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Graziano B, Wang L, White OR, Kaplan DH, Fernandez-Abascal J, Bianchi L. Glial KCNQ K + channels control neuronal output by regulating GABA release from glia in C. elegans. Neuron 2024; 112:1832-1847.e7. [PMID: 38460523 PMCID: PMC11156561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
KCNQs are voltage-gated K+ channels that control neuronal excitability and are mutated in epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). KCNQs have been extensively studied in neurons, but their function in glia is unknown. Using voltage, calcium, and GABA imaging, optogenetics, and behavioral assays, we show here for the first time in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) that glial KCNQ channels control neuronal excitability by mediating GABA release from glia via regulation of the function of L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Further, we show that human KCNQ channels have the same role when expressed in nematode glia, underscoring conservation of function across species. Finally, we show that pathogenic loss-of-function and gain-of-function human KCNQ2 mutations alter glia-to-neuron GABA signaling in distinct ways and that the KCNQ channel opener retigabine exerts rescuing effects. This work identifies glial KCNQ channels as key regulators of neuronal excitability via control of GABA release from glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Graziano
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Olivia R White
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Daryn H Kaplan
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jesus Fernandez-Abascal
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
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Ye J, Tang S, Miao P, Gong Z, Shu Q, Feng J, Li Y. Clinical analysis and functional characterization of KCNQ2-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1205265. [PMID: 37497102 PMCID: PMC10366601 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1205265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) is a condition characterized by severe seizures and a range of developmental impairments. Pathogenic variants in KCNQ2, encoding for potassium channel subunit, cause KCNQ2-related DEE. This study aimed to examine the relationships between genotype and phenotype in KCNQ2-related DEE. Methods In total, 12 patients were enrolled in this study for genetic testing, clinical analysis, and developmental evaluation. Pathogenic variants of KCNQ2 were characterized through a whole-cell electrophysiological recording expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The expression levels of the KCNQ2 subunit and its localization at the plasma membrane were determined using Western blot analysis. Results Seizures were detected in all patients. All DEE patients showed evidence of developmental delay. In total, 11 de novo KCNQ2 variants were identified, including 10 missense variants from DEE patients and one truncating variant from a patient with self-limited neonatal epilepsy (SeLNE). All variants were found to be loss of function through analysis of M-currents using patch-clamp recordings. The functional impact of variants on M-current in heteromericKCNQ2/3 channels may be associated with the severity of developmental disorders in DEE. The variants with dominant-negative effects in heteromeric channels may be responsible for the profound developmental phenotype. Conclusion The mechanism underlying KCNQ2-related DEE involves a reduction of the M-current through dominant-negative effects, and the severity of developmental disorders in DEE may be predicted by the impact of variants on the M-current of heteromericKCNQ2/3 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Ye
- National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Siyang Tang
- Pediatric Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pu Miao
- Pediatric Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhefeng Gong
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Shu
- Pediatric Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Feng
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuezhou Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Yang ND, Kanyo R, Zhao L, Li J, Kang PW, Dou AK, White KM, Shi J, Nerbonne JM, Kurata HT, Cui J. Electro-mechanical coupling of KCNQ channels is a target of epilepsy-associated mutations and retigabine. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo3625. [PMID: 35857840 PMCID: PMC9299555 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo3625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 form the M-channels that are important in regulating neuronal excitability. Inherited mutations that alter voltage-dependent gating of M-channels are associated with neonatal epilepsy. In the homolog KCNQ1 channel, two steps of voltage sensor activation lead to two functionally distinct open states, the intermediate-open (IO) and activated-open (AO), which define the gating, physiological, and pharmacological properties of KCNQ1. However, whether the M-channel shares the same mechanism is unclear. Here, we show that KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 feature only a single conductive AO state but with a conserved mechanism for the electro-mechanical (E-M) coupling between voltage sensor activation and pore opening. We identified some epilepsy-linked mutations in KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 that disrupt E-M coupling. The antiepileptic drug retigabine rescued KCNQ3 currents that were abolished by a mutation disrupting E-M coupling, suggesting that modulating the E-M coupling in KCNQ channels presents a potential strategy for antiepileptic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nien-Du Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Richard Kanyo
- Department of Pharmacology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lu Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jingru Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Po Wei Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Alex Kelly Dou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Kelli McFarland White
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jeanne M. Nerbonne
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Harley T. Kurata
- Department of Pharmacology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, and Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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Edmond MA, Hinojo-Perez A, Wu X, Perez Rodriguez ME, Barro-Soria R. Distinctive mechanisms of epilepsy-causing mutants discovered by measuring S4 movement in KCNQ2 channels. eLife 2022; 11:77030. [PMID: 35642783 PMCID: PMC9197397 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77030] [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: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal KCNQ channels mediate the M-current, a key regulator of membrane excitability in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Mutations in KCNQ2 channels cause severe neurodevelopmental disorders, including epileptic encephalopathies. However, the impact that different mutations have on channel function remains poorly defined, largely because of our limited understanding of the voltage-sensing mechanisms that trigger channel gating. Here, we define the parameters of voltage sensor movements in wt-KCNQ2 and channels bearing epilepsy-associated mutations using cysteine accessibility and voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF). Cysteine modification reveals that a stretch of eight to nine amino acids in the S4 becomes exposed upon voltage sensing domain activation of KCNQ2 channels. VCF shows that the voltage dependence and the time course of S4 movement and channel opening/closing closely correlate. VCF reveals different mechanisms by which different epilepsy-associated mutations affect KCNQ2 channel voltage-dependent gating. This study provides insight into KCNQ2 channel function, which will aid in uncovering the mechanisms underlying channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela A Edmond
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Andy Hinojo-Perez
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Marta E Perez Rodriguez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
| | - Rene Barro-Soria
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States
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