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Cordero Padilla K, Monefeldt GA, Guevárez Galán A, Marrero HG, Lloret-Torres ME, Velázquez-Marrero C. BK ZERO isoform HEK293 stably transfected cell lines differing 3'UTRs to assess miR-9 regulation. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298966. [PMID: 38502673 PMCID: PMC10950231 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Research has identified the large conductance voltage- and calcium-activated potassium channel (BK) as a key regulator of neuronal excitability genetically associated to behavioral alcohol tolerance. Sensitivity to ethanol at the molecular level is characterized by acute potentiation of channel activity. BK isoforms show variations in alcohol sensitivity and are differentially distributed on the plasma membrane surface in response to prolonged exposure. MicroRNA (MiRNA) targeting of alcohol-sensitive isoforms coupled with active internalization of BK channels in response to ethanol are believed to be key in establishing homeostatic adaptations that produce persistent changes within the plasma membrane of neurons. In fact, microRNA 9 (miR-9) upregulated expression is a key event in persistent alcohol tolerance mediating acute EtOH desensitization of BK channels. The exact nature of these interactions remains a current topic of discussion. To further study the effects of miR-9 on the expression and distribution of BK channel isoforms we designed an experimental model by transfecting human BK channel isoforms ZERO heterologous constructs in human embryonic kidney cells 293 (HEK293) cells respectively expressing 2.1 (miR-9 responsive), 2.2 (unresponsive) and control (no sequence) 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) miRNA recognition sites. We used imaging techniques to characterize the stably transfected monoclonal cell lines, and electrophysiology to validate channel activity. Finally, we used immunocytochemistry to validate isoform responsiveness to miR-9. Our findings suggest the cell lines were successfully transfected to express either the 2.1 or 2.2 version of ZERO. Patch clamp recordings confirm that these channels retain their functionality and immunohistochemistry shows differential responses to miR-9, making these cells viable for use in future alcohol dependence studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Cordero Padilla
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Windsor University School of Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Gerardo Alvarado Monefeldt
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico Cayey Campus, Cayey, Puerto Rico
- Samuel Merritt University, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Adriel Guevárez Galán
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico Bayamón Campus, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
| | - Hector G. Marrero
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Mario E. Lloret-Torres
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Cristina Velázquez-Marrero
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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North KC, Shaw AA, Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Progesterone activation of β 1-containing BK channels involves two binding sites. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7248. [PMID: 37945687 PMCID: PMC10636063 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42827-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Progesterone (≥1 µM) is used in recovery of cerebral ischemia, an effect likely contributed to by cerebrovascular dilation. The targets of this progesterone action are unknown. We report that micromolar (µM) progesterone activates mouse cerebrovascular myocyte BK channels; this action is lost in β1-/- mice myocytes and in lipid bilayers containing BK α subunit homomeric channels but sustained on β1/β4-containing heteromers. Progesterone binds to both regulatory subunits, involving two steroid binding sites conserved in β1-β4: high-affinity (sub-µM), which involves Trp87 in β1 loop, and low-affinity (µM) defined by TM1 Tyr32 and TM2 Trp163. Thus progesterone, but not its oxime, bridges TM1-TM2. Mutation of the high-affinity site blunts channel activation by progesterone underscoring a permissive role of the high-affinity site: progesterone binding to this site enables steroid binding at the low-affinity site, which activates the channel. In support of our model, cerebrovascular dilation evoked by μM progesterone is lost by mutating Tyr32 or Trp163 in β1 whereas these mutations do not affect alcohol-induced cerebrovascular constriction. Furthermore, this alcohol action is effectively counteracted both in vitro and in vivo by progesterone but not by its oxime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey C North
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Andrew A Shaw
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA.
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3
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Mysiewicz SC, Hawks SM, Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Differential Functional Contribution of BK Channel Subunits to Aldosterone-Induced Channel Activation in Vascular Smooth Muscle and Eventual Cerebral Artery Dilation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108704. [PMID: 37240049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium/voltage-activated potassium channels (BK) control smooth muscle (SM) tone and cerebral artery diameter. They include channel-forming α and regulatory β1 subunits, the latter being highly expressed in SM. Both subunits participate in steroid-induced modification of BK activity: β1 provides recognition for estradiol and cholanes, resulting in BK potentiation, whereas α suffices for BK inhibition by cholesterol or pregnenolone. Aldosterone can modify cerebral artery function independently of its effects outside the brain, yet BK involvement in aldosterone's cerebrovascular action and identification of channel subunits, possibly involved in steroid action, remains uninvestigated. Using microscale thermophoresis, we demonstrated that each subunit type presents two recognition sites for aldosterone: at 0.3 and ≥10 µM for α and at 0.3-1 µM and ≥100 µM for β1. Next, we probed aldosterone on SM BK activity and diameter of middle cerebral artery (MCA) isolated from β1-/- vs. wt mice. Data showed that β1 leftward-shifted aldosterone-induced BK activation, rendering EC50~3 μM and ECMAX ≥ 10 μM, at which BK activity increased by 20%. At similar concentrations, aldosterone mildly yet significantly dilated MCA independently of circulating and endothelial factors. Lastly, aldosterone-induced MCA dilation was lost in β1-/- mice. Therefore, β1 enables BK activation and MCA dilation by low µM aldosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Mysiewicz
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Sydney M Hawks
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
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4
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Gimenez-Gomez P, Le T, Martin GE. Modulation of neuronal excitability by binge alcohol drinking. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1098211. [PMID: 36866357 PMCID: PMC9971943 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1098211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug use poses a serious threat to health systems throughout the world. The number of consumers rises every year being alcohol the drug of abuse most consumed causing 3 million deaths (5.3% of all deaths) worldwide and 132.6 million disability-adjusted life years. In this review, we present an up-to-date summary about what is known regarding the global impact of binge alcohol drinking on brains and how it affects the development of cognitive functions, as well as the various preclinical models used to probe its effects on the neurobiology of the brain. This will be followed by a detailed report on the state of our current knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of binge drinking on neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity, with an emphasis on brain regions of the meso-cortico limbic neurocircuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Gimenez-Gomez
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Timmy Le
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Gilles E. Martin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
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Vaithianathan T, Schneider EH, Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Cholesterol and PIP 2 Modulation of BK Ca Channels. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1422:217-243. [PMID: 36988883 PMCID: PMC10683925 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-21547-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Ca2+/voltage-gated, large conductance K+ channels (BKCa) are formed by homotetrameric association of α (slo1) subunits. Their activity, however, is suited to tissue-specific physiology largely due to their association with regulatory subunits (β and γ types), chaperone proteins, localized signaling, and the channel's lipid microenvironment. PIP2 and cholesterol can modulate BKCa activity independently of downstream signaling, yet activating Ca2+i levels and regulatory subunits control ligand action. At physiological Ca2+i and voltages, cholesterol and PIP2 reduce and increase slo1 channel activity, respectively. Moreover, slo1 proteins provide sites that seem to recognize cholesterol and PIP2: seven CRAC motifs in the slo1 cytosolic tail and a string of positively charged residues (Arg329, Lys330, Lys331) immediately after S6, respectively. A model that could explain the modulation of BKCa activity by cholesterol and/or PIP2 is hypothesized. The roles of additional sites, whether in slo1 or BKCa regulatory subunits, for PIP2 and/or cholesterol to modulate BKCa function are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thirumalini Vaithianathan
- Department Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Schneider
- Department Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Abstract
Cholesterol is one of the main components found in plasma membranes and is involved in lipid-dependent signaling enabled by integral membrane proteins such as inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels. Similar to other ion channels, most of the Kir channels are down-regulated by cholesterol. One of the very few notable exceptions is Kir3.4, which is up-regulated by this important lipid. Here, we discovered and characterized a molecular switch that controls the impact (up-regulation vs. down-regulation) of cholesterol on Kir3.4. Our results provide a detailed molecular mechanism of tunable cholesterol regulation of a potassium channel. Cholesterol decreases the activity of the majority of ion channels while increasing the activity of only a few, yet it remains unclear how. Here, we used the inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir3.4, which is up-regulated by cholesterol, as a tool to address this question. Employing mutagenesis and electrophysiology, we discovered a molecular switch that controls the impact of cholesterol on the channel. Through a single point mutation at position 182 in the transmembrane domain of Kir3.4, we converted the cholesterol-driven up-regulation of the channel into down-regulation. Microseconds-long coarse-grained and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the effect of the point mutation propagated toward the selectivity filter of the channel whose conformation controls the conductance of the channel. Planar lipid bilayer experiments validated these results, showing that although cholesterol up-regulated Kir3.4 by increasing its open probability, cholesterol down-regulated the mutant by decreasing its conductance. Further studies underscored the role of mutation-specific alterations of cholesterol distribution in proximity to the channel in cholesterol’s impact on channel activity, highlighting the role of subtle molecular differences in determining how cholesterol distributes around proteins and affects their function.
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North KC, Zhang M, Singh AK, Zaytseva D, Slayden AV, Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Cholesterol inhibition of slo1 channels is Ca2+-dependent and can be mediated by either high-affinity Ca2+-sensing site in the slo1 cytosolic tail. Mol Pharmacol 2021; 101:132-143. [PMID: 34969832 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.121.000392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+-/voltage-gated K+ channels of large conductance (BK) are expressed in the cell membranes of all excitable tissues. Currents mediated by BK channel-forming slo1 homotetramers are consistently inhibited by increases in membrane cholesterol (CLR). The molecular mechanisms leading to this CLR action, however, remain unknown. Slo1 channels are activated by increases in Ca2+ nearby Ca2+-recognition sites in the slo1 cytosolic tail: one high-affinity and one low-affinity sites locate to the Regulator of Conductance for K+ (RCK) 1 domain, while another high-affinity site locates within the RCK2 domain. Here we first evaluated the cross-talking between Ca2+ and CLR on the function of slo1 (cbv1 isoform) channels reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. CLR robustly reduced channel open probability while barely decreasing unitary current amplitude, with CLR maximal effects being observed at 10-30 µM internal Ca2+ CLR actions were not only modulated by internal Ca2+ levels but also disappeared in absence of this divalent. Moreover, in absence of Ca2+, BK channel-activating concentrations of Mg2+ (10 mM) did not support CLR action. Next, we evaluated CLR actions on channels where the different Ca2+-sensing sites present in the slo1 cytosolic domain became nonfunctional via mutagenesis. CLR still reduced the activity of low-affinity Ca2+ (RCK1:E379A, E404A) mutants. In contrast, CLR became inefficacious when both high-affinity Ca2+ sites were mutated (RCK1:D367A,D372A, and RCK2:D899N,D900N,D901N,D902N,D903N), yet still was able to decrease the activity of each high-affinity site mutant. Therefore, BK channel inhibition by CLR selectively requires optimal levels of Ca2+ being recognized by either of the slo1 high-affinity Ca2+-sensing sites. Significance Statement Results reveal that the widely reported inhibition of BK (slo1) channels by membrane cholesterol requires a physiologically range of internal Ca2+ and is selectively linked to the two high-affinity Ca2+-sensing sites located in the cytosolic tail domain of slo1 proteins, which underscores that Ca2+ and cholesterol actions are allosterically coupled to the channel gate. Cholesterol modification of BK channel activity likely contributes to disruption of normal physiology by common health conditions that are triggered by disruption of cholesterol homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Man Zhang
- Shanghai Center for System Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
| | | | | | | | - Anna N Bukiya
- Pharmacology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, United States
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, United States
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8
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North KC, Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. BK channel-forming slo1 proteins mediate the brain artery constriction evoked by the neurosteroid pregnenolone. Neuropharmacology 2021; 192:108603. [PMID: 34023335 PMCID: PMC8274572 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Pregnenolone is a neurosteroid that modulates glial growth and differentiation, neuronal firing, and several brain functions, these effects being attributed to pregnenolone actions on the neurons and glial cells themselves. Despite the vital role of the cerebral circulation for brain function and the fact that pregnenolone is a vasoactive agent, pregnenolone action on brain arteries remain unknown. Here, we obtained in vivo concentration response curves to pregnenolone on middle cerebral artery (MCA) diameter in anesthetized male and female C57BL/6J mice. In both male and female animals, pregnenolone (1 nM-100 μM) constricted MCA in a concentration-dependent manner, its maximal effect reaching ~22-35% decrease in diameter. Pregnenolone action was replicated in intact and de-endothelialized, in vitro pressurized MCA segments with pregnenolone evoking similar constriction in intact and de-endothelialized MCA. Neurosteroid action was abolished by 1 μM paxilline, a selective blocker of Ca2+ - and voltage-gated K+ channels of large conductance (BK). Cell-attached, patch-clamp recordings on freshly isolated smooth muscle cells from mouse MCAs demonstrated that pregnenolone at concentrations that constricted MCAs in vitro and in vivo (10 μM), reduced BK activity (NPo), with an average decrease in NPo reaching 24.2%. The concentration-dependence of pregnenolone constriction of brain arteries and inhibition of BK activity in intact cells were paralleled by data obtained in cell-free, inside-out patches, with maximal inhibition reached at 10 μM pregnenolone. MCA smooth muscle BKs include channel-forming α (slo1 proteins) and regulatory β1 subunits, encoded by KCNMA1 and KCNMB1, respectively. However, pregnenolone-driven decrease in NPo was still evident in MCA myocytes from KCNMB1-/- mice. Following reconstitution of slo1 channels into artificial, binary phospholipid bilayers, 10 μM pregnenolone evoked slo1 NPo inhibition which was similar to that seen in native membranes. Lastly, pregnenolone failed to constrict MCA from KCNMA1-/- mice. In conclusion, pregnenolone constricts MCA independently of neuronal, glial, endothelial and circulating factors, as well as of cell integrity, organelles, complex membrane cytoarchitecture, and the continuous presence of cytosolic signals. Rather, this action involves direct inhibition of SM BK channels, which does not require β1 subunits but is mediated through direct sensing of the neurosteroid by the channel-forming α subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey C North
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA.
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Bukiya AN, Leo MD, Jaggar JH, Dopico AM. Cholesterol activates BK channels by increasing KCNMB1 protein levels in the plasmalemma. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100381. [PMID: 33556372 PMCID: PMC7950327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium-/voltage-gated, large-conductance potassium channels (BKs) control critical physiological processes, including smooth muscle contraction. Numerous observations concur that elevated membrane cholesterol (CLR) inhibits the activity of homomeric BKs consisting of channel-forming alpha subunits. In mammalian smooth muscle, however, native BKs include accessory KCNMB1 (β1) subunits, which enable BK activation at physiological intracellular calcium. Here, we studied the effect of CLR enrichment on BK currents from rat cerebral artery myocytes. Using inside-out patches from middle cerebral artery (MCA) myocytes at [Ca2+]free=30 μM, we detected BK activation in response to in vivo and in vitro CLR enrichment of myocytes. While a significant increase in myocyte CLR was achieved within 5 min of CLR in vitro loading, this brief CLR enrichment of membrane patches decreased BK currents, indicating that BK activation by CLR requires a protracted cellular process. Indeed, blocking intracellular protein trafficking with brefeldin A (BFA) not only prevented BK activation but led to channel inhibition upon CLR enrichment. Surface protein biotinylation followed by Western blotting showed that BFA blocked the increase in plasmalemmal KCNMB1 levels achieved via CLR enrichment. Moreover, CLR enrichment of arteries with naturally high KCNMB1 levels, such as basilar and coronary arteries, failed to activate BK currents. Finally, CLR enrichment failed to activate BK channels in MCA myocytes from KCNMB1-/- mouse while activation was detected in their wild-type (C57BL/6) counterparts. In conclusion, the switch in CLR regulation of BK from inhibition to activation is determined by a trafficking-dependent increase in membrane levels of KCNMB1 subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
| | - M Dennis Leo
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jonathan H Jaggar
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
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Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Cholesterol antagonism of alcohol inhibition of smooth muscle BK channel requires cell integrity and involves a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism(s). Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1866:158874. [PMID: 33383194 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol constricts cerebral arteries via inhibition of voltage/calcium-gated, large conductance potassium (BK) channels in vascular myocytes. Using a rat model of high-cholesterol (high-CLR) diet and CLR enrichment of cerebral arteries in vitro, we recently showed that CLR protected against alcohol-induced constriction of cerebral arteries. The subcellular mechanism(s) underlying CLR protection against alcohol-induced constriction of the artery is unclear. Here we use a rat model of high-CLR diet and patch-clamp recording of BK channels in inside-out patches from cerebral artery myocytes to demonstrate that this diet antagonizes inhibition of BK currents by 50 mM ethanol. High-CLR-driven protection against alcohol inhibition of BK currents is reversed following CLR depletion in vitro. Similar to CLR accumulation in vivo, pre-incubation of arterial myocytes from normocholesterolemic rats in CLR-enriching media in vitro protects against alcohol-induced inhibition of BK current. However, application of CLR-enriching media to cell-free membrane patches does not protect against the alcohol effect. These different outcomes point to the involvement of cell signaling in CLR-alcohol interaction on BK channels. Incubation of myocytes with the PKC activators phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, but not with the PKC inhibitor Gouml 6983, prior to patch excision precludes CLR enrichment from antagonizing alcohol action. Thus, PKC activation either disables the CLR target(s) or competes with elevated CLR. Favoring the latter possibility, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol protects against alcohol-induced inhibition of BK currents in patches from myocytes with naïve CLR. Our findings document that CLR antagonism of alcohol-induced BK channel inhibition requires cell integrity and is enabled by a PKC-dependent mechanism(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Dept. Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Dept. Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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11
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Direct and indirect cholesterol effects on membrane proteins with special focus on potassium channels. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1865:158706. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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12
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You Y, Das J. Effect of ethanol on Munc13-1 C1 in Membrane: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1344-1355. [PMID: 32424866 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND EtOH has a significant effect on synaptic plasticity. Munc13-1 is an essential presynaptic active zone protein involved in priming the synaptic vesicle and releasing neurotransmitter in the brain. It is a peripheral membrane protein and binds to the activator, diacylglycerol (DAG)/phorbol ester at its membrane-targeting C1 domain. Our previous studies identified Glu-582 of C1 domain as the alcohol-binding residue (Das, J. et al, J. Neurochem., 126, 715-726, 2013). METHODS Here, we describe a 250 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study on the interaction of EtOH and the activator-bound Munc13-1 C1 in the presence of varying concentrations of phosphatidylserine (PS). RESULTS In this study, Munc13-1 C1 shows higher conformational stability in EtOH than in water. It forms fewer hydrogen bonds with phorbol 13-acetate in the presence of EtOH than in water. EtOH also affected the interaction between the protein and the membrane and between the activator and the membrane. Similar studies in a E582A mutant suggest that these effects of EtOH are mostly mediated through Glu-582. CONCLUSIONS EtOH forms hydrogen bonds with Glu-582. While occupancy of the EtOH molecules at the vicinity (4Å) of Glu-582 is 34.4%, the occupancy in the E582A mutant is 26.5% of the simulation time. In addition, the amount of PS in the membrane influences the conformational stability of the C1 domain and interactions in the ternary complex. This study is important in providing the structural basis of EtOH's effects on synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngki You
- From the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Joydip Das
- From the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
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13
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Gu RX, de Groot BL. Lipid-protein interactions modulate the conformational equilibrium of a potassium channel. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2162. [PMID: 32358584 PMCID: PMC7195391 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15741-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell membranes actively participate in the regulation of protein structure and function. In this work, we conduct molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how different membrane environments affect protein structure and function in the case of MthK, a potassium channel. We observe different ion permeation rates of MthK in membranes with different properties, and ascribe them to a shift of the conformational equilibrium between two states of the channel that differ according to whether a transmembrane helix has a kink. Further investigations indicate that two key residues in the kink region mediate a crosstalk between two gates at the selectivity filter and the central cavity, respectively. Opening of one gate eventually leads to closure of the other. Our simulations provide an atomistic model of how lipid-protein interactions affect the conformational equilibrium of a membrane protein. The gating mechanism revealed for MthK may also apply to other potassium channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruo-Xu Gu
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bert L de Groot
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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14
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Barbera NA, Minke B, Levitan I. Comparative docking analysis of cholesterol analogs to ion channels to discriminate between stereospecific binding vs. stereospecific response. Channels (Austin) 2020; 13:136-146. [PMID: 31033379 PMCID: PMC6527060 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2019.1606670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol is a major component of the membrane and a key regulator of many ion channels. Multiple studies showed that cholesterol regulates ion channels in a stereospecific manner, with cholesterol but not its chiral isomers having a functional effect. This stereospecificity has been universally attributed to the specificity of cholesterol binding, with the assumption that only native cholesterol binds to the channels whereas its isomers do not. In this study, we challenge this paradigm by docking analyses of cholesterol and its chiral isomers to five ion channels whose response to cholesterol was shown to be stereospecific, Kir2.2, KirBac1.1, TRPV1, GABAA and BK. The analysis is performed using AutoDock Vina to predict the binding poses and energies of the sterols to the channels and identify amino acids interacting with the sterol molecules. We found that for every ion channel tested herein all three sterols showed similar binding poses and significant overlap in the set of the amino acids that comprise the predicted binding sites, along with similar energetic favorability to these overlapping sites. We also found, however, that specific orientations of the three sterols within the binding sites of the channels are distinct, so that a subset of the interacting amino acids is unique to each sterol. We propose therefore, that contrary to previous thought, stereospecific effects of cholesterol should be attributed not to the lack of binding of the stereoisomers but to specific, unique interactions between the cholesterol molecule and the residues within the binding sites of the channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas A Barbera
- a Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, Department of Medicine , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , IL , USA.,b Department of Chemical Engineering , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , USA
| | - Baruch Minke
- c Department of Medical Neurobiology, and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Faculty of Medicine , the Hebrew University , Jerusalem , Israel
| | - Irena Levitan
- a Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, Department of Medicine , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , IL , USA
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15
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Vivas O, Tiscione SA, Dixon RE, Ory DS, Dickson EJ. Niemann-Pick Type C Disease Reveals a Link between Lysosomal Cholesterol and PtdIns(4,5)P 2 That Regulates Neuronal Excitability. Cell Rep 2019; 27:2636-2648.e4. [PMID: 31141688 PMCID: PMC6553496 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the lysosome is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, mechanisms that link lysosome dysfunction to the disruption of neuronal homeostasis offer opportunities to understand the molecular underpinnings of neurodegeneration and potentially identify specific therapeutic targets. Here, using a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder, NPC1 disease, we demonstrate that reduced cholesterol efflux from lysosomes aberrantly modifies neuronal firing patterns. The molecular mechanism linking alterations in lysosomal cholesterol egress to intrinsic tuning of neuronal excitability is a transcriptionally mediated upregulation of the ABCA1 transporter, whose PtdIns(4,5)P2-floppase activity decreases plasma membrane PtdIns(4,5)P2. The consequence of reduced PtdIns(4,5)P2 is a parallel decrease in a key regulator of neuronal excitability, the voltage-gated KCNQ2/3 potassium channel, which leads to hyperexcitability in NPC1 disease neurons. Thus, cholesterol efflux from lysosomes regulates PtdIns(4,5)P2 to shape the electrical and functional identity of the plasma membrane of neurons in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Vivas
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Scott A. Tiscione
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Rose E. Dixon
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Daniel S. Ory
- Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Eamonn J. Dickson
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Lead Contact,Correspondence:
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Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Regulation of BK Channel Activity by Cholesterol and Its Derivatives. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1115:53-75. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-04278-3_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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17
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Zhang B, Paffett ML, Naik JS, Jernigan NL, Walker BR, Resta TC. Cholesterol Regulation of Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Homeostasis. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2018; 82:53-91. [PMID: 30360783 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is a key structural component and regulator of lipid raft signaling platforms critical for cell function. Such regulation may involve changes in the biophysical properties of lipid microdomains or direct protein-sterol interactions that alter the function of ion channels, receptors, enzymes, and membrane structural proteins. Recent studies have implicated abnormal membrane cholesterol levels in mediating endothelial dysfunction that is characteristic of pulmonary hypertensive disorders, including that resulting from long-term exposure to hypoxia. Endothelial dysfunction in this setting is characterized by impaired pulmonary endothelial calcium entry and an associated imbalance that favors production vasoconstrictor and mitogenic factors that contribute to pulmonary hypertension. Here we review current knowledge of cholesterol regulation of pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ homeostasis, focusing on the role of membrane cholesterol in mediating agonist-induced Ca2+ entry and its components in the normal and hypertensive pulmonary circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojun Zhang
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Michael L Paffett
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jay S Naik
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Nikki L Jernigan
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Benjimen R Walker
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Thomas C Resta
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
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18
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North K, Bisen S, Dopico AM, Bukiya AN. Tyrosine 450 in the Voltage- and Calcium-Gated Potassium Channel of Large Conductance Channel Pore-Forming (slo1) Subunit Mediates Cholesterol Protection against Alcohol-Induced Constriction of Cerebral Arteries. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2018; 367:234-244. [PMID: 30115756 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.118.250514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol (ethanol) at physiologically relevant concentrations (<100 mM) constricts cerebral arteries via inhibition of voltage- and calcium-gated potassium channels of large conductance (BK) located in vascular smooth muscle (VSM). These channels consist of channel-forming slo1 (cbv1, KCNMA1) and accessory beta1 (KCNMB1) subunits. An increase in VSM cholesterol (CLR) via either dietary CLR intake or in vitro CLR enrichment was shown to protect against endothelium-independent, alcohol-induced constriction of cerebral arteries. The molecular mechanism(s) of this protection remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that CLR enrichment of de-endothelialized middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of rat increased CLR content in the VSM in a concentration-dependent manner. CLR enrichment blunted MCA constriction evoked by 18-75 mM but not by 100 mM alcohol. MCA enrichment with coprostanol (COPR) also blunted vasoconstriction by 50 mM alcohol, despite the fact that COPR and CLR differ in their ability to modify several major physical properties of the bilayer. CLR protection against 50 but not 100 mM alcohol was also observed in C57BL/6 and KCNMB1 knockout (KO) mice. Permeabilization of KCNMA1 KO MCAs with Y450Fcbv1 totally ablated CLR, but not COPR protection against vasoconstriction by 50 mM alcohol. Thus, CLR and alcohol interact at the level of the BK channel slo1 subunit, with Y450 being critical for CLR protection against alcohol-induced vasoconstriction. We document for the first time a functional competition between CLR and alcohol in regulating cerebral artery diameter and a critical role of a single amino acid within the BK channel pore-forming subunit in controlling CLR-alcohol interaction at the organ level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey North
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Shivantika Bisen
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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19
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Dopico AM, Bukiya AN. Regulation of Ca 2+-Sensitive K + Channels by Cholesterol and Bile Acids via Distinct Channel Subunits and Sites. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2017; 80:53-93. [PMID: 28863822 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol (CLR) conversion into bile acids (BAs) in the liver constitutes the major pathway for CLR elimination from the body. Moreover, these steroids regulate each other's metabolism. While the roles of CLR and BAs in regulating metabolism and tissue function are well known, research of the last two decades revealed the existence of specific protein receptors for CLR or BAs in tissues with minor contribution to lipid metabolism, raising the possibility that these lipids serve as signaling molecules throughout the body. Among other lipids, CLR and BAs regulate ionic current mediated by the activity of voltage- and Ca2+-gated, K+ channels of large conductance (BK channels) and, thus, modulate cell physiology and participate in tissue pathophysiology. Initial work attributed modification of BK channel function by CLR or BAs to the capability of these steroids to directly interact with bilayer lipids and thus alter the physicochemical properties of the bilayer with eventual modification of BK channel function. Based on our own work and that of others, we now review evidence that supports direct interactions between CLR or BA and specific BK protein subunits, and the consequence of such interactions on channel activity and organ function, with a particular emphasis on arterial smooth muscle. For each steroid type, we will also briefly discuss several mechanisms that may underlie modification of channel steady-state activity. Finally, we will present novel computational data that provide a chemical basis for differential recognition of CLR vs lithocholic acid by distinct BK channel subunits and recognition sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Dopico
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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20
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Rosenhouse-Dantsker A. Insights Into the Molecular Requirements for Cholesterol Binding to Ion Channels. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2017; 80:187-208. [PMID: 28863816 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The concept that cholesterol binds to proteins via specific binding motifs, and thereby modulates their function, has emerged two decades ago. When we recently embarked on studies to uncover the putative binding region(s) of cholesterol in the Kir2.1 channel, we carried out an unbiased approach that combines computational and experimental methods. This approach resulted in the identification of novel cholesterol-binding regions distinct from known cholesterol-binding motifs. In recent years, a plethora of structures of proteins complexed with cholesterol have been determined revealing variegated cholesterol-binding regions that can provide invaluable insights into the prerequisites for cholesterol binding. Thus, using this database of structures, the goal of this chapter is to present a comprehensive analysis of representative cholesterol-binding regions, and thereby determine the molecular requirements for cholesterol binding. The analysis demonstrates that the primary requirement for cholesterol binding is a highly hydrophobic environment, and that the interaction with the cholesterol molecule can be stabilized by stacking interactions between its ring structure and hydrophobic aromatic residues, and by hydrogen bonding between its hydroxyl group and a variety of protein residues. This general requirement suggests that the known cholesterol-binding motifs describe a subset of cholesterol-binding regions, and provides a framework for expanding the search for novel cholesterol-binding regions in ion channels.
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21
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Alcohol Regulates BK Surface Expression via Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling. J Neurosci 2017; 36:10625-10639. [PMID: 27733613 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0491-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that drug tolerance represents a form of learning and memory, but this has not been experimentally established at the molecular level. We show that a component of alcohol molecular tolerance (channel internalization) from rat hippocampal neurons requires protein synthesis, in common with other forms of learning and memory. We identify β-catenin as a primary necessary protein. Alcohol increases β-catenin, and blocking accumulation of β-catenin blocks alcohol-induced internalization in these neurons. In transfected HEK293 cells, suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling blocks ethanol-induced internalization. Conversely, activation of Wnt/β-catenin reduces BK current density. A point mutation in a putative glycogen synthase kinase phosophorylation site within the S10 region of BK blocks internalization, suggesting that Wnt/β-catenin directly regulates alcohol-induced BK internalization via glycogen synthase kinase phosphorylation. These findings establish de novo protein synthesis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling as critical in mediating a persistent form of BK molecular alcohol tolerance establishing a commonality with other forms of long-term plasticity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Alcohol tolerance is a key step toward escalating alcohol consumption and subsequent dependence. Our research aims to make significant contributions toward novel, therapeutic approaches to prevent and treat alcohol misuse by understanding the molecular mechanisms of alcohol tolerance. In our current study, we identify the role of a key regulatory pathway in alcohol-induced persistent molecular changes within the hippocampus. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulates BK channel surface expression in a protein synthesis-dependent manner reminiscent of other forms of long-term hippocampal neuronal adaptations. This unique insight opens the possibility of using clinically tested drugs, targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, for the novel use of preventing and treating alcohol dependency.
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22
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Dual activation of neuronal G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels by cholesterol and alcohol. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4592. [PMID: 28676630 PMCID: PMC5496853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04681-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels leads to a hyperpolarization of the neuron’s membrane potential, providing an important component of inhibition in the brain. In addition to the canonical G protein-activation pathway, GIRK channels are activated by small molecules but less is known about the underlying gating mechanisms. One drawback to previous studies has been the inability to control intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here we used a reconstitution strategy with highly purified mammalian GIRK2 channels incorporated into liposomes and demonstrate that cholesterol or intoxicating concentrations of ethanol, i.e., >20 mM, each activate GIRK2 channels directly, in the absence of G proteins. Notably, both activators require the membrane phospholipid PIP2 but appear to interact independently with different regions of the channel. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying G protein-independent pathways of activating GIRK channels provides a unique strategy for developing new types of neuronal excitability modulators.
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23
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Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Common structural features of cholesterol binding sites in crystallized soluble proteins. J Lipid Res 2017; 58:1044-1054. [PMID: 28420706 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.r073452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol-protein interactions are essential for the architectural organization of cell membranes and for lipid metabolism. While cholesterol-sensing motifs in transmembrane proteins have been identified, little is known about cholesterol recognition by soluble proteins. We reviewed the structural characteristics of binding sites for cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate from crystallographic structures available in the Protein Data Bank. This analysis unveiled key features of cholesterol-binding sites that are present in either all or the majority of sites: i) the cholesterol molecule is generally positioned between protein domains that have an organized secondary structure; ii) the cholesterol hydroxyl/sulfo group is often partnered by Asn, Gln, and/or Tyr, while the hydrophobic part of cholesterol interacts with Leu, Ile, Val, and/or Phe; iii) cholesterol hydrogen-bonding partners are often found on α-helices, while amino acids that interact with cholesterol's hydrophobic core have a slight preference for β-strands and secondary structure-lacking protein areas; iv) the steroid's C21 and C26 constitute the "hot spots" most often seen for steroid-protein hydrophobic interactions; v) common "cold spots" are C8-C10, C13, and C17, at which contacts with the proteins were not detected. Several common features we identified for soluble protein-steroid interaction appear evolutionarily conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103
| | - Alejandro M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103
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24
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Zhang B, Naik JS, Jernigan NL, Walker BR, Resta TC. Reduced membrane cholesterol limits pulmonary endothelial Ca 2+ entry after chronic hypoxia. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2017; 312:H1176-H1184. [PMID: 28364016 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00097.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced pulmonary hypertension is associated with diminished production of endothelium-derived Ca2+-dependent vasodilators such as nitric oxide. Interestingly, ATP-induced endothelial Ca2+ entry as well as membrane cholesterol (Chol) are decreased in pulmonary arteries from CH rats (4 wk, barometric pressure = 380 Torr) compared with normoxic controls. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry are major components of the response to ATP and are similarly decreased after CH. We hypothesized that membrane Chol facilitates both SOCE and depolarization-induced pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ entry and that CH attenuates these responses by decreasing membrane Chol. To test these hypotheses, we administered Chol or epicholesterol (Epichol) to acutely isolated pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) from control and CH rats to either supplement or replace native Chol, respectively. The efficacy of membrane Chol manipulation was confirmed by filipin staining. Epichol greatly reduced ATP-induced Ca2+ influx in PAECs from control rats. Whereas Epichol similarly blunted endothelial SOCE in PAECs from both groups, Chol supplementation restored diminished SOCE in PAECs from CH rats while having no effect in controls. Similar effects of Chol manipulation on PAEC Ca2+ influx were observed in response to a depolarizing stimulus of KCl. Furthermore, KCl-induced Ca2+ entry was inhibited by the T-type Ca2+ channel antagonist mibefradil but not the L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor diltiazem. We conclude that PAEC membrane Chol is required for ATP-induced Ca2+ entry and its two components, SOCE and depolarization-induced Ca2+ entry, and that reduced Ca2+ entry after CH may be due to loss of this key regulator.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This research is the first to examine the direct role of membrane cholesterol in regulating pulmonary endothelial agonist-induced Ca2+ entry and its components. The results provide a potential mechanism by which chronic hypoxia impairs pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ influx, which may contribute to pulmonary hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojun Zhang
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Jay S Naik
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Nikki L Jernigan
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Benjimen R Walker
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Thomas C Resta
- Vascular Physiology Group, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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25
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Bukiya AN, Durdagi S, Noskov S, Rosenhouse-Dantsker A. Cholesterol up-regulates neuronal G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channel activity in the hippocampus. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:6135-6147. [PMID: 28213520 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.753350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypercholesterolemia is a well known risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative disease. However, the underlying mechanisms are mostly unknown. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that cholesterol-driven effects on physiology and pathophysiology derive from its ability to alter the function of a variety of membrane proteins including ion channels. Yet, the effect of cholesterol on G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels expressed in the brain is unknown. GIRK channels mediate the actions of inhibitory brain neurotransmitters. As a result, loss of GIRK function can enhance neuron excitability, whereas gain of GIRK function can reduce neuronal activity. Here we show that in rats on a high-cholesterol diet, cholesterol levels in hippocampal neurons are increased. We also demonstrate that cholesterol plays a critical role in modulating neuronal GIRK currents. Specifically, cholesterol enrichment of rat hippocampal neurons resulted in enhanced channel activity. In accordance, elevated currents upon cholesterol enrichment were also observed in Xenopus oocytes expressing GIRK2 channels, the primary GIRK subunit expressed in the brain. Furthermore, using planar lipid bilayers, we show that although cholesterol did not affect the unitary conductance of GIRK2, it significantly enhanced the frequency of channel openings. Last, combining computational and functional approaches, we identified two putative cholesterol-binding sites in the transmembrane domain of GIRK2. These findings establish that cholesterol plays a critical role in modulating GIRK activity in the brain. Because up-regulation of GIRK function can reduce neuronal activity, our findings may lead to novel approaches for prevention and therapy of cholesterol-driven neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- the Department of Pharmacology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38103
| | - Serdar Durdagi
- the Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 Canada, and.,the Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul 34353, Turkey
| | - Sergei Noskov
- the Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 Canada, and
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26
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Barbera N, Ayee MA, Akpa BS, Levitan I. Differential Effects of Sterols on Ion Channels: Stereospecific Binding vs Stereospecific Response. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2017; 80:25-50. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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27
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Voltage-Sensitive Potassium Channels of the BK Type and Their Coding Genes Are Alcohol Targets in Neurons. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 248:281-309. [PMID: 29204711 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Among all members of the voltage-gated, TM6 ion channel superfamily, the proteins that constitute calcium- and voltage-gated potassium channels of large conductance (BK) and their coding genes are unique for their involvement in ethanol-induced disruption of normal physiology and behavior. Moreover, in vitro studies document that BK activity is modified by ethanol with an EC50~23 mM, which is near blood alcohol levels considered legal intoxication in most states of the USA (0.08 g/dL = 17.4 mM). Following a succinct introduction to our current understanding of BK structure and function in central neurons, with a focus on neural circuits that contribute to the neurobiology of alcohol use disorders (AUD), we review the modifications in organ physiology by alcohol exposure via BK and the different molecular elements that determine the ethanol response of BK in alcohol-naïve systems, including the role of an ethanol-recognizing site in the BK-forming slo1 protein, modulation of accessory BK subunits, and their coding genes. The participation of these and additional elements in determining the response of a system or an organism to protracted ethanol exposure is consequently analyzed, with insights obtained from invertebrate and vertebrate models. Particular emphasis is put on the role of BK and coding genes in different forms of tolerance to alcohol exposure. We finally discuss genetic results on BK obtained in invertebrate organisms and rodents in light of possible extrapolation to human AUD.
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28
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Kuntamallappanavar G, Dopico AM. Alcohol modulation of BK channel gating depends on β subunit composition. J Gen Physiol 2016; 148:419-440. [PMID: 27799321 PMCID: PMC5089933 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201611594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In most mammalian tissues, Ca2+i/voltage-gated, large conductance K+ (BK) channels consist of channel-forming slo1 and auxiliary (β1-β4) subunits. When Ca2+i (3-20 µM) reaches the vicinity of BK channels and increases their activity at physiological voltages, β1- and β4-containing BK channels are, respectively, inhibited and potentiated by intoxicating levels of ethanol (50 mM). Previous studies using different slo1s, lipid environments, and Ca2+i concentrations-all determinants of the BK response to ethanol-made it impossible to determine the specific contribution of β subunits to ethanol action on BK activity. Furthermore, these studies measured ethanol action on ionic current under a limited range of stimuli, rendering no information on the gating processes targeted by alcohol and their regulation by βs. Here, we used identical experimental conditions to obtain single-channel and macroscopic currents of the same slo1 channel ("cbv1" from rat cerebral artery myocytes) in the presence and absence of 50 mM ethanol. First, we assessed the role five different β subunits (1,2,2-IR, 3-variant d, and 4) in ethanol action on channel function. Thus, two phenotypes were identified: (1) ethanol potentiated cbv1-, cbv1+β3-, and cbv1+β4-mediated currents at low Ca2+i while inhibiting current at high Ca2+i, the potentiation-inhibition crossover occurring at 20 µM Ca2+i; (2) for cbv1+β1, cbv1+wt β2, and cbv1+β2-IR, this crossover was shifted to ∼3 µM Ca2+i Second, applying Horrigan-Aldrich gating analysis on both phenotypes, we show that ethanol fails to modify intrinsic gating and the voltage-dependent parameters under examination. For cbv1, however, ethanol (a) drastically increases the channel's apparent Ca2+ affinity (nine-times decrease in Kd) and (b) very mildly decreases allosteric coupling between Ca2+ binding and channel opening (C). The decreased Kd leads to increased channel activity. For cbv1+β1, ethanol (a) also decreases Kd, yet this decrease (two times) is much smaller than that of cbv1; (b) reduces C; and (c) decreases coupling between Ca2+ binding and voltage sensing (parameter E). Decreased allosteric coupling leads to diminished BK activity. Thus, we have identified critical gating modifications that lead to the differential actions of ethanol on slo1 with and without different β subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guruprasad Kuntamallappanavar
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103
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Marrero HG, Treistman SN, Lemos JR. Ethanol Effect on BK Channels is Modulated by Magnesium. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 39:1671-9. [PMID: 26331878 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholics have been reported to have reduced levels of magnesium in both their extracellular and intracellular compartments. Calcium-dependent potassium channels (BK) are known to be one of ethanol (EtOH)'s better known molecular targets. METHODS Using outside-out patches from hippocampal neuronal cultures, we examined the consequences of altered intracellular Mg(2+) on the effects that EtOH has on BK channels. RESULTS We find that the effect of EtOH is bimodally influenced by the Mg(2+) concentration on the cytoplasmic side. More specifically, when internal Mg(2+) concentrations are ≤200 μM, EtOH decreases BK activity, whereas it increases activity when Mg(2+) is at 1 mM. Similar results are obtained when using patches from HEK cells expressing only the α-subunit of BK. When patches are made with the actin destabilizer cytochalasin D present on the cytoplasmic side, the potentiation caused by EtOH becomes independent of the Mg(2+) concentration. Furthermore, in the presence of the actin stabilizer phalloidin, EtOH causes inhibition even at Mg(2+) concentrations of 1 mM. CONCLUSIONS Internal Mg(2+) can modulate the EtOH effects on BK channels only when there is an intact, internal actin interaction with the channel, as is found at synapses. We propose that the EtOH-induced decrease in cytoplasmic Mg(2+) observed in frequent/chronic drinkers would decrease EtOH's actions on synaptic (e.g., actin-bound) BK channels, producing a form of molecular tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José R Lemos
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
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Dopico AM, Bukiya AN, Kuntamallappanavar G, Liu J. Modulation of BK Channels by Ethanol. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2016; 128:239-79. [PMID: 27238266 PMCID: PMC5257281 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In alcohol-naïve systems, ethanol (<100mM) exposure of calcium-gated BK channels perturbs physiology and behavior. Brief (several minutes) ethanol exposure usually leads to increased BK current, which results from ethanol interaction with a pocket mapped to the BK channel-forming slo1 protein cytosolic tail domain. The importance of this region in ethanol-induced intoxication has been independently supported by an unbiased screen of Caenorhabditis elegans slo1 mutants. However, ethanol-induced BK activation is not universal as refractoriness and inhibition have been reported. The final effect depends on many factors, including intracellular calcium levels, slo1 isoform, BK beta subunit composition, posttranslational modification of BK proteins, channel lipid microenvironment, and type of ethanol administration. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster, C. elegans, and rodents show that protracted/repeated ethanol administration leads to tolerance to ethanol-induced modification of BK-driven physiology and behavior. Unveiling the mechanisms underlying tolerance is of major importance, as tolerance to ethanol has been proposed as predictor of risk for alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Dopico
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
| | - A N Bukiya
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - G Kuntamallappanavar
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - J Liu
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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Lange Y, Steck TL. Active membrane cholesterol as a physiological effector. Chem Phys Lipids 2016; 199:74-93. [PMID: 26874289 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Sterols associate preferentially with plasma membrane sphingolipids and saturated phospholipids to form stoichiometric complexes. Cholesterol in molar excess of the capacity of these polar bilayer lipids has a high accessibility and fugacity; we call this fraction active cholesterol. This review first considers how active cholesterol serves as an upstream regulator of cellular sterol homeostasis. The mechanism appears to utilize the redistribution of active cholesterol down its diffusional gradient to the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, where it binds multiple effectors and directs their feedback activity. We have also reviewed a broad literature in search of a role for active cholesterol (as opposed to bulk cholesterol or lipid domains such as rafts) in the activity of diverse membrane proteins. Several systems provide such evidence, implicating, in particular, caveolin-1, various kinds of ABC-type cholesterol transporters, solute transporters, receptors and ion channels. We suggest that this larger role for active cholesterol warrants close attention and can be tested easily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Lange
- Department of Pathology, Rush University Medical Center, 1653 W. Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Theodore L Steck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Xie C, Liu HW, Pan N, Ding JP, Yao J. The residue I257 at S4-S5 linker in KCNQ1 determines KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel sensitivity to 1-alkanols. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2016; 37:124-33. [PMID: 26725740 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2015.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM KCNQ1 and KCNE1 form a complex in human ventricular cardiomyocytes, which are important in maintaining a normal heart rhythm. In the present study we investigated the effects of a homologous series of 1-alkanols on KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes. METHODS ECG recording was made in rats injected with ethanol-containing solution (0.3 mL, ip). Human KCNQ1 channel and its auxiliary subunit KCNE1 were heterologously coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes, which were superfused with ND96 solution; 1-alkanols (ethanol, 1-butanol and 1-hexanol) were delivered through a gravity-driven perfusion device. The slow-delayed rectifier potassium currents IKs (KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents) were recorded using a two-electrode voltage clamp method. Site-directed mutations (I257A) were made in KCNQ1. RESULTS In ECG recordings, a low concentration of ethanol (3%, v/v) slightly increased the heart rate of rats, whereas the higher concentrations of ethanol (10%, 50%, v/v) markedly reduced it. In oocytes coexpressing KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels, ethanol, 1-butanol and 1-hexanol dose-dependently inhibited IKs currents with IC50 values of 80, 11 and 2.7 mmol/L, respectively. Furthermore, the 1-alkanols blocked the KCNQ1 channel in both open and closed states, and a four-state model could adequately explain the effects of 1-alkanols on the closed-state channel block. Moreover, the mutation of I257A at the intracellular loop between S4 and S5 in KCNQ1 greatly decreased the sensitivity to 1-alkanols; and the IC50 values of ethanol, 1-butanol and 1-hexanol were increased to 634, 414 and 7.4 mmol/L, respectively. The mutation also caused the ablation of closed-state channel block. CONCLUSION These findings provide new insight into the intricate mechanisms of the blocking effects of ethanol on the KCNQ1 channel.
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Huang SS, Chen CL, Huang FW, Johnson FE, Huang JS. Ethanol Enhances TGF-β Activity by Recruiting TGF-β Receptors From Intracellular Vesicles/Lipid Rafts/Caveolae to Non-Lipid Raft Microdomains. J Cell Biochem 2015; 117:860-71. [PMID: 26419316 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Regular consumption of moderate amounts of ethanol has important health benefits on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Overindulgence can cause many diseases, particularly alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The mechanisms by which ethanol causes both beneficial and harmful effects on human health are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that ethanol enhances TGF-β-stimulated luciferase activity with a maximum of 0.5-1% (v/v) in Mv1Lu cells stably expressing a luciferase reporter gene containing Smad2-dependent elements. In Mv1Lu cells, 0.5% ethanol increases the level of P-Smad2, a canonical TGF-β signaling sensor, by ∼ 2-3-fold. Ethanol (0.5%) increases cell-surface expression of the type II TGF-β receptor (TβR-II) by ∼ 2-3-fold from its intracellular pool, as determined by I(125) -TGF-β-cross-linking/Western blot analysis. Sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and indirect immunofluorescence staining analyses reveal that ethanol (0.5% and 1%) also displaces cell-surface TβR-I and TβR-II from lipid rafts/caveolae and facilitates translocation of these receptors to non-lipid raft microdomains where canonical signaling occurs. These results suggest that ethanol enhances canonical TGF-β signaling by increasing non-lipid raft microdomain localization of the TGF-β receptors. Since TGF-β plays a protective role in ASCVD but can also cause ALD, the TGF-β enhancer activity of ethanol at low and high doses appears to be responsible for both beneficial and harmful effects. Ethanol also disrupts the location of lipid raft/caveolae of other membrane proteins (e.g., neurotransmitter, growth factor/cytokine, and G protein-coupled receptors) which utilize lipid rafts/caveolae as signaling platforms. Displacement of these membrane proteins induced by ethanol may result in a variety of pathologies in nerve, heart and other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chun-Lin Chen
- Department of Biological Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan.,Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University and Academia Sinica, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Franklin W Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
| | - Frank E Johnson
- Department of Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 63104
| | - Jung San Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Doisy Research Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 63104
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Bukiya AN, Osborn CV, Kuntamallappanavar G, Toth PT, Baki L, Kowalsky G, Oh MJ, Dopico AM, Levitan I, Rosenhouse-Dantsker A. Cholesterol increases the open probability of cardiac KACh currents. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Dopico AM, Bukiya AN, Martin GE. Ethanol modulation of mammalian BK channels in excitable tissues: molecular targets and their possible contribution to alcohol-induced altered behavior. Front Physiol 2014; 5:466. [PMID: 25538625 PMCID: PMC4256990 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In most tissues, the function of Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ (BK) channels is modified in response to ethanol concentrations reached in human blood during alcohol intoxication. In general, modification of BK current from ethanol-naïve preparations in response to brief ethanol exposure results from changes in channel open probability without modification of unitary conductance or change in BK protein levels in the membrane. Protracted and/or repeated ethanol exposure, however, may evoke changes in BK expression. The final ethanol effect on BK open probability leading to either BK current potentiation or BK current reduction is determined by an orchestration of molecular factors, including levels of activating ligand (Ca2+i), BK subunit composition and post-translational modifications, and the channel's lipid microenvironment. These factors seem to allosterically regulate a direct interaction between ethanol and a recognition pocket of discrete dimensions recently mapped to the channel-forming (slo1) subunit. Type of ethanol exposure also plays a role in the final BK response to the drug: in several central nervous system regions (e.g., striatum, primary sensory neurons, and supraoptic nucleus), acute exposure to ethanol reduces neuronal excitability by enhancing BK activity. In contrast, protracted or repetitive ethanol administration may alter BK subunit composition and membrane expression, rendering the BK complex insensitive to further ethanol exposure. In neurohypophyseal axon terminals, ethanol potentiation of BK channel activity leads to a reduction in neuropeptide release. In vascular smooth muscle, however, ethanol inhibition of BK current leads to cell contraction and vascular constriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Gilles E Martin
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA, USA
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Bondarenko AI, Drachuk K, Panasiuk O, Sagach V, Deak AT, Malli R, Graier WF. N-Arachidonoyl glycine suppresses Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger-mediated Ca²⁺ entry into endothelial cells and activates BK(Ca) channels independently of GPCRs. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 169:933-48. [PMID: 23517055 PMCID: PMC3687672 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose N-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) is a lipoamino acid with vasorelaxant properties. We aimed to explore the mechanisms of NAGly's action on unstimulated and agonist-stimulated endothelial cells. Experimental Approach The effects of NAGly on endothelial electrical signalling were studied in combination with vascular reactivity. Key Results In EA.hy926 cells, the sustained hyperpolarization to histamine was inhibited by the non-selective Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) inhibitor bepridil and by an inhibitor of reversed mode NCX, KB-R7943. In cells dialysed with Cs+-based Na+-containing solution, the outwardly rectifying current with typical characteristics of NCX was augmented following histamine exposure, further increased upon external Na+ withdrawal and inhibited by bepridil. NAGly (0.3–30 μM) suppressed NCX currents in a URB597- and guanosine 5′-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDPβS)-insensitive manner, [Ca2+]i elevation evoked by Na+ removal and the hyperpolarization to histamine. In rat aorta, NAGly opposed the endothelial hyperpolarization and relaxation response to ACh. In unstimulated EA.hy926 cells, NAGly potentiated the whole-cell current attributable to large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels in a GDPβS-insensitive, paxilline-sensitive manner and produced a sustained hyperpolarization. In cell-free inside-out patches, NAGly stimulated single BKCa channel activity. Conclusion and Implications Our data showed that NCX is a Ca2+ entry pathway in endothelial cells and that NAGly is a potent G-protein-independent modulator of endothelial electrical signalling and has a dual effect on endothelial electrical responses. In agonist pre-stimulated cells, NAGly opposes hyperpolarization and relaxation via inhibition of NCX-mediated Ca2+ entry, while in unstimulated cells, it promotes hyperpolarization via receptor-independent activation of BKCa channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander I Bondarenko
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
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37
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Yuan C, Velázquez-Marrero C, Bernardo A, Treistman SN. Lipids modulate the increase of BK channel calcium sensitivity by the β1 subunit. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107917. [PMID: 25254644 PMCID: PMC4177886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-expression of the auxiliary β1 subunit with the pore forming α subunit of BK dramatically alters apparent calcium sensitivity. Investigation of the mechanism underlying the increase in calcium sensitivity of BK in smooth muscle has concentrated on the energetic effect of β1's interaction with α. We take a novel approach, exploring whether β1 modification of calcium sensitivity reflects altered interaction between the channel protein and surrounding lipids. We reconstituted hSlo BK α and BK α+β1 channels into two sets of bilayers. One set contained POPE with POPS, POPG, POPA and POPC, where the length of acyl chains is constant, but surface charge differs. The second set is a series of neutral bilayers formed from DOPE with phosphatidylcholines (PCs) of varying acyl chain lengths: C (14:1), C (18:1), C (22:1) and C (24:1), and with brain sphingomyelin (SPM), in which surface charge is constant, but bilayer thickness varies. The increase in calcium sensitivity caused by the β1 subunit was preserved in negatively charged lipid bilayers but not in neutral bilayers, indicating that modification of apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity by β1 is modulated by membrane lipids, requiring negatively charged lipids in the membrane. Moreover, the presence of β1 reduces BK activity in thin bilayers of PC 14:1 and thick bilayers containing SPM, but has no significant effect on activity of BK in PC 18:1, PC 22:1 and PC 24:1 bilayers. These data suggest that auxiliary β1 subunits fine-tune channel gating not only through direct subunit-subunit interactions but also by modulating lipid-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunbo Yuan
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Alexandra Bernardo
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Steven N. Treistman
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- * E-mail:
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Bettinger JC, Davies AG. The role of the BK channel in ethanol response behaviors: evidence from model organism and human studies. Front Physiol 2014; 5:346. [PMID: 25249984 PMCID: PMC4158801 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol abuse is a significant public health problem. Understanding the molecular effects of ethanol is important for the identification of at risk individuals, as well as the development of novel pharmacotherapies. The large conductance calcium sensitive potassium (BK) channel has emerged as an important player in the behavioral response to ethanol in genetic studies in several model organisms and in humans. The BK channel, slo-1, was identified in a forward genetics screen as a major ethanol target in C. elegans for the effects of ethanol on locomotion and egg-laying behaviors. Regulation of the expression of the BK channel, slo, in Drosophila underlies the development of rapid tolerance to ethanol and benzyl alcohol sedation. Rodent expression studies of the BK-encoding KCNMA1 gene have identified regulation of mRNA levels in response to ethanol exposure, and knock out studies in mice have demonstrated that the β subunits of the BK channel, β1 and β4, can modulate ethanol sensitivity of the channel in electrophysiological preparations, and can influence drinking behavior. In human genetics studies, both KCNMA1 and the genes encoding β subunits of the BK channel have been associated with alcohol dependence. This review describes the genetic data for a role for BK channels in mediating behavioral responses to ethanol across these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill C Bettinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Andrew G Davies
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA, USA
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Velázquez-Marrero C, Seale GE, Treistman SN, Martin GE. Large conductance voltage- and Ca2+-gated potassium (BK) channel β4 subunit influences sensitivity and tolerance to alcohol by altering its response to kinases. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:29261-72. [PMID: 25190810 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.604306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Tolerance is a well described component of alcohol abuse and addiction. The large conductance voltage- and Ca(2+)-gated potassium channel (BK) has been very useful for studying molecular tolerance. The influence of association with the β4 subunit can be observed at the level of individual channels, action potentials in brain slices, and finally, drinking behavior in the mouse. Previously, we showed that 50 mm alcohol increases both α and αβ4 BK channel open probability, but only α BK develops acute tolerance to this effect. Currently, we explore the possibility that the influence of the β4 subunit on tolerance may result from a striking effect of β4 on kinase modulation of the BK channel. We examine the influence of the β4 subunit on PKA, CaMKII, and phosphatase modulation of channel activity, and on molecular tolerance to alcohol. We record from human BK channels heterologously expressed in HEK 293 cells composed of its core subunit, α alone (Insertless), or co-expressed with the β4 BK auxiliary subunit, as well as, acutely dissociated nucleus accumbens neurons using the cell-attached patch clamp configuration. Our results indicate that BK channels are strongly modulated by activation of specific kinases (PKA and CaMKII) and phosphatases. The presence of the β4 subunit greatly influences this modulation, allowing a variety of outcomes for BK channel activity in response to acute alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Velázquez-Marrero
- the Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Garrett E Seale
- the Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Steven N Treistman
- the Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Gilles E Martin
- From the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604 and
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Raabe RC, Mathies LD, Davies AG, Bettinger JC. The omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid is required for normal alcohol response behaviors in C. elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105999. [PMID: 25162400 PMCID: PMC4146551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol addiction is a widespread societal problem, for which there are few treatments. There are significant genetic and environmental influences on abuse liability, and understanding these factors will be important for the identification of susceptible individuals and the development of effective pharmacotherapies. In humans, the level of response to alcohol is strongly predictive of subsequent alcohol abuse. Level of response is a combination of counteracting responses to alcohol, the level of sensitivity to the drug and the degree to which tolerance develops during the drug exposure, called acute functional tolerance. We use the simple and well-characterized nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans to model the acute behavioral effects of ethanol to identify genetic and environmental factors that influence level of response to ethanol. Given the strong molecular conservation between the neurobiological machinery of worms and humans, cellular-level effects of ethanol are likely to be conserved. Increasingly, variation in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels has been implicated in complex neurobiological phenotypes in humans, and we recently found that fatty acid levels modify ethanol responses in worms. Here, we report that 1) eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, is required for the development of acute functional tolerance, 2) dietary supplementation of eicosapentaenoic acid is sufficient for acute tolerance, and 3) dietary eicosapentaenoic acid can alter the wild-type response to ethanol. These results suggest that genetic variation influencing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels may be important abuse liability loci, and that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids may be an important environmental modulator of the behavioral response to ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C. Raabe
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Laura D. Mathies
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Andrew G. Davies
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU-Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jill C. Bettinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU-Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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41
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Dopico AM, Bukiya AN. Lipid regulation of BK channel function. Front Physiol 2014; 5:312. [PMID: 25202277 PMCID: PMC4141547 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This mini-review focuses on lipid modulation of BK (MaxiK, BKCa) current by a direct interaction between lipid and the BK subunits and/or their immediate lipid environment. Direct lipid-BK protein interactions have been proposed for fatty and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, phosphoinositides and cholesterol, evidence for such action being less clear for other lipids. BK α (slo1) subunits are sufficient to support current perturbation by fatty and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, glycerophospholipids and cholesterol, while distinct BK β subunits seem necessary for current modulation by most steroids. Subunit domains or amino acids that participate in lipid action have been identified in a few cases: hslo1 Y318, cerebral artery smooth muscle (cbv1) R334,K335,K336, cbv1 seven cytosolic CRAC domains, slo1 STREX and β1 T169,L172,L173 for docosahexaenoic acid, PIP2, cholesterol, sulfatides, and cholane steroids, respectively. Whether these protein motifs directly bind lipids or rather transmit the energy of lipid binding to other areas and trigger protein conformation change remains unresolved. The impact of direct lipid-BK interaction on physiology is briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN, USA
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An alcohol-sensing site in the calcium- and voltage-gated, large conductance potassium (BK) channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:9313-8. [PMID: 24927535 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1317363111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethanol alters BK (slo1) channel function leading to perturbation of physiology and behavior. Site(s) and mechanism(s) of ethanol-BK channel interaction are unknown. We demonstrate that ethanol docks onto a water-accessible site that is strategically positioned between the slo1 calcium-sensors and gate. Ethanol only accesses this site in presence of calcium, the BK channel's physiological agonist. Within the site, ethanol hydrogen-bonds with K361. Moreover, substitutions that hamper hydrogen bond formation or prevent ethanol from accessing K361 abolish alcohol action without altering basal channel function. Alcohol interacting site dimensions are approximately 10.7 × 8.6 × 7.1 Å, accommodating effective (ethanol-heptanol) but not ineffective (octanol, nonanol) channel activators. This study presents: (i) to our knowledge, the first identification and characterization of an n-alkanol recognition site in a member of the voltage-gated TM6 channel superfamily; (ii) structural insights on ethanol allosteric interactions with ligand-gated ion channels; and (iii) a first step for designing agents that antagonize BK channel-mediated alcohol actions without perturbing basal channel function.
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Bukiya A, Dopico AM, Leffler CW, Fedinec A. Dietary cholesterol protects against alcohol-induced cerebral artery constriction. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:1216-26. [PMID: 24588122 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge drinking represents the major form of excessive alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) consumption in the United States. Episodic (such as binge) drinking results in blood alcohol levels (BAL) of 18 to 80 mM and leads to alcohol-induced cerebral artery constriction (AICAC). AICAC was shown to arise from EtOH-induced inhibition of large-conductance, calcium/voltage-gated potassium (BK) channels in the vascular smooth muscle. Factors that modulate BK channel-mediated AICAC remain largely unknown. METHODS Male Sprague Dawley rats were placed on high-cholesterol (2% of cholesterol) diet for 18 to 23 weeks. Their littermates were placed on control iso-caloric diet. AICAC was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro, by means of pial arteriole diameter monitoring through a closed cranial window and diameter measurements of isolated, pressurized cerebral arteries. Cholesterol level in the cerebral artery tissue was manipulated by methyl-β-cyclodextrin to reverse dietary-induced accumulation of cholesterol. BK channel surface presence on the plasma membrane of cerebral artery myocytes was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. BK channel function in pressurized cerebral artery was assessed using selective BK channel blocker paxilline. RESULTS Within 5 minutes of 50 mM EtOH injection into carotid artery in vivo, arteriole diameter decreased by 20% in control group. Pial arteriole constriction was significantly reduced in rats on high-cholesterol diet, resulting in only 10% reduction in diameter. BAL in both groups, however, remained the same. Significant reduction in AICAC in group on high-cholesterol diet compared to control was also observed after middle cerebral artery dissection and in vitro pressurization at 60 mmHg, this reduction remaining after endothelium removal. Cholesterol level in de-endothelialized cerebral arteries was significantly increased in rats on high-cholesterol diet. Removal of excessive cholesterol content restored AICAC to the level observed in cerebral arteries of rats on normal diet. Immunofluorescence staining of BK channel-forming and accessory, smooth muscle-specific β1 subunit in freshly isolated cerebral artery myocyte showed that high-cholesterol diet did not down-regulate surface presence of BK protein. However, paxilline-induced cerebral artery constriction was diminished in arteries from rats on high-cholesterol diet. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that dietary cholesterol protects against AICAC. This protection is caused by cholesterol buildup in the arterial tissue and diminished function (but not surface presence) of EtOH target-BK channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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Levitan I, Singh DK, Rosenhouse-Dantsker A. Cholesterol binding to ion channels. Front Physiol 2014; 5:65. [PMID: 24616704 PMCID: PMC3935357 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies demonstrated that membrane cholesterol is a major regulator of ion channel function. The goal of this review is to discuss significant advances that have been recently achieved in elucidating the mechanisms responsible for cholesterol regulation of ion channels. The first major insight that comes from growing number of studies that based on the sterol specificity of cholesterol effects, show that several types of ion channels (nAChR, Kir, BK, TRPV) are regulated by specific sterol-protein interactions. This conclusion is supported by demonstrating direct saturable binding of cholesterol to a bacterial Kir channel. The second major advance in the field is the identification of putative cholesterol binding sites in several types of ion channels. These include sites at locations associated with the well-known cholesterol binding motif CRAC and its reversed form CARC in nAChR, BK, and TRPV, as well as novel cholesterol binding regions in Kir channels. Notably, in the majority of these channels, cholesterol is suggested to interact mainly with hydrophobic residues in non-annular regions of the channels being embedded in between transmembrane protein helices. We also discuss how identification of putative cholesterol binding sites is an essential step to understand the mechanistic basis of cholesterol-induced channel regulation. Clearly, however, these are only the first few steps in obtaining a general understanding of cholesterol-ion channels interactions and their roles in cellular and organ functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Levitan
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Allergy, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL, USA
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Wang YJ, Chan MH, Chen HH. Methamphetamine inhibits voltage-gated potassium currents in NG108-15 cells: possible contribution of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels. Toxicol Lett 2013; 223:139-45. [PMID: 24012886 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2013.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2013] [Revised: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA), a highly abused amphetamine-like psychostimulant, has surged in popularity worldwide in the last decade. Repeated MA exposure has been shown to affect the alternative splice variant expression of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels. It remains unclear whether MA affects BK channel activity. The present study investigated the effects of MA on BK channels in NG108-15 mouse neuroblastoma×rat glioma hybrid cells using whole-cell and cell-attached patch clamp techniques. In whole-cell recordings, the macroscopic K(+) outward currents were inhibited by MA with an EC50 of 146μM, but not affected by dopamine (DA). It implies that DA is not involved in the effects of MA on K(+) outward currents. In cell-attached patches, MA significantly decreased BK channel activity. Moreover, MA significantly decreased the BK channel opener NS1619-evoked whole-cell K(+) outward currents and BK channel activity. Finally, the effect of MA on membrane potential was examined by current-clamp configuration. MA caused membrane depolarization and application of NS1619 returned the depolarized potential to resting value. These findings suggest that MA might act as an inhibitor of BK channels, and thereby increase the neuronal excitability and enhance neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jean Wang
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan
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Liu J, Bukiya AN, Kuntamallappanavar G, Singh AK, Dopico AM. Distinct sensitivity of slo1 channel proteins to ethanol. Mol Pharmacol 2012; 83:235-44. [PMID: 23093494 DOI: 10.1124/mol.112.081240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethanol levels reached in circulation during moderate-to-heavy alcohol intoxication (50-100 mM) modify Ca(2+)- and voltage-gated K(+) (BK) channel steady-state activity, eventually altering both physiology and behavior. Ethanol action on BK steady-state activity solely requires the channel-forming subunit slo1 within a bare lipid environment. To identify the protein regions that confer ethanol sensitivity to slo1, we tested the ethanol sensitivity of heterologously expressed slo1 and structurally related channels. Ethanol (50 mM) increased the steady-state activities of mslo1 and Ca(2+)-gated MthK, the latter after channel reconstitution into phospholipid bilayers. In contrast, 50-100 mM ethanol failed to alter the steady-state activities of Na(+)/Cl(-)-gated rslo2, H(+)-gated mslo3, and an mslo1/3 chimera engineered by joining the mslo1 region encompassing the N terminus to S6 with the mslo3 cytosolic tail domain (CTD). Collectively, data indicate that the slo family canonical design, which combines a transmembrane 6 (TM6) voltage-gated K(+) channel (K(V)) core with CTDs that empower the channel with ion-sensing, does not necessarily render ethanol sensitivity. In addition, the region encompassing the N terminus to the S0-S1 cytosolic loop (missing in MthK) is not necessary for ethanol action. Moreover, incorporation of both this region and an ion-sensing CTD to TM6 K(V) cores (a design common to mslo1, mslo3, and the mslo1/mslo3 chimera) is not sufficient for ethanol sensitivity. Rather, a CTD containing Ca(2+)-sensing regulator of conductance for K(+) domains seems to be critical to bestow K(V) structures, whether of TM2 (MthK) or TM6 (slo1), with sensitivity to intoxicating ethanol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxi Liu
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, 874 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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Large conductance, calcium- and voltage-gated potassium (BK) channels: regulation by cholesterol. Pharmacol Ther 2012; 135:133-50. [PMID: 22584144 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cholesterol (CLR) is an essential component of eukaryotic plasma membranes. CLR regulates the membrane physical state, microdomain formation and the activity of membrane-spanning proteins, including ion channels. Large conductance, voltage- and Ca²⁺-gated K⁺ (BK) channels link membrane potential to cell Ca²⁺ homeostasis. Thus, they control many physiological processes and participate in pathophysiological mechanisms leading to human disease. Because plasmalemma BK channels cluster in CLR-rich membrane microdomains, a major driving force for studying BK channel-CLR interactions is determining how membrane CLR controls the BK current phenotype, including its pharmacology, channel sorting, distribution, and role in cell physiology. Since both BK channels and CLR tissue levels play a pathophysiological role in human disease, identifying functional and structural aspects of the CLR-BK channel interaction may open new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Here, we review the studies documenting membrane CLR-BK channel interactions, dissecting out the many factors that determine the final BK current response to changes in membrane CLR content. We also summarize work in reductionist systems where recombinant BK protein is studied in artificial lipid bilayers, which documents a direct inhibition of BK channel activity by CLR and builds a strong case for a direct interaction between CLR and the BK channel-forming protein. Bilayer lipid-mediated mechanisms in CLR action are also discussed. Finally, we review studies of BK channel function during hypercholesterolemia, and underscore the many consequences that the CLR-BK channel interaction brings to cell physiology and human disease.
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Bettinger JC, Leung K, Bolling MH, Goldsmith AD, Davies AG. Lipid environment modulates the development of acute tolerance to ethanol in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35192. [PMID: 22574115 PMCID: PMC3344825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of tolerance to a drug at the level of the neuron reflects a homeostatic mechanism by which neurons respond to perturbations of their function by external stimuli. Acute functional tolerance (AFT) to ethanol is a fast compensatory response that develops within a single drug session and normalizes neuronal function despite the continued presence of the drug. We performed a genetic screen to identify genes required for the development of acute functional tolerance to ethanol in the nematode C. elegans. We identified mutations affecting multiple genes in a genetic pathway known to regulate levels of triacylglycerols (TAGs) via the lipase LIPS-7, indicating that there is an important role for TAGs in the development of tolerance. Genetic manipulation of lips-7 expression, up or down, produced opposing effects on ethanol sensitivity and on the rate of development of AFT. Further, decreasing cholesterol levels through environmental manipulation mirrored the effects of decreased TAG levels. Finally, we found that genetic alterations in the levels of the TAG lipase LIPS-7 can modify the phenotype of gain-of-function mutations in the ethanol-inducible ion channel SLO-1, the voltage- and calcium-sensitive BK channel. This study demonstrates that the lipid milieu modulates neuronal responses to ethanol that include initial sensitivity and the development of acute tolerance. These results lend new insight into studies of alcohol dependence, and suggest a model in which TAG levels are important for the development of AFT through alterations of the action of ethanol on membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill C Bettinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
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Singh AK, McMillan J, Bukiya AN, Burton B, Parrill AL, Dopico AM. Multiple cholesterol recognition/interaction amino acid consensus (CRAC) motifs in cytosolic C tail of Slo1 subunit determine cholesterol sensitivity of Ca2+- and voltage-gated K+ (BK) channels. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:20509-21. [PMID: 22474334 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.356261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Large conductance, Ca(2+)- and voltage-gated K(+) (BK) channel proteins are ubiquitously expressed in cell membranes and control a wide variety of biological processes. Membrane cholesterol regulates the activity of membrane-associated proteins, including BK channels. Cholesterol modulation of BK channels alters action potential firing, colonic ion transport, smooth muscle contractility, endothelial function, and the channel alcohol response. The structural bases underlying cholesterol-BK channel interaction are unknown. Such interaction is determined by strict chemical requirements for the sterol molecule, suggesting cholesterol recognition by a protein surface. Here, we demonstrate that cholesterol action on BK channel-forming Cbv1 proteins is mediated by their cytosolic C tail domain, where we identified seven cholesterol recognition/interaction amino acid consensus motifs (CRAC4 to 10), a distinct feature of BK proteins. Cholesterol sensitivity is provided by the membrane-adjacent CRAC4, where Val-444, Tyr-450, and Lys-453 are required for cholesterol sensing, with hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions participating in cholesterol location and recognition. However, cumulative truncations or Tyr-to-Phe substitutions in CRAC5 to 10 progressively blunt cholesterol sensitivity, documenting involvement of multiple CRACs in cholesterol-BK channel interaction. In conclusion, our study provides for the first time the structural bases of BK channel cholesterol sensitivity; the presence of membrane-adjacent CRAC4 and the long cytosolic C tail domain with several other CRAC motifs, which are not found in other members of the TM6 superfamily of ion channels, very likely explains the unique cholesterol sensitivity of BK channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
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Bukiya AN, Vaithianathan T, Kuntamallappanavar G, Asuncion-Chin M, Dopico AM. Smooth muscle cholesterol enables BK β1 subunit-mediated channel inhibition and subsequent vasoconstriction evoked by alcohol. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2012; 31:2410-23. [PMID: 21868700 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.111.233965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hypercholesterolemia and alcohol drinking constitute independent risk factors for cerebrovascular disease. Alcohol constricts cerebral arteries in several species, including humans. This action results from inhibition of voltage- and calcium-gated potassium channels (BK) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). BK activity is also modulated by membrane cholesterol. We investigated whether VSMC cholesterol regulates ethanol actions on BK and cerebral arteries. METHODS AND RESULTS After myogenic tone development, cholesterol depletion of rat, resistance-size cerebral arteries ablated ethanol-induced constriction, a result that was identical in intact and endothelium-free vessels. Cholesterol depletion reduced ethanol inhibition of BK whether the channel was studied in VSMC or after rat cerebral artery myocyte subunit (cbv1+β1) reconstitution into phospholipid bilayers. Homomeric cbv1 channels reconstituted into bilayers and VSMC BK from β1 knockout mice were both resistant to ethanol-induced inhibition. Moreover, arteries from β1 knockout mice failed to respond to ethanol even when VSMC cholesterol was kept unmodified. Remarkably, ethanol inhibition of cbv1+β1 in bilayers and wt mouse VSMC BK were drastically blunted by cholesterol depletion. Consistently, cholesterol depletion suppressed ethanol constriction of wt mouse arteries. CONCLUSION VSMC cholesterol and BK β1 are both required for ethanol inhibition of BK and the resulting cerebral artery constriction, with health-related implications for manipulating cholesterol levels in alcohol-induced cerebrovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Pharmacology, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
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