonov DB. Determinants of action of hydrophobic amines on ASIC1a and ASIC2a. Eur J Pharmacol 2016; 788:75-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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30
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Hanukoglu I. ASIC and ENaC type sodium channels: conformational states and the structures of the ion selectivity filters. FEBS J 2016; 284:525-545. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Krauson AJ, Carattino MD. The Thumb Domain Mediates Acid-sensing Ion Channel Desensitization. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:11407-19. [PMID: 27015804 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.702316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are cation-selective proton-gated channels expressed in neurons that participate in diverse physiological processes, including nociception, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. ASIC subunits contain intracellular N and C termini, two transmembrane domains that constitute the pore, and a large extracellular loop with defined domains termed the finger, β-ball, thumb, palm, and knuckle. Here we examined the contribution of the finger, β-ball, and thumb domains to activation and desensitization through the analysis of chimeras and the assessment of the effect of covalent modification of introduced Cys at the domain-domain interfaces. Our studies with ASIC1a-ASIC2a chimeras showed that swapping the thumb domain between subunits results in faster channel desensitization. Likewise, the covalent modification of Cys residues at selected positions in the β-ball-thumb interface accelerates the desensitization of the mutant channels. Studies of accessibility with thiol-reactive reagents revealed that the β-ball and thumb domains reside apart in the resting state but that they become closer to each other in response to extracellular acidification. We propose that the thumb domain moves upon continuous exposure to an acidic extracellular milieu, assisting with the closing of the pore during channel desensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram J Krauson
- From the Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Marcelo D Carattino
- From the Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
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Niu YY, Yang Y, Liu Y, Huang LD, Yang XN, Fan YZ, Cheng XY, Cao P, Hu YM, Li L, Lu XY, Tian Y, Yu Y. Exploration of the Peptide Recognition of an Amiloride-sensitive FMRFamide Peptide-gated Sodium Channel. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:7571-82. [PMID: 26867576 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.710251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2)-activated sodium channel (FaNaC) is an amiloride-sensitive sodium channel activated by endogenous tetrapeptide in invertebrates, and belongs to the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) superfamily. The ENaC/DEG superfamily differs markedly in its means of activation, such as spontaneously opening or gating by mechanical stimuli or tissue acidosis. Recently, it has been observed that a number of ENaC/DEG channels can be activated by small molecules or peptides, indicating that the ligand-gating may be an important feature of this superfamily. The peptide ligand control of the channel gating might be an ancient ligand-gating feature in this superfamily. Therefore, studying the peptide recognition of FaNaC channels would advance our understanding of the ligand-gating properties of this superfamily of ion channels. Here we demonstrate that Tyr-131, Asn-134, Asp-154, and Ile-160, located in the putative upper finger domain ofHelix aspersaFaNaC (HaFaNaC) channels, are key residues for peptide recognition of this ion channel. Two HaFaNaC specific-insertion motifs among the ENaC/DEG superfamily, residing at the putative α4-α5 linker of the upper thumb domain and the α6-α7 linker of the upper knuckle domain, are also essential for the peptide recognition of HaFaNaC channels. Chemical modifications and double mutant cycle analysis further indicated that those two specific inserts and key residues in the upper finger domain together participate in peptide recognition of HaFaNaC channels. This ligand recognition site is distinct from that of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) by a longer distance between the recognition site and the channel gate, carrying useful information about the ligand gating and the evolution of the trimeric ENaC/DEG superfamily of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Ya Niu
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China, Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Li-Dong Huang
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiao-Na Yang
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China, Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ying-Zhe Fan
- Putuo District Center Hospital, Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Cheng
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China, and Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, China
| | - You-Min Hu
- Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lingyong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Xiang-Yang Lu
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Yun Tian
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China,
| | - Ye Yu
- From the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China, Institute of Medical Sciences and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China,
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Shobair M, Dagliyan O, Kota P, Dang YL, He H, Stutts MJ, Dokholyan NV. Gain-of-Function Mutation W493R in the Epithelial Sodium Channel Allosterically Reconfigures Intersubunit Coupling. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:3682-92. [PMID: 26668308 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.678052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sodium absorption in epithelial cells is rate-limited by the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity in lung, kidney, and the distal colon. Pathophysiological conditions, such as cystic fibrosis and Liddle syndrome, result from water-electrolyte imbalance partly due to malfunction of ENaC regulation. Because the quaternary structure of ENaC is yet undetermined, the bases of pathologically linked mutations in ENaC subunits α, β, and γ are largely unknown. Here, we present a structural model of heterotetrameric ENaC α1βα2γ that is consistent with previous cross-linking results and site-directed mutagenesis experiments. By using this model, we show that the disease-causing mutation αW493R rewires structural dynamics of the intersubunit interfaces α1β and α2γ. Changes in dynamics can allosterically propagate to the channel gate. We demonstrate that cleavage of the γ-subunit, which is critical for full channel activation, does not mediate activation of ENaC by αW493R. Our molecular dynamics simulations led us to identify a channel-activating electrostatic interaction between α2Arg-493 and γGlu-348 at the α2γ interface. By neutralizing a sodium-binding acidic patch at the α1β interface, we reduced ENaC activation of αW493R by more than 2-fold. By combining homology modeling, molecular dynamics, cysteine cross-linking, and voltage clamp experiments, we propose a dynamics-driven model for the gain-of-function in ENaC by αW493R. Our integrated computational and experimental approach advances our understanding of structure, dynamics, and function of ENaC in its disease-causing state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Shobair
- From the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and
| | - Onur Dagliyan
- From the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and
| | - Pradeep Kota
- From the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and
| | - Yan L Dang
- Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Hong He
- Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - M Jackson Stutts
- Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- From the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
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Osmakov DI, Andreev YA, Kozlov SA. Acid-sensing ion channels and their modulators. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2015; 79:1528-45. [PMID: 25749163 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297914130069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
According to a modern look acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are one of the most important receptors that perceive pH change in the body. ASICs represent proton-gated Na+-selective channels, which are expressed in neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system. These channels are attracting attention of researchers around the world, as they are involved in various physiological processes in the body. Drop of pH may occur in tissues in norm (e.g. the accumulation of lactic acid, the release of protons upon ATP hydrolysis) and pathology (inflammation, ischemic stroke, tissue damage and seizure). These processes are accompanied by unpleasant pain sensations, which may be short-lived or can lead to chronic inflammatory diseases. Modulators of ASIC channels activity are potential candidates for new effective analgesic and neuroprotection drugs. This review summarizes available information about structure, function, and physiological role of ASIC channels. In addition a description of all known ligands of these channels and their practical relevance is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- D I Osmakov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
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Gwiazda K, Bonifacio G, Vullo S, Kellenberger S. Extracellular Subunit Interactions Control Transitions between Functional States of Acid-sensing Ion Channel 1a. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:17956-17966. [PMID: 26070563 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.641688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are neuronal, voltage-independent Na(+) channels that are transiently activated by extracellular acidification. They are involved in pain sensation, the expression of fear, and in neurodegeneration after ischemic stroke. Our study investigates the role of extracellular subunit interactions in ASIC1a function. We identified two regions involved in critical intersubunit interactions. First, formation of an engineered disulfide bond between the palm and thumb domains leads to partial channel closure. Second, linking Glu-235 of a finger loop to either one of two different residues of the knuckle of a neighboring subunit opens the channel at physiological pH or disrupts its activity. This suggests that one finger-knuckle disulfide bond (E235C/K393C) sets the channel in an open state, whereas the other (E235C/Y389C) switches the channel to a non-conducting state. Voltage-clamp fluorometry experiments indicate that both the finger loop and the knuckle move away from the β-ball residue Trp-233 during acidification and subsequent desensitization. Together, these observations reveal that ASIC1a opening is accompanied by a distance increase between adjacent thumb and palm domains as well as a movement of Glu-235 relative to the knuckle helix. Our study identifies subunit interactions in the extracellular loop and shows that dynamic changes of these interactions are critical for normal ASIC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Gwiazda
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gaetano Bonifacio
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Vullo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Kellenberger
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 27, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Sazanavets I, Warwicker J. Computational Tools for Interpreting Ion Channel pH-Dependence. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125293. [PMID: 25915903 PMCID: PMC4411139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Activity in many biological systems is mediated by pH, involving proton titratable groups with pKas in the relevant pH range. Experimental analysis of pH-dependence in proteins focusses on particular sidechains, often with mutagenesis of histidine, due to its pKa near to neutral pH. The key question for algorithms that predict pKas is whether they are sufficiently accurate to effectively narrow the search for molecular determinants of pH-dependence. Through analysis of inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), mutational effects on pH-dependence are probed, distinguishing between groups described as pH-coupled or pH-sensor. Whereas mutation can lead to a shift in transition pH between open and closed forms for either type of group, only for pH-sensor groups does mutation modulate the amplitude of the transition. It is shown that a hybrid Finite Difference Poisson-Boltzmann (FDPB) – Debye-Hückel continuum electrostatic model can filter mutation candidates, providing enrichment for key pH-coupled and pH-sensor residues in both ASICs and Kir channels, in comparison with application of FDPB alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Sazanavets
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Jim Warwicker
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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37
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Vick JS, Askwith CC. ASICs and neuropeptides. Neuropharmacology 2015; 94:36-41. [PMID: 25592215 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels expressed throughout the nervous system. ASICs are activated during acidic pH fluctuations, and recent work suggests that they are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission. ASICs can also induce neuronal degeneration and death during pathological extracellular acidosis caused by ischemia, autoimmune inflammation, and traumatic injury. Many endogenous neuromodulators target ASICs to affect their biophysical characteristics and contributions to neuronal activity. One of the most unconventional types of modulation occurs with the interaction of ASICs and neuropeptides. Collectively, FMRFamide-related peptides and dynorphins potentiate ASIC activity by decreasing the proton-sensitivity of steady state desensitization independent of G protein-coupled receptor activation. By decreasing the proton-sensitivity of steady state desensitization, the FMRFamide-related peptides and dynorphins permit ASICs to remain active at more acidic basal pH. Unlike the dynorphins, some FMRFamide-related peptides also potentiate ASIC activity by slowing inactivation and increasing the sustained current. Through mechanistic studies, the modulation of ASICs by FMRFamide-related peptides and dynorphins appears to be through distinct interactions with the extracellular domain of ASICs. Dynorphins are expressed throughout the nervous system and can increase neuronal death during prolonged extracellular acidosis, suggesting that the interaction between dynorphins and ASICs may have important consequences for the prevention of neurological injury. The overlap in expression of FMRFamide-related peptides with ASICs in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord suggests that their interaction may have important consequences for the treatment of pain during injury and inflammation. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in the Nervous System'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Vick
- The Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, United States
| | - Candice C Askwith
- The Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, United States.
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38
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Schuhmacher LN, Srivats S, Smith ESJ. Structural domains underlying the activation of acid-sensing ion channel 2a. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 87:561-71. [PMID: 25583083 DOI: 10.1124/mol.114.096909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are a family of ion channels expressed throughout the mammalian nervous system. The principal activator of ASICs is extracellular protons, and ASICs have been demonstrated to play a significant role in many physiologic and pathophysiologic processes, including synaptic transmission, nociception, and fear. However, not all ASICs are proton-sensitive: ASIC2a is activated by acid, whereas its splice variant ASIC2b is not. We made a series of chimeric ASIC2 proteins, and using whole-cell electrophysiology we have identified the minimal region of the ASIC2a extracellular domain that is required for ASIC2 proton activation: the first 87 amino acids after transmembrane domain 1. We next examined the function of different domains within the ASIC2b N-terminus and identified a region proximal to the first transmembrane domain that confers tachyphylaxis upon ASIC2a. We have thus identified domains of ASIC2 that are crucial to channel function and may be important for the function of other members of the ASIC family.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shyam Srivats
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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39
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Gründer S, Pusch M. Biophysical properties of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). Neuropharmacology 2015; 94:9-18. [PMID: 25585135 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are exquisitely sensitive to extracellular protons and can sense transient as well as sustained acidification. In this review, we will discuss activation and desensitization of ASICs by protons. We show that a linear reaction scheme can reproduce the basic electrophysiological properties of ASICs, including steady-state desensitization. Moreover, we will discuss how a desensitizing receptor can sense sustained acidosis and what we know about the putative proton sensor. We will briefly discuss modulation of proton gating by neuropeptides and small positively charged ligands. Finally, we will review the pore properties of ASICs and their relation to the recently reported crystal structure of the open ASIC pore. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in the Nervous System'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Gründer
- Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Michael Pusch
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Via De Marini 6, Genoa, Italy
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40
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Kellenberger S, Schild L. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCI. Structure, Function, and Pharmacology of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels and the Epithelial Na+ Channel. Pharmacol Rev 2014; 67:1-35. [DOI: 10.1124/pr.114.009225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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41
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Kota P, Buchner G, Chakraborty H, Dang YL, He H, Garcia GJM, Kubelka J, Gentzsch M, Stutts MJ, Dokholyan NV. The N-terminal domain allosterically regulates cleavage and activation of the epithelial sodium channel. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:23029-23042. [PMID: 24973914 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.570952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is activated upon endoproteolytic cleavage of specific segments in the extracellular domains of the α- and γ-subunits. Cleavage is accomplished by intracellular proteases prior to membrane insertion and by surface-expressed or extracellular soluble proteases once ENaC resides at the cell surface. These cleavage events are partially regulated by intracellular signaling through an unknown allosteric mechanism. Here, using a combination of computational and experimental techniques, we show that the intracellular N terminus of γ-ENaC undergoes secondary structural transitions upon interaction with phosphoinositides. From ab initio folding simulations of the N termini in the presence and absence of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), we found that PIP2 increases α-helical propensity in the N terminus of γ-ENaC. Electrophysiology and mutation experiments revealed that a highly conserved cluster of lysines in the γ-ENaC N terminus regulates accessibility of extracellular cleavage sites in γ-ENaC. We also show that conditions that decrease PIP2 or enhance ubiquitination sharply limit access of the γ-ENaC extracellular domain to proteases. Further, the efficiency of allosteric control of ENaC proteolysis is dependent on Tyr(370) in γ-ENaC. Our findings provide an allosteric mechanism for ENaC activation regulated by the N termini and sheds light on a potential general mechanism of channel and receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Kota
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Ginka Buchner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, and
| | - Hirak Chakraborty
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Yan L Dang
- Departments of Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Hong He
- Departments of Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Guilherme J M Garcia
- Biotechnology & Bioengineering Center, Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226
| | - Jan Kubelka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, and
| | - Martina Gentzsch
- Departments of Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599,; Departments of Cell Biology and Physiology and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - M Jackson Stutts
- Departments of Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599; Departments of Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599,.
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42
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Kodani Y, Furukawa Y. Electrostatic charge at position 552 affects the activation and permeation of FMRFamide-gated Na+ channels. J Physiol Sci 2014; 64:141-50. [PMID: 24415456 PMCID: PMC10717150 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-013-0303-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 12/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The FMRFamide-gated Na(+) channel (FaNaC) is a unique peptide-gated sodium channel and a member of the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin family. Previous studies have shown that an aspartate residue (Asp(552)) in the second transmembrane domain is involved in activation of the FaNaC. To examine the significance of a negative charge at position 552, we used a cysteine-modification method. Macroscopic currents of a cysteine mutant (D552C) were potentiated or inhibited by use of positively or negatively charged sulfhydryl reagents ([2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]methanethiosulfonate bromide, MTSET, and sodium (2-sulfonatoethyl)methanethiosulfonate, MTSES, respectively). Dose-response analysis showed that treatment with MTSET increased the potency of the FMRFamide in the FaNaC whereas treatment with MTSES reduced the maximum response. Negative charge at position 552 was necessary for the characteristic inward rectification of the FaNaC. These results suggest that negative electric charge at position 552 is important to the activation and permeation properties of the FaNaC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Kodani
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1-7-1, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521 Japan
- Present Address: Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192 Japan
| | - Yasuo Furukawa
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1-7-1, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521 Japan
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Wang Y, Matthewman C, Han L, Miller T, Miller DM, Bianchi L. Neurotoxic unc-8 mutants encode constitutively active DEG/ENaC channels that are blocked by divalent cations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 142:157-69. [PMID: 23898007 PMCID: PMC3727304 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201310974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels of the DEG/ENaC family can induce neurodegeneration under conditions in which they become hyperactivated. The Caenorhabditis elegans DEG/ENaC channel MEC-4(d) encodes a mutant channel with a substitution in the pore domain that causes swelling and death of the six touch neurons in which it is expressed. Dominant mutations in the C. elegans DEG/ENaC channel subunit UNC-8 result in uncoordinated movement. Here we show that this unc-8 movement defect is correlated with the selective death of cholinergic motor neurons in the ventral nerve cord. Experiments in Xenopus laevis ooctyes confirm that these mutant proteins, UNC-8(G387E) and UNC-8(A586T), encode hyperactivated channels that are strongly inhibited by extracellular calcium and magnesium. Reduction of extracellular divalent cations exacerbates UNC-8(G387E) toxicity in oocytes. We suggest that inhibition by extracellular divalent cations limits UNC-8 toxicity and may contribute to the selective death of neurons that express UNC-8 in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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44
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Noël J, Salinas M, Baron A, Diochot S, Deval E, Lingueglia E. Current perspectives on acid-sensing ion channels: new advances and therapeutic implications. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2014; 3:331-46. [DOI: 10.1586/ecp.10.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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45
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Bonifacio G, Lelli CIS, Kellenberger S. Protonation controls ASIC1a activity via coordinated movements in multiple domains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 143:105-18. [PMID: 24344244 PMCID: PMC3874563 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201311053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are neuronal Na(+)-conducting channels activated by extracellular acidification. ASICs are involved in pain sensation, expression of fear, and neurodegeneration after ischemic stroke. Functional ASICs are composed of three identical or homologous subunits, whose extracellular part has a handlike structure. Currently, it is unclear how protonation of residues in extracellular domains controls ASIC activity. Knowledge of these mechanisms would allow a rational development of drugs acting on ASICs. Protonation may induce conformational changes that control the position of the channel gate. We used voltage-clamp fluorometry with fluorophores attached to residues in different domains of ASIC1a to detect conformational changes. Comparison of the timing of fluorescence and current signals identified residues involved in movements that preceded desensitization and may therefore be associated with channel opening or early steps leading to desensitization. Other residues participated in movements intimately linked to desensitization and recovery from desensitization. Fluorescence signals of all mutants were detected at more alkaline pH than ionic currents. Their midpoint of pH dependence was close to that of steady-state desensitization, whereas the steepness of the pH fluorescence relationship was closer to that of current activation. A sequence of movements was observed upon acidification, and its backward movements during recovery from desensitization occurred in the reverse order, indicating that the individual steps are interdependent. Furthermore, the fluorescence signal of some labeled residues in the finger domain was strongly quenched by a Trp residue in the neighboring β-ball domain. Upon channel activation, their fluorescence intensity increased, indicating that the finger moved away from the β ball. This extensive analysis of activity-dependent conformational changes in ASICs sheds new light on the mechanisms by which protonation controls ASIC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Bonifacio
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
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46
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Ramaswamy SS, MacLean DM, Gorfe AA, Jayaraman V. Proton-mediated conformational changes in an acid-sensing ion channel. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:35896-903. [PMID: 24196950 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.478982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels are cation channels activated by external protons and play roles in nociception, synaptic transmission, and the physiopathology of ischemic stroke. Using luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET), we show that upon proton binding, there is a conformational change that increases LRET efficiency between the probes at the thumb and finger subdomains in the extracellular domain of acid-sensing ion channels. Additionally, we show that this conformational change is lost upon mutating Asp-238, Glu-239, and Asp-260, which line the finger domains, to alanines. Electrophysiological studies showed that the single mutant D260A shifted the EC50 by 0.2 pH units, the double mutant D238A/E239A shifted the EC50 by 2.5 pH units, and the triple mutant D238A/E239A/D260A exhibited no response to protons despite surface expression. The LRET experiments on D238A/E239A/D260A showed no changes in LRET efficiency upon reduction in pH from 8 to 6. The LRET and electrophysiological studies thus suggest that the three carboxylates, two of which are involved in carboxyl/carboxylate interactions, are essential for proton-induced conformational changes in the extracellular domain, which in turn are necessary for receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swarna S Ramaswamy
- From the Center for Membrane Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and
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47
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Krauson AJ, Rued AC, Carattino MD. Independent contribution of extracellular proton binding sites to ASIC1a activation. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:34375-83. [PMID: 24142696 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.504324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are a group of trimeric cation permeable channels gated by extracellular protons that are mainly expressed in the nervous system. Despite the structural information available for ASIC1, there is limited understanding of the molecular mechanism that allows these channels to sense and respond to drops in extracellular pH. In this report, we employed the substituted cysteine accessibility method and site-directed mutagenesis to examine the mechanism of activation of ASIC1a by extracellular protons. We found that the modification of E238C and D345C channels by MTSET reduced proton apparent affinity for activation. Furthermore, the introduction of positively charged residues at position 345 rendered shifted biphasic proton activation curves. Likewise, channels bearing mutations at positions 79 and 416 in the palm domain of the channel showed reduced proton apparent affinity and biphasic proton activation curves. Of significance, the effect of the mutations at positions 79 and 345 on channel activation was additive. E79K-D345K required a change to a pH lower than 2 for maximal activation. In summary, this study provides direct evidence for the presence of two distinct proton coordination sites in the extracellular region of ASIC1a, which jointly facilitate pore opening in response to extracellular acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram J Krauson
- From the Division of Renal Electrolytes, Department of Medicine, and
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48
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Roy S, Boiteux C, Alijevic O, Liang C, Bernèche S, Kellenberger S. Molecular determinants of desensitization in an ENaC/degenerin channel. FASEB J 2013; 27:5034-45. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-230680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Roy
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Céline Boiteux
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- BiozentrumUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Omar Alijevic
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Chungwen Liang
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- BiozentrumUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Simon Bernèche
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- BiozentrumUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Stephan Kellenberger
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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Coupling of proton binding in extracellular domain to channel gating in acid-sensing ion channel. J Mol Neurosci 2013; 51:199-207. [PMID: 23494639 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-9991-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Protonation of several amino acid residues in the extracellular domain (ECD) of acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) causes conformational changes that lead to opening of the channel. It is not clear how conformational changes in ECD are coupled to channel gating. Here, we show that the loop connecting β9 and α4 at the base of the thumb region of ECD interacts with post-TM1 to stabilize the channel in the closed state. Flexibility of these two regions is important for optimum gating of the channel. In ASIC1a, when Y71 (post-TM1) and W287 (β9-α4 loop) were mutated to cysteine, they formed disulfide bond in the closed state. Breaking of the disulfide bond by reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) or tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) potentiated the current significantly. Engineered cysteine G288C reacted with sulfhydryl-specific methanethiosulfonate ethyltrimethylammonium (MTSET) in the open state but not in closed/steady desensitized state, suggesting gating-associated conformational movement of this loop. We also identified a salt bridge between highly conserved R64 at TM1 and D432 at TM2 that is important for optimum gating. Based on our results and other published work, we propose that proton binding in ECD is followed by the displacement of the β9-α4 loop of the thumb, leading to the rotation of TM1. Conformational movement propagates to TM2 and the channel gate opens by the concomitant movement of TM2 and breaking of the salt bridge between R64 and D432.
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50
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Della Vecchia MC, Rued AC, Carattino MD. Gating transitions in the palm domain of ASIC1a. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:5487-95. [PMID: 23300086 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.441964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are trimeric cation-selective proton-gated ion channels expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The pore-forming transmembrane helices in these channels are linked by short loops to the palm domain in the extracellular region. Here, we explore the contribution to proton gating and desensitization of Glu-79 and Glu-416 in the palm domain of ASIC1a. Engineered Cys, Lys, and Gln substitutions at these positions shifted apparent proton affinity toward more acidic values. Double mutant cycle analysis indicated that Glu-79 and Glu-416 cooperatively facilitated pore opening in response to extracellular acidification. Channels bearing Cys at position 79 or 416 were irreversibly modified by thiol-reactive reagents in a state-dependent manner. Glu-79 and Glu-416 are located in β-strands 1 and 12, respectively. The covalent modification by (2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl) methanethiosulfonate bromide of Cys at position 79 impacted conformational changes associated with pore closing during desensitization, whereas the modification of Cys at position 416 affected conformational changes associated with proton gating. These results suggest that β-strands 1 and 12 contribute antagonistically to activation and desensitization of ASIC1a. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments indicated that the lower palm domain contracts in response to extracellular acidification. Taken together, our studies suggest that the lower palm domain mediates conformational movements that drive pore opening and closing events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Della Vecchia
- Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
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