1
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Tauber M, Ben-Chaim Y. Voltage Sensors Embedded in G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5295. [PMID: 38791333 PMCID: PMC11120775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105295] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Some signaling processes mediated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are modulated by membrane potential. In recent years, increasing evidence that GPCRs are intrinsically voltage-dependent has accumulated. A recent publication challenged the view that voltage sensors are embedded in muscarinic receptors. Herein, we briefly discuss the evidence that supports the notion that GPCRs themselves are voltage-sensitive proteins and an alternative mechanism that suggests that voltage-gated sodium channels are the voltage-sensing molecules involved in such processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yair Ben-Chaim
- Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 4353701, Israel
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2
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Rühl P, Nair AG, Gawande N, Dehiwalage SNCW, Münster L, Schönherr R, Heinemann SH. An Ultrasensitive Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicator Uncovers the Electrical Activity of Non-Excitable Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307938. [PMID: 38526185 PMCID: PMC11132041 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Most animal cell types are classified as non-excitable because they do not generate action potentials observed in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. Thus, resolving voltage signals in non-excitable cells demands sensors with exceptionally high voltage sensitivity. In this study, the ultrabright, ultrasensitive, and calibratable genetically encoded voltage sensor rEstus is developed using structure-guided engineering. rEstus is most sensitive in the resting voltage range of non-excitable cells and offers a 3.6-fold improvement in brightness change for fast voltage spikes over its precursor ASAP3. Using rEstus, it is uncovered that the membrane voltage in several non-excitable cell lines (A375, HEK293T, MCF7) undergoes spontaneous endogenous alterations on a second to millisecond timescale. Correlation analysis of these optically recorded voltage alterations provides a direct, real-time readout of electrical cell-cell coupling, showing that visually connected A375 and HEK293T cells are also largely electrically connected, while MCF7 cells are only weakly coupled. The presented work provides enhanced tools and methods for non-invasive voltage imaging in living cells and demonstrates that spontaneous endogenous membrane voltage alterations are not limited to excitable cells but also occur in a variety of non-excitable cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Rühl
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Anagha G Nair
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Namrata Gawande
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Sassrika N C W Dehiwalage
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Lukas Münster
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Roland Schönherr
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan H Heinemann
- Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, D-07745, Jena, Germany
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3
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Ramírez-Piscina L, Sancho JM. Subconductance states in a semimicroscopic model for a tetrameric pore. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:044402. [PMID: 38755917 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.044402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
A physical model for a structured tetrameric pore is studied. The pore is modeled as a device composed of four subunits, each one exhibiting two possible states (open and closed). The pore is located within a membrane that separates two reservoirs with ionic solutions. All variables of the model follow physical dynamical equations accounting for the internal structure of the pore, derived from a single energy functional and supplemented with thermal noises. An extensive study of the resulting ionic intensity is performed for different values of the control parameters, mainly membrane potential and reservoir ion concentrations. Two possible physical devices are studied: voltage-gated (including a voltage sensor in each subunit) and non-voltage-gated pores. The ionic flux through the pore exhibits several distinct dynamical configurations, in particular subconductance states, which indicate very different dynamical internal states of the subunits. Such subconductance states become much easier to observe in sensorless pores. These results are compared with available experimental data on tetrameric K channels and analytical predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ramírez-Piscina
- Departament de Física Aplicada, EPSEB, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya, Avinguda Doctor Marañón, 44, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J M Sancho
- Universitat de Barcelona, Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Martí i Franqués, 1, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Todorovic J, Swapna I, Suma A, Carnevale V, Zakon H. Dual mechanisms contribute to enhanced voltage dependence of an electric fish potassium channel. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00162-0. [PMID: 38429925 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The voltage dependence of different voltage-gated potassium channels, described by the voltage at which half of the channels are open (V1/2), varies over a range of 80 mV and is influenced by factors such as the number of positive gating charges and the identity of the hydrophobic amino acids in the channel's voltage sensor (S4). Here we explore by experimental manipulations and molecular dynamics simulation the contributions of two derived features of an electric fish potassium channel (Kv1.7a) that is among the most voltage-sensitive Shaker family potassium channels known. These are a patch of four contiguous negatively charged glutamates in the S3-S4 extracellular loop and a glutamate in the S3b helix. We find that these negative charges affect V1/2 by separate, complementary mechanisms. In the closed state, the S3-S4 linker negative patch reduces the membrane surface charge biasing the channel to enter the open state while, upon opening, the negative amino acid in the S3b helix faces the second (R2) gating charge of the voltage sensor electrostatically biasing the channel to remain in the open state. This work highlights two evolutionary novelties that illustrate the potential influence of negatively charged amino acids in extracellular loops and adjacent helices to voltage dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Todorovic
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Immani Swapna
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
| | - Antonio Suma
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, College of Science and Technology & Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, College of Science and Technology & Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Harold Zakon
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
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5
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Guo SC, Shen R, Roux B, Dinner AR. Dynamics of activation in the voltage-sensing domain of Ciona intestinalis phosphatase Ci-VSP. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1408. [PMID: 38360718 PMCID: PMC10869754 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45514-6] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP) is a membrane protein containing a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) that is homologous to VSDs from voltage-gated ion channels responsible for cellular excitability. Previously published crystal structures of Ci-VSD in putative resting and active conformations suggested a helical-screw voltage sensing mechanism in which the S4 helix translocates and rotates to enable exchange of salt-bridge partners, but the microscopic details of the transition between the resting and active conformations remained unknown. Here, by combining extensive molecular dynamics simulations with a recently developed computational framework based on dynamical operators, we elucidate the microscopic mechanism of the resting-active transition at physiological membrane potential. Sparse regression reveals a small set of coordinates that distinguish intermediates that are hidden from electrophysiological measurements. The intermediates arise from a noncanonical helical-screw mechanism in which translocation, rotation, and side-chain movement of the S4 helix are only loosely coupled. These results provide insights into existing experimental and computational findings on voltage sensing and suggest ways of further probing its mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C Guo
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Aaron R Dinner
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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6
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Gao Y, Amon JD, Brogan AP, Artzi L, Ramírez-Guadiana FH, Cofsky JC, Kruse AC, Rudner DZ. SpoVAF and FigP assemble into oligomeric ion channels that enhance spore germination. Genes Dev 2024; 38:31-45. [PMID: 38242633 PMCID: PMC10903944 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351353.123] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial spores can remain dormant for decades yet rapidly germinate and resume growth in response to nutrients. GerA family receptors that sense and respond to these signals have recently been shown to oligomerize into nutrient-gated ion channels. Ion release initiates exit from dormancy. Here, we report that a distinct ion channel, composed of SpoVAF (5AF) and its newly discovered partner protein, YqhR (FigP), amplifies the response. At high germinant concentrations, 5AF/FigP accelerate germination; at low concentrations, this complex becomes critical for exit from dormancy. 5AF is homologous to the channel-forming subunit of GerA family receptors and is predicted to oligomerize around a central pore. 5AF mutations predicted to widen the channel cause constitutive germination during spore formation and membrane depolarization in vegetative cells. Narrow-channel mutants are impaired in germination. A screen for suppressors of a constitutively germinating 5AF mutant identified FigP as an essential cofactor of 5AF activity. We demonstrate that 5AF and FigP interact and colocalize with GerA family receptors in spores. Finally, we show that 5AF/FigP accelerate germination in B. subtilis spores that have nutrient receptors from another species. Our data support a model in which nutrient-triggered ion release by GerA family receptors activates 5AF/FigP ion release, amplifying the response to germinant signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Gao
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Jeremy D Amon
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Anna P Brogan
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Lior Artzi
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | | | - Joshua C Cofsky
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Andrew C Kruse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - David Z Rudner
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
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7
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Shen R, Roux B, Perozo E. Anionic omega currents from single countercharge mutants in the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202213311. [PMID: 38019193 PMCID: PMC10686229 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213311] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The S4 segment of voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) directly responds to voltage changes by reorienting within the electric field as a permion. A narrow hydrophobic "gasket" or charge transfer center at the core of most VSDs focuses the electric field into a narrow region and catalyzes the sequential and reversible translocation of S4 positive gating charge residues across the electric field while preventing the permeation of physiological ions. Mutating specific S4 gating charges can cause ionic leak currents through the VSDs. These gating pores or omega currents play important pathophysiological roles in many diseases of excitability. Here, we show that mutating D129, a key countercharge residue in the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP), leads to the generation of unique anionic omega currents. Neutralizing D129 causes a dramatic positive shift of activation, facilitates the formation of a continuous water path through the VSD, and creates a positive electrostatic potential landscape inside the VSD that contributes to its unique anionic selectivity. Increasing the population or dwell time of the conducting state by a high external pH or an engineered Cd2+ bridge markedly increases the current magnitude. Our findings uncover a new role of countercharge residues in the impermeable VSD of Ci-VSP and offer insights into mechanisms of the conduction of anionic omega currents linked to countercharge residue mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Benoît Roux
- 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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8
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Stix R, Tan XF, Bae C, Fernández-Mariño AI, Swartz KJ, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Eukaryotic Kv channel Shaker inactivates through selectivity filter dilation rather than collapse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj5539. [PMID: 38064553 PMCID: PMC10708196 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj5539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic voltage-gated K+ channels have been extensively studied, but the structural bases for some of their most salient functional features remain to be established. C-type inactivation, for example, is an auto-inhibitory mechanism that confers temporal resolution to their signal-firing activity. In a recent breakthrough, studies of a mutant of Shaker that is prone to inactivate indicated that this process entails a dilation of the selectivity filter, the narrowest part of the ion conduction pathway. Here, we report an atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure that demonstrates that the wild-type channel can also adopt this dilated state. All-atom simulations corroborate this conformation is congruent with the electrophysiological characteristics of the C-type inactivated state, namely, residual K+ conductance and altered ion specificity, and help rationalize why inactivation is accelerated or impeded by certain mutations. In summary, this study establishes the molecular basis for an important self-regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic K+ channels, laying a solid foundation for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Stix
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xiao-Feng Tan
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chanhyung Bae
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ana I. Fernández-Mariño
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenton J. Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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9
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Dulhunty AF. Biophysical reviews top five: voltage-dependent charge movement in nerve and muscle. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:1903-1907. [PMID: 38192339 PMCID: PMC10771356 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01165-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The discovery of gating currents and asymmetric charge movement in the early 1970s represented a remarkable leap forward in our understanding of the biophysical basis of voltage-dependent events that underlie electrical signalling that is vital for nerve and muscle function. Gating currents and charge movement reflect a fundamental process in which charged amino acid residues in an ion channel protein move in response to a change in the membrane electrical field and therefore activate the specific voltage-dependent response of that protein. The detection of gating currents and asymmetric charge movement over the past 50 years has been pivotal in unraveling the multiple molecular and intra-molecular processes which lead to action potentials in excitable tissues and excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in skeletal muscle. The recording of gating currents and asymmetric charge movement remains an essential component of investigations into the basic molecular mechanisms of neuronal conduction and muscle contraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela F. Dulhunty
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, ACT, Canberra, 2601 Australia
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10
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Arcos-Hernández C, Nishigaki T. Ion currents through the voltage sensor domain of distinct families of proteins. J Biol Phys 2023; 49:393-413. [PMID: 37851173 PMCID: PMC10651576 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-023-09645-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The membrane potential of a cell (Vm) regulates several physiological processes. The voltage sensor domain (VSD) is a region that confers voltage sensitivity to different types of transmembrane proteins such as the following: voltage-gated ion channels, the voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP), and the sperm-specific Na+/H+ exchanger (sNHE). VSDs contain four transmembrane segments (S1-S4) and several positively charged amino acids in S4, which are essential for the voltage sensitivity of the protein. Generally, in response to changes of the Vm, the positive residues of S4 displace along the plasma membrane without generating ionic currents through this domain. However, some native (e.g., Hv1 channel) and mutants of VSDs produce ionic currents. These gating pore currents are usually observed in VSDs that lack one or more of the conserved positively charged amino acids in S4. The gating pore currents can also be induced by the isolation of a VSD from the rest of the protein domains. In this review, we summarize gating pore currents from all families of proteins with VSDs with classification into three cases: (1) pathological, (2) physiological, and (3) artificial currents. We reinforce the model in which the position of S4 that lacks the positively charged amino acid determines the voltage dependency of the gating pore current of all VSDs independent of protein families.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Arcos-Hernández
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico.
| | - Takuya Nishigaki
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
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11
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Nestorovich EM, Bezrukov SM. Beta-Barrel Channel Response to High Electric Fields: Functional Gating or Reversible Denaturation? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16655. [PMID: 38068977 PMCID: PMC10706840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels exhibit gating behavior, fluctuating between open and closed states, with the transmembrane voltage serving as one of the essential regulators of this process. Voltage gating is a fundamental functional aspect underlying the regulation of ion-selective, mostly α-helical, channels primarily found in excitable cell membranes. In contrast, there exists another group of larger, and less selective, β-barrel channels of a different origin, which are not directly associated with cell excitability. Remarkably, these channels can also undergo closing, or "gating", induced by sufficiently strong electric fields. Once the field is removed, the channels reopen, preserving a memory of the gating process. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that the voltage-induced closure of the β-barrel channels can be seen as a form of reversible protein denaturation by the high electric fields applied in model membranes experiments-typically exceeding twenty million volts per meter-rather than a manifestation of functional gating. Here, we focused on the bacterial outer membrane channel OmpF reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers and analyzed various characteristics of the closing-opening process that support this idea. Specifically, we considered the nearly symmetric response to voltages of both polarities, the presence of multiple closed states, the stabilization of the open conformation in channel clusters, the long-term gating memory, and the Hofmeister effects in closing kinetics. Furthermore, we contemplate the evolutionary aspect of the phenomenon, proposing that the field-induced denaturation of membrane proteins might have served as a starting point for their development into amazing molecular machines such as voltage-gated channels of nerve and muscle cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina M. Nestorovich
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
- Section on Molecular Transport, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Sergey M. Bezrukov
- Section on Molecular Transport, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
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12
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Fernández-Mariño AI, Tan XF, Bae C, Huffer K, Jiang J, Swartz KJ. Inactivation of the Kv2.1 channel through electromechanical coupling. Nature 2023; 622:410-417. [PMID: 37758949 PMCID: PMC10567553 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06582-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The Kv2.1 voltage-activated potassium (Kv) channel is a prominent delayed-rectifier Kv channel in the mammalian central nervous system, where its mechanisms of activation and inactivation are critical for regulating intrinsic neuronal excitability1,2. Here we present structures of the Kv2.1 channel in a lipid environment using cryo-electron microscopy to provide a framework for exploring its functional mechanisms and how mutations causing epileptic encephalopathies3-7 alter channel activity. By studying a series of disease-causing mutations, we identified one that illuminates a hydrophobic coupling nexus near the internal end of the pore that is critical for inactivation. Both functional and structural studies reveal that inactivation in Kv2.1 results from dynamic alterations in electromechanical coupling to reposition pore-lining S6 helices and close the internal pore. Consideration of these findings along with available structures for other Kv channels, as well as voltage-activated sodium and calcium channels, suggests that related mechanisms of inactivation are conserved in voltage-activated cation channels and likely to be engaged by widely used therapeutics to achieve state-dependent regulation of channel activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Fernández-Mariño
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xiao-Feng Tan
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chanhyung Bae
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kate Huffer
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiansen Jiang
- Laboratory of Membrane Proteins and Structural Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kenton J Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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13
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Eltokhi A, Catterall WA, Gamal El-Din TM. Cell-cycle arrest at the G1/S boundary enhances transient voltage-gated ion channel expression in human and insect cells. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100559. [PMID: 37751687 PMCID: PMC10545908 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Heterologous expression of recombinant ion channel subunits in cell lines is often limited by the presence of a low number of channels at the cell surface level. Here, we introduce a combination of two techniques: viral expression using the baculovirus system plus cell-cycle arrest at the G1/S boundary using either thymidine or hydroxyurea. This method achieved a manifold increase in the peak current density of expressed ion channels compared with the classical liposome-mediated transfection methods. The enhanced ionic current was accompanied by an increase in the density of gating charges, confirming that the increased yield of protein and ionic current reflects the functional localization of channels in the plasma membrane. This modified method of viral expression coordinated with the cell cycle arrest will pave the way to better decipher the structure and function of ion channels and their association with ion channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eltokhi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7280, USA.
| | - William A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7280, USA
| | - Tamer M Gamal El-Din
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7280, USA.
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14
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Catacuzzeno L, Conti F, Franciolini F. Fifty years of gating currents and channel gating. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202313380. [PMID: 37410612 PMCID: PMC10324510 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We celebrate this year the 50th anniversary of the first electrophysiological recordings of the gating currents from voltage-dependent ion channels done in 1973. This retrospective tries to illustrate the context knowledge on channel gating and the impact gating-current recording had then, and how it continued to clarify concepts, elaborate new ideas, and steer the scientific debate in these 50 years. The notion of gating particles and gating currents was first put forward by Hodgkin and Huxley in 1952 as a necessary assumption for interpreting the voltage dependence of the Na and K conductances of the action potential. 20 years later, gating currents were actually recorded, and over the following decades have represented the most direct means of tracing the movement of the gating charges and gaining insights into the mechanisms of channel gating. Most work in the early years was focused on the gating currents from the Na and K channels as found in the squid giant axon. With channel cloning and expression on heterologous systems, other channels as well as voltage-dependent enzymes were investigated. Other approaches were also introduced (cysteine mutagenesis and labeling, site-directed fluorometry, cryo-EM crystallography, and molecular dynamics [MD] modeling) to provide an integrated and coherent view of voltage-dependent gating in biological macromolecules. The layout of this retrospective reflects the past 50 years of investigations on gating currents, first addressing studies done on Na and K channels and then on other voltage-gated channels and non-channel structures. The review closes with a brief overview of how the gating-charge/voltage-sensor movements are translated into pore opening and the pathologies associated with mutations targeting the structures involved with the gating currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Catacuzzeno
- Department of Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Franco Conti
- Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Franciolini
- Department of Chemistry Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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15
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Kostritskii AY, Machtens JP. Domain- and state-specific shape of the electric field tunes voltage sensing in voltage-gated sodium channels. Biophys J 2023; 122:1807-1821. [PMID: 37077046 PMCID: PMC10209041 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to sense transmembrane voltage underlies most physiological roles of voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels. Whereas the key role of their voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) in channel activation is well established, the molecular underpinnings of voltage coupling remain incompletely understood. Voltage-dependent energetics of the activation process can be described in terms of the gating charge that is defined by coupling of charged residues to the external electric field. The shape of the electric field within VSDs is therefore crucial for the activation of voltage-gated ion channels. Here, we employed molecular dynamics simulations of cardiac Nav1.5 and bacterial NavAb, together with our recently developed tool g_elpot, to gain insights into the voltage-sensing mechanisms of Nav channels via high-resolution quantification of VSD electrostatics. In contrast to earlier low-resolution studies, we found that the electric field within VSDs of Nav channels has a complex isoform- and domain-specific shape, which prominently depends on the activation state of a VSD. Different VSDs vary not only in the length of the region where the electric field is focused but also differ in their overall electrostatics, with possible implications in the diverse ion selectivity of their gating pores. Due to state-dependent field reshaping, not only translocated basic but also relatively immobile acidic residues contribute significantly to the gating charge. In the case of NavAb, we found that the transition between structurally resolved activated and resting states results in a gating charge of 8e, which is noticeably lower than experimental estimates. Based on the analysis of VSD electrostatics in the two activation states, we propose that the VSD likely adopts a deeper resting state upon hyperpolarization. In conclusion, our results provide an atomic-level description of the gating charge, demonstrate diversity in VSD electrostatics, and reveal the importance of electric-field reshaping for voltage sensing in Nav channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Y Kostritskii
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-1), Molekular- und Zellphysiologie, and JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Jan-Philipp Machtens
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-1), Molekular- und Zellphysiologie, and JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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16
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Cowgill J, Chanda B. Charge-voltage curves of Shaker potassium channel are not hysteretic at steady state. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:213823. [PMID: 36692860 PMCID: PMC9884579 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202112883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Charge-voltage curves of many voltage-gated ion channels exhibit hysteresis but such curves are also a direct measure of free energy of channel gating and, hence, should be path-independent. Here, we identify conditions to measure steady-state charge-voltage curves and show that these are curves are not hysteretic. Charged residues in transmembrane segments of voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) sense and respond to changes in the electric field. The movement of these gating charges underpins voltage-dependent activation and is also a direct metric of the net free-energy of channel activation. However, for most voltage-gated ion channels, the charge-voltage (Q-V) curves appear to be dependent on initial conditions. For instance, Q-V curves of Shaker potassium channel obtained by hyperpolarizing from 0 mV is left-shifted compared to those obtained by depolarizing from a holding potential of -80 mV. This hysteresis in Q-V curves is a common feature of channels in the VGIC superfamily and raises profound questions about channel energetics because the net free-energy of channel gating is a state function and should be path independent. Due to technical limitations, conventional gating current protocols are limited to test pulse durations of <500 ms, which raises the possibility that the dependence of Q-V on initial conditions reflects a lack of equilibration. Others have suggested that the hysteresis is fundamental thermodynamic property of voltage-gated ion channels and reflects energy dissipation due to measurements under non-equilibrium conditions inherent to rapid voltage jumps (Villalba-Galea. 2017. Channels. https://doi.org/10.1080/19336950.2016.1243190). Using an improved gating current and voltage-clamp fluorometry protocols, we show that the gating hysteresis arising from different initial conditions in Shaker potassium channel is eliminated with ultra-long (18-25 s) test pulses. Our study identifies a modified gating current recording protocol to obtain steady-state Q-V curves of a voltage-gated ion channel. Above all, these findings demonstrate that the gating hysteresis in Shaker channel is a kinetic phenomenon rather than a true thermodynamic property of the channel and the charge-voltage curve is a true measure of the net-free energy of channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Cowgill
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA,John Cowgill:
| | - Baron Chanda
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA,Correspondence to Baron Chanda:
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17
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Alvear-Arias JJ, Pena-Pichicoi A, Carrillo C, Fernandez M, Gonzalez T, Garate JA, Gonzalez C. Role of voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) in cancer biology. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1175702. [PMID: 37153807 PMCID: PMC10157179 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1175702] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The acid-base characteristics of tumor cells and the other elements that compose the tumor microenvironment have been topics of scientific interest in oncological research. There is much evidence confirming that pH conditions are maintained by changes in the patterns of expression of certain proton transporters. In the past decade, the voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) has been added to this list and is increasingly being recognized as a target with onco-therapeutic potential. The Hv1 channel is key to proton extrusion for maintaining a balanced cytosolic pH. This protein-channel is expressed in a myriad of tissues and cell lineages whose functions vary from producing bioluminescence in dinoflagellates to alkalizing spermatozoa cytoplasm for reproduction, and regulating the respiratory burst for immune system response. It is no wonder that in acidic environments such as the tumor microenvironment, an exacerbated expression and function of this channel has been reported. Indeed, multiple studies have revealed a strong relationship between pH balance, cancer development, and the overexpression of the Hv1 channel, being proposed as a marker for malignancy in cancer. In this review, we present data that supports the idea that the Hv1 channel plays a significant role in cancer by maintaining pH conditions that favor the development of malignancy features in solid tumor models. With the antecedents presented in this bibliographic report, we want to strengthen the idea that the Hv1 proton channel is an excellent therapeutic strategy to counter the development of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Alvear-Arias
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Antonio Pena-Pichicoi
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Christian Carrillo
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Miguel Fernandez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Tania Gonzalez
- National Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Jose A. Garate
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia y Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Gonzalez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Carlos Gonzalez,
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18
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Guidelli R. A historical biophysical dogma vs. an understanding of the structure and function of voltage-gated tetrameric ion channels. A review. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:184046. [PMID: 36096197 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.184046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The outstanding work of several eminent biophysicists has allowed the functional features of voltage-gated tetrameric ion channels to be disclosed using ingenious and sophisticated electrophysiological techniques. However, the kinetics and mechanism underlying these functions have been heavily conditioned by an arbitrary interpretation of the groundbreaking results obtained by Hodgkin and Huxley (HH) in their investigation of sodium and potassium currents using the voltage clamp technique. Thus, the heavy parametrization of their results was considered to indicate that any proposed sequence of closed states terminates with a single open state. This 'dogma' of HH parametrization has influenced the formulation of countless mechanistic models, mainly stochastic, requiring a high number of free parameters and of often unspecified conformational states. This note aims to point out the advantages of a deterministic kinetic model that simulates the main features of tetrameric ion channels using only two free parameters by assuming their stepwise opening accompanied by a progressively increasing cation flow. This model exploits the electrostatic attractive interactions stemming from the charge distribution shared by all tetrameric ion channels, providing a close connection between their structure and function. Quite significantly, a stepwise opening of all ligand-gated tetrameric ion channels, such as glutamate receptors (GluRs), with concomitant ion flow, is nowadays generally accepted, not having been influenced by this dogma. This provides a unified picture of both voltage-gated and ligand-gated tetrameric ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolando Guidelli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", Florence University, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy.
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19
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Fan X, Lu Y, Du G, Liu J. Advances in the Understanding of Two-Pore Domain TASK Potassium Channels and Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27238296. [PMID: 36500386 PMCID: PMC9736439 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
TWIK-related acid-sensitive K+ (TASK) channels, including TASK-1, TASK-3, and TASK-5, are important members of the two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel family. TASK-5 is not functionally expressed in the recombinant system. TASK channels are very sensitive to changes in extracellular pH and are active during all membrane potential periods. They are similar to other K2P channels in that they can create and use background-leaked potassium currents to stabilize resting membrane conductance and repolarize the action potential of excitable cells. TASK channels are expressed in both the nervous system and peripheral tissues, including excitable and non-excitable cells, and are widely engaged in pathophysiological phenomena, such as respiratory stimulation, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, aldosterone secretion, cancers, anesthesia, neurological disorders, glucose homeostasis, and visual sensitivity. Therefore, they are important targets for innovative drug development. In this review, we emphasized the recent advances in our understanding of the biophysical properties, gating profiles, and biological roles of TASK channels. Given the different localization ranges and biologically relevant functions of TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels, the development of compounds that selectively target TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels is also summarized based on data reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueming Fan
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Yongzhi Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510700, China
| | - Guizhi Du
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Correspondence: (G.D.); (J.L.)
| | - Jin Liu
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Correspondence: (G.D.); (J.L.)
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20
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Eisenberg B. Setting Boundaries for Statistical Mechanics. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27228017. [PMID: 36432117 PMCID: PMC9696510 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27228017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Statistical mechanics has grown without bounds in space. Statistical mechanics of noninteracting point particles in an unbounded perfect gas is widely used to describe liquids like concentrated salt solutions of life and electrochemical technology, including batteries. Liquids are filled with interacting molecules. A perfect gas is a poor model of a liquid. Statistical mechanics without spatial bounds is impossible as well as imperfect, if molecules interact as charged particles, as nearly all atoms do. The behavior of charged particles is not defined until boundary structures and values are defined because charges are governed by Maxwell's partial differential equations. Partial differential equations require boundary structures and conditions. Boundary conditions cannot be defined uniquely 'at infinity' because the limiting process that defines 'infinity' includes such a wide variety of structures and behaviors, from elongated ellipses to circles, from light waves that never decay, to dipolar fields that decay steeply, to Coulomb fields that hardly decay at all. Boundaries and boundary conditions needed to describe matter are not prominent in classical statistical mechanics. Statistical mechanics of bounded systems is described in the EnVarA system of variational mechanics developed by Chun Liu, more than anyone else. EnVarA treatment does not yet include Maxwell equations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Eisenberg
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA;
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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21
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David D, Bentulila Z, Tauber M, Ben-Chaim Y. G Protein-Coupled Receptors Regulated by Membrane Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213988. [PMID: 36430466 PMCID: PMC9696401 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a vast majority of signal transduction processes. Although they span the cell membrane, they have not been considered to be regulated by the membrane potential. Numerous studies over the last two decades have demonstrated that several GPCRs, including muscarinic, adrenergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic receptors, are voltage regulated. Following these observations, an effort was made to elucidate the molecular basis for this regulatory effect. In this review, we will describe the advances in understanding the voltage dependence of GPCRs, the suggested molecular mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon, and the possible physiological roles that it may play.
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22
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Wu X, Gupta K, Swartz KJ. Mutations within the selectivity filter reveal that Kv1 channels have distinct propensities to slow inactivate. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:e202213222. [PMID: 36197416 PMCID: PMC9539455 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-activated potassium (Kv) channels open in response to membrane depolarization and subsequently inactivate through distinct mechanisms. For the model Shaker Kv channel from Drosophila, fast N-type inactivation is thought to occur by a mechanism involving blockade of the internal pore by the N-terminus, whereas slow C-type inactivation results from conformational changes in the ion selectivity filter in the external pore. Kv channel inactivation plays critical roles in shaping the action potential and regulating firing frequency, and has been implicated in a range of diseases including episodic ataxia and arrhythmias. Although structures of the closely related Shaker and Kv1.2 channels containing mutations that promote slow inactivation both support a mechanism involving dilation of the outer selectivity filter, mutations in the outer pores of these two Kv channels have been reported to have markedly distinct effects on slow inactivation, raising questions about the extent to which slow inactivation is related in both channels. In this study, we characterized the influence of a series of mutations within the external pore of Shaker and Kv1.2 channels and observed many distinct mutant phenotypes. We find that mutations at four positions near the selectivity filter promote inactivation less dramatically in Kv1.2 when compared to Shaker, and they identify one key variable position (T449 in Shaker and V381 in Kv1.2) underlying the different phenotypes in the two channels. Collectively, our results suggest that Kv1.2 is less prone to inactivate compared to Shaker, yet support a common mechanism of inactivation in the two channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosa Wu
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kanchan Gupta
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kenton J. Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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23
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Mechanism of voltage gating in the voltage-sensing phosphatase Ci-VSP. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206649119. [PMID: 36279472 PMCID: PMC9636939 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206649119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conformational changes in voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) are driven by the transmembrane electric field acting on the protein charges. Yet, the overall energetics and detailed mechanism of this process are not fully understood. Here, we determined free energy and displacement charge landscapes as well as the major conformations visited during a complete functional gating cycle in the isolated VSD of the phosphatase Ci-VSP (Ci-VSD) comprising four transmembrane helices (segments S1 to S4). Molecular dynamics simulations highlight the extent of S4 movements. In addition to the crystallographically determined activated “Up” and resting “Down” states, the simulations predict two Ci-VSD conformations: a deeper resting state (“down-minus”) and an extended activated (“up-plus”) state. These additional conformations were experimentally probed via systematic cysteine mutagenesis with metal-ion bridges and the engineering of proton conducting mutants at hyperpolarizing voltages. The present results show that these four states are visited sequentially in a stepwise manner during voltage activation, each step translocating one arginine or the equivalent of ∼1
e
0
across the membrane electric field, yielding a transfer of ∼3
e
0
charges in total for the complete process.
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24
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Aquaporin Gating: A New Twist to Unravel Permeation through Water Channels. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012317. [PMID: 36293170 PMCID: PMC9604103 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are small transmembrane tetrameric proteins that facilitate water, solute and gas exchange. Their presence has been extensively reported in the biological membranes of almost all living organisms. Although their discovery is much more recent than ion transport systems, different biophysical approaches have contributed to confirm that permeation through each monomer is consistent with closed and open states, introducing the term gating mechanism into the field. The study of AQPs in their native membrane or overexpressed in heterologous systems have experimentally demonstrated that water membrane permeability can be reversibly modified in response to specific modulators. For some regulation mechanisms, such as pH changes, evidence for gating is also supported by high-resolution structures of the water channel in different configurations as well as molecular dynamics simulation. Both experimental and simulation approaches sustain that the rearrangement of conserved residues contributes to occlude the cavity of the channel restricting water permeation. Interestingly, specific charged and conserved residues are present in the environment of the pore and, thus, the tetrameric structure can be subjected to alter the positions of these charges to sustain gating. Thus, is it possible to explore whether the displacement of these charges (gating current) leads to conformational changes? To our knowledge, this question has not yet been addressed at all. In this review, we intend to analyze the suitability of this proposal for the first time.
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25
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Schmidt T, Jakešová M, Đerek V, Kornmueller K, Tiapko O, Bischof H, Burgstaller S, Waldherr L, Nowakowska M, Baumgartner C, Üçal M, Leitinger G, Scheruebel S, Patz S, Malli R, Głowacki ED, Rienmüller T, Schindl R. Light Stimulation of Neurons on Organic Photocapacitors Induces Action Potentials with Millisecond Precision. ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES 2022; 7:2101159. [PMID: 37064760 PMCID: PMC10097427 DOI: 10.1002/admt.202101159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nongenetic optical control of neurons is a powerful technique to study and manipulate the function of the nervous system. This research has benchmarked the performance of organic electrolytic photocapacitor (OEPC) optoelectronic stimulators at the level of single mammalian cells: human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells with heterologously expressed voltage-gated K+ channels and hippocampal primary neurons. OEPCs act as extracellular stimulation electrodes driven by deep red light. The electrophysiological recordings show that millisecond light stimulation of OEPC shifts conductance-voltage plots of voltage-gated K+ channels by ≈30 mV. Models are described both for understanding the experimental findings at the level of K+ channel kinetics in HEK cells, as well as elucidating interpretation of membrane electrophysiology obtained during stimulation with an electrically floating extracellular photoelectrode. A time-dependent increase in voltage-gated channel conductivity in response to OEPC stimulation is demonstrated. These findings are then carried on to cultured primary hippocampal neurons. It is found that millisecond time-scale optical stimuli trigger repetitive action potentials in these neurons. The findings demonstrate that OEPC devices enable the manipulation of neuronal signaling activities with millisecond precision. OEPCs can therefore be integrated into novel in vitro electrophysiology protocols, and the findings can inspire in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Schmidt
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterChair of BiophysicsMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
| | - Marie Jakešová
- Bioelectronics Materials and Devices LaboratoryCentral European Institute of TechnologyBrno University of TechnologyPurkyňova 123Brno61200Czech Republic
| | - Vedran Đerek
- Department of PhysicsFaculty of ScienceUniversity of ZagrebBijenička c. 32Zagreb10000Croatia
| | - Karin Kornmueller
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterChair of BiophysicsMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
| | - Oleksandra Tiapko
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterChair of BiophysicsMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
| | - Helmut Bischof
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterMolecular Biology and BiochemistryMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6/6Graz8010Austria
- Department of PharmacologyToxicology and Clinical PharmacyInstitute of PharmacyUniversity of TuebingenAuf der Morgenstelle 872076TuebingenGermany
| | - Sandra Burgstaller
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterMolecular Biology and BiochemistryMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6/6Graz8010Austria
- Department of PharmacologyToxicology and Clinical PharmacyInstitute of PharmacyUniversity of TuebingenAuf der Morgenstelle 872076TuebingenGermany
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tuebingen72770ReutlingenGermany
| | - Linda Waldherr
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterChair of BiophysicsMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
| | - Marta Nowakowska
- Research Unit of Experimental NeurotraumatologyDepartment of NeurosurgeryMedical University GrazAuenbruggerplatz 2.2Graz8036Austria
| | - Christian Baumgartner
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
- Institute of Health Care Engineering with European Testing Center of Medical DevicesGraz University of TechnologyGraz8010Austria
| | - Muammer Üçal
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
- Research Unit of Experimental NeurotraumatologyDepartment of NeurosurgeryMedical University GrazAuenbruggerplatz 2.2Graz8036Austria
| | - Gerd Leitinger
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterDivision of Cell BiologyHistology and EmbryologyMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
| | - Susanne Scheruebel
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterChair of BiophysicsMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
| | - Silke Patz
- Research Unit of Experimental NeurotraumatologyDepartment of NeurosurgeryMedical University GrazAuenbruggerplatz 2.2Graz8036Austria
| | - Roland Malli
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterMolecular Biology and BiochemistryMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6/6Graz8010Austria
| | - Eric Daniel Głowacki
- Bioelectronics Materials and Devices LaboratoryCentral European Institute of TechnologyBrno University of TechnologyPurkyňova 123Brno61200Czech Republic
| | - Theresa Rienmüller
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
- Institute of Health Care Engineering with European Testing Center of Medical DevicesGraz University of TechnologyGraz8010Austria
| | - Rainer Schindl
- Gottfried Schatz Research CenterChair of BiophysicsMedical University of GrazNeue Stiftingtalstraße 6Graz8010Austria
- BioTechMed‐GrazGraz8010Austria
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26
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Unwinding and spiral sliding of S4 and domain rotation of VSD during the electromechanical coupling in Na v1.7. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2209164119. [PMID: 35878056 PMCID: PMC9388133 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209164119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nav1.7 has been targeted for pain management for its well-established role in pain sensation. Hundreds of mutations of Nav1.7 have been found in patients with pain disorders. Structures of Nav1.7 captured in different conformations will reveal its working mechanism and facilitate drug discovery. Here we present the rational design of a Nav1.7 variant, Nav1.7-M11, that may be trapped in the closed-state inactivation conformation at 0 mV. Cryoelectron microscopy analysis of Nav1.7-M11 reveals voltage-sensing domain in the first repeat (VSDI) in the completely down conformation, VSDII at an intermediate state, and the pore domain tightly closed. Structural comparison of Nav1.7-M11 with the WT channel provides unprecedented insight into the electromechanical coupling details and affords mechanistic interpretation for a number of pain-related mutations. Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel Nav1.7 has been targeted for the development of nonaddictive pain killers. Structures of Nav1.7 in distinct functional states will offer an advanced mechanistic understanding and aid drug discovery. Here we report the cryoelectron microscopy analysis of a human Nav1.7 variant that, with 11 rationally introduced point mutations, has a markedly right-shifted activation voltage curve with V1/2 reaching 69 mV. The voltage-sensing domain in the first repeat (VSDI) in a 2.7-Å resolution structure displays a completely down (deactivated) conformation. Compared to the structure of WT Nav1.7, three gating charge (GC) residues in VSDI are transferred to the cytosolic side through a combination of helix unwinding and spiral sliding of S4I and ∼20° domain rotation. A conserved WNФФD motif on the cytoplasmic end of S3I stabilizes the down conformation of VSDI. One GC residue is transferred in VSDII mainly through helix sliding. Accompanying GC transfer in VSDI and VSDII, rearrangement and contraction of the intracellular gate is achieved through concerted movements of adjacent segments, including S4-5I, S4-5II, S5II, and all S6 segments. Our studies provide important insight into the electromechanical coupling mechanism of the single-chain voltage-gated ion channels and afford molecular interpretations for a number of pain-associated mutations whose pathogenic mechanism cannot be revealed from previously reported Nav structures.
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27
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Tan XF, Bae C, Stix R, Fernández-Mariño AI, Huffer K, Chang TH, Jiang J, Faraldo-Gómez JD, Swartz KJ. Structure of the Shaker Kv channel and mechanism of slow C-type inactivation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm7814. [PMID: 35302848 PMCID: PMC8932672 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm7814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-activated potassium (Kv) channels open upon membrane depolarization and proceed to spontaneously inactivate. Inactivation controls neuronal firing rates and serves as a form of short-term memory and is implicated in various human neurological disorders. Here, we use high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy and computer simulations to determine one of the molecular mechanisms underlying this physiologically crucial process. Structures of the activated Shaker Kv channel and of its W434F mutant in lipid bilayers demonstrate that C-type inactivation entails the dilation of the ion selectivity filter and the repositioning of neighboring residues known to be functionally critical. Microsecond-scale molecular dynamics trajectories confirm that these changes inhibit rapid ion permeation through the channel. This long-sought breakthrough establishes how eukaryotic K+ channels self-regulate their functional state through the plasticity of their selectivity filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Feng Tan
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chanhyung Bae
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robyn Stix
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Ana I. Fernández-Mariño
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kate Huffer
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Tsg-Hui Chang
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jiansen Jiang
- Laboratory of Membrane Proteins and Structural Biology and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenton J. Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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28
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Dickinson MS, Lu J, Gupta M, Marten I, Hedrich R, Stroud RM. Molecular basis of multistep voltage activation in plant two-pore channel 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2110936119. [PMID: 35210362 PMCID: PMC8892357 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110936119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels confer excitability to biological membranes, initiating and propagating electrical signals across large distances on short timescales. Membrane excitation requires channels that respond to changes in electric field and couple the transmembrane voltage to gating of a central pore. To address the mechanism of this process in a voltage-gated ion channel, we determined structures of the plant two-pore channel 1 at different stages along its activation coordinate. These high-resolution structures of activation intermediates, when compared with the resting-state structure, portray a mechanism in which the voltage-sensing domain undergoes dilation and in-membrane plane rotation about the gating charge-bearing helix, followed by charge translocation across the charge transfer seal. These structures, in concert with patch-clamp electrophysiology, show that residues in the pore mouth sense inhibitory Ca2+ and are allosterically coupled to the voltage sensor. These conformational changes provide insight into the mechanism of voltage-sensor domain activation in which activation occurs vectorially over a series of elementary steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles Sasha Dickinson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Jinping Lu
- Department of Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Meghna Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Irene Marten
- Department of Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Department of Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Robert M Stroud
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143;
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29
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Ionic channels in nerve membranes, 50 years on. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 169-170:12-20. [PMID: 34856230 PMCID: PMC8977236 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This retrospective traces the hypothesis of ion channels from an early statement in a 1970 essay in this journal (Hille, B., 1970, Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 21, 1-32) to its realization today in biophysical, molecular, biochemical, and structural terms. The Na+ and K+ channels of the action potential have been isolated, reconstituted, cloned, mutated, and expressed. They are conformationally flexible, multi-pass glycosylated membrane proteins. Refined atomic structures of several conformational states are known. The discoveries over this half century history illustrate the growth of a field from initial ideas to a mature discipline of biology, physiology, and biomedical science.
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30
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Liu ML, Li L, Tang MJ, Hong L, Sun SP, Xing W. Multi-component separation of small molecular/ionic pollutants with smart pH-gating membranes. Chem Eng Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2021.116854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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31
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Hirazawa K, Tateyama M, Kubo Y, Shimomura T. Phosphoinositide regulates dynamic movement of the S4 voltage sensor in the second repeat in two-pore channel 3. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101425. [PMID: 34800436 PMCID: PMC8665364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The two-pore channels (TPCs) are voltage-gated cation channels consisting of single polypeptides with two repeats of a canonical 6-transmembrane unit. TPCs are known to be regulated by various physiological signals such as membrane voltage and phosphoinositide (PI). The fourth helix in the second repeat (second S4) plays a major role in detecting membrane voltage, whereas the first repeat contains a PI binding site. Therefore, each of these stimuli is detected by a unique repeat to regulate the gating of the TPC central pore. How these various stimuli regulate the dynamic structural rearrangement of the TPC molecule remain unknown. Here, we found that PI binding to the first repeat in TPC3 regulates the movement of the distally located second S4 helix, showing that the PI-binding signal is not confined to the pore gate but also transmitted to the voltage sensor. Using voltage clamp fluorometry, measurement of gating charges, and Cys-accessibility analysis, we observed that PI binding significantly potentiates the voltage dependence of the movement of the second S4 helix. Notably, voltage clamp fluorometry analysis revealed that the voltage-dependent movement of the second S4 helix occurred in two phases, of which the second phase corresponds to the transfer of the gating charges. This movement was observed in the voltage range where gate-opening occurs and was potentiated by PI. In conclusion, this regulation of the second S4 helix by PI indicates a tight inter-repeat coupling within TPC3, a feature which might be conserved among TPC family members to integrate various physiological signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichi Hirazawa
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan
| | - Michihiro Tateyama
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kubo
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan
| | - Takushi Shimomura
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan.
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32
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Thapa P, Stewart R, Sepela RJ, Vivas O, Parajuli LK, Lillya M, Fletcher-Taylor S, Cohen BE, Zito K, Sack JT. EVAP: A two-photon imaging tool to study conformational changes in endogenous Kv2 channels in live tissues. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212666. [PMID: 34581724 PMCID: PMC8480965 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A primary goal of molecular physiology is to understand how conformational changes of proteins affect the function of cells, tissues, and organisms. Here, we describe an imaging method for measuring the conformational changes of the voltage sensors of endogenous ion channel proteins within live tissue, without genetic modification. We synthesized GxTX-594, a variant of the peptidyl tarantula toxin guangxitoxin-1E, conjugated to a fluorophore optimal for two-photon excitation imaging through light-scattering tissue. We term this tool EVAP (Endogenous Voltage-sensor Activity Probe). GxTX-594 targets the voltage sensors of Kv2 proteins, which form potassium channels and plasma membrane–endoplasmic reticulum junctions. GxTX-594 dynamically labels Kv2 proteins on cell surfaces in response to voltage stimulation. To interpret dynamic changes in fluorescence intensity, we developed a statistical thermodynamic model that relates the conformational changes of Kv2 voltage sensors to degree of labeling. We used two-photon excitation imaging of rat brain slices to image Kv2 proteins in neurons. We found puncta of GxTX-594 on hippocampal CA1 neurons that responded to voltage stimulation and retain a voltage response roughly similar to heterologously expressed Kv2.1 protein. Our findings show that EVAP imaging methods enable the identification of conformational changes of endogenous Kv2 voltage sensors in tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parashar Thapa
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Robert Stewart
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Rebecka J Sepela
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Oscar Vivas
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Laxmi K Parajuli
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Mark Lillya
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Sebastian Fletcher-Taylor
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.,The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
| | - Bruce E Cohen
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA.,Division of Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
| | - Karen Zito
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Jon T Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
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33
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Catacuzzeno L, Franciolini F, Bezanilla F, Eisenberg RS. Gating current noise produced by Brownian models of a voltage sensor. Biophys J 2021; 120:3983-4001. [PMID: 34411574 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of voltage-dependent ion channels is associated with the movement of gating charges, which give rise to gating currents. Although gating currents from a single channel are too small to be detected, analysis of the fluctuations of macroscopic gating currents from a population of channels allows a good guess of their magnitude. The analysis of experimental gating current fluctuations, when interpreted in terms of a rate model of channel activation and assuming sufficiently high bandwidth, is in accordance with the presence of a main step along the activation pathway carrying a charge of 2.3-2.4 e0. To give a physical interpretation to these results and to relate them to the known atomic structure of the voltage sensor domain, we used a Brownian model of voltage-dependent gating based on atomic detail structure, that follows the laws of electrodynamics. The model predicts gating currents and gating current fluctuations essentially similar to those experimentally observed. The detailed study of the model output, also performed by making several simplifications aimed at understanding the basic dependencies of the gating current fluctuations, suggests that in real channels the voltage sensor moves along a sequence of intermediate states separated by relatively low (<5 kT) energy barriers. As a consequence, crossings of successive gating charges through the gating pore become very frequent, and the corresponding current shots are often seen to overlap because of the relatively high filtering. Notably, this limited bandwidth effect is at the origin of the relatively high single-step charge experimentally detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Catacuzzeno
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Fabio Franciolini
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Gordon Center for Integrative Sciences, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Robert S Eisenberg
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Applied Mathematics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
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34
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Milenkovic S, Bodrenko IV, Carpaneto A, Ceccarelli M. The key role of the central cavity in sodium transport through ligand-gated two-pore channels. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:18461-18474. [PMID: 34612386 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp02947a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Subcellular and organellar mechanisms have manifested a prominent importance for a broad variety of processes that maintain cellular life at its most basic level. Mammalian two-pore channels (TPCs) appear to be cornerstones of these processes in endo-lysosomes by controlling delicate ion-concentrations in their interiors. With evolutionary remarkable architecture and one-of-a-kind selectivity filter, TPCs are an extremely attractive topic per se. In the light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, hTPC2 emerges to be more than attractive. As a key regulator of the endocytosis pathway, it is potentially essential for diverse viral infections in humans, as demonstrated. Here, by means of multiscale molecular simulations, we propose a model of sodium transport from the lumen to the cytosol where the central cavity works as a reservoir. Since the inhibition of hTPC2 is proven to stop SARS-CoV2 in vitro, shedding light on the hTPC2 function and mechanism is the first step towards the selection of potential inhibiting candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Milenkovic
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy.
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35
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Cao E. Structural mechanisms of transient receptor potential ion channels. J Gen Physiol 2021; 152:133640. [PMID: 31972006 PMCID: PMC7054860 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201811998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are evolutionarily ancient sensory proteins that detect and integrate a wide range of physical and chemical stimuli. TRP channels are fundamental for numerous biological processes and are therefore associated with a multitude of inherited and acquired human disorders. In contrast to many other major ion channel families, high-resolution structures of TRP channels were not available before 2013. Remarkably, however, the subsequent “resolution revolution” in cryo-EM has led to an explosion of TRP structures in the last few years. These structures have confirmed that TRP channels assemble as tetramers and resemble voltage-gated ion channels in their overall architecture. But beyond the relatively conserved transmembrane core embedded within the lipid bilayer, each TRP subtype appears to be endowed with a unique set of soluble domains that may confer diverse regulatory mechanisms. Importantly, TRP channel structures have revealed sites and mechanisms of action of numerous synthetic and natural compounds, as well as those for endogenous ligands such as lipids, Ca2+, and calmodulin. Here, I discuss these recent findings with a particular focus on the conserved transmembrane region and how these structures may help to rationally target this important class of ion channels for the treatment of numerous human conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erhu Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
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36
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Wood A, Karipidis K. Radiofrequency Fields and Calcium Movements Into and Out of Cells. Radiat Res 2021; 195:101-113. [PMID: 33206197 DOI: 10.1667/rade-20-00101.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The recent rollout of 5G telecommunications systems has spawned a renewed call to re-examine the possibility of so-called "non-thermal" harmful effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation. The possibility of calcium being affected by low-level RF has been the subject of research for nearly 50 years and there have been recent suggestions that voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are "extraordinarily sensitive" to ambient RF fields. This article examines the feasibility of particularly modulated RF coupling to gating mechanisms in VGCCs and also reviews studies from the literature from the last 50 years for consistency of outcome. We conclude that the currents induced by fields at the ICNIRP guideline limits are many orders of magnitude below those needed to affect gating, and there would need to be a biological mechanism for detection and rectification of the extremely-low-frequency (ELF) modulations, which has not been demonstrated. Overall, experimental studies have not validated that RF affects Ca2+ transport into or out of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wood
- School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ken Karipidis
- Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, Melbourne, Australia
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37
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Gezelle J, Saggu G, Desai SA. Promises and Pitfalls of Parasite Patch-clamp. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:414-429. [PMID: 33640269 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Protozoan parasites acquire essential ions, nutrients, and other solutes from their insect and vertebrate hosts by transmembrane uptake. For intracellular stages, these solutes must cross additional membranous barriers. At each step, ion channels and transporters mediate not only this uptake but also the removal of waste products. These transport proteins are best isolated and studied with patch-clamp, but these methods remain accessible to only a few parasitologists due to specialized instrumentation and the required training in both theory and practice. Here, we provide an overview of patch-clamp, describing the advantages and limitations of the technology and highlighting issues that may lead to incorrect conclusions. We aim to help non-experts understand and critically assess patch-clamp data in basic research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine Gezelle
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Gagandeep Saggu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Sanjay A Desai
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
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38
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Bassetto CA, Carvalho-de-Souza JL, Bezanilla F. Molecular basis for functional connectivity between the voltage sensor and the selectivity filter gate in Shaker K + channels. eLife 2021; 10:63077. [PMID: 33620313 PMCID: PMC7943188 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In Shaker K+ channels, the S4-S5 linker couples the voltage sensor (VSD) and pore domain (PD). Another coupling mechanism is revealed using two W434F-containing channels: L361R:W434F and L366H:W434F. In L361R:W434F, W434F affects the L361R VSD seen as a shallower charge-voltage (Q-V) curve that crosses the conductance-voltage (G-V) curve. In L366H:W434F, L366H relieves the W434F effect converting a non-conductive channel in a conductive one. We report a chain of residues connecting the VSD (S4) to the selectivity filter (SF) in the PD of an adjacent subunit as the molecular basis for voltage sensor selectivity filter gate (VS-SF) coupling. Single alanine substitutions in this region (L409A, S411A, S412A, or F433A) are enough to disrupt the VS-SF coupling, shown by the absence of Q-V and G-V crossing in L361R:W434F mutant and by the lack of ionic conduction in the L366H:W434F mutant. This residue chain defines a new coupling between the VSD and the PD in voltage-gated channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Az Bassetto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - João Luis Carvalho-de-Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile
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39
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Alberini G, Benfenati F, Maragliano L. Structural Mechanism of ω-Currents in a Mutated Kv7.2 Voltage Sensor Domain from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1354-1367. [PMID: 33570938 PMCID: PMC8023575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Activation of voltage-gated
ion channels is regulated by conformational
changes of the voltage sensor domains (VSDs), four water- and ion-impermeable
modules peripheral to the central, permeable pore domain. Anomalous
currents, defined as ω-currents, have been recorded in response
to mutations of residues on the VSD S4 helix and associated with ion
fluxes through the VSDs. In humans, gene defects in the potassium
channel Kv7.2 result in a broad range of epileptic disorders, from
benign neonatal seizures to severe epileptic encephalopathies. Experimental
evidence suggests that the R207Q mutation in S4, associated with peripheral
nerve hyperexcitability, induces ω-currents at depolarized potentials,
but the fine structural details are still elusive. In this work, we
use atom-detailed molecular dynamics simulations and a refined model
structure of the Kv7.2 VSD in the active conformation in a membrane/water
environment to study the effect of R207Q and four additional mutations
of proven clinical importance. Our results demonstrate that the R207Q
mutant shows the most pronounced increase of hydration in the internal
VSD cavity, a feature favoring the occurrence of ω-currents.
Free energy and kinetics calculations of sodium permeation through
the native and mutated VSD indicate as more favorable the formation
of a cationic current in the latter. Overall, our simulations establish
a mechanistic linkage between genetic variations and their physiological
outcome, by providing a computational description that includes both
thermodynamic and kinetic features of ion permeation associated with
ω-currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Alberini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.,Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Maragliano
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN@UniGe), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.,Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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40
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Eisenberg RS. Maxwell Equations without a Polarization Field, Using a Paradigm from Biophysics. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 23:172. [PMID: 33573137 PMCID: PMC7912333 DOI: 10.3390/e23020172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
When forces are applied to matter, the distribution of mass changes. Similarly, when an electric field is applied to matter with charge, the distribution of charge changes. The change in the distribution of charge (when a local electric field is applied) might in general be called the induced charge. When the change in charge is simply related to the applied local electric field, the polarization field P is widely used to describe the induced charge. This approach does not allow electrical measurements (in themselves) to determine the structure of the polarization fields. Many polarization fields will produce the same electrical forces because only the divergence of polarization enters Maxwell's first equation, relating charge and electric forces and field. The curl of any function can be added to a polarization field P without changing the electric field at all. The divergence of the curl is always zero. Additional information is needed to specify the curl and thus the structure of the P field. When the structure of charge changes substantially with the local electric field, the induced charge is a nonlinear and time dependent function of the field and P is not a useful framework to describe either the electrical or structural basis-induced charge. In the nonlinear, time dependent case, models must describe the charge distribution and how it varies as the field changes. One class of models has been used widely in biophysics to describe field dependent charge, i.e., the phenomenon of nonlinear time dependent induced charge, called 'gating current' in the biophysical literature. The operational definition of gating current has worked well in biophysics for fifty years, where it has been found to makes neurons respond sensitively to voltage. Theoretical estimates of polarization computed with this definition fit experimental data. I propose that the operational definition of gating current be used to define voltage and time dependent induced charge, although other definitions may be needed as well, for example if the induced charge is fundamentally current dependent. Gating currents involve substantial changes in structure and so need to be computed from a combination of electrodynamics and mechanics because everything charged interacts with everything charged as well as most things mechanical. It may be useful to separate the classical polarization field as a component of the total induced charge, as it is in biophysics. When nothing is known about polarization, it is necessary to use an approximate representation of polarization with a dielectric constant that is a single real positive number. This approximation allows important results in some cases, e.g., design of integrated circuits in silicon semiconductors, but can be seriously misleading in other cases, e.g., ionic solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Eisenberg
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA; ; Tel.: +1-708-932-2597
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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41
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Li F, Egea PF, Vecchio AJ, Asial I, Gupta M, Paulino J, Bajaj R, Dickinson MS, Ferguson-Miller S, Monk BC, Stroud RM. Highlighting membrane protein structure and function: A celebration of the Protein Data Bank. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100557. [PMID: 33744283 PMCID: PMC8102919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological membranes define the boundaries of cells and compartmentalize the chemical and physical processes required for life. Many biological processes are carried out by proteins embedded in or associated with such membranes. Determination of membrane protein (MP) structures at atomic or near-atomic resolution plays a vital role in elucidating their structural and functional impact in biology. This endeavor has determined 1198 unique MP structures as of early 2021. The value of these structures is expanded greatly by deposition of their three-dimensional (3D) coordinates into the Protein Data Bank (PDB) after the first atomic MP structure was elucidated in 1985. Since then, free access to MP structures facilitates broader and deeper understanding of MPs, which provides crucial new insights into their biological functions. Here we highlight the structural and functional biology of representative MPs and landmarks in the evolution of new technologies, with insights into key developments influenced by the PDB in magnifying their impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pascal F Egea
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alex J Vecchio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | | | - Meghna Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joana Paulino
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ruchika Bajaj
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miles Sasha Dickinson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shelagh Ferguson-Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian C Monk
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute and Department of Oral Sciences, University of Otago, North Dunedin, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Robert M Stroud
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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42
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Naranjo D, Díaz-Franulic I. Binding of κ-Conotoxin-PVIIA to Open and Closed Shaker K-Channels Are Differentially Affected by the Ionic Strength. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E533. [PMID: 33114777 PMCID: PMC7694074 DOI: 10.3390/md18110533] [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: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
κ-Conotoxin-PVIIA (κ-PVIIA) is a potassium-channel blocking peptide from the venom of the fish-hunting snail, Conus purpurascens, which is essential for quick prey's excitotoxic immobilization. Binding of one κ-PVIIA to Shaker K-channels occludes the K+-conduction pore without additional conformational effects. Because this 27-residue toxin is +4-charged at neutral pH, we asked if electrostatic interactions play a role in binding. With Voltage-Clamp electrophysiology, we tested how ionic strength (IS) affects κ-PVIIA blockade to Shaker. When IS varied from ~0.06 to ~0.16 M, the dissociation constant for open and closed channels increased by ~5- and ~16-fold, respectively. While the association rates decreased equally, by ~4-fold, in open and closed channels, the dissociation rates increased 4-5-fold in closed channels but was IS-insensitive in open channels. To explain this differential IS-dependency, we propose that the bound κ-PVIIA wobbles, so that in open channels the intracellular environment, via ion-conduction pore, buffers the imposed IS-changes in the toxin-channel interface. A Brønsted-Bjerrum analysis on the rates predicts that if, instead of fish, the snail preyed on organisms with seawater-like lymph ionic composition, a severely harmless toxin, with >100-fold diminished affinity, would result. Thus, considerations of the native ionic environment are essential for conotoxins evaluation as pharmacological leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Naranjo
- Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360103, Chile
| | - Ignacio Díaz-Franulic
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8370146, Chile;
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360103, Chile
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Pakhomov AG, Pakhomova ON. The interplay of excitation and electroporation in nanosecond pulse stimulation. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 136:107598. [PMID: 32711366 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2020.107598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Conventional electric stimuli of micro- and millisecond duration excite or activate cells at voltages 10-100 times below the electroporation threshold. This ratio is remarkably different for nanosecond electric pulses (nsEP), which caused excitation and activation only at or above the electroporation threshold in diverse cell lines, primary cardiomyocytes, neurons, and chromaffin cells. Depolarization to the excitation threshold often results from (or is assisted by) the loss of the resting membrane potential due to ion leaks across the membrane permeabilized by nsEP. Slow membrane resealing and the build-up of electroporation damages prevent repetitive excitation by nsEP. However, peripheral nerves and muscles are exempt from this rule and withstand multiple cycles of excitation by nsEP without the loss of function or signs of electroporation. We show that the damage-free excitation by nsEP may be enabled by the membrane charging time constant sufficiently large to (1) cap the peak transmembrane voltage during nsEP below the electroporation threshold, and (2) extend the post-nsEP depolarization long enough to activate voltage-gated ion channels. The low excitatory efficacy of nsEP compared to longer pulses makes them advantageous for medical applications where the neuromuscular excitation is an unwanted side effect, such as electroporation-based cancer and tissue ablation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei G Pakhomov
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA.
| | - Olga N Pakhomova
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA
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44
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Eisenberg RS. Energetic Controls Are Essential. Biophys J 2020; 118:1240-1242. [PMID: 32061272 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Eisenberg
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
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45
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Groome JR, Bayless-Edwards L. Roles for Countercharge in the Voltage Sensor Domain of Ion Channels. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:160. [PMID: 32180723 PMCID: PMC7059764 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels share a common structure typified by peripheral, voltage sensor domains. Their S4 segments respond to alteration in membrane potential with translocation coupled to ion permeation through a central pore domain. The mechanisms of gating in these channels have been intensely studied using pioneering methods such as measurement of charge displacement across a membrane, sequencing of genes coding for voltage-gated ion channels, and the development of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations using structural information from prokaryotic and eukaryotic channel proteins. One aspect of this work has been the description of the role of conserved negative countercharges in S1, S2, and S3 transmembrane segments to promote sequential salt-bridge formation with positively charged residues in S4 segments. These interactions facilitate S4 translocation through the lipid bilayer. In this review, we describe functional and computational work investigating the role of these countercharges in S4 translocation, voltage sensor domain hydration, and in diseases resulting from countercharge mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R. Groome
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, United States
| | - Landon Bayless-Edwards
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, United States
- Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland, OR, United States
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46
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Abstract
Over the past 25 years, successive cloning of SLC34A1, SLC34A2 and SLC34A3, which encode the sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate (Pi) cotransport proteins 2a-2c, has facilitated the identification of molecular mechanisms that underlie the regulation of renal and intestinal Pi transport. Pi and various hormones, including parathyroid hormone and phosphatonins, such as fibroblast growth factor 23, regulate the activity of these Pi transporters through transcriptional, translational and post-translational mechanisms involving interactions with PDZ domain-containing proteins, lipid microdomains and acute trafficking of the transporters via endocytosis and exocytosis. In humans and rodents, mutations in any of the three transporters lead to dysregulation of epithelial Pi transport with effects on serum Pi levels and can cause cardiovascular and musculoskeletal damage, illustrating the importance of these transporters in the maintenance of local and systemic Pi homeostasis. Functional and structural studies have provided insights into the mechanism by which these proteins transport Pi, whereas in vivo and ex vivo cell culture studies have identified several small molecules that can modify their transport function. These small molecules represent potential new drugs to help maintain Pi homeostasis in patients with chronic kidney disease - a condition that is associated with hyperphosphataemia and severe cardiovascular and skeletal consequences.
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Eisner DA. Climbing aboard. J Gen Physiol 2020; 152:133526. [PMID: 31904801 PMCID: PMC7034091 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Welcome from new Editor-in-Chief
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Eisner
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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48
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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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Casciola M, Xiao S, Apollonio F, Paffi A, Liberti M, Muratori C, Pakhomov AG. Cancellation of nerve excitation by the reversal of nanosecond stimulus polarity and its relevance to the gating time of sodium channels. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4539-4550. [PMID: 31055644 PMCID: PMC11105181 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03126-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The initiation of action potentials (APs) by membrane depolarization occurs after a brief vulnerability period, during which excitation can be abolished by the reversal of the stimulus polarity. This vulnerability period is determined by the time needed for gating of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC). We compared nerve excitation by ultra-short uni- and bipolar stimuli to define the time frame of bipolar cancellation and of AP initiation. Propagating APs in isolated frog sciatic nerve were elicited by cathodic pulses (200 ns-300 µs), followed by an anodic (canceling) pulse of the same duration after a 0-200-µs delay. We found that the earliest and the latest boundaries for opening the critical number of VGSC needed to initiate AP are, respectively, between 11 and 20 µs and between 100 and 200 µs after the onset of depolarization. Stronger depolarization accelerated AP initiation, apparently due to faster VGSC opening, but not beyond the 11-µs limit. Bipolar cancellation was augmented by reducing pulse duration, shortening the delay between pulses, decreasing the amplitude of the cathodic pulse, and increasing the amplitude of the anodic one. Some of these characteristics contrasted the bipolar cancellation of cell membrane electroporation (Pakhomov et al. in Bioelectrochemistry 122:123-133, 2018; Gianulis et al. in Bioelectrochemistry 119:10-19, 2017), suggesting different mechanisms. The ratio of nerve excitation thresholds for a unipolar cathodic pulse and a symmetrical bipolar pulse increased as a power function as the pulse duration decreased, in remarkable agreement with the predictions of SENN model of nerve excitation (Reilly and Diamant in Health Phys 83(3):356-365, 2002).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Casciola
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA
| | - Shu Xiao
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Francesca Apollonio
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (D.I.E.T.), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Paffi
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (D.I.E.T.), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Micaela Liberti
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (D.I.E.T.), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Muratori
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA
| | - Andrei G Pakhomov
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.
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50
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Spider Knottin Pharmacology at Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels and Their Potential to Modulate Pain Pathways. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11110626. [PMID: 31671792 PMCID: PMC6891507 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11110626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) are a key determinant of neuronal signalling. Neurotoxins from diverse taxa that selectively activate or inhibit NaV channels have helped unravel the role of NaV channels in diseases, including chronic pain. Spider venoms contain the most diverse array of inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) toxins (knottins). This review provides an overview on how spider knottins modulate NaV channels and describes the structural features and molecular determinants that influence their affinity and subtype selectivity. Genetic and functional evidence support a major involvement of NaV subtypes in various chronic pain conditions. The exquisite inhibitory properties of spider knottins over key NaV subtypes make them the best lead molecules for the development of novel analgesics to treat chronic pain.
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