Nonlinear charge movement in mammalian cardiac ventricular cells. Components from Na and Ca channel gating

An Electrophysiological Approach to Measure Changes in the Membrane Surface Potential in Real Time

Biological membranes carry fixed charges at their surfaces. These arise primarily from phospholipid headgroups. In addition, membrane proteins contribute to the surface potential with their charged residues. Membrane lipids are asymmetrically distributed. Because of this asymmetry, the net-negative charge at the inner leaflet exceeds that at the outer leaflet. Changes in surface potential are predicted to give rise to apparent changes in membrane capacitance. Here, we show that it is possible to detect changes in surface potential by an electrophysiological approach; the analysis of cellular currents relies on assuming that the electrical properties of a cell are faithfully described by a three-element circuit (i.e., the minimal equivalent circuit) comprised of two resistors and one capacitor. However, to account for changes in surface potential, it is necessary to add a battery to this circuit connected in series with the capacitor. This extended circuit model predicts that the current response to a square-wave voltage pulse harbors information, which allows for separating the changes in surface potential from a true capacitance change. We interrogated our model by investigating changes in the capacitance induced by ligand binding to the serotonin transporter and to the glycine transporters (GlyT1 and GlyT2). The experimental observations were consistent with the predictions of the extended circuit. We conclude that ligand-induced changes in surface potential (reflecting the binding event) and in true membrane capacitance (reflecting the concomitant conformational change) can be detected in real time even in instances in which they occur simultaneously.

Voltage sensing mechanism in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling: coming of age or midlife crisis?

The process by which muscle fiber electrical depolarization is linked to activation of muscle contraction is known as excitation-contraction coupling (ECC). Our understanding of ECC has increased enormously since the early scientific descriptions of the phenomenon of electrical activation of muscle contraction by Galvani that date back to the end of the eighteenth century. Major advances in electrical and optical measurements, including muscle fiber voltage clamp to reveal membrane electrical properties, in conjunction with the development of electron microscopy to unveil structural details provided an elegant view of ECC in skeletal muscle during the last century. This surge of knowledge on structural and biophysical aspects of the skeletal muscle was followed by breakthroughs in biochemistry and molecular biology, which allowed for the isolation, purification, and DNA sequencing of the muscle fiber membrane calcium channel/transverse tubule (TT) membrane voltage sensor (Cav1.1) for ECC and of the muscle ryanodine receptor/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel (RyR1), two essential players of ECC in skeletal muscle. In regard to the process of voltage sensing for controlling calcium release, numerous studies support the concept that the TT Cav1.1 channel is the voltage sensor for ECC, as well as also being a Ca2+ channel in the TT membrane. In this review, we present early and recent findings that support and define the role of Cav1.1 as a voltage sensor for ECC.

A label-free approach to detect ligand binding to cell surface proteins in real time

Electrophysiological recordings allow for monitoring the operation of proteins with high temporal resolution down to the single molecule level. This technique has been exploited to track either ion flow arising from channel opening or the synchronized movement of charged residues and/or ions within the membrane electric field. Here, we describe a novel type of current by using the serotonin transporter (SERT) as a model. We examined transient currents elicited on rapid application of specific SERT inhibitors. Our analysis shows that these currents originate from ligand binding and not from a long-range conformational change. The Gouy-Chapman model predicts that adsorption of charged ligands to surface proteins must produce displacement currents and related apparent changes in membrane capacitance. Here we verified these predictions with SERT. Our observations demonstrate that ligand binding to a protein can be monitored in real time and in a label-free manner by recording the membrane capacitance.

The voltage sensor of excitation-contraction coupling in mammals: Inactivation and interaction with Ca2

In excitation–contraction coupling, voltage-sensing modules (VSMs) of Ca_V1.1 Ca²⁺ channels simultaneously gate the associated pore and Ca²⁺ release channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Ferreira Gregorio et al. find that VSMs adopt two inactivated states, and the degree of inactivation is dependent on external Ca²⁺ and the mouse strain used.

In skeletal muscle, the four-helix voltage-sensing modules (VSMs) of Ca_V1.1 calcium channels simultaneously gate two Ca²⁺ pathways: the Ca_V1.1 pore itself and the RyR1 calcium release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Here, to gain insight into the mechanism by which VSMs gate RyR1, we quantify intramembrane charge movement associated with VSM activation (sensing current) and gated Ca²⁺ release flux in single muscle cells of mice and rats. As found for most four-helix VSMs, upon sustained depolarization, rodent VSMs lose the ability to activate Ca²⁺ release channels opening; their properties change from a functionally capable mode, in which the mobile sensor charge is called charge 1, to an inactivated mode, charge 2, with a voltage dependence shifted toward more negative voltages. We find that charge 2 is promoted and Ca²⁺ release inactivated when resting, well-polarized muscle cells are exposed to low extracellular [Ca²⁺] and that the opposite occurs in high [Ca²⁺]. It follows that murine VSMs are partly inactivated at rest, which establishes the reduced availability of voltage sensing as a pathogenic mechanism in disorders of calcemia. We additionally find that the degree of resting inactivation is significantly different in two mouse strains, which underscores the variability of voltage sensor properties and their vulnerability to environmental conditions. Our studies reveal that the resting and activated states of VSMs are equally favored by extracellular Ca²⁺. Promotion by an extracellular species of two states of the VSM that differ in the conformation of the activation gate requires the existence of a second gate, inactivation, topologically extracellular and therefore accessible from outside regardless of the activation state.

Phosphorylation sites in the Hook domain of CaVβ subunits differentially modulate CaV1.2 channel function

Regulation of L-type calcium current is critical for the development, function, and regulation of many cell types. Ca(V)1.2 channels that conduct L-type calcium currents are regulated by many protein kinases, but the sites of action of these kinases remain unknown in most cases. We combined mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and whole-cell patch clamp techniques in order to identify sites of phosphorylation of Ca(V)β subunits in vivo and test the impact of mutations of those sites on Ca(V)1.2 channel function in vitro. Using the Ca(V)1.1 channel purified from rabbit skeletal muscle as a substrate for phosphoproteomic analysis, we found that Ser(193) and Thr(205) in the HOOK domain of Ca(V)β1a subunits were both phosphorylated in vivo. Ser(193) is located in a potential consensus sequence for casein kinase II, but it was not phosphorylated in vitro by that kinase. In contrast, Thr(205) is located in a consensus sequence for cAMP-dependent phosphorylation, and it was robustly phosphorylated in vitro by PKA. These two sites are conserved in multiple Ca(V)β subunit isoforms, including the principal Ca(V)β subunit of cardiac Ca(V)1.2 channels, Ca(V)β2b. In order to assess potential modulatory effects of phosphorylation at these sites separately from the effects of phosphorylation of the α11.2 subunit, we inserted phosphomimetic or phosphoinhibitory mutations in Ca(V)β2b and analyzed their effects on Ca(V)1.2 channel function in transfected nonmuscle cells. The phosphomimetic mutation Ca(V)β2b(S152E) decreased peak channel currents and shifted the voltage dependence of both activation and inactivation to more positive membrane potentials. The phosphoinhibitory mutation Ca(V)β2b(S152A) had opposite effects. There were no differences in peak Ca(V)1.2 currents or voltage dependence between the phosphomimetic mutation Ca(V)β2b(T164D) and the phosphoinhibitory mutation Ca(V)β2b(T164A). However, calcium-dependent inactivation was significantly increased for the phosphomimetic mutation Ca(V)β2b(T164D). This effect was subunit-specific, as the corresponding mutation in the palmitoylated isoform, Ca(V)β2a, had no effect. Overall, our data identify two conserved sites of phosphorylation of the Hook domain of Ca(V)β subunits in vivo and reveal differential modulatory effects of phosphomimetic mutations in these sites. These results reveal a new dimension of regulation of Ca(V)1.2 channels through phosphorylation of the Hook domains of their β subunits.

Voltage clamp methods for the study of membrane currents and SR Ca(2+) release in adult skeletal muscle fibres

Skeletal muscle excitation-contraction (E-C)(1) coupling is a process composed of multiple sequential stages, by which an action potential triggers sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)(2) Ca(2+) release and subsequent contractile activation. The various steps in the E-C coupling process in skeletal muscle can be studied using different techniques. The simultaneous recordings of sarcolemmal electrical signals and the accompanying elevation in myoplasmic Ca(2+), due to depolarization-initiated SR Ca(2+) release in skeletal muscle fibres, have been useful to obtain a better understanding of muscle function. In studying the origin and mechanism of voltage dependency of E-C coupling a variety of different techniques have been used to control the voltage in adult skeletal fibres. Pioneering work in muscles isolated from amphibians or crustaceans used microelectrodes or 'high resistance gap' techniques to manipulate the voltage in the muscle fibres. The development of the patch clamp technique and its variant, the whole-cell clamp configuration that facilitates the manipulation of the intracellular environment, allowed the use of the voltage clamp techniques in different cell types, including skeletal muscle fibres. The aim of this article is to present an historical perspective of the voltage clamp methods used to study skeletal muscle E-C coupling as well as to describe the current status of using the whole-cell patch clamp technique in studies in which the electrical and Ca(2+) signalling properties of mouse skeletal muscle membranes are being investigated.

Reciprocal dihydropyridine and ryanodine receptor interactions in skeletal muscle activation

Dihydropyridine (DHPR) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are central to transduction of transverse (T) tubular membrane depolarisation initiated by surface action potentials into release of sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca2+ in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling. Electronmicroscopic methods demonstrate an orderly positioning of such tubular DHPRs relative to RyRs in the SR at triad junctions where their membranes come into close proximity. Biochemical and genetic studies associated expression of specific, DHPR and RyR, isoforms with the particular excitation-contraction coupling processes and related elementary Ca2+ release events found respectively in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Physiological studies of intramembrane charge movements potentially related to voltage triggering of Ca2+ release demonstrated a particular qγ charging species identifiable with DHPRs through its T-tubular localization, pharmacological properties, and steep voltage-dependence paralleling Ca2+ release. Its nonlinear kinetics implicated highly co-operative conformational events in its transitions in response to voltage change. The effects of DHPR and RyR agonists and antagonists upon this intramembrane charge in turn implicated reciprocal rather than merely unidirectional DHPR-RyR interactions in these complex reactions. Thus, following membrane potential depolarization, an orthograde qγ-DHPR-RyR signaling likely initiates conformational alterations in the RyR with which it makes contact. The latter changes could then retrogradely promote further qγ-DHPR transitions through reciprocal co-operative allosteric interactions between receptors. These would relieve the resting constraints on both further, delayed, nonlinear qγ-DHPR charge transfers and on RyR-mediated Ca2+ release. They would also explain the more rapid charging and recovery qγ transients following larger depolarizations and membrane potential repolarization to the resting level.

Robust L-type calcium current expression following heterozygous knockout of the Cav1.2 gene in adult mouse heart

Mechanisms that contribute to maintaining expression of functional ion channels at relatively constant levels following perturbations of channel biosynthesis are likely to contribute significantly to the stability of electrophysiological systems in some pathological conditions. In order to examine the robustness of L-type calcium current expression, the response to changes in Ca²⁺ channel Cav1.2 gene dosage was studied in adult mice. Using a cardiac-specific inducible Cre recombinase system, Cav1.2 mRNA was reduced to 11 ± 1% of control values in homozygous floxed mice and the mice died rapidly (11.9 ± 3 days) after induction of gene deletion. In these homozygous knockout mice, echocardiographic analysis showed that myocardial contractility was reduced to 14 ± 1% of control values shortly before death. For these mice, no effective compensatory changes in ion channel gene expression were triggered following deletion of both Cav1.2 alleles, despite the dramatic decay in cardiac function. In contrast to the homozygote knockout mice, following knockout of only one Cav1.2 allele, cardiac function remained unchanged, as did survival.Cav1.2mRNAexpression in the left ventricle of heterozygous knockout mice was reduced to 58 ± 3% of control values and there was a 21 ± 2% reduction in Cav1.2 protein expression. There was no significant reduction in L-type Ca²⁺ current density in these mice. The results are consistent with a model of L-type calcium channel biosynthesis in which there are one or more saturated steps, which act to buffer changes in both total Cav1.2 protein and L-type current expression.

Long-term modulation of Na+ and K+ channels by TGF-β1 in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes

Previous work shows that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) promotes several heart alterations, including atrial fibrillation (AF). In this work, we hypothesized that these effects might be associated with a potential modulation of Na(+) and K(+) channels. Atrial myocytes were cultured 1-2 days under either control conditions, or the presence of TGF-β1. Subsequently, Na(+) (I(Na)) and K(+) (I(K)) currents were investigated under whole-cell patch-clamp conditions. Three K(+) currents were isolated: inward rectifier (I(Kin)), outward transitory (I(to)), and outward sustained (I(Ksus)). Interestingly, TGF-β1 decreased (50%) the densities of I(Kin) and I(Ksus) but not of I(to). In addition, the growth factor reduced by 80% the amount of I(Na) available at -80 mV. This effect was due to a significant reduction (30%) in the maximum I(Na) recruited at very negative potentials or I(max), as well as to an increased fraction of inactivated Na(+) channels. The latter effect was, in turn, associated to a -7 mV shift in V(1/2) of inactivation. TGF-β1 also reduced by 60% the maximum amount of intramembrane charge movement of Na(+) channels or Q(max), but did not affect the corresponding voltage dependence of activation. This suggests that TGF-β1 promotes loss of Na(+) channels from the plasma membrane. Moreover, TGF-β1 also reduced (50%) the expression of the principal subunit of Na(+) channels, as indicated by western blot analysis. Thus, TGF-β1 inhibits the expression of Na(+) channels, as well as the activity of K(+) channels that give rise to I(Ksus) and I(Kin). These results may contribute to explaining the previously observed proarrhythmic effects of TGF-β1.

The Timothy syndrome mutation differentially affects voltage- and calcium-dependent inactivation of CaV1.2 L-type calcium channels

Calcium entry into excitable cells is an important physiological signal, supported by and highly sensitive to the activity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. After membrane depolarization, Ca2+ channels first open but then undergo various forms of negative feedback regulation including voltage- and calcium-dependent inactivation (VDI and CDI, respectively). Inactivation of Ca2+ channel activity is perturbed in a rare yet devastating disorder known as Timothy syndrome (TS), whose features include autism or autism spectrum disorder along with severe cardiac arrhythmia and developmental abnormalities. Most cases of TS arise from a sporadic single nucleotide change that generates a mutation (G406R) in the pore-forming subunit of the L-type Ca2+ channel Ca(V)1.2. We found that the TS mutation powerfully and selectively slows VDI while sparing or possibly speeding the kinetics of CDI. The deceleration of VDI was observed when the L-type channels were expressed with beta1 subunits prominent in brain, as well as beta2 subunits of importance for the heart. Dissociation of VDI and CDI was further substantiated by measurements of Ca2+ channel gating currents and by analysis of another channel mutation (I1624A) that hastens VDI, acting upstream of the step involving Gly406. As highlighted by the TS mutation, CDI does not proceed to completeness but levels off at approximately 50%, consistent with a change in gating modes and not an absorbing inactivation process. Thus, the TS mutation offers a unique perspective on mechanisms of inactivation as well as a promising starting point for exploring the underlying pathophysiology of autism.

Block of CaV1.2 channels by Gd3+ reveals preopening transitions in the selectivity filter

Using the lanthanide gadolinium (Gd³⁺) as a Ca²⁺ replacing probe, we investigated the voltage dependence of pore blockage of Ca_V1.2 channels. Gd⁺³ reduces peak currents (tonic block) and accelerates decay of ionic current during depolarization (use-dependent block). Because diffusion of Gd³⁺ at concentrations used (<1 μM) is much slower than activation of the channel, the tonic effect is likely to be due to the blockage that occurred in closed channels before depolarization. We found that the dose–response curves for the two blocking effects of Gd³⁺ shifted in parallel for Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ca²⁺ currents through the wild-type channel, and for Ca²⁺ currents through the selectivity filter mutation EEQE that lowers the blocking potency of Gd³⁺. The correlation indicates that Gd³⁺ binding to the same site causes both tonic and use-dependent blocking effects. The apparent on-rate for the tonic block increases with the prepulse voltage in the range −60 to −45 mV, where significant gating current but no ionic current occurs. When plotted together against voltage, the on-rates of tonic block (−100 to −45 mV) and of use-dependent block (−40 to 40 mV) fall on a single sigmoid that parallels the voltage dependence of the gating charge. The on-rate of tonic block by Gd³⁺ decreases with concentration of Ba²⁺, indicating that the apparent affinity of the site to permeant ions is about 1 mM in closed channels. Therefore, we propose that at submicromolar concentrations, Gd³⁺ binds at the entry to the selectivity locus and that the affinity of the site for permeant ions decreases during preopening transitions of the channel.

G protein activation inhibits gating charge movement in rat sympathetic neurons

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) control neuronal functions via ion channel modulation. For voltage-gated ion channels, gating charge movement precedes and underlies channel opening. Therefore, we sought to investigate the effects of G protein activation on gating charge movement. Nonlinear capacitive currents were recorded using the whole cell patch-clamp technique in cultured rat sympathetic neurons. Our results show that gating charge movement depends on voltage with average Boltzmann parameters: maximum charge per unit of linear capacitance (Q(max)) = 6.1 +/- 0.6 nC/microF, midpoint (V(h)) = -29.2 +/- 0.5 mV, and measure of steepness (k) = 8.4 +/- 0.4 mV. Intracellular dialysis with GTPgammaS produces a nonreversible approximately 34% decrease in Q(max), a approximately 10 mV shift in V(h), and a approximately 63% increase in k with respect to the control. Norepinephrine induces a approximately 7 mV shift in V(h) and approximately 40% increase in k. Overexpression of G protein beta(1)gamma(4) subunits produces a approximately 13% decrease in Q(max), a approximately 9 mV shift in V(h), and a approximately 28% increase in k. We correlate charge movement modulation with the modulated behavior of voltage-gated channels. Concurrently, G protein activation by transmitters and GTPgammaS also inhibit both Na(+) and N-type Ca(2+) channels. These results reveal an inhibition of gating charge movement by G protein activation that parallels the inhibition of both Na(+) and N-type Ca(2+) currents. We propose that gating charge movement decrement may precede or accompany some forms of GPCR-mediated channel current inhibition or downregulation. This may be a common step in the GPCR-mediated inhibition of distinct populations of voltage-gated ion channels.

Transforming growth factor-β1 decreases cardiac muscle L-type Ca2+ current and charge movement by acting on the Cav1.2 mRNA

Transforming growth factors-β (TGF-βs) are essential to the structural remodeling seen in cardiac disease and development; however, little is known about potential electrophysiological effects. We hypothesized that chronic exposure (6–48 h) of primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes to the type 1 TGF-β (TGF-β1, 5 ng/ml) may affect voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Thus we investigated T- ( ICaT) and L-type ( ICaL) Ca2+ currents, as well as dihydropyridine-sensitive charge movement using the whole cell patch-clamp technique and quantified CaV1.2 mRNA levels by real-time PCR assay. In ventricular myocytes, TGF-β1 did not exert significant electrophysiological effects. However, in atrial myocytes, TGF-β1 reduced both ICaL and charge movement (55% at 24–48 h) without significantly altering ICaT, cell membrane capacitance, or channel kinetics (voltage dependence of activation and inactivation, as well as the activation and inactivation rates). Reductions of ICaL and charge movement were explained by concomitant effects on the maximal values of L-channels conductance ( Gmax) and charge movement (Qmax). Thus TGF-β1 selectively reduces the number of functional L-channels on the surface of the plasma membrane in atrial but not ventricular myocytes. The TGF-β1-induced ICaL reduction was unaffected by supplementing intracellular recording solutions with okadaic acid (2 μM) or cAMP (100 μM), two compounds that promote L-channel phosphorylation. This suggests that the decreased number of functional L-channels cannot be explained by a possible regulation in the L-channels phosphorylation state. Instead, we found that TGF-β1 decreases the expression levels of atrial CaV1.2 mRNA (70%). Thus TGF-β1 downregulates atrial L-channel expression and may be therefore contributing to the in vivo cardiac electrical remodeling.

Q-method for high-resolution, whole-cell patch-clamp impedance measurements using square wave stimulation

High-resolution measurements of cell impedance provide invaluable information on various cellular processes such as exocytosis, ion channel gating, or fertilization. The best recent techniques, although achieving impedance resolution at theoretical limits, have limited applicability due to their inherent constrains and high complexity. We report here a simple method of high-resolution impedance measurement, dubbed as the Q-method, based on measurement of a charge by integrating the cell current during square wave stimulation and on its decomposition into specific components related to segments of the voltage stimulus. Simple relations were derived allowing very fast and direct estimation of cell impedance parameters. The major advantages of the Q-method are its inherently low sensitivity to low-pass filtering, rejection of periodic interference signals, automatic on-the-fly adjustment of the stimulation frequency for the highest capacitance resolution, and simultaneous high-resolution low-crosstalk monitoring of membrane resistance, series resistance and parasitic capacitance in addition to membrane capacitance. Implementation of the Q-method is straightforward with any patch-clamp setup and any cell type. Theoretical grounds of the Q-method, including its resolution and the noise of individual parameters, are developed and experimentally verified.

Gating deficiency in a familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 mutant P/Q-type calcium channel

Familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM1) arises from missense mutations in the gene encoding alpha1A, the pore-forming subunit of P/Q-type calcium channels. The nature of the channel disorder is fundamental to the disease, yet is not well understood. We studied how the most prevalent FHM1 mutation, a threonine to methionine substitution at position 666 (TM), affects both ionic current and gating current associated with channel activation, a previously unexplored feature of P/Q channels. Whole-cell currents were measured in HEK293 cells expressing channels containing either wild-type (WT) or TM alpha1A. Calcium currents were significantly smaller in cells expressing TM channels, consistent with previous reports. In contrast, surface expression of TM channels, measured by immunostaining against an extracellular epitope, was not decreased, and Western blots demonstrated that TM alpha1A subunits were expressed as full-length proteins. WT and TM gating currents were isolated by replacing Ca2+ with the nonpermeant cation La3+. The gating currents generated by the mutant channels were one-third that of WT, a deficiency sufficient to account for the observed attenuation in calcium current; the remaining gating current was no different in kinetics or voltage dependence. Thus, the decreased calcium influx seen with TM channels can be attributed to a reduced number of channels available to undergo the voltage-dependent conformational changes needed for channel opening, not to fewer channel proteins expressed on the cell surface. This identification of an intrinsic defect in FHM1 mutant channels helps explain their impact on neurotransmission when they occupy type-specific slots for P/Q channels at central nerve terminals.

Ca2+ currents in cardiac myocytes: Old story, new insights

Calcium is a ubiquitous second messenger which plays key roles in numerous physiological functions. In cardiac myocytes, Ca2+ crosses the plasma membrane via specialized voltage-gated Ca2+ channels which have two main functions: (i) carrying depolarizing current by allowing positively charged Ca2+ ions to move into the cell; (ii) triggering Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Recently, it has been suggested than Ca2+ channels also participate in excitation-transcription coupling. The purpose of this review is to discuss the physiological roles of Ca2+ currents in cardiac myocytes. Next, we describe local regulation of Ca2+ channels by cyclic nucleotides. We also provide an overview of recent studies investigating the structure-function relationship of Ca2+ channels in cardiac myocytes using heterologous system expression and transgenic mice, with descriptions of the recently discovered Ca2+ channels alpha(1D) and alpha(1E). We finally discuss the potential involvement of Ca2+ currents in cardiac pathologies, such as diseases with autoimmune components, and cardiac remodeling.

Modulation of the voltage sensor of L-type Ca2+ channels by intracellular Ca2+

Both intracellular calcium and transmembrane voltage cause inactivation, or spontaneous closure, of L-type (CaV1.2) calcium channels. Here we show that long-lasting elevations of intracellular calcium to the concentrations that are expected to be near an open channel (>/=100 microM) completely and reversibly blocked calcium current through L-type channels. Although charge movements associated with the opening (ON) motion of the channel's voltage sensor were not altered by high calcium, the closing (OFF) transition was impeded. In two-pulse experiments, the blockade of calcium current and the reduction of gating charge movements available for the second pulse developed in parallel during calcium load. The effect depended steeply on voltage and occurred only after a third of the total gating charge had moved. Based on that, we conclude that the calcium binding site is located either in the channel's central cavity behind the voltage-dependent gate, or it is formed de novo during depolarization through voltage-dependent rearrangements just preceding the opening of the gate. The reduction of the OFF charge was due to the negative shift in the voltage dependence of charge movement, as previously observed for voltage-dependent inactivation. Elevation of intracellular calcium concentration from approximately 0.1 to 100-300 microM sped up the conversion of the gating charge into the negatively distributed mode 10-100-fold. Since the "IQ-AA" mutant with disabled calcium/calmodulin regulation of inactivation was affected by intracellular calcium similarly to the wild-type, calcium/calmodulin binding to the "IQ" motif apparently is not involved in the observed changes of voltage-dependent gating. Although calcium influx through the wild-type open channels does not cause a detectable negative shift in the voltage dependence of their charge movement, the shift was readily observable in the Delta1733 carboxyl terminus deletion mutant, which produces fewer nonconducting channels. We propose that the opening movement of the voltage sensor exposes a novel calcium binding site that mediates inactivation.

FPL 64176 modification of Ca(V)1.2 L-type calcium channels: dissociation of effects on ionic current and gating current

FPL 64176 (FPL) is a nondihydropyridine compound that dramatically increases macroscopic inward current through L-type calcium channels and slows activation and deactivation. To understand the mechanism by which channel behavior is altered, we compared the effects of the drug on the kinetics and voltage dependence of ionic currents and gating currents. Currents from a homogeneous population of channels were obtained using cloned rabbit Ca(V)1.2 (alpha1C, cardiac L-type) channels stably expressed in baby hamster kidney cells together with beta1a and alpha2delta1 subunits. We found a striking dissociation between effects of FPL on ionic currents, which were modified strongly, and on gating currents, which were not detectably altered. Inward ionic currents were enhanced approximately 5-fold for a voltage step from -90 mV to +10 mV. Kinetics of activation and deactivation were slowed dramatically at most voltages. Curiously, however, at very hyperpolarized voltages (< -250 mV), deactivation was actually faster in FPL than in control. Gating currents were measured using a variety of inorganic ions to block ionic current and also without blockers, by recording gating current at the reversal potential for ionic current (+50 mV). Despite the slowed kinetics of ionic currents, FPL had no discernible effect on the fundamental movements of gating charge that drive channel gating. Instead, FPL somehow affects the coupling of charge movement to opening and closing of the pore. An intriguing possibility is that the drug causes an inactivated state to become conducting without otherwise affecting gating transitions.

FPL-64176 alters both charge movement and Ca2+ release properties in amphibian muscle fibres

A number of recent reports have suggested that ryanodine receptor (RyR)-Ca2+ release channels are gated by tubular depolarization in skeletal muscle through their direct coupling to intramembrane dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR)-voltage sensors. The qgama charge movement, which is inhibited by DHPR antagonists, is often regarded as the electrical signature for the voltage sensing process, yet pharmacological modifications of the RyR produce reciprocal upstream kinetic effects on an otherwise conserved qgamma charge. This study investigates the effect of DHPR-specific agonists upon intramembrane charge and the release of intracellularly stored Ca2+. We empirically demonstrate kinetic effects of FPL-64176 upon charge movements that closely resemble the consequences of previous interventions directed instead at the RyR. Increases in extracellular FPL-64176 concentration from 10 to 40 microM converted delayed qgamma transients to monotonic decays indistinguishable from the exponential qbeta current component. Yet total steady-state intramembrane charge and the steepness of its dependence upon test potential closely resembled previous reports from untreated fibres. These changes accompanied an appearance of transient cytosolic [Ca2+] elevations in confocal line-scans in fluo-3-loaded fibres studied in 10mM K+ and 40, but not 10 microM, FPL-64176 that resembled elementary Ca2+ release events ('sparks'). Pharmacological manipulations of the DHPR whose effects on intramembrane charge resembled those from manoeuvres directed at the RyR can thus produce downstream effects upon Ca2+ release.

Effects of the enantiomers of BayK 8644 on the charge movement of L-type Ca channels in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes

The effects of the agonist enantiomer S(-)Bay K 8644 on gating charge of L-type Ca channels were studied in single ventricular myocytes. From a holding potential (Vh) of -40 mV, saturating (250 nm) S(-)Bay K shifted the half-distribution voltage of the activation charge (Q1) vs. V curve -7.5 +/- 0.8 mV, almost identical to the shift produced in the Ba conductance vs. V curve (-7.7 +/- 2 mV). The maximum Q1 was reduced by 1.7 +/- 0.2 nC/microF, whereas Q2 (charge moved in inactivated channels) was increased in a similar amount (1.4 +/- 0.4 nC/microF). The steady-state availability curves for Q1, Q2, and Ba current showed almost identical negative shifts of -14.8 +/- 1.7 mV, -18.6 +/- 5.8 mV, and -15.2 +/- 2.7 mV, respectively. The effects of the antagonist enantiomer R(+)BayK 8644 were also studied, the Q1 vs. V curve was not significantly shifted, but Q1max (Vh = -40 mV) was reduced and the Q1 availability curve shifted by -24.6 +/- 1.2 mV. We concluded that: a) the left shift in the Q1 vs. V activation curve produced by S(-)BayK is a purely agonistic effect; b) S(-)BayK induced a significantly larger negative shift in the availability curve than in the Q1 vs. V relation, consistent with a direct promotion of inactivation; c) as expected for a more potent antagonist, R(+)Bay K induced a significantly larger negative shift in the availability curve than did S(-)Bay K.

Gating of the expressed Cav3.1 calcium channel

Intramembrane charge movement originating from Cav3.1 (T-type) channel expressed in HEK 293 cells was investigated. Ion current was blocked by 1 mM La3+. Charge movement was detectable for depolarizations above approximately -70 mV and saturated above +60 mV. The voltage dependence of charge movement followed a single Boltzmann function with half-maximal activation voltage +12.9 mV and +12.3 mV and with slopes of 22.4 mV and 18.1 mV for the ON- and OFF-charge movement, respectively. Inactivation of I(Ca) by prolonged depolarization pulse did not immobilize intramembrane charge movement in the Cav3.1 channel.

Modulation of the gating of unitary cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channels by conditioning voltage and divalent ions

Although a considerable number of studies have characterized inactivation and facilitation of macroscopic L-type Ca(2+) channel currents, the single channel properties underlying these important regulatory processes have only rarely been examined using Ca(2+) ions. We have compared unitary L-type Ca(2+) channel currents recorded with a low concentration of Ca(2+) ions with those recorded with Ba(2+) ions to elucidate the ionic dependence of the mechanisms responsible for the prepulse-dependent modulation of Ca(2+) channel gating kinetics. Conditioning prepulses were applied across a wide range of voltages to examine their effects on the subsequent Ca(2+) channel activity, recorded at a constant test potential. All recordings were made in the absence of any Ca(2+) channel agonists. Moderate-depolarizing prepulses resulted in a decrease in the probability of opening of the Ca(2+) channels during subsequent test voltage steps (inactivation), the extent of which was more dramatic with Ca(2+) ions than Ba(2+) ions. Facilitation, or increase of the average probability of opening with strong predepolarization, was due to long-duration mode 2 openings with Ca(2+) ions and Ba(2+) ions, despite a decrease in Ca(2+) channel availability (inactivation) under these conditions. The degree of both prepulse-induced inactivation and facilitation decreased with increasing Ba(2+) ion concentration. The time constants (and their proportions) describing the distributions of Ca(2+) channel open times (which reflect mode switching) were also prepulse-, and ion-dependent. These results support the hypothesis that both prior depolarization and the nature and concentration of permeant ions modulate the gating properties of cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channels.

Novel functional properties of Ca(2+) channel beta subunits revealed by their expression in adult rat heart cells

Recombinant adenoviruses were used to overexpress green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused auxiliary Ca(2+) channel beta subunits (beta(1)-beta(4)) in cultured adult rat heart cells, to explore new dimensions of beta subunit functions in vivo. Distinct beta-GFP subunits distributed differentially between the surface sarcolemma, transverse elements, and nucleus in single heart cells. All beta-GFP subunits increased the native cardiac whole-cell L-type Ca(2+) channel current density, but produced distinctive effects on channel inactivation kinetics. The degree of enhancement of whole-cell current density was non-uniform between beta subunits, with a rank order of potency beta(2a) approximately equal to beta(4) > beta(1b) > beta(3). For each beta subunit, the increase in L-type current density was accompanied by a correlative increase in the maximal gating charge (Q(max)) moved with depolarization. However, beta subunits produced characteristic effects on single L-type channel gating, resulting in divergent effects on channel open probability (P(o)). Quantitative analysis and modelling of single-channel data provided a kinetic signature for each channel type. Spurred on by ambiguities regarding the molecular identity of the actual endogenous cardiac L-type channel beta subunit, we cloned a new rat beta(2) splice variant, beta(2b), from heart using 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. By contrast with beta(2a), expression of beta(2b) in heart cells yielded channels with a microscopic gating signature virtually identical to that of native unmodified channels. Our results provide novel insights into beta subunit functions that are unattainable in traditional heterologous expression studies, and also provide new perspectives on the molecular identity of the beta subunit component of cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channels. Overall, the work establishes a powerful experimental paradigm to explore novel functions of ion channel subunits in their native environments.

Caffeine-induced immobilization of gating charges in isolated guinea-pig ventricular heart cells

The effects of 10 mM caffeine (CAF) on intramembrane charge movements (ICM) were studied in isolated guinea-pig ventricular heart cells with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In the presence of CAF, the properties (voltage dependence, maximum Q(ON) [Q(max)], availability with voltage) of Q(ON) charge activated from -110 mV were barely affected. Following a 100 ms prepulse to -50 mV to decrease the participation of charges originating from Na channels, the voltage dependence of Q(ON) was shifted by 5 mV (negative component) and by 10 mV (positive component) towards negative potentials, and Q(max) was depressed by 16.5%. CAF drastically reduced in a time- and voltage-dependent manner Q(OFF) on repolarization to -50 mV, the effects being greater at positive potentials. CAF-induced Q(OFF) immobilization could be almost entirely removed by repolarization to voltages as negative as -170 mV. In these conditions, the voltage-dependence of Q(OFF) (repolarization to +30 to -170 mV) was shifted by 17 mV (negative component) and 30 mV (positive component) towards negative potentials, suggesting an interconversion into charge 2. Most of CAF effects were suppressed when the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was not functional or when the cells were loaded with BAPTA-AM. We conclude that CAF effects on ICM are likely due to Ca(2+) ions released from the SR, and which accumulate in the subsarcolemmal fuzzy spaces in the vicinity of the Ca channels. Because CAF effects were more pronounced on Q(OFF) than on Q(ON) the channels have likely to open before Ca(2+) ions could affect their gating properties. It is speculated that such an effect on gating charges might contribute to the Ca-induced inactivation of the Ca current.

Charge movements in intact amphibian skeletal muscle fibres in the presence of cardiac glycosides

1. Intramembrane charge movements were examined in intact voltage-clamped amphibian muscle fibres following treatment with cardiac glycosides in the hypertonic gluconate-containing solutions hitherto reported to emphasise the features of q(gamma) at the expense of q(beta) charge. 2. The application of chlormadinone acetate (CMA) at concentrations known selectively to block Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase conserved the steady-state voltage dependence of intramembrane charge, contributions from delayed (q(gamma)) charging transients, and their inactivation characteristics brought about by shifts in holding potential. 3. The addition of either ouabain (125, 250 or 500 nM) or digoxin (5 nM) at concentrations previously reported additionally to influence excitation-contraction coupling similarly conserved the steady-state charge-voltage relationships, Q(V), in fully polarised fibres to give values of maximum charge, Q(max), transition voltage, V*, and steepness factor, k, that were consistent with a persistent q component as reported on earlier occasions (Q(max) approximately = 25-27 nC F-1, V* approximately = -45 to -50 mV, k approximately = 7-9 mV). 4. In both cases shifts in holding potential from -90 to -50 mV produced a partial inactivation that separated steeply and more gradually voltage-dependent charge components in agreement with previous characterisations. 5. However, charge movements that were observed in the presence of either digoxin or ouabain were monotonic decays in which delayed (q(gamma)) transients could not be distinguished from the early charging records. These features persisted despite the further addition of chlormadinone acetate over a 10-fold concentration range (5-50 microM) known to displace ouabain from the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. 6. Ouabain (500 nM) restored the steady-state charge movement that was previously abolished by the addition of 2.0 mM tetracaine in common with previous results of using ryanodine receptor (RyR)-specific agents. 7. Perchlorate (8.0 mM) restored the delayed 'on' relaxations and increased the prominence of the 'off' decays produced by q(gamma) charge following treatment with cardiac glycosides. This was accompanied by a negative (approximately 10-15 mV) shift in the steady-state charge-voltage relationship but an otherwise conserved maximum charge, Q(max), and steepness factor, k, in parallel with previously reported effects of perchlorate following treatments with RyR-specific agents. 8. The features of cardiac glycoside action thus parallel those of other agents that act on RyR-Ca(2+) release channels yet influence the kinetics but spare the steady-state properties of intramembrane charge.

Transmission of information from cardiac dihydropyridine receptor to ryanodine receptor: evidence from BayK 8644 effects on resting Ca(2+) sparks

Coupling between L-type Ca(2+) channels (dihydropyridine receptors, DHPRs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) plays a pivotal role in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in cardiac myocytes, and Ca(2+) influx is generally accepted as the trigger of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release. The L-type Ca(2+) channel agonist BayK 8644 (BayK) has also been reported to alter RyR gating via a functional linkage between DHPR and RyR, independent of Ca(2+) influx. Here, the effect of rapid BayK application on resting RyR gating in intact ferret ventricular myocytes was measured as Ca(2+) spark frequency (CaSpF) by confocal microscopy and fluo 3. BayK increased resting CaSpF by 401+/-15% within 10 seconds in Ca(2+)-free solution, and depolarization had no additional effect. The effect of BayK on CaSpF was dose-dependent, but even 50 nmol/L BayK induced a rapid 245+/-12% increase in CaSpF. Nifedipine (5 micromol/L) had no effect by itself on CaSpF, but it abolished the BayK effect (presumably by competitive inhibition at the DHPR). The nondihydropyridine Ca(2+) channel agonist FPL-64176 (1 micromol/L) did not alter CaSpF (despite rapid and potent enhancement of Ca(2+) current, I(Ca)). In striking contrast to the very rapid and depolarization-independent effect of BayK on CaSpF, BayK increased I(Ca) only slowly (tau=18 seconds), and the effect was greatly accelerated by depolarization. We conclude that in ferret ventricular myocytes, BayK effects on I(Ca) and CaSpF both require drug binding to the DHPR, but postreceptor pathways may diverge in transmission to the gating of the L-type Ca(2+) channel and RyR.

Voltage-dependent facilitation of cardiac L-type Ca channels expressed in HEK-293 cells requires beta-subunit

The activity of native L-type Ca channels can be facilitated by strong depolarizations. The cardiac Ca channel alpha(1C)-subunit was transiently expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells, but these channels did not exhibit voltage-dependent facilitation. Coexpression of the Ca channel beta(1a)- or beta(2a)-subunit with the alpha(1C)-subunit enabled voltage-dependent facilitation in 40% of cells tested. The onset of facilitation in alpha(1C) + beta(1a)-expressing HEK-293 cells was rapid after a depolarization to +100 mV (tau = 7.0 ms). The kinetic features of the facilitated currents were comparable to those observed for voltage-dependent relief of G protein inhibition demonstrated for many neuronal Ca channels; however, intracellular dialysis with guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) and guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) in the patch pipette had no effect on facilitation. Stimulation of G protein-coupled receptors, either endogenous (somatostatin receptors) or coexpressed (adenosine A(1) receptors), did not affect voltage-dependent facilitation. These results indicate that the cardiac Ca channel alpha(1C)-subunit can exhibit voltage-dependent facilitation in HEK-293 cells only when coexpressed with an auxiliary beta-subunit and that this facilitation is independent of G protein pathways.

Block of gating currents related to K+ channels as a mechanism of action of clofilium and d-sotalol in isolated guinea-pig ventricular heart cells

1 The possibility that the class III antiarrhythmic drugs clofilium and d-sotalol might affect delayed rectifier potassium channels at the level of their gating currents was assessed with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique in guinea-pig isolated ventricular heart cells. 2 Clofilium (up to 20 microM) and d-sotalol (1 microM) did not decrease the Na current, the L-type Ca current or the background K current iKl, but significantly depressed the time-dependent delayed outward K current iK. 3 Clofilium partially decreased in a dose-dependent manner (1-20 microM) QON of intramembrane charge movements (ICM) elicited by a depolarizing pulse applied from a holding potential of -110 mV or following a 100 ms inactivating prepulse to -50 mV. D-sotalol (1 microM) also decreased QON. Channel density estimated from the clofilium-sensitive ICM closely matched that of the delayed rectifier channels. 4 Clofilium and d-sotalol decreased QOFF seen on repolarization in a dose- and voltage-dependent manner. The kinetics of the decay of the OFF gating currents were not affected, and only the fast phase was depressed. 5 In control conditions, QON availability with voltage was most of the time well described by two inactivating components. In the presence of clofilium and d-sotalol, a complex behaviour of QON availability was observed, unmasking additional components. The reactivation kinetics of QON after a 500 ms inactivating pulse to 0 mV was not affected. 6 We conclude that delayed rectifier K channels significantly contribute to QON and QOFF of ICM in guinea-pig ventricular heart cells, besides Na and Ca channels, and that clofilium and d-sotalol directly interact with these K channels proteins by affecting their gating properties.

Interaction between permeant ions and voltage sensor during inactivation of N-type Ca2+ channels

1. Inactivation of neuronal N-type Ca2+ channels transiently expressed in human kidney tSA-201 cells was studied at the level of whole-cell Ca2+ current and intramembrane charge movement. 2. Prolonged (5 s) depolarization to 40 mV shifted the voltage distribution of intramembrane charge movement from a transition potential (mid-point voltage) of 9.5 +/- 3.8 mV to -55.4 +/- 8.2 mV. Because of the large negative shift, it was possible to record intramembrane charge movement from unblocked inactivated channels and determine the effect of Ca2+ influx on inactivation of intramembrane charge movement. 3. In unblocked channels, the rate of inactivation of charge movement (21 +/- 3 s-1 at 0 mV) was close to that of Ca2+ current decay during the conditioning pulse. However, in blocked channels inactivation was significantly slower (4 +/- 1 s-1 at 0 mV). In unblocked channels, the availability of Ca2+ current was minimal and charge movement from inactivated channels was maximal after conditioning to about 10 mV. After the block of ionic current, inactivation of charge movement gradually increased with voltage. 4. Although the rate of Ca2+ current run-down was not affected by 10-15 microM free Ca2+ in the pipette solution, inactivation of Ca2+ currents during depolarization was about two times faster in high intracellular Ca2+. 5. The present results favour the current-dependent mechanism of inactivation of N-type channels. They also suggest that Ca2+ acting in the permeation pathway and transmembrane voltage are the proximate causes of the same inactivation transitions of voltage sensing moieties in these channels.

Cardiac ionic currents and acute ischemia: from channels to arrhythmias

The aim of this review is to provide basic information on the electrophysiological changes during acute ischemia and reperfusion from the level of ion channels up to the level of multicellular preparations. After an introduction, section II provides a general description of the ion channels and electrogenic transporters present in the heart, more specifically in the plasma membrane, in intracellular organelles of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and in the gap junctions. The description is restricted to activation and permeation characterisitics, while modulation is incorporated in section III. This section (ischemic syndromes) describes the biochemical (lipids, radicals, hormones, neurotransmitters, metabolites) and ion concentration changes, the mechanisms involved, and the effect on channels and cells. Section IV (electrical changes and arrhythmias) is subdivided in two parts, with first a description of the electrical changes at the cellular and multicellular level, followed by an analysis of arrhythmias during ischemia and reperfusion. The last short section suggests possible developments in the study of ischemia-related phenomena.

N-type calcium channel inactivation probed by gating-current analysis

N-type calcium channels inactivate most rapidly in response to moderate, not extreme depolarization. This behavior reflects an inactivation rate that bears a U-shaped dependence on voltage. Despite this apparent similarity to calcium-dependent inactivation, N-type channel inactivation is insensitive to the identity of divalent charge carrier and, in some reports, to the level of internal buffering of divalent cations. Hence, the inactivation of N-type channels fits poorly with the "classic" profile for either voltage-dependent or calcium-dependent inactivation. To investigate this unusual inactivation behavior, we expressed recombinant N-type calcium channels in mammalian HEK 293 cells, permitting in-depth correlation of ionic current inactivation with potential alterations of gating current properties. Such correlative measurements have been particularly useful in distinguishing among various inactivation mechanisms in other voltage-gated channels. Our main results are the following: 1) The degree of gating charge immobilization was unchanged by the block of ionic current and precisely matched by the extent of ionic current inactivation. These results argue for a purely voltage-dependent mechanism of inactivation. 2) The inactivation rate was fastest at a voltage where only approximately (1)/(3) of the total gating charge had moved. This unusual experimental finding implies that inactivation occurs most rapidly from intermediate closed conformations along the activation pathway, as we demonstrate with novel analytic arguments applied to coupled-inactivation schemes. These results provide strong, complementary support for a "preferential closed-state" inactivation mechanism, recently proposed on the basis of ionic current measurements of recombinant N-type channels (Patil et al., . Neuron. 20:1027-1038).

Relationship between L-type Ca2+ current and unitary sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release events in rat ventricular myocytes

1. The time courses of Ca2+ current and Ca2+ spark occurrence were determined in single rat ventricular myocytes voltage clamped with patch pipettes containing 0.1 microM fluo-3. Acquisition of line-scan images on a laser scanning confocal microscope was synchronized with measurement of Cd2+-sensitive Ca2+ currents. In most cells, individual Ca2+ sparks were observed by reducing Ca2+ current density with nifedipine (0.1-8 microM). 2. Ca2+ sparks elicited by depolarizing voltage-clamp pulses had a peak [Ca2+] amplitude of 289 +/- 3 nM with a decay half-time of 20.8 +/- 0.2 ms and a full width at half-maximum of 1.40 +/- 0.03 microm (mean +/- s. e.m., n = 345), independent of the membrane potential. 3. The time between the beginning of a depolarization and the initiation of each Ca2+ spark was calculated and data were pooled to construct waiting time histograms. Exponential functions were fitted to these histograms and to the decaying phase of the Ca2+ current. This analysis showed that the time constants describing Ca2+ current and Ca2+ spark occurrence at membrane potentials between -30 mV and +30 mV were not significantly different. At +50 mV, in the absence of nifedipine, the time constant describing Ca2+ spark occurrence was significantly larger than the time constant of the Ca2+ current. 4. A simple model is developed using Poisson statistics to relate macroscopic Ca2+ current to the opening of single L-type Ca2+ channels at the dyad junction and to the time course of Ca2+ spark occurrence. The model suggests that the time courses of macroscopic Ca2+ current and Ca2+ spark occurrence should be closely related when opening of a single L-type Ca2+ channel initiates a Ca2+ spark. By comparison with the data, the model suggests that Ca2+ sparks are initiated by the opening of a single L-type Ca2+ channel at all membrane potentials encountered during an action potential.

Bay K 8644 increases resting Ca2+ spark frequency in ferret ventricular myocytes independent of Ca influx: contrast with caffeine and ryanodine effects

Bay K 8644, an L-type Ca2+ channel agonist, was shown previously to increase resting sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ loss and convert post-rest potentiation to decay in dog and ferret ventricular muscle. Here, the effects of Bay K 8644 on local SR Ca2+ release events (Ca2+ sparks) were measured in isolated ferret ventricular myocytes, using laser scanning confocal microscopy and the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fluo-3. The spark frequency under control conditions was fairly constant during 20 s of rest after interruption of electrical stimulation. Bay K 8644 (100 nmol/L) increased the spark frequency by 466+/-90% of control at constant SR Ca2+ load but did not change the spatial and temporal characteristics of individual sparks. The increase in spark frequency was maintained throughout the period of rest. The increase in Ca2+ spark frequency induced by Bay K 8644 was not affected by superfusion with Ca2+-free solution (with 10 mmol/L EGTA) but was suppressed by the addition of 10 micromol/L nifedipine (which by itself did not alter resting Ca2+ spark frequency). This suggests that the effect of Bay K 8644 on Ca2+ sparks is mediated by the sarcolemmal dihydropyridine receptor but is also independent of Ca2+ influx. Low concentrations of caffeine (0.5 mmol/L) increased both the average frequency and duration of sparks. Ryanodine (50 nmol/L) increased the spark frequency and also induced long-lasting Ca2+ signals. This may indicate long-lasting openings of SR Ca2+ release channels and a lack of local SR Ca2+ depletion. In lipid bilayers, Bay K 8644 had no effect on either single-channel current amplitude or open probability of the cardiac ryanodine receptor. It is concluded that Bay K 8644 activates SR Ca2+ release at rest, independent of Ca2+ influx and perhaps through a functional linkage between the sarcolemmal dihydropyridine receptor and the SR ryanodine receptor. In contrast, caffeine and ryanodine modulate Ca2+ sparks by a direct action on the SR Ca2+ release channels.

Mechanism of auxiliary subunit modulation of neuronal alpha1E calcium channels

Voltage-gated calcium channels are composed of a main pore-forming alpha1 moiety, and one or more auxiliary subunits (beta, alpha2 delta) that modulate channel properties. Because modulatory properties may vary greatly with different channels, expression systems, and protocols, it is advantageous to study subunit regulation with a uniform experimental strategy. Here, in HEK 293 cells, we examine the expression and activation gating of alpha1E calcium channels in combination with a beta (beta1-beta4) and/or the alpha2 delta subunit, exploiting both ionic- and gating-current measurements. Furthermore, to explore whether more than one auxiliary subunit can concomitantly specify gating properties, we investigate the effects of cotransfecting alpha2delta with beta subunits, of transfecting two different beta subunits simultaneously, and of COOH-terminal truncation of alpha1E to remove a second beta binding site. The main results are as follows. (a) The alpha2delta and beta subunits modulate alpha1E in fundamentally different ways. The sole effect of alpha2 delta is to increase current density by elevating channel density. By contrast, though beta subunits also increase functional channel number, they also enhance maximum open probability (Gmax/Qmax) and hyperpolarize the voltage dependence of ionic-current activation and gating-charge movement, all without discernible effect on activation kinetics. Different beta isoforms produce nearly indistinguishable effects on activation. However, beta subunits produced clear, isoform-specific effects on inactivation properties. (b) All the beta subunit effects can be explained by a gating model in which subunits act only on weakly voltage-dependent steps near the open state. (c) We find no clear evidence for simultaneous modulation by two different beta subunits. (d) The modulatory features found here for alpha1E do not generalize uniformly to other alpha1 channel types, as alpha1C activation gating shows marked beta isoform dependence that is absent for alpha1E. Together, these results help to establish a more comprehensive picture of auxiliary-subunit regulation of alpha1E calcium channels.

The influence of perchlorate ions on complex charging transients in amphibian striated muscle

1. The effects of perchlorate ions on intramembrane charge movements were examined under different conditions of ryanodine receptor (RyR) modification in intact voltage-clamped amphibian skeletal muscle fibres studied in the gluconate-containing solutions previously reported to emphasize the features of q gamma at the expense of those of the q beta charge. 2. The introduction of graded increases in perchlorate concentration to the experimental solutions selectively shifted the threshold of appearance of the q gamma 'hump' currents to more negative test potentials at which they actually appeared in the absence of prior q beta transients at perchlorate concentrations of 4.0-8.0 mM. Such findings suggested that the delayed (q gamma) transitions can take place independently of any previous exponential (q beta) decay. 3. These kinetic effects were accompanied by hyperpolarizing shifts in the transition potentials (V*) of the steady-state voltage dependences of either the overall or the isolated q gamma charge. These shifts were graded with concentration and reached their maximum effects at 4.0-8.0 mM perchlorate. However, both the total charge (Qmax) and the steepness factor (k) remained conserved at values consistent with a system that included significant contributions from the steeply voltage-sensitive q gamma component (overall charge: Qmax approximately 19-21 nC microF-1, k approximately 7-9 mV; q gamma component alone: Qmax approximately 10-12 nC microF-1, k approximately 4-6 mV). This contrasts with earlier reports on the effects of perchlorate in fibres that were studied in sulphate- or methanesulphonate-containing extracellular solutions. 4. Perchlorate (8.0 mM) restored the 'hump' waveform associated with q gamma charge movements that had previously been obliterated by the prior application of fully effective (0.1 mM) concentrations of either ryanodine or daunorubicin. 5. Perchlorate similarly reversed the positive shift in the transition potential of the q gamma component that was brought about by such RyR modification (from V* approximately -40 mV back to V* approximately -60 mV). In contrast, the values of either Qmax (overall charge, 19-21 nC microF-1; q gamma component, 10-13 nC microF-1) or k (overall charge, 7-9 mV; q gamma component, 4-6 mV) remained conserved through all these experimental manoeuvres. 6. The inclusion of perchlorate also reversed the action of 2 mM tetracaine and restored delayed q gamma transients to an extent that was graded with concentration (0.5-8.0 mM perchlorate). There was an accompanying recovery of the steeply voltage-dependent steady-state (q gamma) component consistent with a competitive interaction between these agents upon the q gamma intramembrane charge. 7. The present findings suggest that perchlorate exerts a specific action upon the q gamma charge in independent transitions that are driven by the tubular membrane field. Its interactions with the known RyR inhibitors that nevertheless conserve both the charge and its voltage sensitivity suggest a primary action upon the RyR that in turn exerts reciprocal actions upon the voltage sensor.

Ion-dependent inactivation of barium current through L-type calcium channels

It is widely believed that Ba2+ currents carried through L-type Ca2+ channels inactivate by a voltage-dependent mechanism similar to that described for other voltage-dependent channels. Studying ionic and gating currents of rabbit cardiac Ca2+ channels expressed in different subunit combinations in tsA201 cells, we found a phase of Ba2+ current decay with characteristics of ion-dependent inactivation. Upon a long duration (20 s) depolarizing pulse, IBa decayed as the sum of two exponentials. The slow phase (tau approximately 6 s, 21 degrees C) was parallel to a reduction of gating charge mobile at positive voltages, which was determined in the same cells. The fast phase of current decay (tau approximately 600 ms), involving about 50% of total decay, was not accompanied by decrease of gating currents. Its amplitude depended on voltage with a characteristic U-shape, reflecting reduction of inactivation at positive voltages. When Na+ was used as the charge carrier, decay of ionic current followed a single exponential, of rate similar to that of the slow decay of Ba2+ current. The reduction of Ba2+ current during a depolarizing pulse was not due to changes in the concentration gradients driving ion movement, because Ba2+ entry during the pulse did not change the reversal potential for Ba2+. A simple model of Ca(2+) -dependent inactivation (Shirokov, R., R. Levis, N. Shirokova, and F., Ríos. 1993. J. Gen. Physiol. 102:1005-1030) robustly accounts for fast Ba2+ current decay assuming the affinity of the inactivation site on the alpha 1 subunit to be 100 times lower for Ba2+ than Ca2+.

G-protein modulation of N-type calcium channel gating current in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293)

1. Voltage-dependent inhibition of N-type calcium currents by G-proteins contributes importantly to presynaptic inhibition. To examine the effect of G-proteins on key intermediary transitions leading to channel opening, we measured both gating and ionic currents arising from recombinant N-type channels (alpha 1B, beta 1b and alpha 2) expressed in transiently transfected human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293). Recombinant expression of a homogeneous population of channels provided a favourable system for rigorous examination of the mechanisms underlying G-protein modulation. 2. During intracellular dialysis with GTP gamma S to activate G-proteins, ionic currents demonstrated classic features of voltage-dependent inhibition, i.e. strong depolarizing prepulses increased ionic currents and produced hyperpolarizing shifts in the voltage-dependent activation of ionic current. No such effects were observed with GDP beta S present to minimize G-protein activity. 3. Gating currents were clearly resolved after ionic current blockade with 0.1 mM free La3+, enabling this first report of gating charge translocation arising exclusively from N-type channels. G-proteins decreased the amplitude of gating currents and produced depolarizing shifts in the voltage-dependent activation of gating charge movement. However, the greatest effect was to induce a approximately 20 mV separation between the voltage-dependent activation of gating charge movement and ionic current. Strong depolarizing prepulses largely reversed these effects. These modulatory features provide telling clues about the kinetic steps affected by G-proteins because gating currents arise from the movement of voltage sensors that trigger channel activation. 4. The mechanistic implications of concomitant G-protein-mediated changes in gating and ionic currents are discussed. We argue that G-proteins act to inhibit both voltage-sensor movement and the transduction of voltage-sensor activation into channel opening.

Diltiazem derivatives modulate the dihydropyridine-binding to intact rat ventricular myocytes

To examine whether the modulation of the 1,4-dihydropyridine-binding by diltiazem derivatives, which has been shown in cardiac and skeletal muscle membranes, takes place in intact cardiac myocytes, effects of diltiazem on the specific binding of [3H](+)-PN200-110 to freshly isolated adult rat ventricular myocytes were investigated in normal Tyrode solution at 37 degrees C. Diltiazem consistently potentiated the [3H](+)-PN200-110-binding in a concentration-dependent manner, while DTZ323 (3-(acetyloxy)-5-[2-[[2- (3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-methylamino]ethyl]-2,3-dihydro-2(-4 methoxyphenyl)-1,5-benzothiazepin-4-(5H)-one), a potent diltiazem derivative, inhibited it in a non-competitive manner. In saturation studies, 100 microM decreased the Kd value of the 3[H](+)-PN200-110-binding (control, 0.102 +/- 0.008 vs. diltiazem, 0.074 +/- 0.004 (nM, n = 6), P < 0.05) without significant effect on Bmax (control, 65.7 +/- 6.4 vs. diltiazem, 76.7 +/- 4.4 (fmol/mg protein, n = 6). Moreover, membrane-impermeant quaternary diltiazem also potentiated the [3H](+)-PN200-110-binding in intact myocytes. These results suggest that diltiazem modulates the 1,4-dihydro-pyridine-binding even in intact cardiac myocytes, and the binding site of diltiazem is accessible from the extracellular side of the L-type Ca2+ channels.

Coupling between charge movement and pore opening in vertebrate neuronal alpha 1E calcium channels

1. Neuronal alpha 1E Ca2+ channels were expressed alone and in combination with the beta 2a subunit in Xenopus laevis oocytes. 2. The properties of ionic and gating currents of alpha 1E were investigated: ionic currents were measured in 10 mM external Ba2+; gating currents were isolated in 2 mM external Co2+. 3. Charge movement preceded channel opening. The charge movement voltage curve (Q(V)) preceded the ionic conductance voltage dependence (G(V)) by approximately 20 mV. 4. Coexpression of alpha 1E with the beta 2a subunit did not modify the voltage dependence of charge movement but shifted the G(V) curve to more negative potentials. The voltage gap between Q(V) and G(V) curves was reduced by the beta 2a subunit and both curves overlapped at potentials near 0 mV. 5. The coupling efficiency between the charge movement and pore opening was estimated by the ration between limiting conductance and maximum charge movement (Gmax/Qmax). Coexpression of the beta 2a subunit increased the Gmax/Qmax ratio from 9.2 x 10(5) +/- 1.4 x 10(5) to 21.9 x 10(5) +/- 2.8 X 10(5) S C-1 for alpha 1E and alpha 1E + beta 2a, respectively. 6. We conclude that in the neuronal alpha 1E the charge movement is tightly coupled with the pore opening and that the beta 2a subunit coexpression further improves this coupling.

Reduced Ca2+ current, charge movement, and absence of Ca2+ transients in skeletal muscle deficient in dihydropyridine receptor beta 1 subunit

The Ca2+ currents, charge movements, and intracellular Ca2+ transients in mouse skeletal muscle cells homozygous for a null mutation in the cchb1 gene encoding the beta 1 subunit of the dihydropyridine receptor have been characterized. I beta null, the L-type Ca2+ current of mutant cells, had a approximately 13-fold lower density than the L-type current of normal cells (0.41 +/- 0.042 pA/pF at + 20 mV, compared with 5.2 +/- 0.38 pA/pF in normal cells). I beta null was sensitive to dihydropyridines and had faster kinetics of activation and slower kinetics of inactivation than the L-type current of normal cells. Charge movement was reduced approximately 2.8-fold, with Qmax = 6.9 +/- 0.61 and Qmax = 2.5 +/- 0.2 nC/microF in normal and mutant cells, respectively. Approximately 40% of Qmax was nifedipine sensitive in both groups. In contrast to normal cells, Ca2+ transients could not be detected in mutant cells at any test potential; however, caffeine induced a robust Ca2+ transient. In homogenates of mutant muscle, the maximum density of [3H]PN200-110 binding sites (Bmax) was reduced approximately 3.9-fold. The results suggest that the excitation-contraction uncoupling of beta 1-null skeletal muscle involves a failure of the transduction mechanism that is due to either a reduced amount of alpha 1S subunits in the membrane or the specific absence of beta 1 from the voltage-sensor complex.

Rapid charge translocation by the cardiac Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger after a Ca2+ concentration jump

The kinetics of Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange current after a cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration jump (achieved by photolysis of DM-nitrophen) was measured in excised giant membrane patches from guinea pig or rat heart. Increasing the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration from 0.5 microM in the presence of 100 mM extracellular Na+ elicits an inward current that rises with a time constant tau 1 < 50 microseconds and decays to a plateau with a time constant tau 2 = 0.65 +/- 0.18 ms (n = 101) at 21 degrees C. These current signals are suppressed by Ni2+ and dichlorobenzamil. No stationary current, but a transient inward current that rises with tau 1 < 50 microseconds and decays with tau 2 = 0.28 +/- 0.06 ms (n = 53, T = 21 degrees C) is observed if the Ca2+ concentration jump is performed under conditions that promote Ca(2+)-Ca2+ exchange (i.e., no extracellular Na+, 5 mM extracellular Ca2+). The transient and stationary inward current is not observed in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ and Na+. The application of alpha-chymotrypsin reveals the influence of the cytoplasmic regulatory Ca2+ binding site on Ca(2+)-Ca2+ and forward Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange and shows that this site regulates both the transient and stationary current. The temperature dependence of the stationary current exhibits an activation energy of 70 kj/mol for temperatures between 21 degrees C and 38 degrees C, and 138 kj/mol between 10 degrees C and 21 degrees C. For the decay time constant an activation energy of 70 kj/mol is observed in the Na(+)-Ca2+ and the Ca(2+)-Ca2+ exchange mode between 13 degrees C and 35 degrees C. The data indicate that partial reactions of the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger associated with Ca2+ binding and translocation are very fast at 35 degrees C, with relaxation time constants of about 6700 s-1 in the forward Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange and about 12,500 s-1 in the Ca(2+)-Ca2+ exchange mode and that net negative charge is moved during Ca2+ translocation. According to model calculations, the turnover number, however, has to be at least 2-4 times smaller than the decay rate of the transient current, and Na+ inward translocation appears to be slower than Ca2+ outward movement.

Ca2+ current activation rate correlates with alpha 1 subunit density

We report here that L-type Ca2+ channels activate rapidly in myotubes expressing current at high density and slowly in myotubes expressing current at low density. Partial block of the current in individual cells does not slow activation, indicating that Ca2+ influx does not link activation rate to current density. Activation rate is positively correlated with the density of gating charge (Qmax) associated with the L-type Ca2+ channels. The range of values for Qmax, and the relationship between activation rate and Qmax, are similar for myotubes expressing native or recombinant L-type Ca2+ channels, whereas peak Ca2+ current density is approximately 3-fold higher for native channels. Taken together, these results suggest that Ca2+ channel density can govern activation kinetics. Our findings have important important implications for studies of ion channel function because they suggest that biophysical properties can be significantly influenced by channel density, both in heterologous expression systems and in native tissues.

Comparison of sarcolemmal calcium channel current in rabbit and rat ventricular myocytes

1. Fundamental properties of Ca2+ channel currents in rat and rabbit ventricular myocytes were measured using whole cell voltage clamp. 2. In rat, as compared with rabbit myocytes, Ca2+ channel current (ICa) was half-activated at about 10 mV more negative potential, decayed slower, was half-inactivated (in steady state) at about 5 mV more positive potential, and recovered faster from inactivation. 3. These features result in a larger steady-state window current in rat, and also suggest that under comparable voltage clamp conditions, including action potential (AP) clamp, more Ca2+ influx would be expected in rat myocytes. 4. Ca2+ channel current carried by Na+ and Cs+ in the absence of divalent ions (Ins) also activated at more negative potential and decayed more slowly in rat. 5. The reversal potential for Ins was 6 mV more positive in rabbit, consistent with a larger permeability ratio (PNa/PCs) in rabbit than in rat. ICa also reversed at slightly more positive potentials in rabbit (such that PCa/PCs might also be higher). 6. Ca2+ influx was calculated by integration of ICa evoked by voltage clamp pulses (either square pulses or pulses based on recorded rabbit or rat APs). For a given clamp waveform, the Ca2+ influx was up to 25% greater in rat, as predicted from the fundamental properties of ICa and Ins. 7. However, the longer duration of the AP in rabbit myocytes compensated for the difference in influx, such that the integrated Ca2+ influx via ICa in response to the species-appropriate waveform was about twice as large as that seen in rat.

Depolarization shifts the voltage dependence of cardiac sodium channel and calcium channel gating charge movements

In cardiac ventricular myocytes, membrane depolarization leads to the inactivation of the Na channel and Ca channel ionic currents. The inactivation of the ionic currents has been associated with a reduction of the gating charge movement ("immobilization") which governs the activation of Na channels and Ca channels. The nature of the apparent "immobilization" of the charge movement following depolarization was explored in embryonic chick ventricular myocytes using voltage protocols applied from depolarized holding potentials. It was found that although all of the charge was mobile following inactivation, the voltage dependence of its movement was shifted to more negative potentials. In addition, the shift in the distribution of the Na channel charge could be differentiated from that of the Ca channel charge on the basis of kinetic as well as steady-state criteria. These results suggest that the voltage-dependent activation of Na channel and Ca channel charge movements leads to conformational changes and charge rearrangements that differentially bias the movements of these voltage sensors, and concomitantly produce channel inactivation.

Kinetic isoforms of intramembrane charge in intact amphibian striated muscle

The effects of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) antagonists ryanodine and daunorubicin on the kinetic and steady-state properties of intramembrane charge were investigated in intact voltage-clamped frog skeletal muscle fibers under conditions that minimized time-dependent ionic currents. A hypothesis that RyR gating is allosterically coupled to configurational changes in dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) would predict that such interactions are reciprocal and that RyR modification should influence intramembrane charge. Both agents indeed modified the time course of charging transients at 100-200-microM concentrations. They independently abolished the delayed charging phases shown by q gamma currents, even in fibers held at fully polarized, -90-mV holding potentials; such waveforms are especially prominent in extracellular solutions containing gluconate. Charge movements consistently became exponential decays to stable baselines in the absence of intervening inward or other time-dependent currents. The steady-state charge transfers nevertheless remained equal through the ON and the OFF parts of test voltage steps. The charge-voltage function, Q(VT), shifted by approximately +10 mV, particularly through those test potentials at which delayed q gamma currents normally took place but retained steepness factors (k approximately 8.0 to 10.6 mV) that indicated persistent, steeply voltage-dependent q gamma contributions. Furthermore, both RyR antagonists preserved the total charge, and its variation with holding potential, Qmax (VH), which also retained similarly high voltage sensitivities (k approximately 7.0 to 9.0 mV). RyR antagonists also preserved the separate identities of q gamma and q beta species, whether defined by their steady-state voltage dependence or inactivation or pharmacological properties. Thus, tetracaine (2 mM) reduced the available steady-state charge movement and gave shallow Q(VT) (k approximately 14 to 16 mV) and Qmax (VH) (k approximately 14 to 17 mV) curves characteristic of q beta charge. These features persisted with exposure to test agent. Finally, q gamma charge movements showed steep voltage dependences with both activation (k approximately 4.0 to 6.5 mV) and inactivation characteristics (k approximately 4.3 to 6.6 mV) distinct from those shown by the remaining q beta charge, whether isolated through differential tetracaine sensitivities, or the full approximation of charge-voltage data to the sum of two Boltzmann distributions. RyR modification thus specifically alters q gamma kinetics while preserving the separate identities of steady-state q beta and q gamma charge. These findings permit a mechanism by which transverse tubular voltage provides the primary driving force for configurational changes in DHPRs, which might produce q gamma charge movement. However, they attribute its kinetic complexities to the reciprocal allosteric coupling by which DHPR voltage sensors and RyR-Ca2+ release channels might interact even though these receptors reside in electrically distinct membranes. RyR modification then would still permit tubular voltage change to drive net q gamma charge transfer but would transform its complex waveforms into simple exponential decays.

Enhancement of ionic current and charge movement by coexpression of calcium channel beta 1A subunit with alpha 1C subunit in a human embryonic kidney cell line

1. Coexpression of the beta subunit with the alpha 1C subunit of the cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel has been shown to increase ionic current. To examine the mechanism of this increase, ionic and gating currents were measured in transiently transfected HEK293 cells. 2. Beta 1A subunit coexpression increased the maximal whole-cell conductance (Gmax) measured in 10 mM Ba2+ from 91 +/- 11 to 833 +/- 107 pS pF-1 without a change in the voltage dependence of activation (V1/2: -6.1 +/- 1.1 and -6.6 +/- 0.9 mV, respectively). 3. Gating currents were smaller in cells expressing only the alpha 1C subunit (only four out of eleven cells exhibited gating currents above the limits of detection, whereas eight out of eight beta 1A coexpressing cells had measurable gating currents). The gating currents were integrated to measure the intramembrane charge movement (Q). The ON charge movement (Qon) could be described by a Boltzmann distribution reaching a maximal value of Qon,max. 4. The mean ratio of Gmax: Qon,max increased from 99 +/- 6 to 243 +/- 30 pS fC-1 with beta 1A coexpression, demonstrating that the beta 1A subunit changes the gating of alpha 1C channels to favour the opening of the channels. However, this 2.5-fold change in the Gmax: Qon,max ratio explains less than half of the 9.2-fold increase in Gmax with beta 1A subunit coexpression. The major effect is due to a 3.7-fold increase in Qon,max, demonstrating that beta 1A subunit coexpression increases the number of functional surface membrane channels.

The beta subunit increases Ca2+ currents and gating charge movements of human cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels

The properties of the gating currents (nonlinear charge movements) of human cardiac L-type Ca2- channels and their relationship to the activation of the Ca2+ channel (ionic) currents were studied using a mammalian expression system. Cloned human cardiac alpha1 + rabbit alpha 2 subunits or human cardiac alpha 1 + rabbit alpha 2 + human beta 3 subunits were transiently expressed in HEK293 cells. The maximum Ca2+ current density increased from -3.9 +/- 0.9 pA/pF for the alpha 1 + alpha 2 subunits to -11.6 +/- 2.2 pA/pF for alpha 1 + alpha 2 + beta 3 subunits. Calcium channel gating currents were recorded after the addition of 5 mM Co2+, using a -P/5 protocol. The maximum nonlinear charge movement (Qmax) increased from 2.5 +/- 0.3 nC/muF for alpha 1 + alpha 2 subunit to 12.1 +/- 0.3 nC/muF for alpha 1 + alpha 2 + beta 3 subunit expression. The QON was equal to the QOFF for both subunit combinations. The QON-Vm data were fit by a sum of two Boltzmann expressions and ranged over more negative potentials, as compared with the voltage dependence for activation of the Ca2+ conductance. We conclude that 1) the beta subunit increases the number of functional alpha 1 subunits expressed in the plasma membrane of these cells and 2) the voltage-dependent activation of the human cardiac L-type calcium channel involves the movements of at least two nonidentical and functionally distinct gating structures.