1
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Deal PE, Lee H, Mondal A, Lolicato M, Mendonça PRFD, Black H, Jang S, El-Hilali X, Bryant C, Isacoff EY, Renslo AR, Minor DL. Development of covalent chemogenetic K 2P channel activators. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1305-1323.e9. [PMID: 39029456 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
K2P potassium channels regulate excitability by affecting cellular resting membrane potential in the brain, cardiovascular system, immune cells, and sensory organs. Despite their important roles in anesthesia, arrhythmia, pain, hypertension, sleep, and migraine, the ability to control K2P function remains limited. Here, we describe a chemogenetic strategy termed CATKLAMP (covalent activation of TREK family K+ channels to clamp membrane potential) that leverages the discovery of a K2P modulator pocket site that reacts with electrophile-bearing derivatives of a TREK subfamily small-molecule activator, ML335, to activate the channel irreversibly. We show that CATKLAMP can be used to probe fundamental aspects of K2P function, as a switch to silence neuronal firing, and is applicable to all TREK subfamily members. Together, our findings exemplify a means to alter K2P channel activity that should facilitate molecular and systems level studies of K2P function and enable the search for new K2P modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker E Deal
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Haerim Lee
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Abhisek Mondal
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Marco Lolicato
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | | | - Holly Black
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Seil Jang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Xochina El-Hilali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Clifford Bryant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Ehud Y Isacoff
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Weill Neurohub, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Adam R Renslo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA.
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA; Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA.
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2
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Deshar G, Christensen NM, Novak I. Pantoprazole and riluzole target H +/K +-ATPases and pH-sensitive K + channels in pancreatic cancer cells. Int J Cancer 2024. [PMID: 38975879 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.35076] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains the most lethal cancer type. PDAC is characterized by fibrotic, hypoxic, and presumably acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). Acidic TME is an important player in tumor development, progression, aggressiveness, and chemoresistance. The dysregulation of ductal ion transporters/channels might contribute to extracellular pH (pHe) acidification and PDAC progression. Our aim was to test whether H+/K+-ATPases and pH-sensitive K+ channels contribute to these processes and could be targeted by clinically approved drugs. We used human pancreatic cancer cells adapted to various pHe conditions and grown in monolayers and spheroids. First, we created cells expressing pHoran4 at the outer plasma membrane and showed that pantoprazole, the H+/K+-ATPase inhibitor, alkalinized pHe. Second, we used FluoVolt to monitor the membrane voltage (Vm) and showed that riluzole hyperpolarized Vm, most likely by opening of pH-sensitive K+ channels such as TREK-1. Third, we show that pantoprazole and riluzole inhibited cell proliferation and viability of monolayers and spheroids of cancer cells adapted to various pHe conditions. Most importantly, combination of the two drugs had significantly larger inhibitory effects on PDAC cell survival. We propose that co-targeting H+/K+-ATPases and pH-sensitive K+ channels by re-purposing of pantoprazole and riluzole could provide novel acidosis-targeted therapies of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganga Deshar
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Ivana Novak
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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3
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Zhang S, Ma D, Wang K, Li Y, Yang Z, Li X, Li J, He J, Mei L, Ye Y, Chen Z, Shen J, Hou P, Guo J, Zhang Q, Yang H. A small-molecule activation mechanism that directly opens the KCNQ2 channel. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:847-856. [PMID: 38167918 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01515-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Pharmacological activation of voltage-gated ion channels by ligands serves as the basis for therapy and mainly involves a classic gating mechanism that augments the native voltage-dependent open probability. Through structure-based virtual screening, we identified a new scaffold compound, Ebio1, serving as a potent and subtype-selective activator for the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ2 and featuring a new activation mechanism. Single-channel patch-clamp, cryogenic-electron microscopy and molecular dynamic simulations, along with chemical derivatives, reveal that Ebio1 engages the KCNQ2 activation by generating an extended channel gate with a larger conductance at the saturating voltage (+50 mV). This mechanism is different from the previously observed activation mechanism of ligands on voltage-gated ion channels. Ebio1 caused S6 helices from residues S303 and F305 to perform a twist-to-open movement, which was sufficient to open the KCNQ2 gate. Overall, our findings provide mechanistic insights into the activation of KCNQ2 channel by Ebio1 and lend support for KCNQ-related drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoying Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Demin Ma
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenni Yang
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Li
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junnan Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiangnan He
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lianghe Mei
- Suzhou Institute of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Yangliang Ye
- Suzhou Institute of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Zongsheng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Wuhu Hospital Affiliated to East China Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Juwen Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Panpan Hou
- Dr Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Jiangtao Guo
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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4
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Rödström KEJ, Cloake A, Sörmann J, Baronina A, Smith KHM, Pike ACW, Ang J, Proks P, Schewe M, Holland-Kaye I, Bushell SR, Elliott J, Pardon E, Baukrowitz T, Owens RJ, Newstead S, Steyaert J, Carpenter EP, Tucker SJ. Extracellular modulation of TREK-2 activity with nanobodies provides insight into the mechanisms of K2P channel regulation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4173. [PMID: 38755204 PMCID: PMC11099193 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48536-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels of the Two-Pore Domain (K2P) subfamily, KCNK1-KCNK18, play crucial roles in controlling the electrical activity of many different cell types and represent attractive therapeutic targets. However, the identification of highly selective small molecule drugs against these channels has been challenging due to the high degree of structural and functional conservation that exists not only between K2P channels, but across the whole K+ channel superfamily. To address the issue of selectivity, here we generate camelid antibody fragments (nanobodies) against the TREK-2 (KCNK10) K2P K+ channel and identify selective binders including several that directly modulate channel activity. X-ray crystallography and CryoEM data of these nanobodies in complex with TREK-2 also reveal insights into their mechanisms of activation and inhibition via binding to the extracellular loops and Cap domain, as well as their suitability for immunodetection. These structures facilitate design of a biparatropic inhibitory nanobody with markedly improved sensitivity. Together, these results provide important insights into TREK channel gating and provide an alternative, more selective approach to modulation of K2P channel activity via their extracellular domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin E J Rödström
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexander Cloake
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Janina Sörmann
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Agnese Baronina
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kathryn H M Smith
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ashley C W Pike
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jackie Ang
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter Proks
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marcus Schewe
- Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Simon R Bushell
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jenna Elliott
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Els Pardon
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Baukrowitz
- Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Raymond J Owens
- The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot, UK
- Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simon Newstead
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jan Steyaert
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elisabeth P Carpenter
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Stephen J Tucker
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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5
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Stix R, Tan XF, Bae C, Fernández-Mariño AI, Swartz KJ, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Eukaryotic Kv channel Shaker inactivates through selectivity filter dilation rather than collapse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj5539. [PMID: 38064553 PMCID: PMC10708196 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj5539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic voltage-gated K+ channels have been extensively studied, but the structural bases for some of their most salient functional features remain to be established. C-type inactivation, for example, is an auto-inhibitory mechanism that confers temporal resolution to their signal-firing activity. In a recent breakthrough, studies of a mutant of Shaker that is prone to inactivate indicated that this process entails a dilation of the selectivity filter, the narrowest part of the ion conduction pathway. Here, we report an atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure that demonstrates that the wild-type channel can also adopt this dilated state. All-atom simulations corroborate this conformation is congruent with the electrophysiological characteristics of the C-type inactivated state, namely, residual K+ conductance and altered ion specificity, and help rationalize why inactivation is accelerated or impeded by certain mutations. In summary, this study establishes the molecular basis for an important self-regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic K+ channels, laying a solid foundation for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Stix
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xiao-Feng Tan
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chanhyung Bae
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ana I. Fernández-Mariño
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenton J. Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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6
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Zhi Y, Wu X, Chen Y, Chen X, Chen X, Luo H, Yi X, Lin X, Ma L, Chen Y, Cao Y, Li F, Zhou P. A novel TWIK2 channel inhibitor binds at the bottom of the selectivity filter and protects against LPS-induced experimental endotoxemia in vivo. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115894. [PMID: 37898389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
TWIK2 channel plays a critical role in NLRP3 inflammasome activation and mice deficient in TWIK2 channel are protected from sepsis and inflammatory lung injury. However, inhibitors of TWIK2 channel are currently in an early stage of development, and the molecular determinants underlying the chemical modulation of TWIK2 channel remain unexplored. In this study, we identified NPBA and the synthesized derivative NPBA-4 potently and selectively inhibited TWIK2 channel by using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Furthermore, the mutation of the last residues of the selectivity filter in both P1 and P2 (i.e., T106A, T214A) of TWIK2 channel substantially abolished the effect of NPBA on TWIK2 channel. Our data suggest that NPBA blocked TWIK2 channel through binding at the bottom of the selectivity filter, which was also supported by molecular docking prediction. Moreover, we found that NPBA significantly suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages and alleviated LPS-induced endotoxemia and organ injury in vivo. Notably, the protective effects of NPBA against LPS-induced endotoxemia were abolished in Kcnk6-/- mice. In summary, our study has uncovered a series of novel inhibitors of TWIK2 channel and revealed their distinct molecular determinants interacting TWIK2 channel. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of pharmacological action on TWIK2 channel and opportunities for the development of selective TWIK2 channel modulators to treat related inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxing Zhi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yanshan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xingyuan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Hui Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiuling Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Ying Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Fengxian Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Pingzheng Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
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7
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Deal PE, Lee H, Mondal A, Lolicato M, de Mendonca PRF, Black H, El-Hilali X, Bryant C, Isacoff EY, Renslo AR, Minor DL. Development of covalent chemogenetic K 2P channel activators. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.15.561774. [PMID: 37905049 PMCID: PMC10614804 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.15.561774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
K2P potassium channels regulate excitability by affecting cellular resting membrane potential in the brain, cardiovascular system, immune cells, and sensory organs. Despite their important roles in anesthesia, arrhythmia, pain, hypertension, sleep, and migraine, the ability to control K2P function remains limited. Here, we describe a chemogenetic strategy termed CATKLAMP (Covalent Activation of TREK family K+ channels to cLAmp Membrane Potential) that leverages the discovery of a site in the K2P modulator pocket that reacts with electrophile-bearing derivatives of a TREK subfamily small molecule activator, ML335, to activate the channel irreversibly. We show that the CATKLAMP strategy can be used to probe fundamental aspects of K2P function, as a switch to silence neuronal firing, and is applicable to all TREK subfamily members. Together, our findings exemplify a new means to alter K2P channel activity that should facilitate studies both molecular and systems level studies of K2P function and enable the search for new K2P modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker E. Deal
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | - Haerim Lee
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | - Abhisek Mondal
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | - Marco Lolicato
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | | | - Holly Black
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Xochina El-Hilali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | - Clifford Bryant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | - Ehud Y. Isacoff
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Weill Neurohub, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Adam R. Renslo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
| | - Daniel L. Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, California 93858-2330 USA
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8
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Gómez-Herrera MA, Patlán E, Estrada-Garrido A, Hernández-Cruz A, Luis E. Fluorescent membrane potential assay for drug screening on Kv10.1 channel: identification of BL-1249 as a channel activator. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1238503. [PMID: 37554982 PMCID: PMC10404814 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1238503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Resting membrane potential is a bioelectric property of all cells. Multiple players govern this property, the ion channels being the most important. Ion channel dysfunction can affect cells' resting membrane potential and could be associated with numerous diseases. Therefore, the drug discovery focus on ion channels has increased yearly. In addition to patch-clamp, cell-based fluorescent assays have shown a rapid and reliable method for searching new ion channel modulators. Here, we used a cell-based membrane potential assay to search for new blockers of the Kv10.1, a potassium channel strongly associated with cancer progression and a promising target in anticancer therapy. We found that fluoxetine and miconazole can inhibit the Kv10.1 channel in the micromolar range. In contrast, BL-1249 potentiates Kv10.1 currents in a dose-dependent manner, becoming the first molecule described as an activator of the channel. These results demonstrate that cell-based membrane potential assay can accelerate the discovery of new Kv10.1 modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirsha Aseret Gómez-Herrera
- Laboratorio Nacional de Canalopatías, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enikar Patlán
- Laboratorio Nacional de Canalopatías, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Armando Estrada-Garrido
- Laboratorio Nacional de Canalopatías, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC)—Campus Ecatepec, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Arturo Hernández-Cruz
- Laboratorio Nacional de Canalopatías, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enoch Luis
- Laboratorio Nacional de Canalopatías, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Cátedras CONAHCYT—Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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9
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Nordquist EB, Jia Z, Chen J. Inner pore hydration free energy controls the activation of big potassium channels. Biophys J 2023; 122:1158-1167. [PMID: 36774534 PMCID: PMC10111268 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrophobic gating is an emerging mechanism in regulation of protein ion channels where the pore remains physically open but becomes dewetted to block ion permeation. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have played a crucial role in understanding hydrophobic gating by providing the molecular details to complement mutagenesis and structural studies. However, existing studies rely on direct simulations and do not quantitatively describe how the sequence and structural changes may control the delicate liquid-vapor equilibrium of confined water in the pore of the channel protein. To address this limitation, we explore two enhanced sampling methods, namely metadynamics and umbrella sampling, to derive free-energy profiles of pore hydration in both the closed and open states of big potassium (BK) channels, which are important in cardiovascular and neural systems. It was found that metadynamics required substantially longer sampling times and struggled to generate stably converged free-energy profiles due to the slow dynamics of cooperative pore water diffusion even in the barrierless limit. Using umbrella sampling, well-converged free-energy profiles can be readily generated for the wild-type BK channels as well as three mutants with pore-lining mutations experimentally known to dramatically perturb the channel gating voltage. The results show that the free energy of pore hydration faithfully reports the gating voltage of the channel, providing further support for hydrophobic gating in BK channels. Free-energy analysis of pore hydration should provide a powerful approach for quantitative studies of how protein sequence, structure, solution conditions, and/or drug binding may modulate hydrophobic gating in ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik B Nordquist
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Zhiguang Jia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Jianhan Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts.
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10
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Schroeter CB, Nelke C, Schewe M, Spohler L, Herrmann AM, Müntefering T, Huntemann N, Kuzikov M, Gribbon P, Albrecht S, Bock S, Hundehege P, Neelsen LC, Baukrowitz T, Seebohm G, Wünsch B, Bittner S, Ruck T, Budde T, Meuth SG. Validation of TREK1 ion channel activators as an immunomodulatory and neuroprotective strategy in neuroinflammation. Biol Chem 2023; 404:355-375. [PMID: 36774650 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2022-0266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels has emerged as a novel field of therapeutic strategies as they may regulate immune cell activation and metabolism, inflammatory signals, or barrier integrity. One of these ion channels is the TWIK-related potassium channel 1 (TREK1). In the current study, we report the identification and validation of new TREK1 activators. Firstly, we used a modified potassium ion channel assay to perform high-throughput-screening of new TREK1 activators. Dose-response studies helped to identify compounds with a high separation between effectiveness and toxicity. Inside-out patch-clamp measurements of Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing TREK1 were used for further validation of these activators regarding specificity and activity. These approaches yielded three substances, E1, B3 and A2 that robustly activate TREK1. Functionally, we demonstrated that these compounds reduce levels of adhesion molecules on primary human brain and muscle endothelial cells without affecting cell viability. Finally, we studied compound A2 via voltage-clamp recordings as this activator displayed the strongest effect on adhesion molecules. Interestingly, A2 lacked TREK1 activation in the tested neuronal cell type. Taken together, this study provides data on novel TREK1 activators that might be employed to pharmacologically modulate TREK1 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina B Schroeter
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christopher Nelke
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marcus Schewe
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 5, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Lucas Spohler
- Department of Neurology with Institute for Translational Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Alexander M Herrmann
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Müntefering
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Niklas Huntemann
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune mediated diseases (CIMD), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Philip Gribbon
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Schnackenburgallee 114, D-22525 Hamburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune mediated diseases (CIMD), Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sarah Albrecht
- Department of Neurology with Institute for Translational Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bock
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Petra Hundehege
- Department of Neurology with Institute for Translational Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Lea Christine Neelsen
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 5, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Baukrowitz
- Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 5, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Guiscard Seebohm
- IfGH-Cellular Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Bernhard Wünsch
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 48, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan Bittner
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, D-55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Ruck
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Budde
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Robert-Koch-Straße 27A, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Sven G Meuth
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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11
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Kim SE, Chung EDS, Vasileva EA, Mishchenko NP, Fedoreyev SA, Stonik VA, Kim HK, Nam JH, Kim SJ. Multiple Effects of Echinochrome A on Selected Ion Channels Implicated in Skin Physiology. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21020078. [PMID: 36827119 PMCID: PMC9963876 DOI: 10.3390/md21020078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Echinochrome A (Ech A), a naphthoquinoid pigment from sea urchins, is known to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects that have been suggested to be mediated by antioxidant activity and intracellular signaling modulation. In addition to these mechanisms, the ion channels in keratinocytes, immune cells, and nociceptive neurons may be the target for the pharmacological effects. Here, using the patch clamp technique, we investigated the effects of Ech A on the Ca2+-permeable TRPV3, TRPV1 and Orai1 channels and the two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels (TREK/TRAAK, TASK-1, and TRESK) overexpressed in HEK 293 cells. Ech A inhibited both the TRPV3 and Orai1 currents, with IC50 levels of 2.1 and 2.4 μM, respectively. The capsaicin-activated TRPV1 current was slightly augmented by Ech A. Ech A alone did not change the amplitude of the TREK-2 current (ITREK2), but pretreatments with Ech A markedly facilitated ITREK2 activation by 2-APB, arachidonic acid (AA), and acidic extracellular pH (pHe). Similar facilitation effects of Ech A on TREK-1 and TRAAK were observed when they were stimulated with 2-APB and AA, respectively. On the contrary, Ech A did not affect the TRESK and TASK-1 currents. Interestingly, the ITREK2 maximally activated by the combined application of 2-APB and Ech A was not inhibited by norfluoxetine but was still completely inhibited by ruthenium red. The selective loss of sensitivity to norfluoxetine suggested an altered molecular conformation of TREK-2 by Ech A. We conclude that the Ech A-induced inhibition of the Ca2+-permeable cation channels and the facilitation of the TREK/TRAAK K2P channels may underlie the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Ech A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Eun Kim
- Department of Physiology, and Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Elina Da Sol Chung
- Department of Physiology, and Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Elena A. Vasileva
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Natalia P. Mishchenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Sergey A. Fedoreyev
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Valentin A. Stonik
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Hyoung Kyu Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Center, Smart Marine Therapeutic Center, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Graduate School, Inje University, Busan 47392, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Hyun Nam
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Republic of Korea
- Channelopathy Research Center (CRC), Dongguk University College of Medicine, Goyang-si 10326, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (J.H.N.); (S.J.K.); Tel.: +82-31-961-5924 (J.H.N.); +82-2-740-8230 (S.J.K.)
| | - Sung Joon Kim
- Department of Physiology, and Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (J.H.N.); (S.J.K.); Tel.: +82-31-961-5924 (J.H.N.); +82-2-740-8230 (S.J.K.)
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12
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Kurauskas V, Tonelli M, Henzler-Wildman K. Full opening of helix bundle crossing does not lead to NaK channel activation. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:213659. [PMID: 36326620 PMCID: PMC9640265 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical part of ion channel function is the ability to open and close in response to stimuli and thus conduct ions in a regulated fashion. While x-ray diffraction studies of ion channels suggested a general steric gating mechanism located at the helix bundle crossing (HBC), recent functional studies on several channels indicate that the helix bundle crossing is wide-open even in functionally nonconductive channels. Two NaK channel variants were crystallized in very different open and closed conformations, which served as important models of the HBC gating hypothesis. However, neither of these NaK variants is conductive in liposomes unless phenylalanine 92 is mutated to alanine (F92A). Here, we use NMR to probe distances at near-atomic resolution of the two NaK variants in lipid bicelles. We demonstrate that in contrast to the crystal structures, both NaK variants are in a fully open conformation, akin to Ca2+-bound MthK channel structure where the HBC is widely open. While we were not able to determine what a conductive NaK structure is like, our further inquiry into the gating mechanism suggests that the selectivity filter and pore helix are coupled to the M2 helix below and undergo changes in the structure when F92 is mutated. Overall, our data show that NaK exhibits coupling between the selectivity filter and HBC, similar to K+ channels, and has a more complex gating mechanism than previously thought, where the full opening of HBC does not lead to channel activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilius Kurauskas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Marco Tonelli
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Katherine Henzler-Wildman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
- Correspondence to Katherine Henzler-Wildman:
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13
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Sörmann J, Schewe M, Proks P, Jouen-Tachoire T, Rao S, Riel EB, Agre KE, Begtrup A, Dean J, Descartes M, Fischer J, Gardham A, Lahner C, Mark PR, Muppidi S, Pichurin PN, Porrmann J, Schallner J, Smith K, Straub V, Vasudevan P, Willaert R, Carpenter EP, Rödström KEJ, Hahn MG, Müller T, Baukrowitz T, Hurles ME, Wright CF, Tucker SJ. Gain-of-function mutations in KCNK3 cause a developmental disorder with sleep apnea. Nat Genet 2022; 54:1534-1543. [PMID: 36195757 PMCID: PMC9534757 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01185-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that represents a global public health burden. KCNK3 encodes TASK-1, a K+ channel implicated in the control of breathing, but its link with sleep apnea remains poorly understood. Here we describe a new developmental disorder with associated sleep apnea (developmental delay with sleep apnea, or DDSA) caused by rare de novo gain-of-function mutations in KCNK3. The mutations cluster around the 'X-gate', a gating motif that controls channel opening, and produce overactive channels that no longer respond to inhibition by G-protein-coupled receptor pathways. However, despite their defective X-gating, these mutant channels can still be inhibited by a range of known TASK channel inhibitors. These results not only highlight an important new role for TASK-1 K+ channels and their link with sleep apnea but also identify possible therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Sörmann
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marcus Schewe
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Peter Proks
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Thibault Jouen-Tachoire
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shanlin Rao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elena B Riel
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | | | - John Dean
- Department of Medical Genetics, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Maria Descartes
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jan Fischer
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, Universitätsklinikum, Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alice Gardham
- North West Thames Regional Genetics Service, London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Paul R Mark
- Spectrum Health Medical Genetics, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Joseph Porrmann
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, Universitätsklinikum, Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens Schallner
- Department of Neuropediatrics, Universitätsklinikum, Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kirstin Smith
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Volker Straub
- Institute of Translational and Clinical Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Pradeep Vasudevan
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Elisabeth P Carpenter
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Michael G Hahn
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Bayer AG, Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Thomas Baukrowitz
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthew E Hurles
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Caroline F Wright
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
| | - Stephen J Tucker
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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14
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Herrera-Pérez S, Rueda-Ruzafa L, Campos-Ríos A, Fernández-Fernández D, Lamas J. Antiarrhythmic calcium channel blocker verapamil inhibits trek currents in sympathetic neurons. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:997188. [PMID: 36188584 PMCID: PMC9522527 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.997188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Verapamil, a drug widely used in certain cardiac pathologies, exert its therapeutic effect mainly through the blockade of cardiac L-type calcium channels. However, we also know that both voltage-dependent and certain potassium channels are blocked by verapamil. Because sympathetic neurons of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) are known to express a good variety of potassium currents, and to finely tune cardiac activity, we speculated that the effect of verapamil on these SCG potassium channels could explain part of the therapeutic action of this drug. To address this question, we decided to study, the effects of verapamil on three different potassium currents observed in SCG neurons: delayed rectifier, A-type and TREK (a subfamily of K2P channels) currents. We also investigated the effect of verapamil on the electrical behavior of sympathetic SCG neurons. Experimental Approach: We employed the Patch-Clamp technique to mouse SCG neurons in culture. Key Results: We found that verapamil depolarizes of the resting membrane potential of SCG neurons. Moreover, we demonstrated that this drug also inhibits A-type potassium currents. Finally, and most importantly, we revealed that the current driven through TREK channels is also inhibited in the presence of verapamil. Conclusion and Implications: We have shown that verapamil causes a clear alteration of excitability in sympathetic nerve cells. This fact undoubtedly leads to an alteration of the sympathetic-parasympathetic balance which may affect cardiac function. Therefore, we propose that these possible peripheral alterations in the autonomic system should be taken into consideration in the prescription of this drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Herrera-Pérez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, CINBIO, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Grupo de Neurofisiología Experimental y Circuitos Neuronales, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Toledo, Spain
- *Correspondence: S. Herrera-Pérez, ; J. A. Lamas,
| | - L. Rueda-Ruzafa
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, CINBIO, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS), Vigo, Spain
| | - A. Campos-Ríos
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, CINBIO, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS), Vigo, Spain
| | | | - J.A. Lamas
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, CINBIO, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IISGS), Vigo, Spain
- *Correspondence: S. Herrera-Pérez, ; J. A. Lamas,
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15
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Goel H, Yu W, MacKerell AD. hERG Blockade Prediction by Combining Site Identification by Ligand Competitive Saturation and Physicochemical Properties. CHEMISTRY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 4:630-646. [PMID: 36712295 PMCID: PMC9881610 DOI: 10.3390/chemistry4030045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channel is well-known contributor to drug-induced cardiotoxicity and therefore an extremely important target when performing safety assessments of drug candidates. Ligand-based approaches in connection with quantitative structure active relationships (QSAR) analyses have been developed to predict hERG toxicity. Availability of the recent published cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure for the hERG channel opened the prospect for using structure-based simulation and docking approaches for hERG drug liability predictions. In recent time, the idea of combining structure- and ligand-based approaches for modeling hERG drug liability has gained momentum offering improvements in predictability when compared to ligand-based QSAR practices alone. The present article demonstrates uniting the structure-based SILCS (site-identification by ligand competitive saturation) approach in conjunction with physicochemical properties to develop predictive models for hERG blockade. This combination leads to improved model predictability based on Pearson's R and percent correct (represents rank-ordering of ligands) metric for different validation sets of hERG blockers involving diverse chemical scaffold and wide range of pIC50 values. The inclusion of the SILCS structure-based approach allows determination of the hERG region to which compounds bind and the contribution of different chemical moieties in the compounds to blockade, thereby facilitating the rational ligand design to minimize hERG liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Goel
- Computer Aided Drug Design Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn St. Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Wenbo Yu
- Computer Aided Drug Design Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn St. Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Alexander D. MacKerell
- Computer Aided Drug Design Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 Penn St. Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
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16
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El Harchi A, Brincourt O. Pharmacological activation of the
hERG
K
+
channel for the management of the long
QT
syndrome: A review. J Arrhythm 2022; 38:554-569. [PMID: 35936037 PMCID: PMC9347208 DOI: 10.1002/joa3.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In the human heart, the rapid delayed rectifier K+ current (IKr) contributes significantly to ventricular action potential (AP) repolarization and to set the duration of the QT interval of the surface electrocardiogram (ECG). The pore‐forming (α) subunit of the IKr channel is encoded by KCNH2 or human ether‐à‐go‐go‐related gene 1 (hERG1). Impairment of hERG function through either gene mutation (congenital) or pharmacological blockade by diverse drugs in clinical use (acquired) can cause a prolongation of the AP duration (APD) reflected onto the surface ECG as a prolonged QT interval or Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). LQTS can increase the risk of triggered activity of ventricular cardiomyocytes and associated life‐threatening arrhythmia. Current treatments all focus on reducing the incidence of arrhythmia or terminating it after its onset but there is to date no prophylactic treatment for the pharmacological management of LQTS. A new class of hERG modulators (agonists) have been suggested through direct interaction with the hERG channel to shorten the action potential duration (APD) and/or increase the postrepolarisation refractoriness period (PRRP) of ventricular cardiomyocytes protecting thereby against triggered activity and associated arrhythmia. Although promising drug candidates, there remain major obstacles to their clinical development. The aim of this review is to summarize the latest advances as well as the limitations of this proposed pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziza El Harchi
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building University of Bristol, University Walk Bristol UK
| | - Oriane Brincourt
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building University of Bristol, University Walk Bristol UK
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17
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Liu S, Guo P, Wang K, Zhang S, Li Y, Shen J, Mei L, Ye Y, Zhang Q, Yang H. General Pharmacological Activation Mechanism of K + Channels Bypassing Channel Gates. J Med Chem 2022; 65:10285-10299. [PMID: 35878013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Under the known pharmacological activation mechanisms, activators allosterically or directly open potassium channel gates. However, herein, molecular dynamics simulations on TREK-1, a member of the channel class gated at the filter, suggested that negatively charged activators act with a gate-independent mechanism where compounds increase currents by promoting ions passing through the central cavity. Then, based on studies of KCNQ2, we uncovered that this noncanonical activation mechanism is shared by the other channel class gated at the helix-bundle crossing. Rational drug design found a novel KCNQ2 agonist, CLE030, which stably binds to the central cavity. Functional analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and calculations of the potential of mean force revealed that the carbonyl oxygen of CLE030 influences permeant ions in the central cavity to contribute to its activation effects. Together, this study discovered a ligand-to-ion activation mechanism for channels that bypasses their gates and thus is conserved across subfamilies with different gates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Peipei Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shaoying Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Ya Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Juwen Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lianghe Mei
- Suzhou Institute of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Yangliang Ye
- Suzhou AlphaMa Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
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18
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Turney TS, Li V, Brohawn SG. Structural Basis for pH-gating of the K + channel TWIK1 at the selectivity filter. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3232. [PMID: 35680900 PMCID: PMC9184524 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
TWIK1 (K2P1.1, KCNK1) is a widely expressed pH-gated two-pore domain K+ channel (K2P) that contributes to cardiac rhythm generation and insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. TWIK1 displays unique properties among K2Ps including low basal activity and inhibition by extracellular protons through incompletely understood mechanisms. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of TWIK1 in lipid nanodiscs at high and low pH that reveal a previously undescribed gating mechanism at the K+ selectivity filter. At high pH, TWIK1 adopts an open conformation. At low pH, protonation of an extracellular histidine results in a cascade of conformational changes that close the channel by sealing the top of the selectivity filter, displacing the helical cap to block extracellular ion access pathways, and opening gaps for lipid block of the intracellular cavity. These data provide a mechanistic understanding for extracellular pH-gating of TWIK1 and illustrate how diverse mechanisms have evolved to gate the selectivity filter of K+ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby S Turney
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vivian Li
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stephen G Brohawn
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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19
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Sanchez-Conde FG, Jimenez-Vazquez EN, Auerbach DS, Jones DK. The ERG1 K+ Channel and Its Role in Neuronal Health and Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:890368. [PMID: 35600076 PMCID: PMC9113952 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.890368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ERG1 potassium channel, encoded by KCNH2, has long been associated with cardiac electrical excitability. Yet, a growing body of work suggests that ERG1 mediates physiology throughout the human body, including the brain. ERG1 is a regulator of neuronal excitability, ERG1 variants are associated with neuronal diseases (e.g., epilepsy and schizophrenia), and ERG1 serves as a potential therapeutic target for neuronal pathophysiology. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-field regarding the ERG1 channel structure and function, ERG1’s relationship to the mammalian brain and highlights key questions that have yet to be answered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric N. Jimenez-Vazquez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - David S. Auerbach
- Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: David S. Auerbach,
| | - David K. Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- David K. Jones,
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20
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Pope L, Minor DL. The Polysite Pharmacology of TREK K 2P Channels. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1349:51-65. [PMID: 35138610 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4254-8_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
K2P (KCNK) potassium channels form "background" or "leak" currents that have critical roles in cell excitability control in the brain, cardiovascular system, and somatosensory neurons. Similar to many ion channel families, studies of K2Ps have been limited by poor pharmacology. Of six K2P subfamilies, the thermo- and mechanosensitive TREK subfamily comprising K2P2.1 (TREK-1), K2P4.1 (TRAAK), and K2P10.1 (TREK-2) are the first to have structures determined for each subfamily member. These structural studies have revealed key architectural features that underlie K2P function and have uncovered sites residing at every level of the channel structure with respect to the membrane where small molecules or lipids can control channel function. This polysite pharmacology within a relatively small (~70 kDa) ion channel comprises four structurally defined modulator binding sites that occur above (Keystone inhibitor site), at the level of (K2P modulator pocket), and below (Fenestration and Modulatory lipid sites) the C-type selectivity filter gate that is at the heart of K2P function. Uncovering this rich structural landscape provides the framework for understanding and developing subtype-selective modulators to probe K2P function that may provide leads for drugs for anesthesia, pain, arrhythmia, ischemia, and migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne Pope
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, US. .,Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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21
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Riel EB, Jürs BC, Cordeiro S, Musinszki M, Schewe M, Baukrowitz T. The versatile regulation of K2P channels by polyanionic lipids of the phosphoinositide and fatty acid metabolism. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:212926. [PMID: 34928298 PMCID: PMC8693234 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202112989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Work over the past three decades has greatly advanced our understanding of the regulation of Kir K+ channels by polyanionic lipids of the phosphoinositide (e.g., PIP2) and fatty acid metabolism (e.g., oleoyl-CoA). However, comparatively little is known regarding the regulation of the K2P channel family by phosphoinositides and by long-chain fatty acid–CoA esters, such as oleoyl-CoA. We screened 12 mammalian K2P channels and report effects of polyanionic lipids on all tested channels. We observed activation of members of the TREK, TALK, and THIK subfamilies, with the strongest activation by PIP2 for TRAAK and the strongest activation by oleoyl-CoA for TALK-2. By contrast, we observed inhibition for members of the TASK and TRESK subfamilies. Our results reveal that TASK-2 channels have both activatory and inhibitory PIP2 sites with different affinities. Finally, we provided evidence that PIP2 inhibition of TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels is mediated by closure of the recently identified lower X-gate as critical mutations within the gate (i.e., L244A, R245A) prevent PIP2-induced inhibition. Our findings establish that K+ channels of the K2P family are highly sensitive to polyanionic lipids, extending our knowledge of the mechanisms of lipid regulation and implicating the metabolism of these lipids as possible effector pathways to regulate K2P channel activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena B Riel
- Institute of Physiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Björn C Jürs
- Institute of Physiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.,Medical School Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Marcus Schewe
- Institute of Physiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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22
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Zhang Q, Fu J, Zhang S, Guo P, Liu S, Shen J, Guo J, Yang H. 'C-type' closed state and gating mechanisms of K2P channels revealed by conformational changes of the TREK-1 channel. J Mol Cell Biol 2022; 14:6504012. [PMID: 35022758 PMCID: PMC9021975 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels gate primarily within the selectivity filter, termed ‘C-type’ gating. Due to the lack of structural insights into the nonconductive (closed) state, ‘C-type’ gating mechanisms remain elusive. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on TREK-1, a K2P channel, revealed that M4 helix movements induce filter closing in a novel ‘deeper-down’ structure that represents a ‘C-type’ closed state. The ‘down’ structure does not represent the closed state as previously proposed and instead acts as an intermediate state in gating. The study identified the allosteric ‘seesaw’ mechanism of M4 helix movements in modulating filter closing. Finally, guided by this recognition of K2P gating mechanisms, MD simulations revealed that gain-of-function mutations and small-molecule activators activate TREK-1 by perturbing state transitions from open to closed states. Together, we reveal a ‘C-type’ closed state and provide mechanical insights into gating procedures and allosteric regulations for K2P channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jie Fu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shaoying Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Peipei Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shijie Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Juwen Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jiangtao Guo
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
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23
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Small molecule modulation of the Drosophila Slo channel elucidated by cryo-EM. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7164. [PMID: 34887422 PMCID: PMC8660915 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27435-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Slowpoke (Slo) potassium channels display extraordinarily high conductance, are synergistically activated by a positive transmembrane potential and high intracellular Ca2+ concentrations and are important targets for insecticides and antiparasitic drugs. However, it is unknown how these compounds modulate ion translocation and whether there are insect-specific binding pockets. Here, we report structures of Drosophila Slo in the Ca2+-bound and Ca2+-free form and in complex with the fungal neurotoxin verruculogen and the anthelmintic drug emodepside. Whereas the architecture and gating mechanism of Slo channels are conserved, potential insect-specific binding pockets exist. Verruculogen inhibits K+ transport by blocking the Ca2+-induced activation signal and precludes K+ from entering the selectivity filter. Emodepside decreases the conductance by suboptimal K+ coordination and uncouples ion gating from Ca2+ and voltage sensing. Our results expand the mechanistic understanding of Slo regulation and lay the foundation for the rational design of regulators of Slo and other voltage-gated ion channels. Slowpoke (Slo) channels are voltage-gated potassium channels that are activated by high intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, and they are targets for insecticides and antiparasitic drugs. Here, the authors present the cryo-EM structures of the Drosophila melanogaster Slo channel in the Ca2+-bound and Ca2+-free conformations, as well as in complex with the fungal neurotoxin verruculogen and the anthelmintic drug emodepside and discuss the mechanisms by which they affect the activity of Slo.
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24
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Mini-Review: Two Brothers in Crime - The Interplay of TRESK and TREK in Human Diseases. Neurosci Lett 2021; 769:136376. [PMID: 34852287 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136376] [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: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
TWIK-related spinal cord potassium (TRESK) and TWIK-related potassium (TREK) channels are both subfamilies of the two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel group. Despite major structural, pharmacological, as well as biophysical differences, emerging data suggest that channels of these two subfamilies are functionally more closely related than previously assumed. Recent studies, for instance, indicate an assembling of TRESK and TREK subunits, leading to the formation of heterodimeric channels with different functional properties compared to homodimeric ones. Formation of tandems consisting of TRESK and TREK subunits might thus multiply the functional diversity of both TRESK and TREK activity. Based on the involvement of these channels in the pathophysiology of migraine, we here highlight the role as well as the impact of the interplay of TRESK and TREK subunits in the context of different disease settings. In this regard, we focus on their involvement in migraine and pain syndromes, as well as on their influence on (neuro-)inflammatory processes. Furthermore, we describe the potential implications for innovative therapeutic strategies that take advantage of TRESK and TREK modulation as well as obstacles encountered in the development of therapies related to the aforementioned diseases.
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25
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Cui J. BK Channel Gating Mechanisms: Progresses Toward a Better Understanding of Variants Linked Neurological Diseases. Front Physiol 2021; 12:762175. [PMID: 34744799 PMCID: PMC8567085 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.762175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The large conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) channel is activated by both membrane potential depolarization and intracellular Ca2+ with distinct mechanisms. Neural physiology is sensitive to the function of BK channels, which is shown by the discoveries of neurological disorders that are associated with BK channel mutations. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of BK channel activation in response to voltage and Ca2+ binding, including the recent progress since the publication of the atomistic structure of the whole BK channel protein, and the neurological disorders associated with BK channel mutations. These results demonstrate the unique mechanisms of BK channel activation and that these mechanisms are important factors in linking BK channel mutations to neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
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26
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Choveau FS, Ben Soussia I, Bichet D, Franck CC, Feliciangeli S, Lesage F. Convergence of Multiple Stimuli to a Single Gate in TREK1 and TRAAK Potassium Channels. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:755826. [PMID: 34658895 PMCID: PMC8514629 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.755826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory potassium channels of the TREK1/TRAAK family are integrators of multiple stimuli, including temperature, membrane stretch, polyunsaturated fatty acids and pH. How these signals affect the gating of these channels is the subject of intense research. We have previously identified a cytoplasmic domain, pCt, which plays a major role in controlling channel activity. Here, we use pharmacology to show that the effects of pCt, arachidonic acid, and extracellular pH converge to the same gate within the channel. Using a state-dependent inhibitor, fluoxetine, as well as natural and synthetic openers, we provide further evidence that the “up” and “down” conformations identified by crystallography do not correspond to open and closed states of these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank S Choveau
- Université Côte D'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, LabEx ICST, Valbonne, France
| | - Ismail Ben Soussia
- Université Côte D'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, LabEx ICST, Valbonne, France
| | - Delphine Bichet
- Université Côte D'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, LabEx ICST, Valbonne, France
| | - Chatelain C Franck
- Université Côte D'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, LabEx ICST, Valbonne, France
| | - Sylvain Feliciangeli
- Université Côte D'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, LabEx ICST, Valbonne, France
| | - Florian Lesage
- Université Côte D'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, LabEx ICST, Valbonne, France
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27
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Conrad LJ, Proks P, Tucker SJ. Effects of ionic strength on gating and permeation of TREK-2 K2P channels. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258275. [PMID: 34618865 PMCID: PMC8496810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to the classical voltage-dependent behavior mediated by the voltage-sensing-domains (VSD) of ion channels, a growing number of voltage-dependent gating behaviors are being described in channels that lack canonical VSDs. A common thread in their mechanism of action is the contribution of the permeating ion to this voltage sensing process. The polymodal K2P K+ channel, TREK2 responds to membrane voltage through a gating process mediated by the interaction of K+ with its selectivity filter. Recently, we found that this action can be modulated by small molecule agonists (e.g. BL1249) which appear to have an electrostatic influence on K+ binding within the inner cavity and produce an increase in the single-channel conductance of TREK-2 channels. Here, we directly probed this K+-dependent gating process by recording both macroscopic and single-channel currents of TREK-2 in the presence of high concentrations of internal K+. Surprisingly we found TREK-2 is inhibited by high internal K+ concentrations and that this is mediated by the concomitant increase in ionic-strength. However, we were still able to determine that the increase in single channel conductance in the presence of BL1249 was blunted in high ionic-strength, whilst its activatory effect (on channel open probability) persisted. These effects are consistent with an electrostatic mechanism of action of negatively charged activators such as BL1249 on permeation, but also suggest that their influence on channel gating is complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linus J. Conrad
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Proks
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J. Tucker
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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28
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Creanza TM, Delre P, Ancona N, Lentini G, Saviano M, Mangiatordi GF. Structure-Based Prediction of hERG-Related Cardiotoxicity: A Benchmark Study. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:4758-4770. [PMID: 34506150 PMCID: PMC9282647 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Drug-induced blockade of the human
ether-à-go-go-related
gene (hERG) channel is today considered the main
cause of cardiotoxicity in postmarketing surveillance. Hence, several
ligand-based approaches were developed in the last years and are currently
employed in the early stages of a drug discovery process for in silico cardiac safety assessment of drug candidates.
Herein, we present the first structure-based classifiers able to discern hERG binders from nonbinders. LASSO regularized support
vector machines were applied to integrate docking scores and protein–ligand
interaction fingerprints. A total of 396 models were trained and validated
based on: (i) high-quality experimental bioactivity information returned
by 8337 curated compounds extracted from ChEMBL (version 25) and (ii)
structural predictor data. Molecular docking simulations were performed
using GLIDE and GOLD software programs and four different hERG structural models, namely, the recently published structures
obtained by cryoelectron microscopy (PDB codes: 5VA1 and 7CN1) and
two published homology models selected for comparison. Interestingly,
some classifiers return performances comparable to ligand-based models
in terms of area under the ROC curve (AUCMAX = 0.86 ±
0.01) and negative predictive values (NPVMAX = 0.81 ±
0.01), thus putting forward the herein proposed computational workflow
as a valuable tool for predicting hERG-related cardiotoxicity
without the limitations of ligand-based models, typically affected
by low interpretability and a limited applicability domain. From a
methodological point of view, our study represents the first example
of a successful integration of docking scores and protein–ligand
interaction fingerprints (IFs) through a support vector machine (SVM)
LASSO regularized strategy. Finally, the study highlights the importance
of using hERG structural models accounting for ligand-induced
fit effects and allowed us to select the best-performing protein conformation
(made available in the Supporting Information, SI) to be employed
for a reliable structure-based prediction of hERG-related cardiotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Maria Creanza
- CNR-Institute of Intelligent Industrial Technologies and Systems for Advanced Manufacturing, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Pietro Delre
- Chemistry Department, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona, 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy.,CNR-Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Nicola Ancona
- CNR-Institute of Intelligent Industrial Technologies and Systems for Advanced Manufacturing, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Lentini
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", via E. Orabona, 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Saviano
- CNR-Institute of Crystallography, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126 Bari, Italy
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29
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Şterbuleac D. Molecular dynamics: a powerful tool for studying the medicinal chemistry of ion channel modulators. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:1503-1518. [PMID: 34671734 PMCID: PMC8459385 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00140j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allow researchers to investigate the behavior of desired biological targets at ever-decreasing costs with ever-increasing precision. Among the biological macromolecules, ion channels are remarkable transmembrane proteins, capable of performing special biological processes and revealing a complex regulatory matrix, including modulation by small molecules, either endogenous or exogenous. Recently, given the developments in ion channel structure determination and accessibility of bio-computational techniques, MD and related tools are becoming increasingly popular in the intense research area regarding ligand-channel interactions. This review synthesizes and presents the most important fields of MD involvement in investigating channel-molecule interactions, including, but not limited to, deciphering the binding modes of ligands to their ion channel targets and the mechanisms through which chemical compounds exert their effect on channel function. Special attention is devoted to the importance of more elaborate methods, such as free energy calculations, while principles regarding drug design and discovery are highlighted. Several technical aspects involving the creation and simulation of channel-molecule MD systems (ligand parameterization, proper membrane setup, system building, etc.) are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Şterbuleac
- Department of Health and Human Development, "Ştefan cel Mare" University of Suceava Str. Universităţii 13, 720229, E Building Suceava Romania
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Protection, "Ştefan cel Mare" University of Suceava Str. Universităţii 13, 720229, E Building Suceava Romania
- Integrated Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies and Distributed Systems for Fabrication and Control (MANSiD), "Ştefan cel Mare" University of Suceava Str. Universităţii 13 720229 Suceava Romania
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30
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Rockman ME, Vouga AG, Rothberg BS. Molecular mechanism of BK channel activation by the smooth muscle relaxant NS11021. J Gen Physiol 2021; 152:151593. [PMID: 32221543 PMCID: PMC7266150 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BK channels) are activated by cytosolic calcium and depolarized membrane potential under physiological conditions. Thus, these channels control electrical excitability in neurons and smooth muscle by gating K+ efflux and hyperpolarizing the membrane in response to Ca2+ signaling. Altered BK channel function has been linked to epilepsy, dyskinesia, and other neurological deficits in humans, making these channels a key target for drug therapies. To gain insight into mechanisms underlying pharmacological modulation of BK channel gating, here we studied mechanisms underlying activation of BK channels by the biarylthiourea derivative, NS11021, which acts as a smooth muscle relaxant. We observe that increasing NS11021 shifts the half-maximal activation voltage for BK channels toward more hyperpolarized voltages, in both the presence and nominal absence of Ca2+, suggesting that NS11021 facilitates BK channel activation primarily by a mechanism that is distinct from Ca2+ activation. 30 µM NS11021 slows the time course of BK channel deactivation at −200 mV by ∼10-fold compared with 0 µM NS11021, while having little effect on the time course of activation. This action is most pronounced at negative voltages, at which the BK channel voltage sensors are at rest. Single-channel kinetic analysis further shows that 30 µM NS11021 increases open probability by 62-fold and increases mean open time from 0.15 to 0.52 ms in the nominal absence of Ca2+ at voltages less than −60 mV, conditions in which BK voltage sensors are largely in the resting state. We could therefore account for the major activating effects of NS11021 by a scheme in which the drug primarily shifts the pore-gate equilibrium toward the open state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Rockman
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Alexandre G Vouga
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Brad S Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
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31
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Lengyel M, Enyedi P, Czirják G. Negative Influence by the Force: Mechanically Induced Hyperpolarization via K 2P Background Potassium Channels. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22169062. [PMID: 34445768 PMCID: PMC8396510 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22169062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The two-pore domain K2P subunits form background (leak) potassium channels, which are characterized by constitutive, although not necessarily constant activity, at all membrane potential values. Among the fifteen pore-forming K2P subunits encoded by the KCNK genes, the three members of the TREK subfamily, TREK-1, TREK-2, and TRAAK are mechanosensitive ion channels. Mechanically induced opening of these channels generally results in outward K+ current under physiological conditions, with consequent hyperpolarization and inhibition of membrane potential-dependent cellular functions. In the past decade, great advances have been made in the investigation of the molecular determinants of mechanosensation, and members of the TREK subfamily have emerged among the best-understood examples of mammalian ion channels directly influenced by the tension of the phospholipid bilayer. In parallel, the crucial contribution of mechano-gated TREK channels to the regulation of membrane potential in several cell types has been reported. In this review, we summarize the general principles underlying the mechanical activation of K2P channels, and focus on the physiological roles of mechanically induced hyperpolarization.
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32
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Proks P, Schewe M, Conrad LJ, Rao S, Rathje K, Rödström KEJ, Carpenter EP, Baukrowitz T, Tucker SJ. Norfluoxetine inhibits TREK-2 K2P channels by multiple mechanisms including state-independent effects on the selectivity filter gate. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212184. [PMID: 34032848 PMCID: PMC8155809 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The TREK subfamily of two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels are inhibited by fluoxetine and its metabolite, norfluoxetine (NFx). Although not the principal targets of this antidepressant, TREK channel inhibition by NFx has provided important insights into the conformational changes associated with channel gating and highlighted the role of the selectivity filter in this process. However, despite the availability of TREK-2 crystal structures with NFx bound, the precise mechanisms underlying NFx inhibition remain elusive. NFx has previously been proposed to be a state-dependent inhibitor, but its binding site suggests many possible ways in which this positively charged drug might inhibit channel activity. Here we show that NFx exerts multiple effects on single-channel behavior that influence both the open and closed states of the channel and that the channel can become highly activated by 2-APB while remaining in the down conformation. We also show that the inhibitory effects of NFx are unrelated to its positive charge but can be influenced by agonists which alter filter stability, such as ML335, as well as by an intrinsic voltage-dependent gating process within the filter. NFx therefore not only inhibits channel activity by altering the equilibrium between up and down conformations but also can directly influence filter gating. These results provide further insight into the complex allosteric mechanisms that modulate filter gating in TREK K2P channels and highlight the different ways in which filter gating can be regulated to permit polymodal regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Proks
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marcus Schewe
- Department of Physiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Linus J Conrad
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shanlin Rao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristin Rathje
- Department of Physiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Elisabeth P Carpenter
- OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, UK
| | | | - Stephen J Tucker
- Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,OXION Initiative in Ion Channels and Disease, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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33
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Computational Analysis of the Crystal and Cryo-EM Structures of P-Loop Channels with Drugs. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158143. [PMID: 34360907 PMCID: PMC8348670 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The superfamily of P-loop channels includes various potassium channels, voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels, transient receptor potential channels, and ionotropic glutamate receptors. Despite huge structural and functional diversity of the channels, their pore-forming domain has a conserved folding. In the past two decades, scores of atomic-scale structures of P-loop channels with medically important drugs in the inner pore have been published. High structural diversity of these complexes complicates the comparative analysis of these structures. Here we 3D-aligned structures of drug-bound P-loop channels, compared their geometric characteristics, and analyzed the energetics of ligand-channel interactions. In the superimposed structures drugs occupy most of the sterically available space in the inner pore and subunit/repeat interfaces. Cationic groups of some drugs occupy vacant binding sites of permeant ions in the inner pore and selectivity-filter region. Various electroneutral drugs, lipids, and detergent molecules are seen in the interfaces between subunits/repeats. In many structures the drugs strongly interact with lipid and detergent molecules, but physiological relevance of such interactions is unclear. Some eukaryotic sodium and calcium channels have state-dependent or drug-induced π-bulges in the inner helices, which would be difficult to predict. The drug-induced π-bulges may represent a novel mechanism of gating modulation.
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34
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García G, Martínez-Rojas VA, Murbartián J. TREK-1 potassium channels participate in acute and long-lasting nociceptive hypersensitivity induced by formalin in rats. Behav Brain Res 2021; 413:113446. [PMID: 34224765 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
TREK-1 channels are expressed in small nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons where they participate in acute inflammatory and neuropathic pain. However, the role of TREK-1 in persistent pain is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the local peripheral and spinal participation of TREK-1 in formalin-induced acute and long-lasting nociceptive hypersensitivity. Local peripheral or intrathecal pre-treatment with spadin, selective blocker of TREK-1, increased acute flinching behavior and secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia behavior observed 6 days after formalin injection. Local peripheral or intrathecal pre-treatment with BL-1249, selective opener of TREK-1, decreased long-lasting secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia induced by formalin. Pre-treatment with BL-1249 prevented the pro-nociceptive effect of spadin on acute nociception and long-lasting mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia in rats. Pre-treatment with two recombinant channels that produce a high TREK-1 current, S300A and S333A (non-phosphorylated state of TREK-1), reduced formalin-induced acute pain and long-lasting mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia. Besides, post-treatment with S300A, S333A or BL-1249 reversed long-lasting mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia induced by formalin. Formalin increased TREK-1 expression at 1 and 6 days in DRG and dorsal spinal cord in rats, whereas that it increased c-fos expression at the DRG. Intrathecal repeated transfection of rats with S300A and S333A or injection with BL-1249 reduced formalin-induced enhanced c-fos expression. Data suggest that TREK-1 activity at peripheral and spinal sites reduces neuronal excitability in the process of acute and long-lasting nociception induced by formalin in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe García
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Sede Sur, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | | | - Janet Murbartián
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Sede Sur, Mexico City, Mexico.
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35
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Cunningham KP, Clapp LH, Mathie A, Veale EL. The Prostacyclin Analogue, Treprostinil, Used in the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, is a Potent Antagonist of TREK-1 and TREK-2 Potassium Channels. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:705421. [PMID: 34267666 PMCID: PMC8276018 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.705421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an aggressive vascular remodeling disease that carries a high morbidity and mortality rate. Treprostinil (Remodulin) is a stable prostacyclin analogue with potent vasodilatory and anti-proliferative activity, approved by the FDA and WHO as a treatment for PAH. A limitation of this therapy is the severe subcutaneous site pain and other forms of pain experienced by some patients, which can lead to significant non-compliance. TWIK-related potassium channels (TREK-1 and TREK-2) are highly expressed in sensory neurons, where they play a role in regulating sensory neuron excitability. Downregulation, inhibition or mutation of these channels leads to enhanced pain sensitivity. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings, we show, for the first time, that treprostinil is a potent antagonist of human TREK-1 and TREK-2 channels but not of TASK-1 channels. An increase in TASK-1 channel current was observed with prolonged incubation, consistent with its therapeutic role in PAH. To investigate treprostinil-induced inhibition of TREK, site-directed mutagenesis of a number of amino acids, identified as important for the action of other regulatory compounds, was carried out. We found that a gain of function mutation of TREK-1 (Y284A) attenuated treprostinil inhibition, while a selective activator of TREK channels, BL-1249, overcame the inhibitory effect of treprostinil. Our data suggests that subcutaneous site pain experienced during treprostinil therapy may result from inhibition of TREK channels near the injection site and that pre-activation of these channels prior to treatment has the potential to alleviate this nociceptive activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Cunningham
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, United Kingdom.,Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucie H Clapp
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair Mathie
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, United Kingdom.,School of Engineering, Arts, Science and Technology, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, United Kingdom
| | - Emma L Veale
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, United Kingdom
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36
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Zequn Z, Jiangfang L. Molecular Insights Into the Gating Kinetics of the Cardiac hERG Channel, Illuminated by Structure and Molecular Dynamics. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:687007. [PMID: 34168566 PMCID: PMC8217747 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.687007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ current generated by the cardiac hERG potassium channel encoded by KCNH2 is the most important reserve current for cardiac repolarization. The unique inward rectification characteristics of the hERG channel depend on the gating regulation, which involves crucial structural domains and key single amino acid residues in the full-length hERG channel. Identifying critical molecules involved in the regulation of gating kinetics for the hERG channel requires high-resolution structures and molecular dynamics simulation models. Based on the latest progress in hERG structure and molecular dynamics simulation research, summarizing the molecules involved in the changes in the channel state helps to elucidate the unique gating characteristics of the channel and the reason for its high affinity to cardiotoxic drugs. In this review, we aim to summarize the significant advances in understanding the voltage gating regulation of the hERG channel based on its structure obtained from cryo-electron microscopy and computer simulations, which reveal the critical roles of several specific structural domains and amino acid residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zequn
- Department of Cardiovascular, Medical College, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Lian Jiangfang
- Department of Cardiovascular, Lihuili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
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37
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Hendriks K, Öster C, Shi C, Sun H, Lange A. Sodium Ions Do Not Stabilize the Selectivity Filter of a Potassium Channel. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167091. [PMID: 34090923 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ion conduction is an essential function for electrical activity in all organisms. The non-selective ion channel NaK was previously shown to adopt two stable conformations of the selectivity filter. Here, we present solid-state NMR measurements of NaK demonstrating a population shift between these conformations induced by changing the ions in the sample while the overall structure of NaK is not affected. We show that two K+-selective mutants (NaK2K and NaK2K-Y66F) suffer a complete loss of selectivity filter stability under Na+ conditions, but do not collapse into a defined structure. Widespread chemical shift perturbations are seen between the Na+ and K+ states of the K+-selective mutants in the region of the pore helix indicating structural changes. We conclude that the stronger link between the selectivity filter and the pore helix in the K+-selective mutants, compared to the non-selective wild-type NaK channel, reduces the ion-dependent conformational flexibility of the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Hendriks
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carl Öster
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Chaowei Shi
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Huangshan Road 443, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Han Sun
- Structural Chemistry and Computational Biophysics Group, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam Lange
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
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38
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Walsh Y, Leach M, Veale EL, Mathie A. Block of TREK and TRESK K2P channels by lamotrigine and two derivatives sipatrigine and CEN-092. Biochem Biophys Rep 2021; 26:101021. [PMID: 34041373 PMCID: PMC8144350 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
TREK and TRESK K2P channels are widely expressed in the nervous system, particularly in sensory neurons, where they regulate neuronal excitability. In this study, using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, we characterise the inhibitory effect of the anticonvulsant lamotrigine and two derivatives, sipatrigine and 3,5-diamino-6-(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)-1,2,4-triazine (CEN-092) on these channels. Sipatrigine was found to be a more effective inhibitor than lamotrigine of TREK-1, TREK-2 and TRESK channels. Sipatrigine was slightly more potent on TREK-1 channels (EC50 = 16 μM) than TRESK (EC50 = 34 μM) whereas lamotrigine was equally effective on TREK-1 and TRESK. Sipatrigine was less effective on a short isoform of TREK-2, suggesting the N terminus of the channel is important for both inhibition and subsequent over-recovery. Inhibition of TREK-1 and TREK-2 channels by sipatrigine was reduced by mutation of a leucine residue associated with the norfluoxetine binding site on these channels (L289A and L320A on TREK-1 and TREK-2, respectively) but these did not affect inhibition by lamotrigine. Inhibition of TRESK by sipatrigine and lamotrigine was attenuated by mutation of bulky phenylalanine residues (F145A and F352A) in the inner pore helix. However, phosphorylation mutations did not alter the effect of sipatrigine. CEN-092 was a more effective inhibitor of TRESK channels than TREK-1 channels. It is concluded that lamotrigine, sipatrigine and CEN-092 are all inhibitors of TREK and TRESK channels but do not greatly discriminate between them. The actions of these compounds may contribute to their current and potential use in the treatment of pain and depression. Lamotrigine blocks TREK and TRESK potassium channels at clinical concentrations. Sipatrigine is more effective than lamotrigine at blocking TREK and TRESK channels. Mutation of norfluoxetine binding site on TREK channels attenuates sipatrigine block. Residues in the inner pore region of TRESK channels regulate sipatrigine block. The novel lamotrigine derivative, CEN-092, blocks TRESK channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Walsh
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK
- University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Michael Leach
- University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Emma L. Veale
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Alistair Mathie
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK
- School of Engineering, Arts, Science and Technology, University of Suffolk, Waterfront Building, Neptune Quay, Ipswich, IP4 1QJ, UK
- Corresponding author.Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK.
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39
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Yazdani M, Jia Z, Chen J. Hydrophobic dewetting in gating and regulation of transmembrane protein ion channels. J Chem Phys 2021; 153:110901. [PMID: 32962356 DOI: 10.1063/5.0017537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Water is at the heart of almost all biological phenomena, without which no life that we know of would have been possible. It is a misleadingly complex liquid that exists in near coexistence with the vapor phase under ambient conditions. Confinement within a hydrophobic cavity can tip this balance enough to drive a cooperative dewetting transition. For a nanometer-scale pore, the dewetting transition leads to a stable dry state that is physically open but impermeable to ions. This phenomenon is often referred to as hydrophobic gating. Numerous transmembrane protein ion channels have now been observed to utilize hydrophobic gating in their activation and regulation. Here, we review recent theoretical, simulation, and experimental studies that together have started to establish the principles of hydrophobic gating and discuss how channels of various sizes, topologies, and biological functions can utilize these principles to control the thermodynamic properties of water within their interior pores for gating and regulation. Exciting opportunities remain in multiple areas, particularly on direct experimental detection of hydrophobic dewetting in biological channels and on understanding how the cell may control the hydrophobic gating in regulation of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdieh Yazdani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Zhiguang Jia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
| | - Jianhan Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
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40
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Toplak Ž, Hendrickx LA, Abdelaziz R, Shi X, Peigneur S, Tomašič T, Tytgat J, Peterlin-Mašič L, Pardo LA. Overcoming challenges of HERG potassium channel liability through rational design: Eag1 inhibitors for cancer treatment. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:183-226. [PMID: 33945158 DOI: 10.1002/med.21808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Two decades of research have proven the relevance of ion channel expression for tumor progression in virtually every indication, and it has become clear that inhibition of specific ion channels will eventually become part of the oncology therapeutic arsenal. However, ion channels play relevant roles in all aspects of physiology, and specificity for the tumor tissue remains a challenge to avoid undesired effects. Eag1 (KV 10.1) is a voltage-gated potassium channel whose expression is very restricted in healthy tissues outside of the brain, while it is overexpressed in 70% of human tumors. Inhibition of Eag1 reduces tumor growth, but the search for potent inhibitors for tumor therapy suffers from the structural similarities with the cardiac HERG channel, a major off-target. Existing inhibitors show low specificity between the two channels, and screenings for Eag1 binders are prone to enrichment in compounds that also bind HERG. Rational drug design requires knowledge of the structure of the target and the understanding of structure-function relationships. Recent studies have shown subtle structural differences between Eag1 and HERG channels with profound functional impact. Thus, although both targets' structure is likely too similar to identify leads that exclusively bind to one of the channels, the structural information combined with the new knowledge of the functional relevance of particular residues or areas suggests the possibility of selective targeting of Eag1 in cancer therapies. Further development of selective Eag1 inhibitors can lead to first-in-class compounds for the treatment of different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Žan Toplak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Louise A Hendrickx
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Reham Abdelaziz
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Shi
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tihomir Tomašič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Luis A Pardo
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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41
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Natale AM, Deal PE, Minor DL. Structural Insights into the Mechanisms and Pharmacology of K 2P Potassium Channels. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166995. [PMID: 33887333 PMCID: PMC8436263 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Leak currents, defined as voltage and time independent flows of ions across cell membranes, are central to cellular electrical excitability control. The K2P (KCNK) potassium channel class comprises an ion channel family that produces potassium leak currents that oppose excitation and stabilize the resting membrane potential in cells in the brain, cardiovascular system, immune system, and sensory organs. Due to their widespread tissue distribution, K2Ps contribute to many physiological and pathophysiological processes including anesthesia, pain, arrythmias, ischemia, hypertension, migraine, intraocular pressure regulation, and lung injury responses. Structural studies of six homomeric K2Ps have established the basic architecture of this channel family, revealed key moving parts involved in K2P function, uncovered the importance of asymmetric pinching and dilation motions in the K2P selectivity filter (SF) C-type gate, and defined two K2P structural classes based on the absence or presence of an intracellular gate. Further, a series of structures characterizing K2P:modulator interactions have revealed a striking polysite pharmacology housed within a relatively modestly sized (~70 kDa) channel. Binding sites for small molecules or lipids that control channel function are found at every layer of the channel structure, starting from its extracellular side through the portion that interacts with the membrane bilayer inner leaflet. This framework provides the basis for understanding how gating cues sensed by different channel parts control function and how small molecules and lipids modulate K2P activity. Such knowledge should catalyze development of new K2P modulators to probe function and treat a wide range of disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Natale
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Parker E Deal
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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42
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Su S, Sun J, Wang Y, Xu Y. Cardiac hERG K + Channel as Safety and Pharmacological Target. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 267:139-166. [PMID: 33829343 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The human ether-á-go-go related gene (hERG, KCNH2) encodes the pore-forming subunit of the potassium channel responsible for a fast component of the cardiac delayed rectifier potassium current (IKr). Outward IKr is an important determinant of cardiac action potential (AP) repolarization and effectively controls the duration of the QT interval in humans. Dysfunction of hERG channel can cause severe ventricular arrhythmias and thus modulators of the channel, including hERG inhibitors and activators, continue to attract intense pharmacological interest. Certain inhibitors of hERG channel prolong the action potential duration (APD) and effective refractory period (ERP) to suppress premature ventricular contraction and are used as class III antiarrhythmic agents. However, a reduction of the hERG/IKr current has been recognized as a predominant mechanism responsible for the drug-induced delayed repolarization known as acquired long QT syndromes (LQTS), which is linked to an increased risk for "torsades de pointes" (TdP) ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Many drugs of different classes and structures have been identified to carry TdP risk. Hence, assessing hERG/IKr blockade of new drug candidates is mandatory in the drug development process according to the regulatory agencies. In contrast, several hERG channel activators have been shown to enhance IKr and shorten the APD and thus might have potential antiarrhythmic effects against pathological LQTS. However, these activators may also be proarrhythmic due to excessive shortening of APD and the ERP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Su
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hebei, China
| | - Jinglei Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hebei, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hebei, China
| | - Yanfang Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hebei, China.
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43
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Huang L, Xu G, Jiang R, Luo Y, Zuo Y, Liu J. Development of Non-opioid Analgesics Targeting Two-pore Domain Potassium Channels. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 20:16-26. [PMID: 33827408 PMCID: PMC9199554 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210407152528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels are a diverse family of potassium channels. K2P channels generate background leak potassium currents to regulate cellular excitability and are thereby involved in a wide range of neurological disorders. K2P channels are modulated by a variety of physicochemical factors such as mechanical stretch, temperature, and pH. In the the peripheral nervous system (PNS), K2P channels are widely expressed in nociceptive neurons and play a critical roles in pain perception. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the pharmacological properties of K2P channels, with a focus on the exogenous small-molecule activators targeting K2P channels. We emphasize the subtype-selectivity, cellular and in vivo pharmacological properties of all the reported small-molecule activators. The key underlying analgesic mechanisms mediated by K2P are also summarized based on the data in the literature from studies using small-molecule activators and genetic knock-out animals. We discuss advantages and limitations of the translational perspectives of K2P in pain medicine and provide outstanding questions for future studies in the end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Huang
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan. China
| | - Guangyin Xu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu. China
| | - Ruotian Jiang
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan. China
| | - Yuncheng Luo
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan. China
| | - Yunxia Zuo
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan. China
| | - Jin Liu
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan. China
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44
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Lee H, Lolicato M, Arrigoni C, Minor DL. Production of K 2P2.1 (TREK-1) for structural studies. Methods Enzymol 2021; 653:151-188. [PMID: 34099170 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
K2P (KCNK) potassium channels form 'background' or 'leak' currents that are important for controlling cell excitability in the brain, cardiovascular system, and somatosensory neurons. K2P2.1 (TREK-1) is one of the founding members of this family and one of the first well-characterized polymodal ion channels capable of responding to a variety of physical and chemical gating cues. Of the six K2P subfamilies, the thermo-and mechano-sensitive TREK subfamily comprising K2P2.1 (TREK-1), K2P4.1 (TRAAK), and K2P10.1 (TREK-2) is the first to have structures determined for each subfamily member. These structural studies have revealed key architectural features that provide a framework for understanding how gating cues sensed by different channel elements converge on the K2P selectivity filter C-type gate. TREK family structural studies have also revealed numerous sites where small molecules or lipids bind and affect channel function. This rich structural landscape provides the framework for probing K2P function and for the development of new K2P-directed agents. Such molecules may be useful for affecting processes where TREK channels are important such as anesthesia, pain, arrythmia, ischemia, migraine, intraocular pressure, and lung injury. Production of high quality protein samples is key to addressing new questions about K2P function and pharmacology. Here, we present methods for producing pure K2P2.1 (TREK-1) suitable for advancing towards these goals through structural and biochemical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haerim Lee
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marco Lolicato
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Cristina Arrigoni
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States.
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45
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Zhorov BS. Structure of Sodium and Calcium Channels
with Ligands. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021020150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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46
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Daday C, de Groot BL. Lipid-protein forces predict conformational changes in a mechanosensitive channel. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2021; 50:181-186. [PMID: 33355710 PMCID: PMC8071793 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-020-01488-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The mechanosensitive TREK-2 potassium channel, a member of the K2P family, has essential physiological roles and is, therefore, a pharmaceutical target. A combination of experimental and computational studies have established that of the two known conformations, "up" and "down", membrane tension directly favors the "up" state, which displays a higher conductance. However, these studies did not reveal the exact mechanism by which the membrane affects the channel conformation. In this work, we show that changes in protein-lipid interaction patterns suffice in predicting this conformational change, and pinpoint potentially important residues involved in this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Daday
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bert L de Groot
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
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47
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McCoull D, Ococks E, Large JM, Tickle DC, Mathie A, Jerman J, Wright PD. A "Target Class" Screen to Identify Activators of Two-Pore Domain Potassium (K2P) Channels. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 26:428-438. [PMID: 33375888 PMCID: PMC7900820 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220976126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels carry background (or leak) potassium
current and play a key role in regulating resting membrane potential and
cellular excitability. Accumulating evidence points to a role for K2Ps in human
pathophysiologies, most notably in pain and migraine, making them attractive
targets for therapeutic intervention. However, there remains a lack of selective
pharmacological tools. The aim of this work was to apply a “target class”
approach to investigate the K2P superfamily and identify novel activators across
all the described subclasses of K2P channels. Target class drug discovery allows
for the leveraging of accumulated knowledge and maximizing synergies across a
family of targets and serves as an additional approach to standard target-based
screening. A common assay platform using baculovirus (BacMam) to transiently
express K2P channels in mammalian cells and a thallium flux assay to determine
channel activity was developed, allowing the simultaneous screening of multiple
targets. Importantly, this system, by allowing precise titration of channel
function, allows optimization to facilitate the identification of activators. A
representative set of channels (THIK-1, TWIK-1, TREK-2, TASK-3, and TASK-2) were
screened against a library of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved
compounds and the LifeArc Index Set. Activators were then analyzed in
concentration–response format across all channels to assess selectivity. Using
the target class approach to investigate the K2P channels has enabled us to
determine which of the K2Ps are amenable to small-molecule activation, de-risk
multiple channels from a technical point of view, and identify a diverse range
of previously undescribed pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alistair Mathie
- Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent, Chatham Maritime, Kent, UK
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48
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Wague A, Joseph TT, Woll KA, Bu W, Vaidya KA, Bhanu NV, Garcia BA, Nimigean CM, Eckenhoff RG, Riegelhaupt PM. Mechanistic insights into volatile anesthetic modulation of K2P channels. eLife 2020; 9:59839. [PMID: 33345771 PMCID: PMC7781597 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
K2P potassium channels are known to be modulated by volatile anesthetic (VA) drugs and play important roles in clinically relevant effects that accompany general anesthesia. Here, we utilize a photoaffinity analog of the VA isoflurane to identify a VA-binding site in the TREK1 K2P channel. The functional importance of the identified site was validated by mutagenesis and biochemical modification. Molecular dynamics simulations of TREK1 in the presence of VA found multiple neighboring residues on TREK1 TM2, TM3, and TM4 that contribute to anesthetic binding. The identified VA-binding region contains residues that play roles in the mechanisms by which heat, mechanical stretch, and pharmacological modulators alter TREK1 channel activity and overlaps with positions found to modulate TASK K2P channel VA sensitivity. Our findings define molecular contacts that mediate VA binding to TREK1 channels and suggest a mechanistic basis to explain how K2P channels are modulated by VAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aboubacar Wague
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, United States
| | - Thomas T Joseph
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Kellie A Woll
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Weiming Bu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Kiran A Vaidya
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, United States
| | - Natarajan V Bhanu
- Epigenetics Program, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Program, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Crina M Nimigean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, United States.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, United States
| | - Roderic G Eckenhoff
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Paul M Riegelhaupt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, United States
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49
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Zequn Z, Yujia W, Dingding Q, Jiangfang L. Off-label use of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and lopinavir/ritonavir in COVID-19 risks prolonging the QT interval by targeting the hERG channel. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 893:173813. [PMID: 33345848 PMCID: PMC7746509 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), poses an enormous challenge to the medical system, especially the lack of safe and effective COVID-19 treatment methods, forcing people to look for drugs that may have therapeutic effects as soon as possible. Some old drugs have shown clinical benefits after a few small clinical trials that attracted great attention. Clinically, however, many drugs, including those currently used in COVID-19, such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and lopinavir/ritonavir, may cause cardiotoxicity by acting on cardiac potassium channels, especially hERG channel through their off-target effects. The blocking of the hERG channel prolongs QT intervals on electrocardiograms; thus, it might induce severe ventricular arrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death. Therefore, while focusing on the efficacy of COVID-19 drugs, the fact that they block hERG channels to cause arrhythmias cannot be ignored. To develop safer and more effective drugs, it is necessary to understand the interactions between drugs and the hERG channel and the molecular mechanism behind this high affinity. In this review, we focus on the biochemical and molecular mechanistic aspects of drug-related blockade of the hERG channel to provide insights into QT prolongation caused by off-label use of related drugs in COVID-19, and hope to weigh the risks and benefits when using these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zequn
- Medical College, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315000, China
| | - Wu Yujia
- Medical College, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315000, China
| | - Qian Dingding
- Department of Cardiovascular, Lihuili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Lian Jiangfang
- Department of Cardiovascular, Lihuili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China.
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Abstract
The opening and closing of voltage-gated ion channels are regulated by voltage sensors coupled to a gate that controls the ion flux across the cellular membrane. Modulation of any part of gating constitutes an entry point for pharmacologically regulating channel function. Here, we report on the discovery of a large family of warfarin-like compounds that open the two voltage-gated type 1 potassium (KV1) channels KV1.5 and Shaker, but not the related KV2-, KV4-, or KV7-type channels. These negatively charged compounds bind in the open state to positively charged arginines and lysines between the intracellular ends of the voltage-sensor domains and the pore domain. This mechanism of action resembles that of endogenous channel-opening lipids and opens up an avenue for the development of ion-channel modulators.
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