1
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Abdelaziz R, Tomczak AP, Neef A, Pardo LA. Revealing a hidden conducting state by manipulating the intracellular domains in K V10.1 exposes the coupling between two gating mechanisms. eLife 2024; 12:RP91420. [PMID: 39259196 PMCID: PMC11390113 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The KCNH family of potassium channels serves relevant physiological functions in both excitable and non-excitable cells, reflected in the massive consequences of mutations or pharmacological manipulation of their function. This group of channels shares structural homology with other voltage-gated K+ channels, but the mechanisms of gating in this family show significant differences with respect to the canonical electromechanical coupling in these molecules. In particular, the large intracellular domains of KCNH channels play a crucial role in gating that is still only partly understood. Using KCNH1(KV10.1) as a model, we have characterized the behavior of a series of modified channels that could not be explained by the current models. With electrophysiological and biochemical methods combined with mathematical modeling, we show that the uncovering of an open state can explain the behavior of the mutants. This open state, which is not detectable in wild-type channels, appears to lack the rapid flicker block of the conventional open state. Because it is accessed from deep closed states, it elucidates intermediate gating events well ahead of channel opening in the wild type. This allowed us to study gating steps prior to opening, which, for example, explain the mechanism of gating inhibition by Ca2+-Calmodulin and generate a model that describes the characteristic features of KCNH channels gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reham Abdelaziz
- Oncophysiology Group. Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Adam P Tomczak
- Oncophysiology Group. Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Neef
- Neurophysics Laboratory, Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group. Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Codding SJ, Trudeau MC. Photoinhibition of the hERG potassium channel PAS domain by ultraviolet light speeds channel closing. Biophys J 2024; 123:2392-2405. [PMID: 38796698 PMCID: PMC11365103 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
hERG potassium channels are critical for cardiac excitability. hERG channels have a Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain at their N-terminus, and here, we examined the mechanism for PAS domain regulation of channel opening and closing (gating). We used TAG codon suppression to incorporate the noncanonical amino acid 4-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (BZF), which is capable of forming covalent cross-links after photoactivation by ultraviolet (UV) light, at three locations (G47, F48, and E50) in the PAS domain. We found that hERG-G47BZF channels had faster closing (deactivation) when irradiated in the open state (at 0 mV) but showed no measurable changes when irradiated in the closed state (at -100 mV). hERG-F48BZF channels had slower activation, faster deactivation, and a marked rightward shift in the voltage dependence of activation when irradiated in the open (at 0 mV) or closed (at -100 mV) state. hERG-E50BZF channels had no measurable changes when irradiated in the open state (at 0 mV) but had slower activation, faster deactivation, and a rightward shift in the voltage dependence of activation when irradiated in the closed state (at -100mV), indicating that hERG-E50BZF had a state-dependent difference in UV photoactivation, which we interpret to mean that PAS underwent molecular motions between the open and closed states. Moreover, we propose that UV-dependent biophysical changes in hERG-G47BZF, F48BZF, and E50BZF were the direct result of photochemical cross-linking that reduced dynamic motions in the PAS domain and broadly stabilized the closed state relative to the open state of the channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Codding
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Matthew C Trudeau
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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3
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Singh V, Auerbach DS. Neurocardiac pathologies associated with potassium channelopathies. Epilepsia 2024. [PMID: 39087855 DOI: 10.1111/epi.18066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels are expressed throughout the human body and are essential for physiological functions. These include delayed rectifiers, A-type channels, outward rectifiers, and inward rectifiers. They impact electrical function in the heart (repolarization) and brain (repolarization and stabilization of the resting membrane potential). KCNQx and KCNHx encode Kv7.x and Kv11.x proteins, which form delayed rectifier potassium channels. KCNQx and KCNHx channelopathies are associated with both cardiac and neuronal pathologies. These include electrocardiographic abnormalities, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death (SCD), epileptiform discharges, seizures, bipolar disorder, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Due to the ubiquitous expression of KCNQx and KCNHx channels, abnormalities in their function can be particularly harmful, increasing the risk of sudden death. For example, KCNH2 variants have a dual role in both cardiac and neuronal pathologies, whereas KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 variants are associated with severe and refractory epilepsy. Recurrent and uncontrolled seizures lead to secondary abnormalities, which include autonomics, cardiac electrical function, respiratory drive, and neuronal electrical activity. Even with a wide array of anti-seizure therapies available on the market, one-third of the more than 70 million people worldwide with epilepsy have uncontrolled seizures (i.e., intractable/drug-resistant epilepsy), which negatively impact neurodevelopment and quality of life. To capture the current state of the field, this review examines KCNQx and KCNHx expression patterns and electrical function in the brain and heart. In addition, it discusses several KCNQx and KCNHx variants that have been clinically and electrophysiologically characterized. Because these channel variants are associated with multi-system pathologies, such as epileptogenesis, Kv7 channel modulators provide a potential anti-seizure therapy, particularly for people with intractable epilepsy. Ultimately an increased understanding of the role of Kv channels throughout the body will fuel the development of innovative, safe, and effective therapies for people at a high risk of sudden death (SCD and SUDEP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - David S Auerbach
- Department of Pharmacology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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4
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Kunzmann P, Krumbach JH, Saponaro A, Moroni A, Thiel G, Hamacher K. Anisotropic Network Analysis of Open/Closed HCN4 Channel Advocates Asymmetric Subunit Cooperativity in cAMP Modulation of Gating. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:4727-4738. [PMID: 38830626 PMCID: PMC11203669 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channels are opened in an allosteric manner by membrane hyperpolarization and cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP. Because of conflicting reports from experimental studies on whether cAMP binding to the four available binding sites in the channel tetramer operates cooperatively in gating, we employ here a computational approach as a promising route to examine ligand-induced conformational changes after binding to individual sites. By combining an elastic network model (ENM) with linear response theory (LRT) for modeling the apo-holo transition of the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) in HCN channels, we observe a distinct pattern of cooperativity matching the "positive-negative-positive" cooperativity reported from functional studies. This cooperativity pattern is highly conserved among HCN subtypes (HCN4, HCN1), but only to a lesser extent visible in structurally related channels, which are only gated by voltage (KAT1) or cyclic nucleotides (TAX4). This suggests an inherent cooperativity between subunits in HCN channels as part of a ligand-triggered gating mechanism in these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kunzmann
- Department
of Biology, Computational Biology & Simulation, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jan H. Krumbach
- Department
of Biology, Computational Biology & Simulation, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andrea Saponaro
- Department
of Pharmacology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department
of Biosciences, Ion Channel Biophysics, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Department
of Biology, Membrane Biophysics, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre
for Synthetic Biology, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kay Hamacher
- Department
of Biology, Computational Biology & Simulation, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre
for Synthetic Biology, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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5
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Burtscher V, Mount J, Huang J, Cowgill J, Chang Y, Bickel K, Chen J, Yuan P, Chanda B. Structural basis for hyperpolarization-dependent opening of human HCN1 channel. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5216. [PMID: 38890331 PMCID: PMC11189445 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49599-x] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization and cyclic nucleotide (HCN) activated ion channels are critical for the automaticity of action potentials in pacemaking and rhythmic electrical circuits in the human body. Unlike most voltage-gated ion channels, the HCN and related plant ion channels activate upon membrane hyperpolarization. Although functional studies have identified residues in the interface between the voltage-sensing and pore domain as crucial for inverted electromechanical coupling, the structural mechanisms for this unusual voltage-dependence remain unclear. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of human HCN1 corresponding to Closed, Open, and a putative Intermediate state. Our structures reveal that the downward motion of the gating charges past the charge transfer center is accompanied by concomitant unwinding of the inner end of the S4 and S5 helices, disrupting the tight gating interface observed in the Closed state structure. This helix-coil transition at the intracellular gating interface accompanies a concerted iris-like dilation of the pore helices and underlies the reversed voltage dependence of HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Burtscher
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jonathan Mount
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jian Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - John Cowgill
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yongchang Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kathleen Bickel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jianhan Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Peng Yuan
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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6
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Pliushcheuskaya P, Kesh S, Kaufmann E, Wucherpfennig S, Schwede F, Künze G, Nache V. Similar Binding Modes of cGMP Analogues Limit Selectivity in Modulating Retinal CNG Channels via the Cyclic Nucleotide-Binding Domain. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1652-1668. [PMID: 38579109 PMCID: PMC11027099 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00665] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In treating retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder causing progressive vision loss, selective inhibition of rod cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels holds promise. Blocking the increased Ca2+-influx in rod photoreceptors through CNG channels can potentially delay disease progression and improve the quality of life for patients. To find inhibitors for rod CNG channels, we investigated the impact of 16 cGMP analogues on both rod and cone CNG channels using the patch-clamp technique. Although modifications at the C8 position of the guanine ring did not change the ligand efficacy, modifications at the N1 and N2 positions rendered cGMP largely ineffective in activating retinal CNG channels. Notably, PET-cGMP displayed selective potential, favoring rod over cone, whereas Rp-cGMPS showed greater efficiency in activating cone over rod CNG channels. Ligand docking and molecular dynamics simulations on cyclic nucleotide-binding domains showed comparable binding energies and binding modes for cGMP and its analogues in both rod and cone CNG channels (CNGA1 vs CNGA3 subunits). Computational experiments on CNGB1a vs CNGB3 subunits showed similar binding modes albeit with fewer amino acid interactions with cGMP due to an inactivated conformation of their C-helix. In addition, no clear correlation could be observed between the computational scores and the CNG channel efficacy values, suggesting additional factors beyond binding strength determining ligand selectivity and potency. This study highlights the importance of looking beyond the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain and toward the gating mechanism when searching for selective modulators. Future efforts in developing selective modulators for CNG channels should prioritize targeting alternative channel domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palina Pliushcheuskaya
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Medical Faculty, University
of Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Sandeep Kesh
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Emma Kaufmann
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Sophie Wucherpfennig
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Frank Schwede
- BIOLOG
Life Science Institute GmbH & Co KG, Bremen 28199, Germany
| | - Georg Künze
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Medical Faculty, University
of Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Interdisciplinary
Center for Bioinformatics, University of
Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
- Center
for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04105, Germany
| | - Vasilica Nache
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
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7
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Liu Z, Wang F, Yuan H, Tian F, Yang C, Hu F, Liu Y, Tang M, Ping M, Kang C, Luo T, Yang G, Hu M, Gao Z, Li P. An LQT2-related mutation in the voltage-sensing domain is involved in switching the gating polarity of hERG. BMC Biol 2024; 22:29. [PMID: 38317233 PMCID: PMC11380439 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclic Nucleotide-Binding Domain (CNBD)-family channels display distinct voltage-sensing properties despite sharing sequence and structural similarity. For example, the human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (hERG) channel and the Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel share high amino acid sequence similarity and identical domain structures. hERG conducts outward current and is activated by positive membrane potentials (depolarization), whereas HCN conducts inward current and is activated by negative membrane potentials (hyperpolarization). The structural basis for the "opposite" voltage-sensing properties of hERG and HCN remains unknown. RESULTS We found the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) involves in modulating the gating polarity of hERG. We identified that a long-QT syndrome type 2-related mutation within the VSD, K525N, mediated an inwardly rectifying non-deactivating current, perturbing the channel closure, but sparing the open state and inactivated state. K525N rescued the current of a non-functional mutation in the pore helix region (F627Y) of hERG. K525N&F627Y switched hERG into a hyperpolarization-activated channel. The reactivated inward current induced by hyperpolarization mediated by K525N&F627Y can be inhibited by E-4031 and dofetilide quite well. Moreover, we report an extracellular interaction between the S1 helix and the S5-P region is crucial for modulating the gating polarity. The alanine substitution of several residues in this region (F431A, C566A, I607A, and Y611A) impaired the inward current of K525N&F627Y. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that a potential cooperation mechanism in the extracellular vestibule of the VSD and the PD would determine the gating polarity in hERG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipei Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Feng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Hui Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Fuyun Tian
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chuanyan Yang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yiyao Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Meiqin Tang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Meixuan Ping
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chunlan Kang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Guimei Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Mei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, 528401, China
| | - Zhaobing Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Ping Li
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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8
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Codding SJ, Trudeau MC. Photo-crosslinking hERG channels causes a U.V.-driven, state-dependent disruption of kinetics and voltage dependence of activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.09.574834. [PMID: 38260338 PMCID: PMC10802430 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.09.574834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Human ether-à-go-go related gene (hERG) voltage-activated potassium channels are critical for cardiac excitability. Characteristic slow closing (deactivation) in hERG is regulated by direct interaction between the N-terminal Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain and the C-terminal cyclic nucleotide binding homology domain (CNBHD). We aim to understand how the PAS domain that is distal to the pore rearranges during gating to allosterically regulate the channel pore (and ion flux). To achieve this, we utilized the non-canonical amino acid 4-Benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (BZF) which is a photo-activatable cross-linkable probe, that when irradiated with ultraviolet (U.V.) light forms a double radical capable of forming covalent cross-links with C-H bond-containing groups, enabling selective and potent U.V.-driven photoinactivation of ion channel dynamics. Here we incorporate BZF directly into the hERG potassium channel PAS domain at three locations (G47, F48, and E50) using TAG codon suppression technology. hERG channels with BZF incorporated into the PAS domain (hERG-BZF) showed a significant change in the biophysical properties of the channel. hERG-G47BZF activated slowly when irradiated in the closed state (-100mV) but deactivated quickly when irradiated in both the open (0mV) and closed state. hERG-F48BZF channels showed a state independent and U.V. dose-dependent change in channel activation (slowing down) and channel deactivation (speeding up), as well as a marked change (right-shift) in the voltage-dependence of conductance. When irradiated at -100 mV hERG-E50BZF showed a state dependent and U.V. dose-dependent change in a channel activation (slowing down) and deactivation (speeding up) of channel deactivation, as well as a marked change (right-shift) in the voltage-dependence of conductance that occurred only when the channel was irradiated in the closed state (-100mV). This approach demonstrated that direct photo-crosslinking of the PAS domain in hERG channels causes a measurable change in biophysical parameters and more broadly stabilized the closed state of the channel. We propose that altered channel gating is as a direct result of reduced dynamic motions in the PAS domain of hERG due to photo-chemical crosslinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Codding
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Matthew C Trudeau
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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9
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Hu Z, Yang J. Structural basis of properties, mechanisms, and channelopathy of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. Channels (Austin) 2023; 17:2273165. [PMID: 37905307 PMCID: PMC10761061 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2023.2273165] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen an outpouring of atomic or near atomic resolution structures of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, captured in closed, transition, pre-open, partially open, and fully open states. These structures provide unprecedented molecular insights into the activation, assembly, architecture, regulation, and channelopathy of CNG channels, as well as mechanistic explanations for CNG channel biophysical and pharmacological properties. This article summarizes recent advances in CNG channel structural biology, describes key structural features and elements, and illuminates a detailed conformational landscape of activation by cyclic nucleotides. The review also correlates structures with findings and properties delineated in functional studies, including nonselective monovalent cation selectivity, Ca2+ permeation and block, block by L-cis-diltiazem, location of the activation gate, lack of voltage-dependent gating, and modulation by lipids and calmodulin. A perspective on future research is also offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengshan Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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10
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Kalienkova V, Peter MF, Rheinberger J, Paulino C. Structures of a sperm-specific solute carrier gated by voltage and cAMP. Nature 2023; 623:202-209. [PMID: 37880361 PMCID: PMC10620091 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06629-w] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The newly characterized sperm-specific Na+/H+ exchanger stands out by its unique tripartite domain composition1,2. It unites a classical solute carrier unit with regulatory domains usually found in ion channels, namely, a voltage-sensing domain and a cyclic-nucleotide binding domain1,3, which makes it a mechanistic chimera and a secondary-active transporter activated strictly by membrane voltage. Our structures of the sea urchin SpSLC9C1 in the absence and presence of ligands reveal the overall domain arrangement and new structural coupling elements. They allow us to propose a gating model, where movements in the voltage sensor indirectly cause the release of the exchanging unit from a locked state through long-distance allosteric effects transmitted by the newly characterized coupling helices. We further propose that modulation by its ligand cyclic AMP occurs by means of disruption of the cytosolic dimer interface, which lowers the energy barrier for S4 movements in the voltage-sensing domain. As SLC9C1 members have been shown to be essential for male fertility, including in mammals2,4,5, our structure represents a potential new platform for the development of new on-demand contraceptives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Kalienkova
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Martin F Peter
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Rheinberger
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cristina Paulino
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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11
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Handlin LJ, Dai G. Direct regulation of the voltage sensor of HCN channels by membrane lipid compartmentalization. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6595. [PMID: 37852983 PMCID: PMC10584925 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42363-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels function within a membrane environment characterized by dynamic lipid compartmentalization. Limited knowledge exists regarding the response of voltage-gated ion channels to transmembrane potential within distinct membrane compartments. By leveraging fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), we visualized the localization of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels in membrane domains. HCN4 exhibits a greater propensity for incorporation into ordered lipid domains compared to HCN1. To investigate the conformational changes of the S4 helix voltage sensor of HCN channels, we used dual stop-codon suppression to incorporate different noncanonical amino acids, orthogonal click chemistry for site-specific fluorescence labeling, and transition metal FLIM-FRET. Remarkably, altered FRET levels were observed between VSD sites within HCN channels upon disruption of membrane domains. We propose that the voltage-sensor rearrangements, directly influenced by membrane lipid domains, can explain the heightened activity of pacemaker HCN channels when localized in cholesterol-poor, disordered lipid domains, leading to membrane hyperexcitability and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J Handlin
- Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Gucan Dai
- Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1100 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA.
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12
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Wu Y, Wang Q, Granger J, Gaido OR, Aguilar EN, Ludwig A, Moroni A, Bianchet MA, Anderson ME. HCN channels sense temperature and determine heart rate responses to heat. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.02.556046. [PMID: 37693513 PMCID: PMC10491304 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.02.556046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Heart rate increases with heat, [1-3] constituting a fundamental physiological relationship in vertebrates. Each normal heartbeat is initiated by an action potential generated in a sinoatrial nodal pacemaker cell. Pacemaker cells are enriched with hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels (HCN) that deliver cell membrane depolarizing inward current that triggers action potentials. HCN channel current increases due to cAMP binding, a mechanism coupling adrenergic tone to physiological 'fight or flight' heart rate acceleration. However, the mechanism(s) for heart rate response to thermal energy is unknown. We used thermodynamical and homology computational modeling, site-directed mutagenesis and mouse models to identify a concise motif on the S4-S5 linker of the cardiac pacemaker HCN4 channels (M407/Y409) that determines HCN4 current (If) and cardiac pacemaker cell responses to heat. This motif is required for heat sensing in cardiac pacemaker cells and in isolated hearts. In contrast, the cyclic nucleotide binding domain is not required for heat induced HCN4 current increases. However, a loss of function M407/Y409 motif mutation prevented normal heat and cAMP responses, suggesting that heat sensing machinery is essential for operating the cAMP allosteric pathway and is central to HCN4 modulation. The M407/Y409 motif is conserved across all HCN family members suggesting that HCN channels participate broadly in coupling heat to changes in cell membrane excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuejin Wu
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qinchuan Wang
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan Granger
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Oscar Reyes Gaido
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric Nunez Aguilar
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andreas Ludwig
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Mario A Bianchet
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark E Anderson
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Medicine and Division of Biological Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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13
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Burtscher V, Mount J, Cowgill J, Chang Y, Bickel K, Yuan P, Chanda B. Structural Basis for Hyperpolarization-dependent Opening of the Human HCN1 Channel. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.17.553623. [PMID: 37645882 PMCID: PMC10462129 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization and cyclic-nucleotide (HCN) activated ion channels play a critical role in generating self-propagating action potentials in pacemaking and rhythmic electrical circuits in the human body. Unlike most voltage-gated ion channels, the HCN channels activate upon membrane hyperpolarization, but the structural mechanisms underlying this gating behavior remain unclear. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of human HCN1 in Closed, Intermediate, and Open states. Our structures reveal that the inward motion of two gating charges past the charge transfer center (CTC) and concomitant tilting of the S5 helix drives the opening of the central pore. In the intermediate state structure, a single gating charge is positioned below the CTC and the pore appears closed, whereas in the open state structure, both charges move past CTC and the pore is fully open. Remarkably, the downward motion of the voltage sensor is accompanied by progressive unwinding of the inner end of S4 and S5 helices disrupting the tight gating interface that stabilizes the Closed state structure. This "melting" transition at the intracellular gating interface leads to a concerted iris-like displacement of S5 and S6 helices, resulting in pore opening. These findings reveal key structural features that are likely to underlie reversed voltage-dependence of HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Burtscher
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Mount
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Cowgill
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yongchang Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kathleen Bickel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Peng Yuan
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
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14
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Gerhardt MJ, Petersen-Jones SM, Michalakis S. CNG channel-related retinitis pigmentosa. Vision Res 2023; 208:108232. [PMID: 37054604 PMCID: PMC10373105 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
The genes CNGA1 and CNGB1 encode the alpha and beta subunits of the rod CNG channel, a ligand-gated cation channel whose activity is controlled by cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Autosomal inherited mutations in either of the genes lead to a progressive rod-cone retinopathy known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The rod CNG channel is expressed in the plasma membrane of the outer segment and functions as a molecular switch that converts light-mediated changes in cGMP into a voltage and Ca2+ signal. Here, we will first review the molecular properties and physiological role of the rod CNG channel and then discuss the characteristics of CNG-related RP. Finally, we will summarize recent activities in the field of gene therapy aimed at developing therapies for CNG-related RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian J Gerhardt
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Mathildenstraße 8, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Simon M Petersen-Jones
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Stylianos Michalakis
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Mathildenstraße 8, 80336 München, Germany.
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15
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Pan Y, Pohjolainen E, Schmidpeter PAM, Vaiana AC, Nimigean CM, Grubmüller H, Scheuring S. Discrimination between cyclic nucleotides in a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:512-520. [PMID: 36973509 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-00955-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels are crucial in many physiological processes such as vision and pacemaking in the heart. SthK is a prokaryotic homolog with high sequence and structure similarities to hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-modulated and cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, especially at the level of the cyclic nucleotide binding domains (CNBDs). Functional measurements showed that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a channel activator while cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) barely leads to pore opening. Here, using atomic force microscopy single-molecule force spectroscopy and force probe molecular dynamics simulations, we unravel quantitatively and at the atomic level how CNBDs discriminate between cyclic nucleotides. We find that cAMP binds to the SthK CNBD slightly stronger than cGMP and accesses a deep-bound state that a cGMP-bound CNBD cannot reach. We propose that the deep binding of cAMP is the discriminatory state that is essential for cAMP-dependent channel activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangang Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emmi Pohjolainen
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Department, Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Andrea C Vaiana
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Department, Goettingen, Germany
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Crina M Nimigean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Helmut Grubmüller
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Department, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Simon Scheuring
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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16
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Biology, Pathobiology and Gene Therapy of CNG Channel-Related Retinopathies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020269. [PMID: 36830806 PMCID: PMC9953513 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The visual process begins with the absorption of photons by photopigments of cone and rod photoreceptors in the retina. In this process, the signal is first amplified by a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-based signaling cascade and then converted into an electrical signal by cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels. CNG channels are purely ligand-gated channels whose activity can be controlled by cGMP, which induces a depolarizing Na+/Ca2+ current upon binding to the channel. Structurally, CNG channels belong to the superfamily of pore-loop cation channels and share structural similarities with hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide (HCN) and voltage-gated potassium (KCN) channels. Cone and rod photoreceptors express distinct CNG channels encoded by homologous genes. Mutations in the genes encoding the rod CNG channel (CNGA1 and CNGB1) result in retinitis-pigmentosa-type blindness. Mutations in the genes encoding the cone CNG channel (CNGA3 and CNGB3) lead to achromatopsia. Here, we review the molecular properties of CNG channels and describe their physiological and pathophysiological roles in the retina. Moreover, we summarize recent activities in the field of gene therapy aimed at developing the first gene therapies for CNG channelopathies.
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17
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Gating intermediates reveal inhibitory role of the voltage sensor in a cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channel. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6919. [PMID: 36376326 PMCID: PMC9663499 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34673-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how ion channels gate is important for elucidating their physiological roles and targeting them in pathophysiological states. Here, we used SthK, a cyclic nucleotide-modulated channel from Spirochaeta thermophila, to define a ligand-gating trajectory that includes multiple on-pathway intermediates. cAMP is a poor partial agonist for SthK and depolarization increases SthK activity. Tuning the energy landscape by gain-of-function mutations in the voltage sensor domain (VSD) allowed us to capture multiple intermediates along the ligand-activation pathway, highlighting the allosteric linkage between VSD, cyclic nucleotide-binding (CNBD) and pore domains. Small, lateral displacements of the VSD S4 segment were necessary to open the intracellular gate, pointing to an inhibitory VSD at rest. We propose that in wild-type SthK, depolarization leads to such VSD displacements resulting in release of inhibition. In summary, we report conformational transitions along the activation pathway that reveal allosteric couplings between key sites integrating to open the intracellular gate.
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18
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Zhang Y, Grimwood AL, Hancox JC, Harmer SC, Dempsey CE. Evolutionary coupling analysis guides identification of mistrafficking-sensitive variants in cardiac K + channels: Validation with hERG. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1010119. [PMID: 36339618 PMCID: PMC9632996 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of function (LOF) mutations of voltage sensitive K+ channel proteins hERG (Kv11.1) and KCNQ1 (Kv7.1) account for the majority of instances of congenital Long QT Syndrome (cLQTS) with the dominant molecular phenotype being a mistrafficking one resulting from protein misfolding. We explored the use of Evolutionary Coupling (EC) analysis, which identifies evolutionarily conserved pairwise amino acid interactions that may contribute to protein structural stability, to identify regions of the channels susceptible to misfolding mutations. Comparison with published experimental trafficking data for hERG and KCNQ1 showed that the method strongly predicts "scaffolding" regions of the channel membrane domains and has useful predictive power for trafficking phenotypes of individual variants. We identified a region in and around the cytoplasmic S2-S3 loop of the hERG Voltage Sensor Domain (VSD) as susceptible to destabilising mutation, and this was confirmed using a quantitative LI-COR ® based trafficking assay that showed severely attenuated trafficking in eight out of 10 natural hERG VSD variants selected using EC analysis. Our analysis highlights an equivalence in the scaffolding structures of the hERG and KCNQ1 membrane domains. Pathogenic variants of ion channels with an underlying mistrafficking phenotype are likely to be located within similar scaffolding structures that are identifiable by EC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihong Zhang
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Amy L. Grimwood
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jules C. Hancox
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen C. Harmer
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher E. Dempsey
- School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
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19
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Galán-Vidal J, Socuéllamos PG, Baena-Nuevo M, Contreras L, González T, Pérez-Poyato MS, Valenzuela C, González-Lamuño D, Gandarillas A. A novel loss-of-function mutation of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv10.2 involved in epilepsy and autism. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022; 17:345. [PMID: 36068614 PMCID: PMC9446776 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-022-02499-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Novel developmental mutations associated with disease are a continuous challenge in medicine. Clinical consequences caused by these mutations include neuron and cognitive alterations that can lead to epilepsy or autism spectrum disorders. Often, it is difficult to identify the physiological defects and the appropriate treatments. Results We have isolated and cultured primary cells from the skin of a patient with combined epilepsy and autism syndrome. A mutation in the potassium channel protein Kv10.2 was identified. We have characterised the alteration of the mutant channel and found that it causes loss of function (LOF). Primary cells from the skin displayed a very striking growth defect and increased differentiation. In vitro treatment with various carbonic anhydrase inhibitors with various degrees of specificity for potassium channels, (Brinzolamide, Acetazolamide, Retigabine) restored the activation capacity of the mutated channel. Interestingly, the drugs also recovered in vitro the expansion capacity of the mutated skin cells. Furthermore, treatment with Acetazolamide clearly improved the patient regarding epilepsy and cognitive skills. When the treatment was temporarily halted the syndrome worsened again. Conclusions By in vitro studying primary cells from the patient and the activation capacity of the mutated protein, we could first, find a readout for the cellular defects and second, test pharmaceutical treatments that proved to be beneficial. The results show the involvement of a novel LOF mutation of a Potassium channel in autism syndrome with epilepsy and the great potential of in vitro cultures of primary cells in personalised medicine of rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Galán-Vidal
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute for Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Paula G Socuéllamos
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, IIBM, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.,Spanish Network for Biomedical Research in Cardiovascular Research (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Baena-Nuevo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, IIBM, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.,Spanish Network for Biomedical Research in Cardiovascular Research (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lizbeth Contreras
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute for Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Teresa González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, IIBM, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.,Spanish Network for Biomedical Research in Cardiovascular Research (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María S Pérez-Poyato
- Neuropediatric, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, 39008, Santander, Spain
| | - Carmen Valenzuela
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, IIBM, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain. .,Spanish Network for Biomedical Research in Cardiovascular Research (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Domingo González-Lamuño
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute for Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011, Santander, Spain. .,Paediatric Department, University of Cantabria University, Marqués de Valdecilla Hospital, 39008, Santander, Spain.
| | - Alberto Gandarillas
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute for Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011, Santander, Spain. .,INSERM, Occitanie Méditerranée, 34394, Montpellier, France.
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20
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Kondapuram M, Frieg B, Yüksel S, Schwabe T, Sattler C, Lelle M, Schweinitz A, Schmauder R, Benndorf K, Gohlke H, Kusch J. Functional and structural characterization of interactions between opposite subunits in HCN pacemaker channels. Commun Biol 2022; 5:430. [PMID: 35534535 PMCID: PMC9085832 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03360-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide (HCN) modulated channels are tetrameric cation channels. In each of the four subunits, the intracellular cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) is coupled to the transmembrane domain via a helical structure, the C-linker. High-resolution channel structures suggest that the C-linker enables functionally relevant interactions with the opposite subunit, which might be critical for coupling the conformational changes in the CNBD to the channel pore. We combined mutagenesis, patch-clamp technique, confocal patch-clamp fluorometry, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to show that residue K464 of the C-linker is relevant for stabilizing the closed state of the mHCN2 channel by forming interactions with the opposite subunit. MD simulations revealed that in the K464E channel, a rotation of the intracellular domain relative to the channel pore is induced, which is similar to the cAMP-induced rotation, weakening the autoinhibitory effect of the unoccupied CL-CNBD region. We suggest that this CL-CNBD rotation is considerably involved in activation-induced affinity increase but only indirectly involved in gate modulation. The adopted poses shown herein are in excellent agreement with previous structural results. Interactions between opposite subunits of HCN channels are relevant for stabilizing the auto-inhibited state of the channel. Like cAMP-binding, K464E-mutation breaks these interactions to favor a channel’s pre-activated state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Kondapuram
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Benedikt Frieg
- John von Neumann-Institut für Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI-7: Strukturbiochemie), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sezin Yüksel
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Tina Schwabe
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Sattler
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Marco Lelle
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Andrea Schweinitz
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Ralf Schmauder
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Klaus Benndorf
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- John von Neumann-Institut für Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI-7: Strukturbiochemie), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany. .,Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. .,Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften (IBG-4: Bioinformatik), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Jana Kusch
- Universitätsklinikum Jena, Institut für Physiologie II, Jena, Germany.
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21
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Piantoni C, Paina M, Molla D, Liu S, Bertoli G, Jiang H, Wang Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, DiFrancesco D, Barbuti A, Bucchi A, Baruscotti M. Chinese natural compound decreases pacemaking of rabbit cardiac sinoatrial cells by targeting second messenger regulation of f-channels. eLife 2022; 11:75119. [PMID: 35315774 PMCID: PMC8940175 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tongmai Yangxin (TMYX) is a complex compound of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to treat several cardiac rhythm disorders; however, no information regarding its mechanism of action is available. In this study we provide a detailed characterization of the effects of TMYX on the electrical activity of pacemaker cells and unravel its mechanism of action. Single-cell electrophysiology revealed that TMYX elicits a reversible and dose-dependent (2/6 mg/ml) slowing of spontaneous action potentials rate (−20.8/–50.2%) by a selective reduction of the diastolic phase (−50.1/–76.0%). This action is mediated by a negative shift of the If activation curve (−6.7/–11.9 mV) and is caused by a reduction of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-induced stimulation of pacemaker channels. We provide evidence that TMYX acts by directly antagonizing the cAMP-induced allosteric modulation of the pacemaker channels. Noticeably, this mechanism functionally resembles the pharmacological actions of muscarinic stimulation or β-blockers, but it does not require generalized changes in cytoplasmic cAMP levels thus ensuring a selective action on rate. In agreement with a competitive inhibition mechanism, TMYX exerts its maximal antagonistic action at submaximal cAMP concentrations and then progressively becomes less effective thus ensuring a full contribution of If to pacemaker rate during high metabolic demand and sympathetic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Piantoni
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Manuel Paina
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - David Molla
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Sheng Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Giorgia Bertoli
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Hongmei Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Dario DiFrancesco
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Barbuti
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Annalisa Bucchi
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Mirko Baruscotti
- Department of Biosciences, The Cell Physiology Lab and "Centro Interuniversitario di Medicina Molecolare e Biofisica Applicata", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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22
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Wagner K, Unger L, Salman MM, Kitchen P, Bill RM, Yool AJ. Signaling Mechanisms and Pharmacological Modulators Governing Diverse Aquaporin Functions in Human Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1388. [PMID: 35163313 PMCID: PMC8836214 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of small integral membrane proteins that facilitate the bidirectional transport of water across biological membranes in response to osmotic pressure gradients as well as enable the transmembrane diffusion of small neutral solutes (such as urea, glycerol, and hydrogen peroxide) and ions. AQPs are expressed throughout the human body. Here, we review their key roles in fluid homeostasis, glandular secretions, signal transduction and sensation, barrier function, immunity and inflammation, cell migration, and angiogenesis. Evidence from a wide variety of studies now supports a view of the functions of AQPs being much more complex than simply mediating the passive flow of water across biological membranes. The discovery and development of small-molecule AQP inhibitors for research use and therapeutic development will lead to new insights into the basic biology of and novel treatments for the wide range of AQP-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Wagner
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
| | - Lucas Unger
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK; (L.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Mootaz M. Salman
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK;
- Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Philip Kitchen
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK; (L.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Roslyn M. Bill
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK; (L.U.); (P.K.)
| | - Andrea J. Yool
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
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23
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Lefoulon C. The bare necessities of plant K+ channel regulation. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:2092-2109. [PMID: 34618033 PMCID: PMC8644596 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Potassium (K+) channels serve a wide range of functions in plants from mineral nutrition and osmotic balance to turgor generation for cell expansion and guard cell aperture control. Plant K+ channels are members of the superfamily of voltage-dependent K+ channels, or Kv channels, that include the Shaker channels first identified in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Kv channels have been studied in depth over the past half century and are the best-known of the voltage-dependent channels in plants. Like the Kv channels of animals, the plant Kv channels are regulated over timescales of milliseconds by conformational mechanisms that are commonly referred to as gating. Many aspects of gating are now well established, but these channels still hold some secrets, especially when it comes to the control of gating. How this control is achieved is especially important, as it holds substantial prospects for solutions to plant breeding with improved growth and water use efficiencies. Resolution of the structure for the KAT1 K+ channel, the first channel from plants to be crystallized, shows that many previous assumptions about how the channels function need now to be revisited. Here, I strip the plant Kv channels bare to understand how they work, how they are gated by voltage and, in some cases, by K+ itself, and how the gating of these channels can be regulated by the binding with other protein partners. Each of these features of plant Kv channels has important implications for plant physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Lefoulon
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Bower Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland
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24
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Molecular mechanisms of sperm motility are conserved in an early-branching metazoan. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2109993118. [PMID: 34810263 PMCID: PMC8640785 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109993118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals are the keystone species of the world’s most biodiverse yet threatened marine ecosystems. Coral reproduction, critical for reef resilience, requires that coral sperm swim through the water column to reach the egg. However, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate coral sperm motility. We found here that coral sperm motility is pH dependent and that activation of motility requires signaling via the pH-sensing enzyme soluble adenylyl cyclase. This study reveals the deep conservation of a sperm activation pathway from humans to corals, presenting the first comprehensive examination of the molecular mechanisms regulating sperm motility in an early-diverging animal. These results are critical for understanding the resilience of this sensitive life stage to a changing marine environment. Efficient and targeted sperm motility is essential for animal reproductive success. Sperm from mammals and echinoderms utilize a highly conserved signaling mechanism in which sperm motility is stimulated by pH-dependent activation of the cAMP-producing enzyme soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC). However, the presence of this pathway in early-branching metazoans has remained unexplored. Here, we found that elevating cytoplasmic pH induced a rapid burst of cAMP signaling and triggered the onset of motility in sperm from the reef-building coral Montipora capitata in a sAC-dependent manner. Expression of sAC in the mitochondrial-rich midpiece and flagellum of coral sperm support a dual role for this molecular pH sensor in regulating mitochondrial respiration and flagellar beating and thus motility. In addition, we found that additional members of the homologous signaling pathway described in echinoderms, both upstream and downstream of sAC, are expressed in coral sperm. These include the Na+/H+ exchanger SLC9C1, protein kinase A, and the CatSper Ca2+ channel conserved even in mammalian sperm. Indeed, the onset of motility corresponded with increased protein kinase A activity. Our discovery of this pathway in an early-branching metazoan species highlights the ancient origin of the pH-sAC-cAMP signaling node in sperm physiology and suggests that it may be present in many other marine invertebrate taxa for which sperm motility mechanisms remain unexplored. These results emphasize the need to better understand the role of pH-dependent signaling in the reproductive success of marine animals, particularly as climate change stressors continue to alter the physiology of corals and other marine invertebrates.
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25
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Soohoo SM, Tiwari PB, Suzuki YJ, Brelidze TI. Investigation of PAS and CNBH domain interactions in hERG channels and effects of long-QT syndrome-causing mutations with surface plasmon resonance. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101433. [PMID: 34801551 PMCID: PMC8693265 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Human ether-á-go-go-related gene (hERG) channels are key regulators of cardiac repolarization, neuronal excitability, and tumorigenesis. hERG channels contain N-terminal Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) and C-terminal cyclic nucleotide-binding homology (CNBH) domains with many long-QT syndrome (LQTS)-causing mutations located at the interface between these domains. Despite the importance of PAS/CNBH domain interactions, little is known about their affinity. Here, we used the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique to investigate interactions between isolated PAS and CNBH domains and the effects of LQTS-causing mutations R20G, N33T, and E58D, located at the PAS/CNBH domain interface, on these interactions. We determined that the affinity of the PAS/CNBH domain interactions was ∼1.4 μM. R20G and E58D mutations had little effect on the domain interaction affinity, while N33T abolished the domain interactions. Interestingly, mutations in the intrinsic ligand, a conserved stretch of amino acids occupying the beta-roll cavity in the CNBH domain, had little effect on the affinity of PAS/CNBH domain interactions. Additionally, we determined that the isolated PAS domains formed oligomers with an interaction affinity of ∼1.6 μM. Coexpression of the isolated PAS domains with the full-length hERG channels or addition of the purified PAS protein inhibited hERG currents. These PAS/PAS interactions can have important implications for hERG function in normal and pathological conditions associated with increased surface density of channels or interaction with other PAS-domain-containing proteins. Taken together, our study provides the first account of the binding affinities for wild-type and mutant hERG PAS and CNBH domains and highlights the potential functional significance of PAS/PAS domain interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Soohoo
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Purushottam B Tiwari
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Yuichiro J Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Tinatin I Brelidze
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
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26
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Patel VR, Salinas AM, Qi D, Gupta S, Sidote DJ, Goldschen-Ohm MP. Single-molecule imaging with cell-derived nanovesicles reveals early binding dynamics at a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6459. [PMID: 34753946 PMCID: PMC8578382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26816-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ligand binding to membrane proteins is critical for many biological signaling processes. However, individual binding events are rarely directly observed, and their asynchronous dynamics are occluded in ensemble-averaged measures. For membrane proteins, single-molecule approaches that resolve these dynamics are challenged by dysfunction in non-native lipid environments, lack of access to intracellular sites, and costly sample preparation. Here, we introduce an approach combining cell-derived nanovesicles, microfluidics, and single-molecule fluorescence colocalization microscopy to track individual binding events at a cyclic nucleotide-gated TAX-4 ion channel critical for sensory transduction. Our observations reveal dynamics of both nucleotide binding and a subsequent conformational change likely preceding pore opening. Kinetic modeling suggests that binding of the second ligand is either independent of the first ligand or exhibits up to ~10-fold positive binding cooperativity. This approach is broadly applicable to studies of binding dynamics for proteins with extracellular or intracellular domains in native cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal R Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Arturo M Salinas
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Darong Qi
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Shipra Gupta
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David J Sidote
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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27
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Lewis A, Kurauskas V, Tonelli M, Henzler-Wildman K. Ion-dependent structure, dynamics, and allosteric coupling in a non-selective cation channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6225. [PMID: 34711838 PMCID: PMC8553846 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26538-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The selectivity filter (SF) determines which ions are efficiently conducted through ion channel pores. NaK is a non-selective cation channel that conducts Na+ and K+ with equal efficiency. Crystal structures of NaK suggested a rigid SF structure, but later solid-state NMR and MD simulations questioned this interpretation. Here, we use solution NMR to characterize how bound Na+ vs. K+ affects NaK SF structure and dynamics. We find that the extracellular end of the SF is flexible on the ps-ns timescale regardless of bound ion. On a slower timescale, we observe a structural change between the Na+ and K+-bound states, accompanied by increased structural heterogeneity in Na+. We also show direct evidence that the SF structure is communicated to the pore via I88 on the M2 helix. These results support a dynamic SF with multiple conformations involved in non-selective conduction. Our data also demonstrate allosteric coupling between the SF and pore-lining helices in a non-selective cation channel that is analogous to the allosteric coupling previously demonstrated for K+-selective channels, supporting the generality of this model. NaK is a bacterial non-selective cation channel. Here, the authors use solution NMR to show that selectivity filter (SF) in NaK is dynamic, with structural differences between the Na+ and K + -bound states. The conformation of the SF is communicated to the pore-lining helices similarly as in the K + -selective channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lewis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Vilius Kurauskas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Marco Tonelli
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Katherine Henzler-Wildman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA. .,National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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28
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Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) is a unique mineral that serves as both a nutrient and a signal in all eukaryotes. To maintain Ca2+ homeostasis for both nutrition and signaling purposes, the toolkit for Ca2+ transport has expanded across kingdoms of eukaryotes to encode specific Ca2+ signals referred to as Ca2+ signatures. In parallel, a large array of Ca2+-binding proteins has evolved as specific sensors to decode Ca2+ signatures. By comparing these coding and decoding mechanisms in fungi, animals, and plants, both unified and divergent themes have emerged, and the underlying complexity will challenge researchers for years to come. Considering the scale and breadth of the subject, instead of a literature survey, in this review we focus on a conceptual framework that aims to introduce to readers to the principles and mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling. We finish with several examples of Ca2+-signaling pathways, including polarized cell growth, immunity and symbiosis, and systemic signaling, to piece together specific coding and decoding mechanisms in plants versus animals. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, Volume 37 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Luan
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
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29
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CNG channel structure, function, and gating: a tale of conformational flexibility. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1423-1435. [PMID: 34357442 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02610-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are key to the signal transduction machinery of certain sensory modalities both in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. They translate a chemical change in cyclic nucleotide concentration into an electrical signal that can spread through sensory cells. Despite CNG and voltage-gated potassium channels sharing a remarkable amino acid sequence homology and basic architectural plan, their functional properties are dramatically different. While voltage-gated potassium channels are highly selective and require membrane depolarization to open, CNG channels have low ion selectivity and are not very sensitive to voltage. In the last few years, many high-resolution structures of intact CNG channels have been released. This wealth of new structural information has provided enormous progress toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms and driving forces underpinning CNG channel activation. In this review, we report on the current understanding and controversies surrounding the gating mechanism in CNG channels, as well as the deep intertwining existing between gating, the ion permeation process, and its modulation by membrane voltage. While the existence of this powerful coupling was recognized many decades ago, its direct structural demonstration, and ties to the CNG channel inherent pore flexibility, is a recent achievement.
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30
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Saponaro A, Bauer D, Giese MH, Swuec P, Porro A, Gasparri F, Sharifzadeh AS, Chaves-Sanjuan A, Alberio L, Parisi G, Cerutti G, Clarke OB, Hamacher K, Colecraft HM, Mancia F, Hendrickson WA, Siegelbaum SA, DiFrancesco D, Bolognesi M, Thiel G, Santoro B, Moroni A. Gating movements and ion permeation in HCN4 pacemaker channels. Mol Cell 2021; 81:2929-2943.e6. [PMID: 34166608 PMCID: PMC8294335 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
The HCN1-4 channel family is responsible for the hyperpolarization-activated cation current If/Ih that controls automaticity in cardiac and neuronal pacemaker cells. We present cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of HCN4 in the presence or absence of bound cAMP, displaying the pore domain in closed and open conformations. Analysis of cAMP-bound and -unbound structures sheds light on how ligand-induced transitions in the channel cytosolic portion mediate the effect of cAMP on channel gating and highlights the regulatory role of a Mg2+ coordination site formed between the C-linker and the S4-S5 linker. Comparison of open/closed pore states shows that the cytosolic gate opens through concerted movements of the S5 and S6 transmembrane helices. Furthermore, in combination with molecular dynamics analyses, the open pore structures provide insights into the mechanisms of K+/Na+ permeation. Our results contribute mechanistic understanding on HCN channel gating, cyclic nucleotide-dependent modulation, and ion permeation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Saponaro
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Bauer
- Department of Biology, TU-Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Hunter Giese
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paolo Swuec
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Pediatric Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Antonio Chaves-Sanjuan
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Pediatric Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Alberio
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Giacomo Parisi
- Center for Life Nano Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Cerutti
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Oliver B Clarke
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kay Hamacher
- Department of Biology, TU-Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Henry M Colecraft
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wayne A Hendrickson
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven A Siegelbaum
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dario DiFrancesco
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Institute of Biophysics-Milano, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Martino Bolognesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Pediatric Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi," University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Department of Biology, TU-Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Bina Santoro
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Institute of Biophysics-Milano, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.
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31
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Dolzer J, Schröder K, Stengl M. Cyclic nucleotide-dependent ionic currents in olfactory receptor neurons of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta suggest pull-push sensitivity modulation. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4804-4826. [PMID: 34128265 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta sensitize via cAMP- and adapt via cGMP-dependent mechanisms. Perforated patch clamp recordings distinguished 11 currents in these ORNs. Derivatives of cAMP and/or cGMP antagonistically affected three of five K+ currents and two non-specific cation currents. The Ca2+ -dependent K+ current IK(Ca 2+ ) and the sensitive pheromone-dependent K+ current IK(cGMP-) , which both express fast kinetics, were inhibited by 8bcGMP, while a slow K+ current, IK(cGMP+) , was activated by 8bcGMP. Furthermore, application of 8bcAMP blocked slowly activating, zero mV-reversing, non-specific cation currents, ILL and Icat(PKC?) , which remained activated in the presence of 8bcGMP. Their activations pull the membrane potential towards their 0-mV reversal potentials, in addition to increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels voltage- and ILL -dependently. Twenty minutes after application, 8bcGMP blocked a TEA-independent K+ current, IK(noTEA) , and a fast cation current, Icat(nRP) , which both shift the membrane potential to negative values. We conclude that conditions of sensitization are maintained at high levels of cAMP, via specific opening/closure of ion channels that allow for fast kinetics, hyperpolarized membrane potentials, and low intracellular Ca2+ levels. In contrast, adaptation is supported via cGMP, which antagonizes cAMP, opening Ca2+ -permeable channels with slow kinetics that stabilize depolarized resting potentials. The antagonistic modulation of peripheral sensory neurons by cAMP or cGMP is reminiscent of pull-push mechanisms of neuromodulation at central synapses underlying metaplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dolzer
- Biologie, Tierphysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Institut für Zoologie, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Schröder
- Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, Biology, FB 10, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Monika Stengl
- Biologie, Tierphysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Institut für Zoologie, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.,Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, Biology, FB 10, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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32
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Electromechanical coupling mechanism for activation and inactivation of an HCN channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2802. [PMID: 33990563 PMCID: PMC8121817 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pacemaker hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels exhibit a reversed voltage-dependent gating, activating by membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization. Sea urchin HCN (spHCN) channels also undergo inactivation with hyperpolarization which occurs only in the absence of cyclic nucleotide. Here we applied transition metal ion FRET, patch-clamp fluorometry and Rosetta modeling to measure differences in the structural rearrangements between activation and inactivation of spHCN channels. We found that removing cAMP produced a largely rigid-body rotation of the C-linker relative to the transmembrane domain, bringing the A’ helix of the C-linker in close proximity to the voltage-sensing S4 helix. In addition, rotation of the C-linker was elicited by hyperpolarization in the absence but not the presence of cAMP. These results suggest that — in contrast to electromechanical coupling for channel activation — the A’ helix serves to couple the S4-helix movement for channel inactivation, which is likely a conserved mechanism for CNBD-family channels. Sea urchin hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (spHCN) ion channels channels are activated by membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization and undergo inactivation with hyperpolarization. Here authors apply transition metal ion FRET, patch-clamp fluorometry and Rosetta modeling to measure differences in the structural rearrangements between activation and inactivation of spHCN channels.
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33
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Evans EGB, Zagotta WN. Illuminating new structures of a rod CNG channel: The eye's chemoelectrical converter. Neuron 2021; 109:1245-1247. [PMID: 33887188 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Neuron, Xue et al. report high-resolution structures of the human cGMP-activated ion channel CNGA1 from rod photoreceptors. These structures provide valuable insights into the processes of cGMP-dependent activation and Ca2+ block and permeation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G B Evans
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - William N Zagotta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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34
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Aubert Mucca M, Patat O, Whalen S, Arnaud L, Barcia G, Buratti J, Cogné B, Doummar D, Karsenty C, Kenis S, Leguern E, Lesca G, Nava C, Nizon M, Piton A, Valence S, Villard L, Weckhuysen S, Keren B, Mignot C. Patients with KCNH1-related intellectual disability without distinctive features of Zimmermann-Laband/Temple-Baraitser syndrome. J Med Genet 2021; 59:505-510. [PMID: 33811134 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2020-107511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
De novo missense variants in KCNH1 encoding Kv10.1 are responsible for two clinically recognisable phenotypes: Temple-Baraitser syndrome (TBS) and Zimmermann-Laband syndrome (ZLS). The clinical overlap between these two syndromes suggests that they belong to a spectrum of KCNH1-related encephalopathies. Affected patients have severe intellectual disability (ID) with or without epilepsy, hypertrichosis and distinctive features such as gingival hyperplasia and nail hypoplasia/aplasia (present in 20/23 reported cases).We report a series of seven patients with ID and de novo pathogenic KCNH1 variants identified by whole-exome sequencing or an epilepsy gene panel in whom the diagnosis of TBS/ZLS had not been first considered. Four of these variants, p.(Thr294Met), p.(Ala492Asp), p.(Thr493Asn) and p.(Gly496Arg), were located in the transmembrane domains S3 and S6 of Kv10.1 and one, p.(Arg693Gln), in its C-terminal cyclic nucleotide-binding homology domain (CNBHD). Clinical reappraisal by the referring clinical geneticists confirmed the absence of the distinctive gingival and nail features of TBS/ZLS.Our study expands the phenotypical spectrum of KCNH1-related encephalopathies to individuals with an attenuated extraneurological phenotype preventing a clinical diagnosis of TBS or ZLS. This subtype may be related to recurrent substitutions of the Gly496, suggesting a genotype-phenotype correlation and, possibly, to variants in the CNBHD domain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Patat
- Service de Génétique Médicale, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Sandra Whalen
- Unité Fonctionnelle de Génétique Clinique, Centre de Référence Anomalies du développement et syndromes malformatifs, APHP.Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | - Lionel Arnaud
- APHP.Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | - Giulia Barcia
- APHP, Service de Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Imagine Institute, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Julien Buratti
- APHP.Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | - Benjamin Cogné
- Service de Génétique Médicale, L'institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Diane Doummar
- Service de Neuropédiatrie - Unité de neuropédiatrie et pathologie du développement, CHU Paris Est - Hôpital d'Enfants Armand-Trousseau, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Karsenty
- Service de Neuropédiatrie, CHU Toulouse, Hôpital des Enfants, Toulouse, France
| | - Sandra Kenis
- Child Neurology Department, University of Antwerp, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eric Leguern
- APHP.Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | - Gaetan Lesca
- EuroEPINOMICS, EuroEPINOMICS, Strasbourg, France.,Service de Génétique, LBMMS, Groupement Hospitalier Est, CHU de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Caroline Nava
- APHP.Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | - Mathilde Nizon
- Service de Génétique Médicale, L'institut du thorax, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Amelie Piton
- Laboratory of Genetic Diagnosis, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphanie Valence
- Service de Neuropédiatrie - Unité de neuropédiatrie et pathologie du développement, CHU Paris Est - Hôpital d'Enfants Armand-Trousseau, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Villard
- Laboratoire de génétique moléculaire, Département de Génétique Médicale, CHU de Marseille - Hôpital La Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Sarah Weckhuysen
- Applied&Translational Genomics group, VIB-Center for Molecular Neurology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Neurology Department, University Hospital Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Boris Keren
- APHP.Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | - Cyril Mignot
- APHP.Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, Île-de-France, France.,INSERM, U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S1127, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle épinière ICM, Paris, France.,Centre de Référence Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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Iqbal Z, Iqbal MS, Hashem A, Abd_Allah EF, Ansari MI. Plant Defense Responses to Biotic Stress and Its Interplay With Fluctuating Dark/Light Conditions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:631810. [PMID: 33763093 PMCID: PMC7982811 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.631810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Plants are subjected to a plethora of environmental cues that cause extreme losses to crop productivity. Due to fluctuating environmental conditions, plants encounter difficulties in attaining full genetic potential for growth and reproduction. One such environmental condition is the recurrent attack on plants by herbivores and microbial pathogens. To surmount such attacks, plants have developed a complex array of defense mechanisms. The defense mechanism can be either preformed, where toxic secondary metabolites are stored; or can be inducible, where defense is activated upon detection of an attack. Plants sense biotic stress conditions, activate the regulatory or transcriptional machinery, and eventually generate an appropriate response. Plant defense against pathogen attack is well understood, but the interplay and impact of different signals to generate defense responses against biotic stress still remain elusive. The impact of light and dark signals on biotic stress response is one such area to comprehend. Light and dark alterations not only regulate defense mechanisms impacting plant development and biochemistry but also bestow resistance against invading pathogens. The interaction between plant defense and dark/light environment activates a signaling cascade. This signaling cascade acts as a connecting link between perception of biotic stress, dark/light environment, and generation of an appropriate physiological or biochemical response. The present review highlights molecular responses arising from dark/light fluctuations vis-à-vis elicitation of defense mechanisms in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Iqbal
- Molecular Crop Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Abeer Hashem
- Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Mycology and Plant Disease Survey Department, Plant Pathology Research Institute, ARC, Giza, Egypt
| | - Elsayed Fathi Abd_Allah
- Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Structural mechanisms of gating and selectivity of human rod CNGA1 channel. Neuron 2021; 109:1302-1313.e4. [PMID: 33651975 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels play an essential role in the signal transduction of the visual and olfactory sensory systems. Here we reveal the structural mechanism of ligand gating in human rod CNGA1 channel by determining its cryo-EM structures in both the apo closed and cGMP-bound open states. Distinct from most other members of voltage-gated tetrameric cation channels, CNGA1 forms a central channel gate in the middle of the membrane, occluding the central cavity. Structural analyses of ion binding profiles in the selectivity filters of the wild-type channel and the E365Q filter mutant allow us to unambiguously define the two Ca2+ binding sites inside the selectivity filter, providing structural insights into Ca2+ blockage and permeation in CNG channels. The structure of the E365Q mutant also reveals two alternative side-chain conformations at Q365, providing a plausible explanation for the voltage-dependent gating of CNG channel acquired upon E365 mutation.
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37
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Bürgi J, Ekal L, Wilmanns M. Versatile allosteric properties in Pex5-like tetratricopeptide repeat proteins to induce diverse downstream function. Traffic 2021; 22:140-152. [PMID: 33580581 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Proteins composed of tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) arrays belong to the α-solenoid tandem-repeat family that have unique properties in terms of their overall conformational flexibility and ability to bind to multiple protein ligands. The peroxisomal matrix protein import receptor Pex5 comprises two TPR triplets that recognize protein cargos with a specific C-terminal Peroxisomal Targeting Signal (PTS) 1 motif. Import of PTS1-containing protein cargos into peroxisomes through a transient pore is mainly driven by allosteric binding, coupling and release mechanisms, without a need for external energy. A very similar TPR architecture is found in the functionally unrelated TRIP8b, a regulator of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channel. TRIP8b binds to the HCN ion channel via a C-terminal sequence motif that is nearly identical to the PTS1 motif of Pex5 receptor cargos. Pex5, Pex5-related Pex9, and TRIP8b also share a less conserved N-terminal domain. This domain provides a second protein cargo-binding site and plays a distinct role in allosteric coupling of initial cargo loading by PTS1 motif-mediated interactions and different downstream functional readouts. The data reviewed here highlight the overarching role of molecular allostery in driving the diverse functions of TPR array proteins, which could form a model for other α-solenoid tandem-repeat proteins involved in translocation processes across membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Bürgi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lakhan Ekal
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Wilmanns
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg, Germany.,University Hamburg Clinical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Matsuoka T, Yamasaki M, Abe M, Matsuda Y, Morino H, Kawakami H, Sakimura K, Watanabe M, Hashimoto K. Kv11 (ether-à-go-go-related gene) voltage-dependent K + channels promote resonance and oscillation of subthreshold membrane potentials. J Physiol 2020; 599:547-569. [PMID: 33151574 PMCID: PMC7839749 DOI: 10.1113/jp280342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Key points Some ion channels are known to behave as inductors and make up the parallel resonant circuit in the plasma membrane of neurons, which enables neurons to respond to current inputs with a specific frequency (so‐called ‘resonant properties’). Here, we report that heterologous expression of mouse Kv11 voltage‐dependent K+ channels generate resonance and oscillation at depolarized membrane potentials in HEK293 cells; expressions of individual Kv11 subtypes generate resonance and oscillation with different frequency properties. Kv11.3‐expressing HEK293 cells exhibited transient conductance changes that opposed the current changes induced by voltage steps; this probably enables Kv11 channels to behave like an inductor. The resonance and oscillation of inferior olivary neurons were impaired at the resting membrane potential in Kv11.3 knockout mice. This study helps to elucidate basic ion channel properties that are crucial for the frequency responses of neurons.
Abstract The plasma membranes of some neurons preferentially respond to current inputs with a specific frequency, and output as large voltage changes. This property is called resonance, and is thought to be mediated by ion channels that show inductor‐like behaviour. However, details of the candidate ion channels remain unclear. In this study, we mainly focused on the functional roles of Kv11 potassium (K+) channels, encoded by ether‐á‐go‐go‐related genes, in resonance in mouse inferior olivary (IO) neurons. We transfected HEK293 cells with long or short splice variants of Kv11.1 (Merg1a and Merg1b) or Kv11.3, and examined membrane properties using whole‐cell recording. Transfection with Kv11 channels reproduced resonance at membrane potentials depolarized from the resting state. Frequency ranges of Kv11.3‐, Kv11.1(Merg1b)‐ and Kv11.1(Merg1a)‐expressing cells were 2–6 Hz, 2–4 Hz, and 0.6–0.8 Hz, respectively. Responses of Kv11.3 currents to step voltage changes were essentially similar to those of inductor currents in the resistor–inductor–capacitor circuit. Furthermore, Kv11 transfections generated membrane potential oscillations. We also confirmed the contribution of HCN1 channels as a major mediator of resonance at more hyperpolarized potentials by transfection into HEK293 cells. The Kv11 current kinetics and properties of Kv11‐dependent resonance suggested that Kv11.3 mediated resonance in IO neurons. This finding was confirmed by the impairment of resonance and oscillation at –30 to –60 mV in Kcnh7 (Kv11.3) knockout mice. These results suggest that Kv11 channels have important roles in inducing frequency‐dependent responses in a subtype‐dependent manner from resting to depolarized membrane potentials. Some ion channels are known to behave as inductors and make up the parallel resonant circuit in the plasma membrane of neurons, which enables neurons to respond to current inputs with a specific frequency (so‐called ‘resonant properties’). Here, we report that heterologous expression of mouse Kv11 voltage‐dependent K+ channels generate resonance and oscillation at depolarized membrane potentials in HEK293 cells; expressions of individual Kv11 subtypes generate resonance and oscillation with different frequency properties. Kv11.3‐expressing HEK293 cells exhibited transient conductance changes that opposed the current changes induced by voltage steps; this probably enables Kv11 channels to behave like an inductor. The resonance and oscillation of inferior olivary neurons were impaired at the resting membrane potential in Kv11.3 knockout mice. This study helps to elucidate basic ion channel properties that are crucial for the frequency responses of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshinori Matsuoka
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Miwako Yamasaki
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Manabu Abe
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yukiko Matsuda
- Department of Epidemiology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Morino
- Department of Epidemiology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hideshi Kawakami
- Department of Epidemiology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kouichi Hashimoto
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Pozdnyakov I, Safonov P, Skarlato S. Diversity of voltage-gated potassium channels and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain-containing channels in eukaryotes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17758. [PMID: 33082475 PMCID: PMC7576140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74971-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain-containing cation channels HCN, CNG, and KCNH are the evolutionarily related families of ion channels in animals. Their homologues were found in several lineages of eukaryotes and prokaryotes; however, the actual phylogenetic and structural diversity of these ion channels remains unclear. In this work, we present a taxonomically broad investigation of evolutionary relationships and structural diversity of Kv, HCN, CNG, and KCNH and their homologues in eukaryotes focusing on channels from different protistan groups. We demonstrate that both groups of channels consist of a more significant number of lineages than it was shown before, and these lineages can be grouped in two clusters termed Kv-like channels and CNBD-channels. Moreover, we, for the first time, report the unusual two-repeat tandem Kv-like channels and CNBD-channels in several eukaryotic groups, i.e. dinoflagellates, oomycetes, and chlorarachniophytes. Our findings reveal still underappreciated phylogenetic and structural diversity of eukaryotic ion channel lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Pozdnyakov
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia.
| | - Pavel Safonov
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
| | - Sergei Skarlato
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 194064, Russia
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Lelle M, Otte M, Bonus M, Gohlke H, Benndorf K. Fluorophore-Labeled Cyclic Nucleotides as Potent Agonists of Cyclic Nucleotide-Regulated Ion Channels. Chembiochem 2020; 21:2311-2320. [PMID: 32227403 PMCID: PMC7497086 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
High-affinity fluorescent derivatives of cyclic adenosine and guanosine monophosphate are powerful tools for investigating their natural targets. Cyclic nucleotide-regulated ion channels belong to these targets and are vital for many signal transduction processes, such as vision and olfaction. The relation of ligand binding to activation gating is still challenging, and there is a need for fluorescent probes that enable the process to be broken down to the single-molecule level. This inspired us to prepare fluorophore-labeled cyclic nucleotides, which are composed of a bright dye and a nucleotide derivative with a thiophenol motif at position 8 that has already been shown to enable superior binding affinity. These bioconjugates were prepared by a novel cross-linking strategy that involves substitution of the nucleobase with a modified thiophenolate in good yield. Both fluorescent nucleotides are potent activators of different cyclic nucleotide-regulated ion channels with respect to the natural ligand and previously reported substances. Molecular docking of the probes excluding the fluorophore reveals that the high potency can be attributed to additional hydrophobic and cation-π interactions between the ligand and the protein. Moreover, the introduced substances have the potential to investigate related target proteins, such as cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases, exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP or phosphodiesterases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Lelle
- Institute of Physiology IIUniversity Hospital JenaKollegiengasse 907743JenaGermany
| | - Maik Otte
- Institute of Physiology IIUniversity Hospital JenaKollegiengasse 907743JenaGermany
| | - Michele Bonus
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal ChemistryHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfUniversitätsstrasse 140225DüsseldorfGermany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal ChemistryHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfUniversitätsstrasse 140225DüsseldorfGermany
- John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC)Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) andInstitute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry)Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbHWilhelm-Johnen-Strasse52425JülichGermany
| | - Klaus Benndorf
- Institute of Physiology IIUniversity Hospital JenaKollegiengasse 907743JenaGermany
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Zheng X, Fu Z, Su D, Zhang Y, Li M, Pan Y, Li H, Li S, Grassucci RA, Ren Z, Hu Z, Li X, Zhou M, Li G, Frank J, Yang J. Mechanism of ligand activation of a eukaryotic cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:625-634. [PMID: 32483338 PMCID: PMC7354226 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0433-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels convert cyclic nucleotide (CN) binding and unbinding into electrical signals in sensory receptors and neurons. The molecular conformational changes underpinning ligand activation are largely undefined. We report both closed- and open-state atomic cryo-EM structures of a full-length Caenorhabditis elegans cyclic GMP-activated channel TAX-4, reconstituted in lipid nanodiscs. These structures, together with computational and functional analyses and a mutant channel structure, reveal a double-barrier hydrophobic gate formed by two S6 amino acids in the central cavity. cGMP binding produces global conformational changes that open the cavity gate located ~52 Å away but do not alter the structure of the selectivity filter-the commonly presumed activation gate. Our work provides mechanistic insights into the allosteric gating and regulation of CN-gated and nucleotide-modulated channels and CNG channel-related channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangdong Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ziao Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Deyuan Su
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Yuebin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Minghui Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Current address: HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yaping Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Huan Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Shufang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Robert A. Grassucci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zhenning Ren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhengshan Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Xueming Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Joachim Frank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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Kessi M, Chen B, Peng J, Tang Y, Olatoutou E, He F, Yang L, Yin F. Intellectual Disability and Potassium Channelopathies: A Systematic Review. Front Genet 2020; 11:614. [PMID: 32655623 PMCID: PMC7324798 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) manifests prior to adulthood as severe limitations to intellectual function and adaptive behavior. The role of potassium channelopathies in ID is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between ID and potassium channelopathies. We hypothesized that potassium channelopathies are strongly associated with ID initiation, and that both gain- and loss-of-function mutations lead to ID. This systematic review explores the burden of potassium channelopathies, possible mechanisms, advancements using animal models, therapies, and existing gaps. The literature search encompassed both PubMed and Embase up to October 2019. A total of 75 articles describing 338 cases were included in this review. Nineteen channelopathies were identified, affecting the following genes: KCNMA1, KCNN3, KCNT1, KCNT2, KCNJ10, KCNJ6, KCNJ11, KCNA2, KCNA4, KCND3, KCNH1, KCNQ2, KCNAB1, KCNQ3, KCNQ5, KCNC1, KCNB1, KCNC3, and KCTD3. Twelve of these genes presented both gain- and loss-of-function properties, three displayed gain-of-function only, three exhibited loss-of-function only, and one had unknown function. How gain- and loss-of-function mutations can both lead to ID remains largely unknown. We identified only a few animal studies that focused on the mechanisms of ID in relation to potassium channelopathies and some of the few available therapeutic options (channel openers or blockers) appear to offer limited efficacy. In conclusion, potassium channelopathies contribute to the initiation of ID in several instances and this review provides a comprehensive overview of which molecular players are involved in some of the most prominent disease phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Kessi
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China.,Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania.,Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Baiyu Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Peng
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
| | - Yulin Tang
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
| | - Eleonore Olatoutou
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
| | - Fang He
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
| | - Lifen Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
| | - Fei Yin
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Changsha, China
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Clark MD, Contreras GF, Shen R, Perozo E. Electromechanical coupling in the hyperpolarization-activated K + channel KAT1. Nature 2020; 583:145-149. [PMID: 32461693 PMCID: PMC7747229 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2335-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels orchestrate electrical signaling and control cell volume by gating in response to either membrane depolarization or hyperpolarization. Yet, while all voltage-sensing domains transduce transmembrane electric field changes by a common mechanism involving the outward or inward translocation of gating charges1–3, the general determinants of channel gating polarity remain poorly understood4. Here, we suggest a molecular mechanism for electromechanical coupling and gating polarity in non-domain-swapped Kv channels based on the cryo-EM structure of KAT1, the hyperpolarization-activated Kv channel from Arabidopsis thaliana. KAT1 displays a depolarized voltage sensor, which interacts with a closed pore domain directly via two interfaces and indirectly via an intercalated phospholipid. Functional evaluation of KAT1 structure-guided mutants at the sensor-pore interfaces suggests a mechanism in which direct interaction between the sensor and C-linker hairpin in the adjacent pore subunit is the primary determinant of gating polarity. We suggest that a ~5–7 Å inward motion of the S4 sensor helix can underlie a direct-coupling mechanism, driving a conformational reorientation of the C-linker and ultimately opening the activation gate formed by the S6 intracellular bundle. This direct-coupling mechanism contrasts with allosteric mechanisms proposed for hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels5, and may represent an unexpected link between depolarization and hyperpolarization-activated channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael David Clark
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gustavo F Contreras
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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44
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Evans EGB, Morgan JLW, DiMaio F, Zagotta WN, Stoll S. Allosteric conformational change of a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel revealed by DEER spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:10839-10847. [PMID: 32358188 PMCID: PMC7245078 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916375117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are essential components of mammalian visual and olfactory signal transduction. CNG channels open upon direct binding of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and/or cGMP), but the allosteric mechanism by which this occurs is incompletely understood. Here, we employed double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy to measure intersubunit distance distributions in SthK, a bacterial CNG channel from Spirochaeta thermophila Spin labels were introduced into the SthK C-linker, a domain that is essential for coupling cyclic nucleotide binding to channel opening. DEER revealed an agonist-dependent conformational change in which residues of the B'-helix displayed outward movement with respect to the symmetry axis of the channel in the presence of the full agonist cAMP, but not with the partial agonist cGMP. This conformational rearrangement was observed both in detergent-solubilized SthK and in channels reconstituted into lipid nanodiscs. In addition to outward movement of the B'-helix, DEER-constrained Rosetta structural models suggest that channel activation involves upward translation of the cytoplasmic domain and formation of state-dependent interactions between the C-linker and the transmembrane domain. Our results demonstrate a previously unrecognized structural transition in a CNG channel and suggest key interactions that may be responsible for allosteric gating in these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G B Evans
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Jacob L W Morgan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - William N Zagotta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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Barros F, de la Peña P, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, Pardo LA. The EAG Voltage-Dependent K + Channel Subfamily: Similarities and Differences in Structural Organization and Gating. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:411. [PMID: 32351384 PMCID: PMC7174612 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
EAG (ether-à-go-go or KCNH) are a subfamily of the voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. Like for all potassium channels, opening of EAG channels drives the membrane potential toward its equilibrium value for potassium, thus setting the resting potential and repolarizing action potentials. As voltage-dependent channels, they switch between open and closed conformations (gating) when changes in membrane potential are sensed by a voltage sensing domain (VSD) which is functionally coupled to a pore domain (PD) containing the permeation pathway, the potassium selectivity filter, and the channel gate. All Kv channels are tetrameric, with four VSDs formed by the S1-S4 transmembrane segments of each subunit, surrounding a central PD with the four S5-S6 sections arranged in a square-shaped structure. Structural information, mutagenesis, and functional experiments, indicated that in "classical/Shaker-type" Kv channels voltage-triggered VSD reorganizations are transmitted to PD gating via the α-helical S4-S5 sequence that links both modules. Importantly, these Shaker-type channels share a domain-swapped VSD/PD organization, with each VSD contacting the PD of the adjacent subunit. In this case, the S4-S5 linker, acting as a rigid mechanical lever (electromechanical lever coupling), would lead to channel gate opening at the cytoplasmic S6 helices bundle. However, new functional data with EAG channels split between the VSD and PD modules indicate that, in some Kv channels, alternative VSD/PD coupling mechanisms do exist. Noticeably, recent elucidation of the architecture of some EAG channels, and other relatives, showed that their VSDs are non-domain swapped. Despite similarities in primary sequence and predicted structural organization for all EAG channels, they show marked kinetic differences whose molecular basis is not completely understood. Thus, while a common general architecture may establish the gating system used by the EAG channels and the physicochemical coupling of voltage sensing to gating, subtle changes in that common structure, and/or allosteric influences of protein domains relatively distant from the central gating machinery, can crucially influence the gating process. We consider here the latest advances on these issues provided by the elucidation of eag1 and erg1 three-dimensional structures, and by both classical and more recent functional studies with different members of the EAG subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis A. Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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Feketa VV, Nikolaev YA, Merriman DK, Bagriantsev SN, Gracheva EO. CNGA3 acts as a cold sensor in hypothalamic neurons. eLife 2020; 9:55370. [PMID: 32270761 PMCID: PMC7182431 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most mammals maintain their body temperature around 37°C, whereas in hibernators it can approach 0°C without triggering a thermogenic response. The remarkable plasticity of the thermoregulatory system allowed mammals to thrive in variable environmental conditions and occupy a wide range of geographical habitats, but the molecular basis of thermoregulation remains poorly understood. Here we leverage the thermoregulatory differences between mice and hibernating thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) to investigate the mechanism of cold sensitivity in the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus, a critical thermoregulatory region. We report that, in comparison to squirrels, mice have a larger proportion of cold-sensitive neurons in the POA. We further show that mouse cold-sensitive neurons express the cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel CNGA3, and that mouse, but not squirrel, CNGA3 is potentiated by cold. Our data reveal CNGA3 as a hypothalamic cold sensor and a molecular marker to interrogate the neuronal circuitry underlying thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor V Feketa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Yury A Nikolaev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Dana K Merriman
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, United States
| | - Sviatoslav N Bagriantsev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Elena O Gracheva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States.,Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
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47
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Kasimova MA, Tewari D, Cowgill JB, Ursuleaz WC, Lin JL, Delemotte L, Chanda B. Helix breaking transition in the S4 of HCN channel is critical for hyperpolarization-dependent gating. eLife 2019; 8:e53400. [PMID: 31774399 PMCID: PMC6904216 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to most voltage-gated ion channels, hyperpolarization- and cAMP gated (HCN) ion channels open on hyperpolarization. Structure-function studies show that the voltage-sensor of HCN channels are unique but the mechanisms that determine gating polarity remain poorly understood. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations (~20 μs) of HCN1 channel under hyperpolarization reveals an initial downward movement of the S4 voltage-sensor but following the transfer of last gating charge, the S4 breaks into two sub-helices with the lower sub-helix becoming parallel to the membrane. Functional studies on bipolar channels show that the gating polarity strongly correlates with helical turn propensity of the substituents at the breakpoint. Remarkably, in a proto-HCN background, the replacement of breakpoint serine with a bulky hydrophobic amino acid is sufficient to completely flip the gating polarity from inward to outward-rectifying. Our studies reveal an unexpected mechanism of inward rectification involving a linker sub-helix emerging from HCN S4 during hyperpolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Kasimova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied PhysicsKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Debanjan Tewari
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - John B Cowgill
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Graduate program in BiophysicsUniversity of WisconsinMadisonUnited States
| | | | - Jenna L Lin
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Graduate program in BiophysicsUniversity of WisconsinMadisonUnited States
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied PhysicsKTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
- Department of Biomolecular ChemistryUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
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48
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Balleza D, Rosas ME, Romero-Romero S. Voltage vs. Ligand I: Structural basis of the intrinsic flexibility of S3 segment and its significance in ion channel activation. Channels (Austin) 2019; 13:455-476. [PMID: 31647368 PMCID: PMC6833973 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2019.1674242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We systematically predict the internal flexibility of the S3 segment, one of the most mobile elements in the voltage-sensor domain. By analyzing the primary amino acid sequences of V-sensor containing proteins, including Hv1, TPC channels and the voltage-sensing phosphatases, we established correlations between the local flexibility and modes of activation for different members of the VGIC superfamily. Taking advantage of the structural information available, we also assessed structural aspects to understand the role played by the flexibility of S3 during the gating of the pore. We found that S3 flexibility is mainly determined by two specific regions: (1) a short NxxD motif in the N-half portion of the helix (S3a), and (2) a short sequence at the beginning of the so-called paddle motif where the segment has a kink that, in some cases, divide S3 into two distinct helices (S3a and S3b). A good correlation between the flexibility of S3 and the reported sensitivity to temperature and mechanical stretch was found. Thus, if the channel exhibits high sensitivity to heat or membrane stretch, local S3 flexibility is low. On the other hand, high flexibility of S3 is preferentially associated to channels showing poor heat and mechanical sensitivities. In contrast, we did not find any apparent correlation between S3 flexibility and voltage or ligand dependence. Overall, our results provide valuable insights into the dynamics of channel-gating and its modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Balleza
- Departamento de Química ICET, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara , Zapopan Jalisco , Mexico
| | - Mario E Rosas
- Departamento de Química ICET, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara , Zapopan Jalisco , Mexico
| | - Sergio Romero-Romero
- Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico. Current address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth , Bayreuth , Germany
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49
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Van Hook MJ, Nawy S, Thoreson WB. Voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels of neurons in the vertebrate retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2019; 72:100760. [PMID: 31078724 PMCID: PMC6739185 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize studies investigating the types and distribution of voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels in the different classes of retinal neurons: rods, cones, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, interplexiform cells, and ganglion cells. We discuss differences among cell subtypes within these major cell classes, as well as differences among species, and consider how different ion channels shape the responses of different neurons. For example, even though second-order bipolar and horizontal cells do not typically generate fast sodium-dependent action potentials, many of these cells nevertheless possess fast sodium currents that can enhance their kinetic response capabilities. Ca2+ channel activity can also shape response kinetics as well as regulating synaptic release. The L-type Ca2+ channel subtype, CaV1.4, expressed in photoreceptor cells exhibits specific properties matching the particular needs of these cells such as limited inactivation which allows sustained channel activity and maintained synaptic release in darkness. The particular properties of K+ and Cl- channels in different retinal neurons shape resting membrane potentials, response kinetics and spiking behavior. A remaining challenge is to characterize the specific distributions of ion channels in the more than 100 individual cell types that have been identified in the retina and to describe how these particular ion channels sculpt neuronal responses to assist in the processing of visual information by the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Scott Nawy
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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50
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Wang ZJ, Tiwari PB, Üren A, Brelidze TI. Identification of undecylenic acid as EAG channel inhibitor using surface plasmon resonance-based screen of KCNH channels. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2019; 20:42. [PMID: 31315662 PMCID: PMC6637479 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-019-0324-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND KCNH family of potassium channels is responsible for diverse physiological functions ranging from the regulation of neuronal excitability and cardiac contraction to the regulation of cancer progression. KCNH channels contain a Per-Arn-Sim (PAS) domain in their N-terminal and cyclic nucleotide-binding homology (CNBH) domain in their C-terminal regions. These intracellular domains shape the function of KCNH channels and are important targets for drug development. METHODS Here we describe a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based screening method aimed in identifying small molecule binders of PAS and CNBH domains for three KCNH channel subfamilies: ether-à-go-go (EAG), EAG-related gene (ERG), and EAG-like K+ (ELK). The method involves purification of the PAS and CNBH domains, immobilization of the purified domains on the SPR senor chip and screening small molecules in a chemical library for binding to the immobilized domains using changes in the SPR response as a reporter of the binding. The advantages of this method include low quantity of purified PAS and CNBH domains necessary for the implementation of the screen, direct assessment of the small molecule binding to the PAS and CNBH domains and easiness of assessing KCNH subfamily specificity of the small molecule binders. RESULTS Using the SPR-based method we screened the Spectrum Collection Library of 2560 compounds against the PAS and CNBH domains of the three KCNH channel subfamilies and identified a pool of small molecules that bind to the PAS or CNBH domains. To further evaluate the effectiveness of the screen we tested the functional effect of one of the identified mEAG PAS domain specific small molecule binders on currents recorded from EAG channels. Undecylenic acid inhibited currents recorded from EAG channels in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 of ~ 1 μM. CONCLUSION Our results show that the SPR-based method is well suited for identifying small molecule binders of KCNH channels and can facilitate drug discovery for other ion channels as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC USA
| | | | - Aykut Üren
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC USA
| | - Tinatin I. Brelidze
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC USA
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