1
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Metabolic and electrolyte abnormalities as risk factors in drug-induced long QT syndrome. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:353-367. [PMID: 35103080 PMCID: PMC8792523 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-00929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced long QT syndrome (diLQTS) is the phenomenon by which the administration of drugs causes prolongation of cardiac repolarisation and leads to an increased risk of the ventricular tachycardia known as torsades de pointes (TdP). In most cases of diLQTS, the primary molecular target is the human ether-à-go-go-related gene protein (hERG) potassium channel, which carries the rapid delayed rectifier current (IKr) in the heart. However, the proarrhythmic risk associated with drugs that block hERG can be modified in patients by a range of environmental- and disease-related factors, such as febrile temperatures, alterations in pH, dyselectrolytaemias such as hypokalaemia and hypomagnesemia and coadministration with other drugs. In this review, we will discuss the clinical occurrence of drug-induced LQTS in the context of these modifying factors as well as the mechanisms by which they contribute to altered hERG potency and proarrhythmic risk.
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2
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Lei CL, Fabbri A, Whittaker DG, Clerx M, Windley MJ, Hill AP, Mirams GR, de Boer TP. A nonlinear and time-dependent leak current in the presence of calcium fluoride patch-clamp seal enhancer. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 5:152. [PMID: 34805549 PMCID: PMC8591515 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15968.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Automated patch-clamp platforms are widely used and vital tools in both academia and industry to enable high-throughput studies such as drug screening. A leak current to ground occurs whenever the seal between a pipette and cell (or internal solution and cell in high-throughput machines) is not perfectly insulated from the bath (extracellular) solution. Over 1 GΩ seal resistance between pipette and bath solutions is commonly used as a quality standard for manual patch work. With automated platforms it can be difficult to obtain such a high seal resistance between the intra- and extra-cellular solutions. One suggested method to alleviate this problem is using an F
− containing internal solution together with a Ca
2+ containing external solution — so that a CaF
2 crystal forms when the two solutions meet which ‘plugs the holes’ to enhance the seal resistance. However, we observed an unexpected nonlinear-in-voltage and time-dependent current using these solutions on an automated patch-clamp platform. We performed manual patch-clamp experiments with the automated patch-clamp solutions, but no biological cell, and observed the same nonlinear time-dependent leak current. The current could be completely removed by washing out F
− ions to leave a conventional leak current that was linear and not time-dependent. We therefore conclude fluoride ions interacting with the CaF
2 crystal are the origin of the nonlinear time-dependent leak current. The consequences of such a nonlinear and time-dependent leak current polluting measurements should be considered carefully if it cannot be isolated and subtracted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chon Lok Lei
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3QD, UK
| | - Alan Fabbri
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Dominic G Whittaker
- Centre for Mathematical Medicine & Biology, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Michael Clerx
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3QD, UK
| | - Monique J Windley
- Molecular Cardiology & Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 2010, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
| | - Adam P Hill
- Molecular Cardiology & Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 2010, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
| | - Gary R Mirams
- Centre for Mathematical Medicine & Biology, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Teun P de Boer
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
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3
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Toplak Ž, Hendrickx LA, Abdelaziz R, Shi X, Peigneur S, Tomašič T, Tytgat J, Peterlin-Mašič L, Pardo LA. Overcoming challenges of HERG potassium channel liability through rational design: Eag1 inhibitors for cancer treatment. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:183-226. [PMID: 33945158 DOI: 10.1002/med.21808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Two decades of research have proven the relevance of ion channel expression for tumor progression in virtually every indication, and it has become clear that inhibition of specific ion channels will eventually become part of the oncology therapeutic arsenal. However, ion channels play relevant roles in all aspects of physiology, and specificity for the tumor tissue remains a challenge to avoid undesired effects. Eag1 (KV 10.1) is a voltage-gated potassium channel whose expression is very restricted in healthy tissues outside of the brain, while it is overexpressed in 70% of human tumors. Inhibition of Eag1 reduces tumor growth, but the search for potent inhibitors for tumor therapy suffers from the structural similarities with the cardiac HERG channel, a major off-target. Existing inhibitors show low specificity between the two channels, and screenings for Eag1 binders are prone to enrichment in compounds that also bind HERG. Rational drug design requires knowledge of the structure of the target and the understanding of structure-function relationships. Recent studies have shown subtle structural differences between Eag1 and HERG channels with profound functional impact. Thus, although both targets' structure is likely too similar to identify leads that exclusively bind to one of the channels, the structural information combined with the new knowledge of the functional relevance of particular residues or areas suggests the possibility of selective targeting of Eag1 in cancer therapies. Further development of selective Eag1 inhibitors can lead to first-in-class compounds for the treatment of different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Žan Toplak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Louise A Hendrickx
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Reham Abdelaziz
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Shi
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tihomir Tomašič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Luis A Pardo
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Shi YP, Thouta S, Claydon TW. Modulation of hERG K + Channel Deactivation by Voltage Sensor Relaxation. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:139. [PMID: 32184724 PMCID: PMC7059196 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hERG (human-ether-à-go-go-related gene) channel underlies the rapid delayed rectifier current, Ikr, in the heart, which is essential for normal cardiac electrical activity and rhythm. Slow deactivation is one of the hallmark features of the unusual gating characteristics of hERG channels, and plays a crucial role in providing a robust current that aids repolarization of the cardiac action potential. As such, there is significant interest in elucidating the underlying mechanistic determinants of slow hERG channel deactivation. Recent work has shown that the hERG channel S4 voltage sensor is stabilized following activation in a process termed relaxation. Voltage sensor relaxation results in energetic separation of the activation and deactivation pathways, producing a hysteresis, which modulates the kinetics of deactivation gating. Despite widespread observation of relaxation behaviour in other voltage-gated K+ channels, such as Shaker, Kv1.2 and Kv3.1, as well as the voltage-sensing phosphatase Ci-VSP, the relationship between stabilization of the activated voltage sensor by the open pore and voltage sensor relaxation in the control of deactivation has only recently begun to be explored. In this review, we discuss present knowledge and questions raised related to the voltage sensor relaxation mechanism in hERG channels and compare structure-function aspects of relaxation with those observed in related ion channels. We focus discussion, in particular, on the mechanism of coupling between voltage sensor relaxation and deactivation gating to highlight the insight that these studies provide into the control of hERG channel deactivation gating during their physiological functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Patrick Shi
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Samrat Thouta
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Thomas W Claydon
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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5
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Shi YP, Thouta S, Cheng YM, Claydon TW. Extracellular protons accelerate hERG channel deactivation by destabilizing voltage sensor relaxation. J Gen Physiol 2018; 151:231-246. [PMID: 30530765 PMCID: PMC6363419 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human ether-à-go-go–related gene (hERG) encodes a delayed rectifier K+ channel with slow deactivation gating. Shi et al. find that acidic residues on S3 contribute to slow deactivation kinetics by stabilizing the relaxed state of the voltage sensor, which can be mitigated by extracellular protons. hERG channels underlie the delayed-rectifier K+ channel current (IKr), which is crucial for membrane repolarization and therefore termination of the cardiac action potential. hERG channels display unusually slow deactivation gating, which contributes to a resurgent current upon repolarization and may protect against post-depolarization–induced arrhythmias. hERG channels also exhibit robust mode shift behavior, which reflects the energetic separation of activation and deactivation pathways due to voltage sensor relaxation into a stable activated state. The mechanism of relaxation is unknown and likely contributes to slow hERG channel deactivation. Here, we use extracellular acidification to probe the structural determinants of voltage sensor relaxation and its influence on the deactivation gating pathway. Using gating current recordings and voltage clamp fluorimetry measurements of voltage sensor domain dynamics, we show that voltage sensor relaxation is destabilized at pH 6.5, causing an ∼20-mV shift in the voltage dependence of deactivation. We show that the pH dependence of the resultant loss of mode shift behavior is similar to that of the deactivation kinetics acceleration, suggesting that voltage sensor relaxation correlates with slower pore gate closure. Neutralization of D509 in S3 also destabilizes the relaxed state of the voltage sensor, mimicking the effect of protons, suggesting that acidic residues on S3, which act as countercharges to S4 basic residues, are involved in stabilizing the relaxed state and slowing deactivation kinetics. Our findings identify the mechanistic determinants of voltage sensor relaxation and define the long-sought mechanism by which protons accelerate hERG deactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Patrick Shi
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Samrat Thouta
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yen May Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tom W Claydon
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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6
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Crumb WJ, Vicente J, Johannesen L, Strauss DG. An evaluation of 30 clinical drugs against the comprehensive in vitro proarrhythmia assay (CiPA) proposed ion channel panel. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods 2016; 81:251-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vascn.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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7
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Bilet A, Bauer CK. Effects of the small molecule HERG activator NS1643 on Kv11.3 channels. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50886. [PMID: 23226420 PMCID: PMC3511382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
NS1643 is one of the small molecule HERG (Kv11.1) channel activators and has also been found to increase erg2 (Kv11.2) currents. We now investigated whether NS1643 is also able to act as an activator of Kv11.3 (erg3) channels expressed in CHO cells. Activation of rat Kv11.3 current occurred in a dose-dependent manner and maximal current increasing effects were obtained with 10 µM NS1643. At this concentration, steady-state outward current increased by about 80% and the current increase was associated with a significant shift in the voltage dependence of activation to more negative potentials by about 15 mV. In addition, activation kinetics were accelerated, whereas deactivation was slowed. There was no significant effect on the kinetics of inactivation and recovery from inactivation. The strong current-activating agonistic effect of NS1643 did not result from a shift in the voltage dependence of Kv11.3 channel inactivation and was independent from external Na+ or Ca2+. At the higher concentration of 20 µM, NS1643 induced clearly less current increase. The left shift in the voltage dependence of activation reversed and the voltage sensitivity of activation dramatically decreased along with a slowing of Kv11.3 channel activation. These data show that, in comparison to other Kv11 family members, NS1643 exerts distinct effects on Kv11.3 channels with especially pronounced partial antagonistic effects at higher concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Bilet
- Institute of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christiane K. Bauer
- Institute of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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8
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Vandenberg JI, Perry MD, Perrin MJ, Mann SA, Ke Y, Hill AP. hERG K+ Channels: Structure, Function, and Clinical Significance. Physiol Rev 2012; 92:1393-478. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00036.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 463] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) encodes the pore-forming subunit of the rapid component of the delayed rectifier K+ channel, Kv11.1, which are expressed in the heart, various brain regions, smooth muscle cells, endocrine cells, and a wide range of tumor cell lines. However, it is the role that Kv11.1 channels play in the heart that has been best characterized, for two main reasons. First, it is the gene product involved in chromosome 7-associated long QT syndrome (LQTS), an inherited disorder associated with a markedly increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Second, blockade of Kv11.1, by a wide range of prescription medications, causes drug-induced QT prolongation with an increase in risk of sudden cardiac arrest. In the first part of this review, the properties of Kv11.1 channels, including biogenesis, trafficking, gating, and pharmacology are discussed, while the second part focuses on the pathophysiology of Kv11.1 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie I. Vandenberg
- Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Programme in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Matthew D. Perry
- Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Programme in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mark J. Perrin
- Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Programme in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Stefan A. Mann
- Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Programme in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ying Ke
- Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Programme in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Adam P. Hill
- Mark Cowley Lidwill Research Programme in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada
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9
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Cordeiro S, Guseva D, Wulfsen I, Bauer CK. Expression pattern of Kv11 (Ether à-go-go-related gene; erg) K+ channels in the mouse retina. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29490. [PMID: 22206018 PMCID: PMC3242786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to light, most retinal neurons exhibit gradual changes in membrane potential. Therefore K+ channels that mediate threshold currents are well-suited for the fine-tuning of signal transduction. In the present study we demonstrate the expression of the different Kv11 (ether-à-go-go related gene; erg) channel subunits in the human and mouse retina by RT PCR and quantitative PCR, respectively. Immunofluorescence analysis with cryosections of mouse retinae revealed the following local distribution of the three Kv11 subunits: Kv11.1 (m-erg1) displayed the most abundant expression with the strongest immunoreactivity in rod bipolar cells. In addition, immunoreactivity was found in the inner part of the outer plexiform layer (OPL), in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and in the inner segments of photoreceptors. Immunoreactivity for Kv11.2 (m-erg2) was observed in the outer part of the OPL and throughout the IPL. Double-labeling for vGluT1 or synaptophysin indicated a mainly presynaptic localization of Kv11.2. While no significant staining for Kv11.3 (m-erg3) was detected in the neuronal retina, strong Kv11.3 immunoreactivity was present in the apical membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium. The different expression levels were confirmed by real-time PCR showing almost equal levels of Kv11.1 and Kv11.2, while Kv11.3 mRNA expression was significantly lower. The two main splice variants of Kv11.1, isoforms a and b were detected in comparable levels suggesting a possible formation of cGMP/cGK-sensitive Kv11.1 channels in photoreceptors and rod bipolar cells. Taken together, the immunohistological results revealed different expression patterns of the three Kv11 channels in the mouse retina supposing distinct physiological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sönke Cordeiro
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Physiologisches Institut, Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daria Guseva
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Iris Wulfsen
- Institut für Pharmakologie für Pharmazeuten, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institut für Zelluläre und Integrative Physiologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christiane K. Bauer
- Institut für Zelluläre und Integrative Physiologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Abbruzzese J, Sachse FB, Tristani-Firouzi M, Sanguinetti MC. Modification of hERG1 channel gating by Cd2+. J Gen Physiol 2010; 136:203-24. [PMID: 20660661 PMCID: PMC2912066 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201010450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Each of the four subunits in a voltage-gated potassium channel has a voltage sensor domain (VSD) that is formed by four transmembrane helical segments (S1-S4). In response to changes in membrane potential, intramembrane displacement of basic residues in S4 produces a gating current. As S4 moves through the membrane, its basic residues also form sequential electrostatic interactions with acidic residues in immobile regions of the S2 and S3 segments. Transition metal cations interact with these same acidic residues and modify channel gating. In human ether-á-go-go-related gene type 1 (hERG1) channels, Cd(2+) coordinated by D456 and D460 in S2 and D509 in S3 induces a positive shift in the voltage dependence of activation of ionic currents. Here, we characterize the effects of Cd(2+) on hERG1 gating currents in Xenopus oocytes using the cut-open Vaseline gap technique. Cd(2+) shifted the half-point (V(1/2)) for the voltage dependence of the OFF gating charge-voltage (Q(OFF)-V) relationship with an EC(50) of 171 microM; at 0.3 mM, V(1/2) was shifted by +50 mV. Cd(2+) also induced an as of yet unrecognized small outward current (I(Cd-out)) upon repolarization in a concentration- and voltage-dependent manner. We propose that Cd(2+) and Arg residues in the S4 segment compete for interaction with acidic residues in S2 and S3 segments, and that the initial inward movement of S4 associated with membrane repolarization displaces Cd(2+) in an outward direction to produce I(Cd-out). Co(2+), Zn(2+), and La(3+) at concentrations that caused approximately +35-mV shifts in the Q(OFF)-V relationship did not induce a current similar to I(Cd-out), suggesting that the binding site for these cations or their competition with basic residues in S4 differs from Cd(2+). New Markov models of hERG1 channels were developed that describe gating currents as a noncooperative two-phase process of the VSD and can account for changes in these currents caused by extracellular Cd(2+).
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11
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Chtcheglova LA, Atalar F, Ozbek U, Wildling L, Ebner A, Hinterdorfer P. Localization of the ergtoxin-1 receptors on the voltage sensing domain of hERG K+ channel by AFM recognition imaging. Pflugers Arch 2008; 456:247-54. [DOI: 10.1007/s00424-007-0418-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2007] [Accepted: 12/05/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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Gordon E, Panaghie G, Deng L, Bee KJ, Roepke TK, Krogh-Madsen T, Christini DJ, Ostrer H, Basson CT, Chung W, Abbott GW. A KCNE2 mutation in a patient with cardiac arrhythmia induced by auditory stimuli and serum electrolyte imbalance. Cardiovasc Res 2007; 77:98-106. [PMID: 18006462 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvm030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Auditory stimulus-induced long QT syndrome (LQTS) is almost exclusively linked to mutations in the hERG potassium channel, which generates the I Kr ventricular repolarization current. Here, a young woman with prior episodes of auditory stimulus-induced syncope presented with LQTS and ventricular fibrillation (VF) with hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia after completing a marathon, followed by subsequent VF with hypokalaemia. The patient was found to harbour a KCNE2 gene mutation encoding a T10M amino acid substitution in MiRP1, an ancillary subunit that co-assembles with and functionally modulates hERG. Other family members with the mutation were asymptomatic, and the proband had no mutations in hERG or other LQTS-linked cardiac ion channel genes. The T10M mutation was absent from 578 unrelated, ethnically matched control chromosomes analysed here and was previously described only once-in an LQTS patient-but not functionally characterized. METHODS AND RESULTS T10M-MiRP1-hERG currents were assessed using whole-cell voltage clamp of transfected Chinese Hamster ovary cells. T10M-MiRP1-hERG channels showed <or=80% reduced tail current, left-shifted steady-state inactivation, and 50% slower recovery from inactivation when compared with wild-type channels, with mixed wild-type/T10M channels displaying an intermediate phenotype. Lowering bath K+ concentration reduced wild-type and T10M currents equivalently. CONCLUSION Data suggest a mechanism for reduced penetrance, inherited arrhythmia in which baseline I Kr current reduction by the T10M mutation is exacerbated by superimposition of arrhythmogenic substrates such as auditory stimuli, or electrolyte disturbances that reduce I Kr (hypokalaemia) or otherwise lower the ventricular threshold for fibrillation (hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia). This first example of a MiRP1 mutation associated with auditory stimulus-induced arrhythmia is supportive of the hypothesis that MiRP1 regulates hERG in the human heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Earl Gordon
- Greenberg Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, 520 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA
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13
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Kim BJ, Lim HH, Yang DK, Jun JY, Chang IY, Park CS, So I, Stanfield PR, Kim KW. Melastatin-type transient receptor potential channel 7 is required for intestinal pacemaking activity. Gastroenterology 2005; 129:1504-17. [PMID: 16285951 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2005.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2004] [Accepted: 08/10/2005] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Interstitial cells of Cajal are pacemakers in the gastrointestinal tract, regulating rhythmicity by activating nonselective cation channels. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the melastatin-type transient receptor potential (TRPM) channel, especially TRPM7, was suggested as being involved in defecation rhythm. The aim here was to show that the nonselective cation channel in interstitial cells of Cajal in mouse small intestine has properties essentially identical to those of murine TRPM7, heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. METHODS The patch-clamp technique for whole-cell recording was used in cultured or single interstitial cells of Cajal. TRPM7-specific small interfering RNAs were used for specific inhibition of TRPM7. RESULTS Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of the nonselective cation channel in interstitial cells of Cajal were the same as those of TRPM7. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry all showed abundant and localized expression of TRPM7 messenger RNA and protein in mouse small intestine. Treatment of primary cultured interstitial cells of Cajal with TRPM7-specific small interfering RNA resulted in inhibition of pacemaking activity. CONCLUSIONS TRPM7 is required for intestinal pacemaking. The protein is a likely potential target for pharmacological treatment of motor disorders of the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung Joo Kim
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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14
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Fernandez D, Ghanta A, Kinard KI, Sanguinetti MC. Molecular mapping of a site for Cd2+-induced modification of human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel activation. J Physiol 2005; 567:737-55. [PMID: 15975984 PMCID: PMC1474238 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.089094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cd(2+) slows the rate of activation, accelerates the rate of deactivation and shifts the half-points of voltage-dependent activation (V(0.5,act)) and inactivation (V(0.5,inact)) of human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) K(+) channels. To identify specific Cd(2+)-binding sites on the hERG channel, we mutated potential Cd(2+)-coordination residues located in the transmembrane domains or extracellular loops linking these domains, including five Cys, three His, nine Asp and eight Glu residues. Each residue was individually substituted with Ala and the resulting mutant channels heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes and their biophysical properties determined with standard two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique. Cd(2+) at 0.5 mM caused a +36 mV shift of V(0.5,act) and a +18 mV shift of V(0.5,inact) in wild-type channels. Most mutant channels had a similar sensitivity to 0.5 mM Cd(2+). Mutation of single Asp residues located in the S2 (D456, D460) or S3 (D509) domains reduced the Cd(2+)-induced shift in V(0.5,act), but not V(0.5,inact). Combined mutations of two or three of these key Asp residues nearly eliminated the shift induced by 0.5 mM Cd(2+). Mutation of D456, D460 and D509 also reduced the comparatively low-affinity effects of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) on V(0.5,act). Extracellular Cd(2+) modulates hERG channel activation by binding to a coordination site formed, at least in part, by three Asp residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Fernandez
- Department of Physiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112-5000, USA
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15
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Sturm P, Wimmers S, Schwarz JR, Bauer CK. Extracellular potassium effects are conserved within the rat erg K+ channel family. J Physiol 2005; 564:329-45. [PMID: 15705650 PMCID: PMC1464433 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2004.078840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The biophysical properties of native cardiac erg1 and recombinant HERG1 channels have been shown to be influenced by the extracellular K(+) concentration ([K(+)](o)). The erg1 conductance, for example, increases dramatically with a rise in [K(+)](o). In the brain, where local [K(+)](o) can change considerably with the extent of physiological and pathophysiological neuronal activity, all three erg channel subunits are expressed. We have now investigated and compared the effects of an increase in [K(+)](o) from 2 to 10 mm on the three rat erg channels heterologously expressed in CHO cells. Upon increasing [K(+)](o), the voltage dependence of activation was shifted to more negative potentials for erg1 (DeltaV(0.5) = -4.0 +/- 1.1 mV, n = 28) and erg3 (DeltaV(0.5) = -8.4 +/- 1.2 mV, n = 25), and was almost unchanged for erg2 (DeltaV(0.5) = -2.0 +/- 1.3 mV, n = 6). For all three erg channels, activation kinetics were independent of [K(+)](o), but the slowing of inactivation by increased [K(+)](o) was even more pronounced for erg2 and erg3 than for erg1. In addition, with increased [K(+)](o), all three erg channels exhibited significantly slower time courses of recovery from inactivation and of deactivation. Whole-cell erg-mediated conductance was determined at the end of 4 s depolarizing pulses as well as with 1 s voltage ramps starting from the fully activated state. The rise in [K(+)](o) resulted in increased conductance values for all three erg channels which were more pronounced for erg2 (factor 3-4) than for erg1 (factor 2.5-3) and erg3 (factor 2-2.5). The data demonstrate that most [K(+)](o)-dependent changes in the biophysical properties are well conserved within the erg K(+) channel family, despite gradual differences in the magnitude of the effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Sturm
- Institut für Angewandte Physiologie, Zentrum für Experimentelle Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany
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16
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McCrossan ZA, Abbott GW. The MinK-related peptides. Neuropharmacology 2004; 47:787-821. [PMID: 15527815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2004.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2004] [Revised: 06/04/2004] [Accepted: 06/18/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels mediate rapid, selective diffusion of K+ ions through the plasma membrane, controlling cell excitability, secretion and signal transduction. KCNE genes encode a family of single transmembrane domain proteins called MinK-related peptides (MiRPs) that function as ancillary or beta subunits of Kv channels. When co-expressed in heterologous systems, MiRPs confer changes in Kv channel conductance, gating kinetics and pharmacology, and are fundamental to recapitulation of the properties of some native currents. Inherited mutations in KCNE genes are associated with diseases of cardiac and skeletal muscle, and the inner ear. This article reviews our current understanding of MiRPs--their functional roles, the mechanisms underlying their association with Kv alpha subunits, their patterns of native expression and emerging evidence of the potential roles of MiRPs in the brain. The ubiquity of MiRP expression and their promiscuous association with Kv alpha subunits suggest a prominent role for MiRPs in channel dependent systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe A McCrossan
- Greenberg Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Starr 463, 520 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA
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17
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Bains W, Basman A, White C. HERG binding specificity and binding site structure: evidence from a fragment-based evolutionary computing SAR study. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2004; 86:205-33. [PMID: 15288759 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2003.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We describe the application of genetic programming, an evolutionary computing method, to predicting whether small molecules will block the HERG cardiac potassium channel. Models based on a molecular fragment-based descriptor set achieve an accuracy of 85-90% in predicting whether the IC(50) of a 'blind' set of compounds is <1 microM. Analysis of the models provides a 'meta-SAR', which predicts a pharmacophore of two hydrophobic features, one preferably aromatic and one preferably nitrogen-containing, with a protonatable nitrogen asymmetrically situated between them. Our experience of the approach suggests that it is robust, and requires limited scientist input to generate valuable predictive results and structural understanding of the target.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bains
- Amedis Pharmaceuticals, Unit 162 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, UK
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18
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Nedergaard S. A Ca2+-independent slow afterhyperpolarization in substantia nigra compacta neurons. Neuroscience 2004; 125:841-52. [PMID: 15120845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The discharge properties of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra are influenced by slow adaptive responses, which have not been fully identified. The present study describes, in a slice preparation from the rat, a complex afterhyperpolarization (AHP), elicited by action potential trains. The AHP could be subdivided into a fast component (AHP(f)), which was generated near action potential threshold, relaxed within approximately 1 s, and had highest amplitude when evoked by short-lasting (0.1 s) depolarizations, and a slow component (AHP(s)), which lasted several seconds, was evoked from subthreshold potentials, and required prolonged depolarizing stimuli (>0.1 s). A large proportion of the AHP(f) was sensitive to (i) 0.1 microM apamin, (ii) the Ca(2+) antagonists, Cd(2+) (0.2 mM) and Ni(2+) (0.3 mM), (iii) low (0.2 mM) extracellular Ca(2+) concentration, and (iv), Ca(2+) chelation with intracellular EGTA. The AHP(s) was resistant to the above treatments, and it was insensitive to 25 microM dantrolene or prolonged exposure to 1 microM thapsigargin. The reversal potential of the AHP(s) (-97 mV) was close to the K(+) equilibrium potential. It was significantly inhibited by 5 mM 4-aminopyridine, 5 microM haloperidol, 10 microM terfenadine, or high extracellular Mg(2+) (10 mM), but not by 30 mM tetraethylammonium chloride, 50 microM carbachol, 0.5 microM glipizide, 2 microM (-)sulpiride, 100 microM N-allyl-normetazocine, or 100 microM pentazocine. Haloperidol reduced the post-stimulus inhibitory period seen during spontaneous discharge, but had no detectable effect on spike frequency adaptation. It is concluded that the SK-type Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels underlies a major component of the AHP(f), whereas the AHP(s) is Ca(2+)-independent and relies, in part, on a voltage-dependent K(+) current with properties resembling the ether-a-go-go-related gene K(+) channel. The latter component exerts a slow, spike-independent, inhibitory influence on repetitive discharge and contributes to the prolonged decrease in excitability following sustained depolarizing stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Nedergaard
- Department of Physiology, University of Aarhus, Ole Worms Alle 160, DK-8000 AArhus C, Denmark.
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Liu GX, Zhou J, Nattel S, Koren G. Single-channel recordings of a rapid delayed rectifier current in adult mouse ventricular myocytes: basic properties and effects of divalent cations. J Physiol 2004; 556:401-13. [PMID: 14742731 PMCID: PMC1664933 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.059303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapidly delayed rectifier current (I(Kr)) has been described in ventricular myocytes isolated from many species, as well as from neonatal mice. However, whether I(Kr) is present in the adult mouse heart remains controversial. We used cell-attached patch-clamp recording in symmetrical K(+) solutions to assess the presence and behaviour of single I(Kr) channels in adult mouse cardiomyocytes (mI(Kr)). Of 314 patches, 158 (50.1%) demonstrated mI(Kr) currents as compared with 131 (42.3%) for the I(K1) channel. Single mI(Kr) channel activity was rarely observed at potentials positive to -10 mV. The slope conductance at negative potentials was 12 pS. Upon repolarization, ensemble-averaged mI(Kr) showed slow deactivation with a biexponential time course. A selective I(Kr) blocker, E-4031 (1 microm), completely blocked mI(Kr) channel activity. Extracellular Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) at physiological concentrations shifted the activation by approximately 30 mV, accelerated deactivation kinetics, prolonged long-closed time, and reduced open probability without affecting single-channel conductance, suggesting a direct channel-blocking effect in addition to well-recognized voltage shifts. HERG subunits expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells produced channels with properties similar to those of mI(Kr), except for the more-negative activation of the HERG channels. Despite the abundant expression of mI(Kr), single-channel events were rarely observed during action-potential clamp and 5 microm E-4031 had no detectable effect on the action potential parameters, confirming that mI(Kr) plays at best a minor role in repolarization of adult mouse cardiomyocytes, probably because the modulatory effects of divalent cations prevent significant mI(Kr) opening under physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong Xin Liu
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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20
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Park KH, Kwok SM, Sharon C, Baerga R, Berga R, Sesti F. N
‐glycosylation‐dependent block is a novel mechanism for drug‐induced cardiac arrhythmia. FASEB J 2003; 17:2308-9. [PMID: 14563681 DOI: 10.1096/fj.03-0577fje] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels formed with the cardiac subunit HERG and a polymorphic variant of MinK-related peptide 1 (MiRP1) exhibit increased susceptibility to the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) compared with channels formed with wild-type (WT) subunits. Here the molecular bases for SMX high-affinity block are investigated. The polymorphism causes a benign T to A amino acid mutation at position 8 (T8A) that destroys an N-glycosylation site of MiRP1. In vitro disruption of glycosylation by mutagenesis or in vivo by treatment with neuraminidase is associated with increased susceptibility to SMX and to other elementary agents such as divalent cations. Defective glycosylation does not affect the ability of T8A to form stable complexes with HERG, but rather it increases drug susceptibility through structural modifications in the channel complex. We conclude that N-glycosylation may play a key role in the etiology of life-threatening arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Ho Park
- University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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21
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Angelo K, Korolkova YV, Grunnet M, Grishin EV, Pluzhnikov KA, Klaerke DA, Knaus HG, Møller M, Olesen SP. A radiolabeled peptide ligand of the hERG channel, [125I]-BeKm-1. Pflugers Arch 2003; 447:55-63. [PMID: 12905030 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-003-1125-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2003] [Accepted: 05/20/2003] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The wild-type scorpion toxin BeKm-1, which selectively blocks human ether-a-go-go related (hERG) channels, was radiolabeled with iodine at tyrosine 11. Both the mono- and di-iodinated derivatives were found to be biologically active. In electrophysiological patch-clamp recordings mono-[127I]-BeKm-1 had a concentration of half-maximal inhibition (IC50 value) of 27 nM, while wild-type BeKm-1 inhibited hERG channels with an IC50 value of 7 nM. Mono-[125I]-BeKm-1 was found to bind in a concentration-dependent manner and with picomolar affinity to hERG channel protein in purified membrane vesicles from transfected human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Under optimized conditions the equilibrium dissociation constant ( Kd) values from saturation and kinetic binding analysis were 13 and 14 pM, respectively. Both the association and dissociation of [(125)I]-BeKm-1 were fast (association rate constant, k(on)=3.6 x 10(7) M(-1)s(-1); dissociation rate constant, k(off)=0.005 s(-1)). Wild-type BeKm-1 displaced binding of [125I]-BeKm-1 with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of 44 pM. In contrast, competition experiments with a BeKm-1 mutant BeKm-1-K18A, in which the toxin interaction site is disrupted, resulted in a drop in affinity by more than 300-fold as compared to the wild-type toxin. Iberiotoxin and apamin, peptide inhibitors of Ca2+-activated K+-channels, had no effect on [125I]-BeKm-1 binding. Adding the classical rapid delayed rectifier current (IKr) blocker E-4031 reduced binding of [125I]-BeKm-1 to the hERG channel to an IC50 of 7 nM. In autoradiographic studies on rat hearts, binding of [125I]-BeKm-1 was dose-dependent and could partially be displaced by the addition of excess amounts of non-radioactive BeKm-1. The density of the radioactive signal was equally distributed in the myocardium of both the ventricle and atria indicating a homogenous expression of hERG channels throughout the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla Angelo
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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22
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Liu J, Zhang M, Jiang M, Tseng GN. Negative charges in the transmembrane domains of the HERG K channel are involved in the activation- and deactivation-gating processes. J Gen Physiol 2003; 121:599-614. [PMID: 12771194 PMCID: PMC2217355 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.200308788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane domains of HERG (S1-S3) contain six negative charges: three are conserved in all voltage-gated K channels (D456 and D466 in S2, D501 in S3) and three are unique to the EAG family (D411 in S1, D460 in S2, and D509 in S3). We infer the functional role of these aspartates by studying how substituting them with cysteine, one at a time, affects the channel function. D456C is not functional, suggesting that this negative charge may play a critical role in channel protein folding during biogenesis, as has been shown for its counterpart in the Shaker channel. Data from the other five functional mutants suggest that D411 can stabilize the HERG channel in the closed state, while D460 and D509 have the opposite effect. D466 and D501 both may contribute to voltage-sensing during the activation process. On the other hand, all five aspartates work in a concerted fashion in contributing to the slow deactivation process of the HERG channel. Accessibility tests of the introduced thiol groups to extracellular MTS reagents indicate that water-filled crevices penetrate deep into the HERG protein core, reaching the cytoplasmic halves of S1 and S2. At these deep locations, accessibility of 411C and 466C to the extracellular aqueous phase is voltage dependent, suggesting that conformational changes occur in S1 and S2 or the surrounding crevices during gating. Increasing extracellular [H+] accelerates HERG deactivation. This effect is suppressed by substituting the aspartates with cysteine, suggesting that protonation of these aspartates may contribute to the signaling pathway whereby external [H+] influences conformational changes in the channel's cytoplasmic domains (where deactivation takes place). There is no evidence for a metal ion binding site coordinated by negative charges in the transmembrane domains of HERG, as the one described for the EAG channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of Physiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298, USA
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23
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Abstract
Potassium (K+) channels mediate numerous electrical events in excitable cells, including cellular membrane potential repolarization. The hERG K+ channel plays an important role in myocardial repolarization, and inhibition of these K+ channels is associated with long QT syndromes that can cause fatal cardiac arrhythmias. In this study, we identify saxitoxin (STX) as a hERG channel modifier and investigate the mechanism using heterologous expression of the recombinant channel in HEK293 cells. In the presence of STX, channels opened slower during strong depolarizations, and they closed much faster upon repolarization, suggesting that toxin-bound channels can still open but are modified, and that STX does not simply block the ion conduction pore. STX decreased hERG K+ currents by stabilizing closed channel states visualized as shifts in the voltage dependence of channel opening to more depolarized membrane potentials. The concentration dependence for steady-state modification as well as the kinetics of onset and recovery indicate that multiple STX molecules bind to the channel. Rapid application of STX revealed an apparent "agonist-like" effect in which K+ currents were transiently increased. The mechanism of this effect was found to be an effect on the channel voltage-inactivation relationship. Because the kinetics of inactivation are rapid relative to activation for this channel, the increase in K+ current appeared quickly and could be subverted by a decrease in K+ currents due to the shift in the voltage-activation relationship at some membrane potentials. The results are consistent with a simple model in which STX binds to the hERG K+ channel at multiple sites and alters the energetics of channel gating by shifting both the voltage-inactivation and voltage-activation processes. The results suggest a novel extracellular mechanism for pharmacological manipulation of this channel through allosteric coupling to channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixin Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA 19486, USA
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25
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Lei M, Honjo H, Kodama I, Boyett MR. Heterogeneous expression of the delayed-rectifier K+ currents i(K,r) and i(K,s) in rabbit sinoatrial node cells. J Physiol 2001; 535:703-14. [PMID: 11559769 PMCID: PMC2278812 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.t01-1-00703.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
1. The electrical activity of sinoatrial node cells is heterogeneous. To understand the reasons for this, the density of the delayed-rectifier K+ current and its two components, i(K,r) and i(K,s), as a function of the size (as measured by cell capacitance) of rabbit sinoatrial node cells was investigated using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique at 35 degrees C. 2. i(K,r) and i(K,s) were isolated using E-4031 and 293B. Features of the E-4031-sensitive and 293B-insensitive currents corresponded well to those of i(K,r), while features of the E-4031-insensitive and 293B-sensitive currents corresponded well to those of i(K,s). 3. The densities of the outward current under control conditions and the drug-sensitive and -insensitive currents were significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with cell capacitance, with current densities being greater in larger cells. 4. The effects of partial blockade of i(K,r) by 0.1 microM E-4031 on spontaneous action potentials were greater in smaller cells. 5. It is concluded that there are cell size-dependent differences in the density of the i(K,r) and i(K,s) components, and these may be involved in the heterogeneity of the electrical activity of single sinoatrial node cells as well as that of the intact sinoatrial node.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lei
- University Laboratory of Physiology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
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26
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Meves H. Slowing of ERG current deactivation in NG108-15 cells by the histidine-specific reagent diethylpyrocarbonate. Neuropharmacology 2001; 41:220-8. [PMID: 11489458 DOI: 10.1016/s0028-3908(01)00061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore and characterize the effect of the histidine-specific reagent diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) on the ERG (ether-à-go-go related gene) channels of whole-cell voltage-clamped NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells. The channels were fully activated by long depolarizing prepulses. Hyperpolarizing pulses elicited K+ inward currents which deactivated after reaching a peak. DEPC (0.26-2.1 mM, externally applied for 5-12 min) irreversibly decreased tau(-1), the rate constant of deactivation. At a pulse potential of -120 mV x tau(-1) decreased on average by 60%. The effect can be described as a -25 mV shift of the tau(-1)(V) curve. The activation curve and the curve relating steady-state current to pulse potential were shifted by similar amounts. The decrease of tau(-1) was the same at 0.26 and at 2.1 mM, but developed faster at the higher concentration. The slowing of deactivation was only seen when the cells were held at a potential of -20 mV. At this potential it developed with a time constant of 47 s. At more negative holding potentials (-40 or -70 mV) only a slight reduction of the peak occurred. The observations suggest preferential binding of DEPC to the open and inactivated channel states. The DEPC effect can possibly be explained by the reaction of DEPC with histidine residues or other amino acids in the external loops of the channel. However, dichloro-(2,2':6',2"-terpyridine)-platinum (II) dihydrate (DTPD), another histidine-specific reagent, markedly decreased the peak current without affecting tau(-1). Therefore, the possibility that (some of) the effects of DEPC and DTPD are unrelated to their property as histidine-specific reagents cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Meves
- I. Physiologisches Institut der Universität des Saarlandes, D 66421, Homburg-Saar, Germany.
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Abstract
Potassium (K(+)) channels influence neurotransmitter release, burst firing rate activity, pacing, and critical dampening of neuronal circuits. Internal and external factors that further modify K(+) channel function permit fine-tuning of neuronal circuits. Human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG) K(+) channels are unusually sensitive to external calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)). Small changes in [Ca(2+)](o) shift the voltage dependence of channel activation to more positive membrane potentials, an effect that cannot be explained by nonspecific surface charge screening or channel pore block. The HERG-calcium concentration-response relationship spans the physiological range for [Ca(2+)](o). The modulatory actions of calcium are attributable to differences in the Ca(2+) affinity between rested and activated channels. Adjacent extracellular, negatively charged amino acids (E518 and E519) near the S4 voltage sensor influence both channel gating and Ca(2+) dependence. Neutralization of these charges had distinct effects on channel gating and calcium sensitivity. A change in the degree of energetic coupling between these amino acids on transition from closed to activated channel states reveals movement in this region during channel gating and defines a molecular mechanism for protein state-dependent ligand interactions. The results suggest a novel extracellular [Ca(2+)](o) sensing mechanism coupled to allosteric changes in channel gating and a mechanism for fine-tuning cell repolarization.
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28
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Johnson JP, Balser JR, Bennett PB. A novel extracellular calcium sensing mechanism in voltage-gated potassium ion channels. J Neurosci 2001; 21:4143-53. [PMID: 11404399 PMCID: PMC6762739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Potassium (K(+)) channels influence neurotransmitter release, burst firing rate activity, pacing, and critical dampening of neuronal circuits. Internal and external factors that further modify K(+) channel function permit fine-tuning of neuronal circuits. Human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG) K(+) channels are unusually sensitive to external calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)). Small changes in [Ca(2+)](o) shift the voltage dependence of channel activation to more positive membrane potentials, an effect that cannot be explained by nonspecific surface charge screening or channel pore block. The HERG-calcium concentration-response relationship spans the physiological range for [Ca(2+)](o). The modulatory actions of calcium are attributable to differences in the Ca(2+) affinity between rested and activated channels. Adjacent extracellular, negatively charged amino acids (E518 and E519) near the S4 voltage sensor influence both channel gating and Ca(2+) dependence. Neutralization of these charges had distinct effects on channel gating and calcium sensitivity. A change in the degree of energetic coupling between these amino acids on transition from closed to activated channel states reveals movement in this region during channel gating and defines a molecular mechanism for protein state-dependent ligand interactions. The results suggest a novel extracellular [Ca(2+)](o) sensing mechanism coupled to allosteric changes in channel gating and a mechanism for fine-tuning cell repolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6602, USA
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29
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Abstract
J. Kurokawa, H. Abriel and R. S. Kass. Molecular Basis of the Delayed Rectifier Current I(Ks)in Heart. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2001) 33, 873-882. Electrical activity underlies the control of the frequency, strength, and duration of contraction of the heart. During the cardiac cycle, a regular rhythmic pattern must be established in time-dependent changes in ionic conductances in order to ensure events that underlie normal cardiac function. This pattern must be tightly regulated by sympathetic nervous activity to ensure a physiologically relevant relationship between diastolic filling and ejection times with variable heart rate. The duration of the ventricular action potential is controlled in part by a slowly activated potassium channel current, I(Ks). The molecular identity of the subunits that comprise the channels conducting this current is important, not only for understanding the fundamental mechanisms that control electrical activity in healthy individuals, but also for understanding the molecular basis of at least one inherited human disease, LQTS-1. This brief review summarizes key points of information regarding the molecular determinants of the activity of these channels, their relationship to human disease, and what is known, and yet to be discovered, about the molecular determinants of the regulation of this channel by sympathetic nervous activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kurokawa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University, 630 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Weerapura M, Nattel S, Courtemanche M, Doern D, Ethier N, Hebert T. State-dependent barium block of wild-type and inactivation-deficient HERG channels in Xenopus oocytes. J Physiol 2000; 526 Pt 2:265-78. [PMID: 10896755 PMCID: PMC2270020 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2000.t01-1-00265.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of Ba2+ on current resulting from the heterologous expression of the human ether-à-go-go related gene (HERG) (IHERG) was studied with two-electrode voltage clamp techniques in Xenopus oocytes. Ba2+ produced time- and voltage-dependent block of IHERG. Significant inhibition was seen at concentrations as low as 1 microM. Inhibition was greatest at step potentials between -40 and 0 mV; at more positive potentials, inhibition decreased in association with time-dependent unblocking of channels. An inactivation-attenuated mutant of HERG (S631A) was prepared and expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Ba2+ block of S631A differed from that of HERG in that extensive unblocking was no longer seen at positive potentials and the voltage dependence of step current block was greatly attenuated. A mathematical model was applied to analyse quantitatively the inhibitory effects of Ba2+ on IHERG. The model suggested similar voltage-dependent affinity of Ba2+ for the open and closed states, along with absence of binding to the inactivated state, and accounted well for Ba2+ effects on both wild-type and S631A channels. We conclude that Ba2+ potently inhibits IHERG in a characteristic state-dependent fashion, with strong unblocking at positive potentials related to the presence of an intact C-type inactivation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Weerapura
- Research Center, Departments of Medicine and Anesthesia, Montreal Heart Institute, 5000 Belanger Street East, Montreal, Canada
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Johnson JP, Balser JR, Bennett PB. Enhancement of HERG K+ currents by Cd2+ destabilization of the inactivated state. Biophys J 1999; 77:2534-41. [PMID: 10545354 PMCID: PMC1300528 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3495(99)77088-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We have studied the functional effects of extracellular Cd(2+) on human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) encoded K(+) channels. Low concentrations (10-200 microM) of extracellular Cd(2+) increased outward currents through HERG channels; 200 microM Cd(2+) more than doubled HERG currents and altered current kinetics. Cd(2+) concentrations up to 200 microM did not change the voltage dependence of channel activation, but shifted the voltage dependence of inactivation to more depolarized membrane potentials. Cd(2+) concentrations >or=500 microM shifted the voltage dependence of channel activation to more positive potentials. These results are consistent with a somewhat specific ability of Cd(2+) to destabilize the inactivated state. We tested the hypothesis that channel inactivation is essential for Cd(2+)-induced increases in HERG K(+) currents, using a double point mutation (G628C/S631C) that diminishes HERG inactivation (Smith, P. L., T. Baukrowitz, and G. Yellen. 1996. Nature (Lond.). 379:833-836). This inactivation-removed mutant is insensitive to low concentrations of Cd(2+). Thus, Cd(2+) had two distinct effects on HERG K(+) channels. Low concentrations of Cd(2+) caused relatively selective effects on inactivation, resulting in a reduction of the apparent rectification of the channel and thereby increasing HERG K(+) currents. Higher Cd(2+) concentrations affected activation gating as well, possibly by a surface charge screening mechanism or by association with a lower affinity site.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6602, USA
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Abstract
The proton and Zn2+ effects on the human ether-a-go-go related gene (HERG) channels were studied after expression in Xenopus oocytes and stable transfection in the mammalian L929 cell line. Experiments were carried out using the two-electrode voltage clamp at room temperature (oocytes) or the whole-cell patch clamp technique at 35 degrees C (L929 cells). In oocytes, during moderate extracellular acidification (pHo = 6.4), current activation was not shifted on the voltage axis, the time course of current activation was unchanged, but tail current deactivation was dramatically accelerated. At pHo < 6.4, in addition to accelerating deactivation, the time course of activation was slower and the midpoint voltage of current activation was shifted to more positive values. Protons and Zn2+ accelerated the kinetics of deactivation with apparent Kd values about one order of magnitude lower than for tail current inhibition. For protons, the Kd values for the effect on tail current amplitude versus kinetics were, respectively, 1.8 microM (pKa = 5.8) and 0.1 microM (pKa = 7.0). In the presence of Zn2+, the corresponding Kd values were, respectively, 1.2 mM and 169 microM. In L929 cells, acidification to pHo = 6.4 did not shift the midpoint voltage of current activation and had no effect on the time course of current activation. Furthermore, the onset and recovery of inactivation were not affected. However, the acidification significantly accelerated tail current deactivation. We conclude that protons and Zn2+ directly interact with HERG channels and that the interaction results, preferentially, in the regulation of channel deactivation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Anumonwo
- Departments of Pharmacology, and Microbiology, 766 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA
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Takeuchi S, Ando M. Voltage-dependent outward K(+) current in intermediate cell of stria vascularis of gerbil cochlea. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY 1999; 277:C91-9. [PMID: 10409112 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.1999.277.1.c91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A voltage-dependent outward K(+) (K(V)) current in the intermediate cell (melanocyte) of the cochlear stria vascularis was studied using the whole cell patch-clamp technique. The K(V) current had an activation threshold voltage of approximately -80 mV, and 50% activation was observed at -42.6 mV. The time courses of activation and inactivation were well fitted by two exponential functions: the time constants at 0 mV were 7.9 and 58.8 ms for activation and 0.6 and 4.3 s for inactivation. The half-maximal activation time was 13. 8 ms at 0 mV. Inactivation of the current was incomplete even after a prolonged depolarization of 10 s. This current was independent of intracellular Ca(2+). Quinine, verapamil, Ba(2+), and tetraethylammonium inhibited the current in a dose-dependent manner, but 4-aminopyridine was ineffective at 50 mM. We conclude that the K(V) conductance in the intermediate cell may stabilize the membrane potential, which is thought to be closely related to the endocochlear potential, and may provide an additional route for K(+) secretion into the intercellular space.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Takeuchi
- Department of Physiology, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku 783-8505, Japan.
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Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Carmeliet
- Centre for Experimental Surgery and Anesthesiology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Abbott GW, Sesti F, Splawski I, Buck ME, Lehmann MH, Timothy KW, Keating MT, Goldstein SA. MiRP1 forms IKr potassium channels with HERG and is associated with cardiac arrhythmia. Cell 1999; 97:175-87. [PMID: 10219239 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80728-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1010] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A novel potassium channel gene has been cloned, characterized, and associated with cardiac arrhythmia. The gene encodes MinK-related peptide 1 (MiRP1), a small integral membrane subunit that assembles with HERG, a pore-forming protein, to alter its function. Unlike channels formed only with HERG, mixed complexes resemble native cardiac IKr channels in their gating, unitary conductance, regulation by potassium, and distinctive biphasic inhibition by the class III antiarrhythmic E-4031. Three missense mutations associated with long QT syndrome and ventricular fibrillation are identified in the gene for MiRP1. Mutants form channels that open slowly and close rapidly, thereby diminishing potassium currents. One variant, associated with clarithromycin-induced arrhythmia, increases channel blockade by the antibiotic. A mechanism for acquired arrhythmia is revealed: genetically based reduction in potassium currents that remains clinically silent until combined with additional stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- G W Abbott
- Department of Pediatrics, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA
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Johnson JP, Mullins FM, Bennett PB. Human ether-à-go-go-related gene K+ channel gating probed with extracellular ca2+. Evidence for two distinct voltage sensors. J Gen Physiol 1999; 113:565-80. [PMID: 10102937 PMCID: PMC2217168 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.113.4.565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG) encoded K+ channels were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells and studied by whole-cell voltage clamp in the presence of varied extracellular Ca2+ concentrations and physiological external K+. Elevation of external Ca2+ from 1.8 to 10 mM resulted in a reduction of whole-cell K+ current amplitude, slowed activation kinetics, and an increased rate of deactivation. The midpoint of the voltage dependence of activation was also shifted +22.3 +/- 2.5 mV to more depolarized potentials. In contrast, the kinetics and voltage dependence of channel inactivation were hardly affected by increased extracellular Ca2+. Neither Ca2+ screening of diffuse membrane surface charges nor open channel block could explain these changes. However, selective changes in the voltage-dependent activation, but not inactivation gating, account for the effects of Ca2+ on Human ether-à-go-go-related gene current amplitude and kinetics. The differential effects of extracellular Ca2+ on the activation and inactivation gating indicate that these processes have distinct voltage-sensing mechanisms. Thus, Ca2+ appears to directly interact with externally accessible channel residues to alter the membrane potential detected by the activation voltage sensor, yet Ca2+ binding to this site is ineffective in modifying the inactivation gating machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6602, USA
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Ho WK, Kim I, Lee CO, Youm JB, Lee SH, Earm YE. Blockade of HERG channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes by external divalent cations. Biophys J 1999; 76:1959-71. [PMID: 10096894 PMCID: PMC1300172 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3495(99)77355-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We have investigated actions of various divalent cations (Ba2+, Sr2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+) on human ether-a-go-go related gene (HERG) channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes using the voltage clamp technique. All divalent cations inhibited HERG current dose-dependently in a voltage-dependent manner. The concentration for half-maximum inhibition (Ki) decreased at more negative potentials, indicating block is facilitated by hyperpolarization. Ki at 0 mV for Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, and Sr2+ was 0.19, 0.36, 0. 50, 0.58, 2.36, and 6.47 mM, respectively. The effects were manifested in four ways: 1) right shift of voltage dependence of activation, 2) decrease of maximum conductance, 3) acceleration of current decay, and 4) slowing of activation. However, each parameter was not affected by each cation to the same extent. The potency for the shift of voltage dependence of activation was in the order Zn2+ > Ni2+ >/= Co2+ > Ba2+ > Mn2+ > Sr2+, whereas the potency for the decrease of maximum conductance was Zn2+ > Ba2+ > Sr2+ > Co2+ > Mn2+. The kinetics of activation and deactivation were also affected, but the two parameters are not affected to the same extent. Slowing of activation by Ba2+ was most distinct, causing a marked initial delay of current onset. From these results we concluded that HERG channels are nonselectively blocked by most divalent cations from the external side, and several different mechanism are involved in their actions. There exist at least two distinct binding sites for their action: one for the voltage-dependent effect and the other for reducing maximum conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- W K Ho
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Republic of Korea.
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