1
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Huang J, Pan X, Yan N. Structural biology and molecular pharmacology of voltage-gated ion channels. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024:10.1038/s41580-024-00763-7. [PMID: 39103479 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00763-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), including those for Na+, Ca2+ and K+, selectively permeate ions across the cell membrane in response to changes in membrane potential, thus participating in physiological processes involving electrical signalling, such as neurotransmission, muscle contraction and hormone secretion. Aberrant function or dysregulation of VGICs is associated with a diversity of neurological, psychiatric, cardiovascular and muscular disorders, and approximately 10% of FDA-approved drugs directly target VGICs. Understanding the structure-function relationship of VGICs is crucial for our comprehension of their working mechanisms and role in diseases. In this Review, we discuss how advances in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy have afforded unprecedented structural insights into VGICs, especially on their interactions with clinical and investigational drugs. We present a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the structural biology of VGICs, with a focus on how prototypical drugs and toxins modulate VGIC activities. We explore how these structures elucidate the molecular basis for drug actions, reveal novel pharmacological sites, and provide critical clues to future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Huang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Xiaojing Pan
- Institute of Bio-Architecture and Bio-Interactions (IBABI), Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Nieng Yan
- Institute of Bio-Architecture and Bio-Interactions (IBABI), Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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2
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Liu Z, Wang F, Yuan H, Tian F, Yang C, Hu F, Liu Y, Tang M, Ping M, Kang C, Luo T, Yang G, Hu M, Gao Z, Li P. An LQT2-related mutation in the voltage-sensing domain is involved in switching the gating polarity of hERG. BMC Biol 2024; 22:29. [PMID: 38317233 PMCID: PMC11380439 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01833-0] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclic Nucleotide-Binding Domain (CNBD)-family channels display distinct voltage-sensing properties despite sharing sequence and structural similarity. For example, the human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (hERG) channel and the Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel share high amino acid sequence similarity and identical domain structures. hERG conducts outward current and is activated by positive membrane potentials (depolarization), whereas HCN conducts inward current and is activated by negative membrane potentials (hyperpolarization). The structural basis for the "opposite" voltage-sensing properties of hERG and HCN remains unknown. RESULTS We found the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) involves in modulating the gating polarity of hERG. We identified that a long-QT syndrome type 2-related mutation within the VSD, K525N, mediated an inwardly rectifying non-deactivating current, perturbing the channel closure, but sparing the open state and inactivated state. K525N rescued the current of a non-functional mutation in the pore helix region (F627Y) of hERG. K525N&F627Y switched hERG into a hyperpolarization-activated channel. The reactivated inward current induced by hyperpolarization mediated by K525N&F627Y can be inhibited by E-4031 and dofetilide quite well. Moreover, we report an extracellular interaction between the S1 helix and the S5-P region is crucial for modulating the gating polarity. The alanine substitution of several residues in this region (F431A, C566A, I607A, and Y611A) impaired the inward current of K525N&F627Y. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that a potential cooperation mechanism in the extracellular vestibule of the VSD and the PD would determine the gating polarity in hERG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipei Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Feng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Hui Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Fuyun Tian
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chuanyan Yang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yiyao Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Meiqin Tang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Meixuan Ping
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chunlan Kang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Guimei Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Mei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, 528401, China
| | - Zhaobing Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Ping Li
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
- Center for Neurological and Psychiatric Research and Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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3
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Chan M, Sahakyan H, Eldstrom J, Sastre D, Wang Y, Dou Y, Pourrier M, Vardanyan V, Fedida D. A generic binding pocket for small molecule IKs activators at the extracellular inter-subunit interface of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 channel complexes. eLife 2023; 12:RP87038. [PMID: 37707495 PMCID: PMC10501768 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The cardiac IKs ion channel comprises KCNQ1, calmodulin, and KCNE1 in a dodecameric complex which provides a repolarizing current reserve at higher heart rates and protects from arrhythmia syndromes that cause fainting and sudden death. Pharmacological activators of IKs are therefore of interest both scientifically and therapeutically for treatment of IKs loss-of-function disorders. One group of chemical activators are only active in the presence of the accessory KCNE1 subunit and here we investigate this phenomenon using molecular modeling techniques and mutagenesis scanning in mammalian cells. A generalized activator binding pocket is formed extracellularly by KCNE1, the domain-swapped S1 helices of one KCNQ1 subunit and the pore/turret region made up of two other KCNQ1 subunits. A few residues, including K41, A44 and Y46 in KCNE1, W323 in the KCNQ1 pore, and Y148 in the KCNQ1 S1 domain, appear critical for the binding of structurally diverse molecules, but in addition, molecular modeling studies suggest that induced fit by structurally different molecules underlies the generalized nature of the binding pocket. Activation of IKs is enhanced by stabilization of the KCNQ1-S1/KCNE1/pore complex, which ultimately slows deactivation of the current, and promotes outward current summation at higher pulse rates. Our results provide a mechanistic explanation of enhanced IKs currents by these activator compounds and provide a map for future design of more potent therapeutically useful molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Chan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Harutyun Sahakyan
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Biological Processes, Institute of Molecular BiologyYerevanArmenia
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Daniel Sastre
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Yundi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Ying Dou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Marc Pourrier
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Vitya Vardanyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular BiologyYerevanArmenia
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
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4
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Slobodyanyuk M, Banda-Vázquez JA, Thompson MJ, Dean RA, Baenziger JE, Chica RA, daCosta CJB. Origin of acetylcholine antagonism in ELIC, a bacterial pentameric ligand-gated ion channel. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1264. [PMID: 36400839 PMCID: PMC9674596 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04227-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
ELIC is a prokaryotic homopentameric ligand-gated ion channel that is homologous to vertebrate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Acetylcholine binds to ELIC but fails to activate it, despite bringing about conformational changes indicative of activation. Instead, acetylcholine competitively inhibits agonist-activated ELIC currents. What makes acetylcholine an agonist in an acetylcholine receptor context, and an antagonist in an ELIC context, is not known. Here we use available structures and statistical coupling analysis to identify residues in the ELIC agonist-binding site that contribute to agonism. Substitution of these ELIC residues for their acetylcholine receptor counterparts does not convert acetylcholine into an ELIC agonist, but in some cases reduces the sensitivity of ELIC to acetylcholine antagonism. Acetylcholine antagonism can be abolished by combining two substitutions that together appear to knock out acetylcholine binding. Thus, making the ELIC agonist-binding site more acetylcholine receptor-like, paradoxically reduces the apparent affinity for acetylcholine, demonstrating that residues important for agonist binding in one context can be deleterious in another. These findings reinforce the notion that although agonism originates from local interactions within the agonist-binding site, it is a global property with cryptic contributions from distant residues. Finally, our results highlight an underappreciated mechanism of antagonism, where agonists with appreciable affinity, but negligible efficacy, present as competitive antagonists. A structural and functional study of the prokaryotic ligand-gated ion channel, ELIC, provides insight into the origin of agonism and antagonism at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
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5
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Zhang Y, Grimwood AL, Hancox JC, Harmer SC, Dempsey CE. Evolutionary coupling analysis guides identification of mistrafficking-sensitive variants in cardiac K + channels: Validation with hERG. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1010119. [PMID: 36339618 PMCID: PMC9632996 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of function (LOF) mutations of voltage sensitive K+ channel proteins hERG (Kv11.1) and KCNQ1 (Kv7.1) account for the majority of instances of congenital Long QT Syndrome (cLQTS) with the dominant molecular phenotype being a mistrafficking one resulting from protein misfolding. We explored the use of Evolutionary Coupling (EC) analysis, which identifies evolutionarily conserved pairwise amino acid interactions that may contribute to protein structural stability, to identify regions of the channels susceptible to misfolding mutations. Comparison with published experimental trafficking data for hERG and KCNQ1 showed that the method strongly predicts "scaffolding" regions of the channel membrane domains and has useful predictive power for trafficking phenotypes of individual variants. We identified a region in and around the cytoplasmic S2-S3 loop of the hERG Voltage Sensor Domain (VSD) as susceptible to destabilising mutation, and this was confirmed using a quantitative LI-COR ® based trafficking assay that showed severely attenuated trafficking in eight out of 10 natural hERG VSD variants selected using EC analysis. Our analysis highlights an equivalence in the scaffolding structures of the hERG and KCNQ1 membrane domains. Pathogenic variants of ion channels with an underlying mistrafficking phenotype are likely to be located within similar scaffolding structures that are identifiable by EC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihong Zhang
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Amy L. Grimwood
- School of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jules C. Hancox
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen C. Harmer
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher E. Dempsey
- School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
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6
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Van Theemsche KM, Heymans JG, Popovic NZ, Martinez-Morales E, Snyders DJ, Labro AJ. Offsetting Voltage-Dependent Kv1.5 Channel Opening Through Charged Residue Substitutions on Top of the First Transmembrane Segment. Bioelectricity 2022. [DOI: 10.1089/bioe.2022.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenny M. Van Theemsche
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joni G. Heymans
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nikola Z. Popovic
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Dirk J. Snyders
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alain J. Labro
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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7
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Chi G, Liang Q, Sridhar A, Cowgill JB, Sader K, Radjainia M, Qian P, Castro-Hartmann P, Venkaya S, Singh NK, McKinley G, Fernandez-Cid A, Mukhopadhyay SMM, Burgess-Brown NA, Delemotte L, Covarrubias M, Dürr KL. Cryo-EM structure of the human Kv3.1 channel reveals gating control by the cytoplasmic T1 domain. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4087. [PMID: 35840580 PMCID: PMC9287412 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29594-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Kv3 channels have distinctive gating kinetics tailored for rapid repolarization in fast-spiking neurons. Malfunction of this process due to genetic variants in the KCNC1 gene causes severe epileptic disorders, yet the structural determinants for the unusual gating properties remain elusive. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human Kv3.1a channel, revealing a unique arrangement of the cytoplasmic tetramerization domain T1 which facilitates interactions with C-terminal axonal targeting motif and key components of the gating machinery. Additional interactions between S1/S2 linker and turret domain strengthen the interface between voltage sensor and pore domain. Supported by molecular dynamics simulations, electrophysiological and mutational analyses, we identify several residues in the S4/S5 linker which influence the gating kinetics and an electrostatic interaction between acidic residues in α6 of T1 and R449 in the pore-flanking S6T helices. These findings provide insights into gating control and disease mechanisms and may guide strategies for the design of pharmaceutical drugs targeting Kv3 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gamma Chi
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Qiansheng Liang
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, UK
| | - Akshay Sridhar
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH, Solna, Sweden
| | - John B Cowgill
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH, Solna, Sweden
| | - Kasim Sader
- Materials and Structural Analysis, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Achtseweg Noord 5, 5651 GG, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Mazdak Radjainia
- Materials and Structural Analysis, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Achtseweg Noord 5, 5651 GG, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Pu Qian
- Materials and Structural Analysis, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Achtseweg Noord 5, 5651 GG, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Pablo Castro-Hartmann
- Materials and Structural Analysis, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Achtseweg Noord 5, 5651 GG, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Shayla Venkaya
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Exscientia Ltd., The Schrödinger Building, Heatley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GE, UK
| | - Nanki Kaur Singh
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Gavin McKinley
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Alejandra Fernandez-Cid
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Exact Sciences Ltd., The Sherard Building, Edmund Halley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4DQ, UK
| | - Shubhashish M M Mukhopadhyay
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Exscientia Ltd., The Schrödinger Building, Heatley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GE, UK
| | - Nicola A Burgess-Brown
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Exact Sciences Ltd., The Sherard Building, Edmund Halley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4DQ, UK
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH, Solna, Sweden
| | - Manuel Covarrubias
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, UK
| | - Katharina L Dürr
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
- OMass Therapeutics, Ltd., The Schrödinger Building, Heatley Road, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GE, UK.
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8
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Mapping the interaction surface of scorpion β-toxins with an insect sodium channel. Biochem J 2021; 478:2843-2869. [PMID: 34195804 PMCID: PMC10081811 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of insect-selective scorpion depressant β-toxins (LqhIT2 and Lqh-dprIT3 from Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus) with the Blattella germanica sodium channel, BgNav1-1a, was investigated using site-directed mutagenesis, electrophysiological analyses, and structural modeling. Focusing on the pharmacologically defined binding site-4 of scorpion β-toxins at the voltage-sensing domain II (VSD-II), we found that charge neutralization of D802 in VSD-II greatly enhanced the channel sensitivity to Lqh-dprIT3. This was consistent with the high sensitivity of the splice variant BgNav2-1, bearing G802, to Lqh-dprIT3, and low sensitivity of BgNav2-1 mutant, G802D, to the toxin. Further mutational and electrophysiological analyses revealed that the sensitivity of the WT = D802E < D802G < D802A < D802K channel mutants to Lqh-dprIT3 correlated with the depolarizing shifts of activation in toxin-free channels. However, the sensitivity of single mutants involving IIS4 basic residues (K4E = WT << R1E < R2E < R3E) or double mutants (D802K = K4E/D802K = R3E/D802K > R2E/D802K > R1E/D802K > WT) did not correlate with the activation shifts. Using the cryo-EM structure of the Periplaneta americana channel, NavPaS, as a template and the crystal structure of LqhIT2, we constructed structural models of LqhIT2 and Lqh-dprIT3-c in complex with BgNav1-1a. These models along with the mutational analysis suggest that depressant toxins approach the salt-bridge between R1 and D802 at VSD-II to form contacts with linkers IIS1-S2, IIS3-S4, IIIP5-P1 and IIIP2-S6. Elimination of this salt-bridge enables deeper penetration of the toxin into a VSD-II gorge to form new contacts with the channel, leading to increased channel sensitivity to Lqh-dprIT3.
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9
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Elbahnsi A, Delemotte L. Structure and Sequence-based Computational Approaches to Allosteric Signal Transduction: Application to Electromechanical Coupling in Voltage-gated Ion Channels. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167095. [PMID: 34107281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Allosteric signaling underlies the function of many biomolecules, including membrane proteins such as ion channels. Experimental methods have enabled specific quantitative insights into the coupling between the voltage sensing domain (VSD) and the pore gate of voltage-gated ion channels, located tens of Ångström apart from one another, as well as pinpointed specific residues and domains that participate in electromechanical signal transmission. Nevertheless, an overall atomic-level resolution picture is difficult to obtain from these methods alone. Today, thanks to the cryo-EM resolution revolution, we have access to high resolution structures of many different voltage-gated ion channels in various conformational states, putting a quantitative description of the processes at the basis of these changes within our close reach. Here, we review computational methods that build on structures to detect and characterize allosteric signaling and pathways. We then examine what has been learned so far about electromechanical coupling between VSD and pore using such methods. While no general theory of electromechanical coupling in voltage-gated ion channels integrating results from all these methods is available yet, we outline the types of insights that could be achieved in the near future using the methods that have not yet been put to use in this field of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Elbahnsi
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden.
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10
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Borgini M, Mondal P, Liu R, Wipf P. Chemical modulation of Kv7 potassium channels. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:483-537. [PMID: 34046626 PMCID: PMC8128042 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00328j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising interest in Kv7 modulators originates from their ability to evoke fundamental electrophysiological perturbations in a tissue-specific manner. A large number of therapeutic applications are, in part, based on the clinical experience with two broad-spectrum Kv7 agonists, flupirtine and retigabine. Since precise molecular structures of human Kv7 channel subtypes in closed and open states have only very recently started to emerge, computational studies have traditionally been used to analyze binding modes and direct the development of more potent and selective Kv7 modulators with improved safety profiles. Herein, the synthetic and medicinal chemistry of small molecule modulators and the representative biological properties are summarized. Furthermore, new therapeutic applications supported by in vitro and in vivo assay data are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Borgini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| | - Pravat Mondal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| | - Ruiting Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
| | - Peter Wipf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA 15260 USA
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11
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Bassetto CA, Carvalho-de-Souza JL, Bezanilla F. Molecular basis for functional connectivity between the voltage sensor and the selectivity filter gate in Shaker K + channels. eLife 2021; 10:63077. [PMID: 33620313 PMCID: PMC7943188 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In Shaker K+ channels, the S4-S5 linker couples the voltage sensor (VSD) and pore domain (PD). Another coupling mechanism is revealed using two W434F-containing channels: L361R:W434F and L366H:W434F. In L361R:W434F, W434F affects the L361R VSD seen as a shallower charge-voltage (Q-V) curve that crosses the conductance-voltage (G-V) curve. In L366H:W434F, L366H relieves the W434F effect converting a non-conductive channel in a conductive one. We report a chain of residues connecting the VSD (S4) to the selectivity filter (SF) in the PD of an adjacent subunit as the molecular basis for voltage sensor selectivity filter gate (VS-SF) coupling. Single alanine substitutions in this region (L409A, S411A, S412A, or F433A) are enough to disrupt the VS-SF coupling, shown by the absence of Q-V and G-V crossing in L361R:W434F mutant and by the lack of ionic conduction in the L366H:W434F mutant. This residue chain defines a new coupling between the VSD and the PD in voltage-gated channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Az Bassetto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - João Luis Carvalho-de-Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
| | - Francisco Bezanilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile
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12
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A Common Kinetic Property of Mutations Linked to Episodic Ataxia Type 1 Studied in the Shaker Kv Channel. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207602. [PMID: 33066705 PMCID: PMC7589002 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Episodic ataxia type 1 is caused by mutations in the KCNA1 gene encoding for the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.1. There have been many mutations in Kv1.1 linked to episodic ataxia reported and typically investigated by themselves or in small groups. The aim of this article is to determine whether we can define a functional parameter common to all Kv1.1 mutants that have been linked to episodic ataxia. (2) Methods: We introduced the disease mutations linked to episodic ataxia in the drosophila analog of Kv1.1, the Shaker Kv channel, and expressed the channels in Xenopus oocytes. Using the cut-open oocyte technique, we characterized the gating and ionic currents. (3) Results: We found that the episodic ataxia mutations variably altered the different gating mechanisms described for Kv channels. The common characteristic was a conductance voltage relationship and inactivation shifted to less polarized potentials. (4) Conclusions: We suggest that a combination of a prolonged action potential and slowed and incomplete inactivation leads to development of ataxia when Kv channels cannot follow or adapt to high firing rates.
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13
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Abstract
The voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is a member of the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily, which stands out in design: It is a dimer of two voltage-sensing domains (VSDs), each containing a pore pathway, a voltage sensor (S4), and a gate (S1) and forming its own ion channel. Opening of the two channels in the dimer is cooperative. Part of the cooperativity is due to association between coiled-coil domains that extend intracellularly from the S4s. Interactions between the transmembrane portions of the subunits may also contribute, but the nature of transmembrane packing is unclear. Using functional analysis of a mutagenesis scan, biochemistry, and modeling, we find that the subunits form a dimer interface along the entire length of S1, and also have intersubunit contacts between S1 and S4. These interactions exert a strong effect on gating, in particular on the stability of the open state. Our results suggest that gating in Hv1 is tuned by extensive VSD-VSD interactions between the gates and voltage sensors of the dimeric channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Mony
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - David Stroebel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS UMR 8197, INSERM U1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ehud Y Isacoff
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Bioscience Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
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14
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Wang Y, Eldstrom J, Fedida D. Gating and Regulation of KCNQ1 and KCNQ1 + KCNE1 Channel Complexes. Front Physiol 2020; 11:504. [PMID: 32581825 PMCID: PMC7287213 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The IKs channel complex is formed by the co-assembly of Kv7.1 (KCNQ1), a voltage-gated potassium channel, with its β-subunit, KCNE1 and the association of numerous accessory regulatory molecules such as PIP2, calmodulin, and yotiao. As a result, the IKs potassium current shows kinetic and regulatory flexibility, which not only allows IKs to fulfill physiological roles as disparate as cardiac repolarization and the maintenance of endolymph K+ homeostasis, but also to cause significant disease when it malfunctions. Here, we review new areas of understanding in the assembly, kinetics of activation and inactivation, voltage-sensor pore coupling, unitary events and regulation of this important ion channel complex, all of which have been given further impetus by the recent solution of cryo-EM structural representations of KCNQ1 alone and KCNQ1+KCNE3. Recently, the stoichiometric ratio of KCNE1 to KCNQ1 subunits has been confirmed to be variable up to a ratio of 4:4, rather than fixed at 2:4, and we will review the results and new methodologies that support this conclusion. Significant advances have been made in understanding differences between KCNQ1 and IKs gating using voltage clamp fluorimetry and mutational analysis to illuminate voltage sensor activation and inactivation, and the relationship between voltage sensor translation and pore domain opening. We now understand that the KCNQ1 pore can open with different permeabilities and conductance when the voltage sensor is in partially or fully activated positions, and the ability to make robust single channel recordings from IKs channels has also revealed the complicated pore subconductance architecture during these opening steps, during inactivation, and regulation by 1−4 associated KCNE1 subunits. Experiments placing mutations into individual voltage sensors to drastically change voltage dependence or prevent their movement altogether have demonstrated that the activation of KCNQ1 alone and IKs can best be explained using allosteric models of channel gating. Finally, we discuss how the intrinsic gating properties of KCNQ1 and IKs are highly modulated through the impact of intracellular signaling molecules and co-factors such as PIP2, protein kinase A, calmodulin and ATP, all of which modulate IKs current kinetics and contribute to diverse IKs channel complex function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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15
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Two-stage electro-mechanical coupling of a K V channel in voltage-dependent activation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:676. [PMID: 32015334 PMCID: PMC6997178 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14406-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In voltage-gated potassium (KV) channels, the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) undergoes sequential activation from the resting state to the intermediate state and activated state to trigger pore opening via electro-mechanical (E-M) coupling. However, the spatial and temporal details underlying E-M coupling remain elusive. Here, utilizing KV7.1's unique two open states, we report a two-stage E-M coupling mechanism in voltage-dependent gating of KV7.1 as triggered by VSD activations to the intermediate and then activated state. When the S4 segment transitions to the intermediate state, the hand-like C-terminus of the VSD-pore linker (S4-S5L) interacts with the pore in the same subunit. When S4 then proceeds to the fully-activated state, the elbow-like hinge between S4 and S4-S5L engages with the pore of the neighboring subunit to activate conductance. This two-stage hand-and-elbow gating mechanism elucidates distinct tissue-specific modulations, pharmacology, and disease pathogenesis of KV7.1, and likely applies to numerous domain-swapped KV channels.
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16
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Butler A, Helliwell MV, Zhang Y, Hancox JC, Dempsey CE. An Update on the Structure of hERG. Front Pharmacol 2020; 10:1572. [PMID: 32038248 PMCID: PMC6992539 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The human voltage-sensitive K+ channel hERG plays a fundamental role in cardiac action potential repolarization, effectively controlling the QT interval of the electrocardiogram. Inherited loss- or gain-of-function mutations in hERG can result in dangerous “long” (LQTS) or “short” QT syndromes (SQTS), respectively, and the anomalous susceptibility of hERG to block by a diverse range of drugs underlies an acquired LQTS. A recent open channel cryo-EM structure of hERG should greatly advance understanding of the molecular basis of hERG channelopathies and drug-induced LQTS. Here we describe an update of recent research that addresses the nature of the particular gated state of hERG captured in the new structure, and the insight afforded by the structure into the molecular basis for high affinity drug block of hERG, the binding of hERG activators and the molecular basis of hERG's peculiar gating properties. Interpretation of the pharmacology of natural SQTS mutants in the context of the structure is a promising approach to understanding the molecular basis of hERG inactivation, and the structure suggests how voltage-dependent changes in the membrane domain may be transmitted to an extracellular “turret” to effect inactivation through aromatic side chain motifs that are conserved throughout the KCNH family of channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Butler
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Medical Sciences Building, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew V Helliwell
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Medical Sciences Building, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Yihong Zhang
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Medical Sciences Building, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jules C Hancox
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Medical Sciences Building, Bristol, United Kingdom
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17
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Kang SK, Vanoye CG, Misra SN, Echevarria DM, Calhoun JD, O'Connor JB, Fabre KL, McKnight D, Demmer L, Goldenberg P, Grote LE, Thiffault I, Saunders C, Strauss KA, Torkamani A, van der Smagt J, van Gassen K, Carson RP, Diaz J, Leon E, Jacher JE, Hannibal MC, Litwin J, Friedman NR, Schreiber A, Lynch B, Poduri A, Marsh ED, Goldberg EM, Millichap JJ, George AL, Kearney JA. Spectrum of K V 2.1 Dysfunction in KCNB1-Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Ann Neurol 2019; 86:899-912. [PMID: 31600826 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pathogenic variants in KCNB1, encoding the voltage-gated potassium channel KV 2.1, are associated with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). Previous functional studies on a limited number of KCNB1 variants indicated a range of molecular mechanisms by which variants affect channel function, including loss of voltage sensitivity, loss of ion selectivity, and reduced cell-surface expression. METHODS We evaluated a series of 17 KCNB1 variants associated with DEE or other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) to rapidly ascertain channel dysfunction using high-throughput functional assays. Specifically, we investigated the biophysical properties and cell-surface expression of variant KV 2.1 channels expressed in heterologous cells using high-throughput automated electrophysiology and immunocytochemistry-flow cytometry. RESULTS Pathogenic variants exhibited diverse functional defects, including altered current density and shifts in the voltage dependence of activation and/or inactivation, as homotetramers or when coexpressed with wild-type KV 2.1. Quantification of protein expression also identified variants with reduced total KV 2.1 expression or deficient cell-surface expression. INTERPRETATION Our study establishes a platform for rapid screening of KV 2.1 functional defects caused by KCNB1 variants associated with DEE and other NDDs. This will aid in establishing KCNB1 variant pathogenicity and the mechanism of dysfunction, which will enable targeted strategies for therapeutic intervention based on molecular phenotype. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:899-912.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok Kyu Kang
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Carlos G Vanoye
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Sunita N Misra
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Departments of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Dennis M Echevarria
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Jeffrey D Calhoun
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - John B O'Connor
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Katarina L Fabre
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Laurie Demmer
- Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Health's Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, NC
| | - Paula Goldenberg
- Medical Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lauren E Grote
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO.,University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO
| | - Isabelle Thiffault
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO.,Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
| | - Carol Saunders
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO.,Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO
| | | | - Ali Torkamani
- Scripps Translational Science Institute and Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jasper van der Smagt
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Koen van Gassen
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Robert P Carson
- Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN
| | - Jullianne Diaz
- Rare Disease Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | - Eyby Leon
- Rare Disease Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | - Joseph E Jacher
- Division of Pediatric Genetics, Metabolism, and Genomic Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Mark C Hannibal
- Division of Pediatric Genetics, Metabolism, and Genomic Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Jessica Litwin
- University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco, CA
| | | | | | - Bryan Lynch
- Department of Paediatric Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Annapurna Poduri
- Epilepsy Genetics Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Eric D Marsh
- Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Ethan M Goldberg
- Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - John J Millichap
- Departments of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Alfred L George
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Jennifer A Kearney
- Departments of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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18
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Situ AJ, Ulmer TS. Universal principles of membrane protein assembly, composition and evolution. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221372. [PMID: 31415673 PMCID: PMC6695178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural diversity in α-helical membrane proteins (MP) arises from variations in helix-helix crossings and contacts that may bias amino acid usage. Here, we reveal systematic changes in transmembrane amino acid frequencies (f) as a function of the number of helices (n). For eukarya, breaks in f(n) trends of packing (Ala, Gly and Pro), polar, and hydrophobic residues identify different MP assembly principles for 2≤n≤7, 8≤n≤12 and n≥13. In bacteria, the first f break already occurs after n = 6 in correlation to an earlier n peak in MP size distribution and dominance of packing over polar interactions. In contrast to the later n brackets, the integration levels of helix bundles continuously increased in the first, most populous brackets indicating the formation of single structural units (domains). The larger first bracket of eukarya relates to a balance of polar and packing interactions that enlarges helix-helix combinatorial possibilities (MP diversity). Between the evolutionary old, packing and new, polar residues f anti-correlations extend over all biological taxa, broadly ordering them according to evolutionary history and allowing f estimates for the earliest forms of life. Next to evolutionary history, the amino acid composition of MP is determined by size (n), proteome diversity, and effective amino acid cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J. Situ
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Tobias S. Ulmer
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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19
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Noncanonical mechanism of voltage sensor coupling to pore revealed by tandem dimers of Shaker. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3584. [PMID: 31395867 PMCID: PMC6687735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11545-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKC), voltage sensors (VSD) endow voltage-sensitivity to pore domains (PDs) through a not fully understood mechanism. Shaker-like VGKC show domain-swapped configuration: VSD of one subunit is covalently connected to its PD by the protein backbone (far connection) and non-covalently to the PD of the next subunit (near connection). VSD-to-PD coupling is not fully explained by far connection only, therefore an additional mechanistic component may be based on near connection. Using tandem dimers of Shaker channels we show functional data distinguishing VSD-to-PD far from near connections. Near connections influence both voltage-dependence of C-type inactivation at the selectivity filter and overall PD open probability. We speculate a conserved residue in S5 (S412 in Shaker), within van der Waals distance from next subunit S4 residues is key for the noncanonical VSD-to-PD coupling. Natural mutations of S412-homologous residues in brain and heart VGKC are related to neurological and cardiac diseases.
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20
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Xu H, Li T, Rohou A, Arthur CP, Tzakoniati F, Wong E, Estevez A, Kugel C, Franke Y, Chen J, Ciferri C, Hackos DH, Koth CM, Payandeh J. Structural Basis of Nav1.7 Inhibition by a Gating-Modifier Spider Toxin. Cell 2019; 176:702-715.e14. [PMID: 30661758 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels are targets of disease mutations, toxins, and therapeutic drugs. Despite recent advances, the structural basis of voltage sensing, electromechanical coupling, and toxin modulation remains ill-defined. Protoxin-II (ProTx2) from the Peruvian green velvet tarantula is an inhibitor cystine-knot peptide and selective antagonist of the human Nav1.7 channel. Here, we visualize ProTx2 in complex with voltage-sensor domain II (VSD2) from Nav1.7 using X-ray crystallography and cryoelectron microscopy. Membrane partitioning orients ProTx2 for unfettered access to VSD2, where ProTx2 interrogates distinct features of the Nav1.7 receptor site. ProTx2 positions two basic residues into the extracellular vestibule to antagonize S4 gating-charge movement through an electrostatic mechanism. ProTx2 has trapped activated and deactivated states of VSD2, revealing a remarkable ∼10 Å translation of the S4 helix, providing a structural framework for activation gating in voltage-gated ion channels. Finally, our results deliver key templates to design selective Nav channel antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xu
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Tianbo Li
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | - Alexis Rohou
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | | | - Foteini Tzakoniati
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Evera Wong
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Alberto Estevez
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Christine Kugel
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Yvonne Franke
- Department of Biomolecular Resources, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Claudio Ciferri
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - David H Hackos
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | - Christopher M Koth
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | - Jian Payandeh
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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21
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OKAMURA Y, OKOCHI Y. Molecular mechanisms of coupling to voltage sensors in voltage-evoked cellular signals. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2019; 95:111-135. [PMID: 30853698 PMCID: PMC6541726 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.95.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The voltage sensor domain (VSD) has long been studied as a unique domain intrinsic to voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs). Within VGICs, the VSD is tightly coupled to the pore-gate domain (PGD) in diverse ways suitable for its specific function in each physiological context, including action potential generation, muscle contraction and relaxation, hormone and neurotransmitter secretion, and cardiac pacemaking. However, some VSD-containing proteins lack a PGD. Voltage-sensing phosphatase contains a cytoplasmic phosphoinositide phosphatase with similarity to phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Hv1, a voltage-gated proton channel, also lacks a PGD. Within Hv1, the VSD operates as a voltage sensor, gate, and pore for both proton sensing and permeation. Hv1 has a C-terminal coiled coil that mediates dimerization for cooperative gating. Recent progress in the structural biology of VGICs and VSD proteins provides insights into the principles of VSD coupling conserved among these proteins as well as the hierarchy of protein organization for voltage-evoked cell signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi OKAMURA
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi OKOCHI
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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22
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Gating-induced large aqueous volumetric remodeling and aspartate tolerance in the voltage sensor domain of Shaker K + channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:8203-8208. [PMID: 30038023 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1806578115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons encode electrical signals with critically tuned voltage-gated ion channels and enzymes. Dedicated voltage sensor domains (VSDs) in these membrane proteins activate coordinately with an unresolved structural change. Such change conveys the transmembrane translocation of four positively charged arginine side chains, the voltage-sensing residues (VSRs; R1-R4). Countercharges and lipid phosphohead groups likely stabilize these VSRs within the low-dielectric core of the protein. However, the role of hydration, a sign-independent charge stabilizer, remains unclear. We replaced all VSRs and their neighboring residues with negatively charged aspartates in a voltage-gated potassium channel. The ensuing mild functional effects indicate that hydration is also important in VSR stabilization. The voltage dependency of the VSR aspartate variants approached the expected arithmetic summation of charges at VSR positions, as if negative and positive side chains faced similar pathways. In contrast, aspartates introduced between R2 and R3 did not affect voltage dependence as if the side chains moved outside the electric field or together with it, undergoing a large displacement and volumetric remodeling. Accordingly, VSR performed osmotic work at both internal and external aqueous interfaces. Individual VSR contributions to volumetric works approached arithmetical additivity but were largely dissimilar. While R1 and R4 displaced small volumes, R2 and R3 volumetric works were massive and vectorially opposed, favoring large aqueous remodeling during VSD activation. These diverse volumetric works are, at least for R2 and R3, not compatible with VSR translocation across a unique stationary charge transfer center. Instead, VSRs may follow separated pathways across a fluctuating low-dielectric septum.
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23
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Lopez-Rodriguez A, Holmgren M. Deglycosylation of Shaker K V channels affects voltage sensing and the open-closed transition. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:1025-1034. [PMID: 29880580 PMCID: PMC6028503 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels are subject to posttranslational modification, including glycosylation. Lopez-Rodriguez and Holmgren show that, in Shaker KV channels, deglycosylation influences voltage sensing and open–closed transitions but not binding of ligands to the protein. Most membrane proteins are subject to posttranslational glycosylation, which influences protein function, folding, solubility, stability, and trafficking. This modification has been proposed to protect proteins from proteolysis and modify protein–protein interactions. Voltage-activated ion channels are heavily glycosylated, which can result in up to 30% of the mature molecular mass being contributed by glycans. Normally, the functional consequences of glycosylation are assessed by comparing the function of fully glycosylated proteins with those in which glycosylation sites have been mutated or by expressing proteins in model cells lacking glycosylation enzymes. Here, we study the functional consequences of deglycosylation by PNGase F within the same population of voltage-activated potassium (KV) channels. We find that removal of sugar moieties has a small, but direct, influence on the voltage-sensing properties and final opening–closing transition of Shaker KV channels. Yet, we observe that the interactions of various ligands with different domains of the protein are not affected by deglycosylation. These results imply that the sugar mass attached to the voltage sensor neither represents a cargo for the dynamics of this domain nor imposes obstacles to the access of interacting molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Lopez-Rodriguez
- Neurophysiology Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD .,Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, México
| | - Miguel Holmgren
- Neurophysiology Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Nicoludis JM, Gaudet R. Applications of sequence coevolution in membrane protein biochemistry. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:895-908. [PMID: 28993150 PMCID: PMC5807202 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Recently, protein sequence coevolution analysis has matured into a predictive powerhouse for protein structure and function. Direct methods, which use global statistical models of sequence coevolution, have enabled the prediction of membrane and disordered protein structures, protein complex architectures, and the functional effects of mutations in proteins. The field of membrane protein biochemistry and structural biology has embraced these computational techniques, which provide functional and structural information in an otherwise experimentally-challenging field. Here we review recent applications of protein sequence coevolution analysis to membrane protein structure and function and highlight the promising directions and future obstacles in these fields. We provide insights and guidelines for membrane protein biochemists who wish to apply sequence coevolution analysis to a given experimental system.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Nicoludis
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Rachelle Gaudet
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States.
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25
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Inactivation of KCNQ1 potassium channels reveals dynamic coupling between voltage sensing and pore opening. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1730. [PMID: 29167462 PMCID: PMC5700111 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01911-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In voltage-activated ion channels, voltage sensor (VSD) activation induces pore opening via VSD-pore coupling. Previous studies show that the pore in KCNQ1 channels opens when the VSD activates to both intermediate and fully activated states, resulting in the intermediate open (IO) and activated open (AO) states, respectively. It is also well known that accompanying KCNQ1 channel opening, the ionic current is suppressed by a rapid process called inactivation. Here we show that inactivation of KCNQ1 channels derives from the different mechanisms of the VSD-pore coupling that lead to the IO and AO states, respectively. When the VSD activates from the intermediate state to the activated state, the VSD-pore coupling has less efficacy in opening the pore, producing inactivation. These results indicate that different mechanisms, other than the canonical VSD-pore coupling, are at work in voltage-dependent ion channel activation. KCNQ1 is a voltage-gated potassium channel that is important in cardiac and epithelial function. Here the authors present a mechanism for KCNQ1 activation and inactivation in which voltage sensor activation promotes pore opening more effectively in the intermediate open state than the fully open state, generating inactivation.
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26
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Phan K, Ng CA, David E, Shishmarev D, Kuchel PW, Vandenberg JI, Perry MD. The S1 helix critically regulates the finely tuned gating of Kv11.1 channels. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:7688-7705. [PMID: 28280240 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.779298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital mutations in the cardiac Kv11.1 channel can cause long QT syndrome type 2 (LQTS2), a heart rhythm disorder associated with sudden cardiac death. Mutations act either by reducing protein expression at the membrane and/or by perturbing the intricate gating properties of Kv11.1 channels. A number of clinical LQTS2-associated mutations have been reported in the first transmembrane segment (S1) of Kv11.1 channels, but the role of this region of the channel is largely unexplored. In part, this is due to problems defining the extent of the S1 helix, as a consequence of its low sequence homology with other Kv family members. Here, we used NMR spectroscopy and electrophysiological characterization to show that the S1 of Kv11.1 channels extends seven helical turns, from Pro-405 to Phe-431, and is flanked by unstructured loops. Functional analysis suggests that pre-S1 loop residues His-402 and Tyr-403 play an important role in regulating the kinetics and voltage dependence of channel activation and deactivation. Multiple residues within the S1 helix also play an important role in fine-tuning the voltage dependence of activation, regulating slow deactivation, and modulating C-type inactivation of Kv11.1 channels. Analyses of LQTS2-associated mutations in the pre-S1 loop or S1 helix of Kv11.1 channels demonstrate perturbations to both protein expression and most gating transitions. Thus, S1 region mutations would reduce both the action potential repolarizing current passed by Kv11.1 channels in cardiac myocytes, as well as the current passed in response to premature depolarizations that normally helps protect against the formation of ectopic beats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Phan
- From the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010.,the St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, and
| | - Chai Ann Ng
- From the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010.,the St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, and
| | - Erikka David
- From the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010
| | - Dmitry Shishmarev
- the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Philip W Kuchel
- the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jamie I Vandenberg
- From the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010.,the St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, and
| | - Matthew D Perry
- From the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, 405 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, .,the St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, and
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27
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Marsakova L, Barvik I, Zima V, Zimova L, Vlachova V. The First Extracellular Linker Is Important for Several Aspects of the Gating Mechanism of Human TRPA1 Channel. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:16. [PMID: 28197074 PMCID: PMC5281607 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is an excitatory ion channel involved in pain, inflammation and itching. This channel gates in response to many irritant and proalgesic agents, and can be modulated by calcium and depolarizing voltage. While the closed-state structure of TRPA1 has been recently resolved, also having its open state is essential for understanding how this channel works. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations combined with electrophysiological measurements and systematic mutagenesis to predict and explore the conformational changes coupled to the expansion of the presumptive channel's lower gate. We show that, upon opening, the upper part of the sensor module approaches the pore domain of an adjacent subunit and the conformational dynamics of the first extracellular flexible loop may govern the voltage-dependence of multimodal gating, thereby serving to stabilize the open state of the channel. These results are generally important in understanding the structure and function of TRPA1 and offer new insights into the gating mechanism of TRPA1 and related channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Marsakova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology Czech Academy of Sciences Prague, Czechia
| | - Ivan Barvik
- Division of Biomolecular Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Institute of Physics, Charles University Prague, Czechia
| | - Vlastimil Zima
- Division of Biomolecular Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Institute of Physics, Charles University Prague, Czechia
| | - Lucie Zimova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology Czech Academy of Sciences Prague, Czechia
| | - Viktorie Vlachova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology Czech Academy of Sciences Prague, Czechia
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28
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Wood ML, Freites JA, Tombola F, Tobias DJ. Atomistic Modeling of Ion Conduction through the Voltage-Sensing Domain of the Shaker K + Ion Channel. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:3804-3812. [PMID: 28074656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b12639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) sense changes in the membrane electrostatic potential and, through conformational changes, regulate a specific function. The VSDs of wild-type voltage-dependent K+, Na+, and Ca2+ channels do not conduct ions, but they can become ion-permeable through pathological mutations in the VSD. Relatively little is known about the underlying mechanisms of conduction through VSDs. The most detailed studies have been performed on Shaker K+ channel variants in which ion conduction through the VSD is manifested in electrophysiology experiments as a voltage-dependent inward current, the so-called omega current, which appears when the VSDs are in their resting state conformation. Only monovalent cations appear to permeate the Shaker VSD via a pathway that is believed to be, at least in part, the same as that followed by the S4 basic side chains during voltage-dependent activation. We performed μs-time scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of a cation-conducting variant of the Shaker VSD under applied electric fields in an experimentally validated resting-state conformation, embedded in a lipid bilayer surrounded by solutions containing guanidinium chloride or potassium chloride. Our simulations provide insights into the Shaker VSD permeation pathway, the protein-ion interactions that control permeation kinetics, and the mechanism of voltage-dependent activation of voltage-gated ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona L Wood
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine , Irvine, California 92697-2025, United States
| | - J Alfredo Freites
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine , Irvine, California 92697-2025, United States
| | - Francesco Tombola
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine , Irvine, California 92697-4560, United States
| | - Douglas J Tobias
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine , Irvine, California 92697-2025, United States
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30
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Cui J. Voltage-Dependent Gating: Novel Insights from KCNQ1 Channels. Biophys J 2016; 110:14-25. [PMID: 26745405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gating of voltage-dependent cation channels involves three general molecular processes: voltage sensor activation, sensor-pore coupling, and pore opening. KCNQ1 is a voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel whose distinctive properties have provided novel insights on fundamental principles of voltage-dependent gating. 1) Similar to other Kv channels, KCNQ1 voltage sensor activation undergoes two resolvable steps; but, unique to KCNQ1, the pore opens at both the intermediate and activated state of voltage sensor activation. The voltage sensor-pore coupling differs in the intermediate-open and the activated-open states, resulting in changes of open pore properties during voltage sensor activation. 2) The voltage sensor-pore coupling and pore opening require the membrane lipid PIP2 and intracellular ATP, respectively, as cofactors, thus voltage-dependent gating is dependent on multiple stimuli, including the binding of intracellular signaling molecules. These mechanisms underlie the extraordinary KCNE1 subunit modification of the KCNQ1 channel and have significant physiological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center and Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
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31
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Zhao J, Blunck R. The isolated voltage sensing domain of the Shaker potassium channel forms a voltage-gated cation channel. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27710769 PMCID: PMC5092046 DOI: 10.7554/elife.18130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Domains in macromolecular complexes are often considered structurally and functionally conserved while energetically coupled to each other. In the modular voltage-gated ion channels the central ion-conducting pore is surrounded by four voltage sensing domains (VSDs). Here, the energetic coupling is mediated by interactions between the S4-S5 linker, covalently linking the domains, and the proximal C-terminus. In order to characterize the intrinsic gating of the voltage sensing domain in the absence of the pore domain, the Shaker Kv channel was truncated after the fourth transmembrane helix S4 (Shaker-iVSD). Shaker-iVSD showed significantly altered gating kinetics and formed a cation-selective ion channel with a strong preference for protons. Ion conduction in Shaker-iVSD developed despite identical primary sequence, indicating an allosteric influence of the pore domain. Shaker-iVSD also displays pronounced 'relaxation'. Closing of the pore correlates with entry into relaxation suggesting that the two processes are energetically related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Zhao
- Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Rikard Blunck
- Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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32
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Raman AS, White KI, Ranganathan R. Origins of Allostery and Evolvability in Proteins: A Case Study. Cell 2016; 166:468-480. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Reciprocal voltage sensor-to-pore coupling leads to potassium channel C-type inactivation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27562. [PMID: 27278891 PMCID: PMC4899724 DOI: 10.1038/srep27562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels open at depolarized membrane voltages. A prolonged depolarization causes a rearrangement of the selectivity filter which terminates the conduction of ions - a process called slow or C-type inactivation. How structural rearrangements in the voltage-sensor domain (VSD) cause alteration in the selectivity filter, and vice versa, are not fully understood. We show that pulling the pore domain of the Shaker potassium channel towards the VSD by a Cd(2+) bridge accelerates C-type inactivation. Molecular dynamics simulations show that such pulling widens the selectivity filter and disrupts the K(+) coordination, a hallmark for C-type inactivation. An engineered Cd(2+) bridge within the VSD also affect C-type inactivation. Conversely, a pore domain mutation affects VSD gating-charge movement. Finally, C-type inactivation is caused by the concerted action of distant amino acid residues in the pore domain. All together, these data suggest a reciprocal communication between the pore domain and the VSD in the extracellular portion of the channel.
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34
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Rivoire O, Reynolds KA, Ranganathan R. Evolution-Based Functional Decomposition of Proteins. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1004817. [PMID: 27254668 PMCID: PMC4890866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The essential biological properties of proteins—folding, biochemical activities, and the capacity to adapt—arise from the global pattern of interactions between amino acid residues. The statistical coupling analysis (SCA) is an approach to defining this pattern that involves the study of amino acid coevolution in an ensemble of sequences comprising a protein family. This approach indicates a functional architecture within proteins in which the basic units are coupled networks of amino acids termed sectors. This evolution-based decomposition has potential for new understandings of the structural basis for protein function. To facilitate its usage, we present here the principles and practice of the SCA and introduce new methods for sector analysis in a python-based software package (pySCA). We show that the pattern of amino acid interactions within sectors is linked to the divergence of functional lineages in a multiple sequence alignment—a model for how sector properties might be differentially tuned in members of a protein family. This work provides new tools for studying proteins and for generally testing the concept of sectors as the principal units of function and adaptive variation. Proteins display the ability to fold, to carry out complex biochemical reactions, and to be adaptive to changing conditions of selection—the essential characteristics contributing to organismal fitness. A major goal is to understand how these properties emerge from the global pattern of interactions between amino acid residues. Here, we describe the principles and implementation of the statistical coupling analysis (SCA), a method to reveal this pattern through analysis of coevolution between amino acids in an ensemble of homologous sequences. The basic result is a decomposition of protein structures into groups of contiguous amino acids called “sectors” which have been linked to conserved functional properties. This work provides conceptual and practical tools for sector analysis in any sufficiently well-represented protein family, and represents a necessary basis for broadly testing the concept of protein sectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Rivoire
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, CNRS and Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Kimberly A. Reynolds
- The Green Center for Systems Biology, and Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rama Ranganathan
- The Green Center for Systems Biology, and Departments of Biophysics and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Kopljar I, Grottesi A, de Block T, Rainier JD, Tytgat J, Labro AJ, Snyders DJ. Voltage-sensor conformation shapes the intra-membrane drug binding site that determines gambierol affinity in Kv channels. Neuropharmacology 2016; 107:160-167. [PMID: 26956727 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Marine ladder-shaped polyether toxins are implicated in neurological symptoms of fish-borne food poisonings. The toxin gambierol, produced by the marine dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus, belongs to the group of ladder-shaped polyether toxins and inhibits Kv3.1 channels with nanomolar affinity through a mechanism of gating modification. Binding determinants for gambierol localize at the lipid-exposed interface of the pore forming S5 and S6 segments, suggesting that gambierol binds outside of the permeation pathway. To explore a possible involvement of the voltage-sensing domain (VSD), we made different chimeric channels between Kv3.1 and Kv2.1, exchanging distinct parts of the gating machinery. Our results showed that neither the electro-mechanical coupling nor the S1-S3a region of the VSD affect gambierol sensitivity. In contrast, the S3b-S4 part of the VSD (paddle motif) decreased gambierol sensitivity in Kv3.1 more than 100-fold. Structure determination by homology modeling indicated that the position of the S3b-S4 paddle and its primary structure defines the shape and∖or the accessibility of the binding site for gambierol, explaining the observed differences in gambierol affinity between the channel chimeras. Furthermore, these findings explain the observed difference in gambierol affinity for the closed and open channel configurations of Kv3.1, opening new possibilities for exploring the VSDs as selectivity determinants in drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Kopljar
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Tessa de Block
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jon D Rainier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0850, USA
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alain J Labro
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dirk J Snyders
- Laboratory for Molecular Biophysics, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Abstract
The voltage gated Kv1.5 channels conduct the ultrarapid delayed rectifier current (IKur) and play critical role in repolarization of action potential duration. It is the most rapidly activated channel and has very little or no inactivated states. In human cardiac cells, these channels are expressed more extensively in atrial myocytes than ventricle. From the evidences of its localization and functions, Kv1.5 has been declared a selective drug target for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). In this present study, we have tried to identify the rapidly activating property of Kv1.5 and studied its mode of inhibition using molecular modeling, docking, and simulation techniques. Channel in open conformation is found to be stabilized quickly within the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine membrane, whereas most of the secondary structure elements were lost in closed state conformation. The obvious reason behind its ultra-rapid property is possibly due to the amino acid alteration in S4-S5 linker; the replacement of Lysine by Glutamine and vice versa. The popular published drugs as well as newly identified lead molecules were able to inhibit the Kv1.5 in a very similar pattern, mainly through the nonpolar interactions, and formed sable complexes. V512 is found as the main contributor for the interaction along with the other important residues such as V505, I508, A509, V512, P513, and V516. Furthermore, two screened novel compounds show surprisingly better inhibitory potency and can be considered for the future perspective of antiarrhythmic survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajabrata Bhuyan
- a BIF Centre, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics , University of Kalyani , Nadia, Kalyani 741235 , West Bengal , India
| | - Alpana Seal
- b Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics , University of Kalyani , Nadia, Kalyani 741235 , West Bengal , India
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A Disease Mutation Causing Episodic Ataxia Type I in the S1 Links Directly to the Voltage Sensor and the Selectivity Filter in Kv Channels. J Neurosci 2015; 35:12198-206. [PMID: 26338330 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1419-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The mutation F184C in Kv1.1 leads to development of episodic ataxia type I (EA1). Although the mutation has been said to alter activation kinetics and to lower expression, we show here that the underlying molecular mechanisms may be more complex. Although F184 is positioned in the "peripheral" S1 helix, it occupies a central position in the 3D fold. We show in cut-open oocyte voltage-clamp recordings of gating and ionic currents of the Shaker Kv channel expressed in Xenopus oocytes that F184 not only interacts directly with the gating charges of the S4, but also creates a functional link to the selectivity filter of the neighboring subunit. This link leads to impaired fast and slow inactivation. The effect on fast inactivation is of an allosteric nature considering that fast inactivation is caused by a linked cytosolic ball peptide. The extensive effects of F184C provide a new mechanism underlying EA. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Episodic ataxia (EA) is an inherited disease that leads to occasional loss of motor control in combination with variable other symptoms such as vertigo or migraine. EA type I (EA1), studied here, is caused by mutations in a voltage-gated potassium channel that contributes to the generation of electrical signals in the brain. The mechanism by which mutations in voltage-gated potassium channels lead to EA is still unknown and there is no consistent pharmacological treatment. By studying in detail one disease-causing mutation in Kv1.1, we describe a novel molecular mechanism distinct from mechanisms described previously. This mechanism contributes to the understanding of potassium channel function in general and might lead to a better understanding of how EA develops.
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Migration of PIP2 lipids on voltage-gated potassium channel surface influences channel deactivation. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15079. [PMID: 26469389 PMCID: PMC4606798 DOI: 10.1038/srep15079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Published studies of lipid-protein interactions have mainly focused on lipid binding to an individual site of the protein. Here, we show that a lipid can migrate between different binding sites in a protein and this migration modulates protein function. Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels have several potential binding sites for phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Our molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the KCNQ2 channel reveal that PIP2 preferentially binds to the S4-S5 linker when the channel is in the open state while maintains a certain probability of migrating to the S2-S3 linker. Guided by the MD results, electrophysiological experiments using KCNQ2, KCNQ1, and hERG channels show that the migration of PIP2 toward the S2-S3 linker controls the deactivation rate of the channel. The data suggest that PIP2 can migrate between different binding sites in Kv channels with significant impacts on channel deactivation, casting new insights into the dynamics and physiological functions of lipid-protein interactions.
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Outward Rectification of Voltage-Gated K+ Channels Evolved at Least Twice in Life History. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137600. [PMID: 26356684 PMCID: PMC4565715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels are present in all living systems. Despite high structural similarities in the transmembrane domains (TMD), this K+ channel type segregates into at least two main functional categories—hyperpolarization-activated, inward-rectifying (Kin) and depolarization-activated, outward-rectifying (Kout) channels. Voltage-gated K+ channels sense the membrane voltage via a voltage-sensing domain that is connected to the conduction pathway of the channel. It has been shown that the voltage-sensing mechanism is the same in Kin and Kout channels, but its performance results in opposite pore conformations. It is not known how the different coupling of voltage-sensor and pore is implemented. Here, we studied sequence and structural data of voltage-gated K+ channels from animals and plants with emphasis on the property of opposite rectification. We identified structural hotspots that alone allow already the distinction between Kin and Kout channels. Among them is a loop between TMD S5 and the pore that is very short in animal Kout, longer in plant and animal Kin and the longest in plant Kout channels. In combination with further structural and phylogenetic analyses this finding suggests that outward-rectification evolved twice and independently in the animal and plant kingdom.
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Miceli F, Soldovieri MV, Ambrosino P, De Maria M, Manocchio L, Medoro A, Taglialatela M. Molecular pathophysiology and pharmacology of the voltage-sensing module of neuronal ion channels. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:259. [PMID: 26236192 PMCID: PMC4502356 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) are membrane proteins that switch from a closed to open state in response to changes in membrane potential, thus enabling ion fluxes across the cell membranes. The mechanism that regulate the structural rearrangements occurring in VGICs in response to changes in membrane potential still remains one of the most challenging topic of modern biophysics. Na+, Ca2+ and K+ voltage-gated channels are structurally formed by the assembly of four similar domains, each comprising six transmembrane segments. Each domain can be divided into two main regions: the Pore Module (PM) and the Voltage-Sensing Module (VSM). The PM (helices S5 and S6 and intervening linker) is responsible for gate opening and ion selectivity; by contrast, the VSM, comprising the first four transmembrane helices (S1–S4), undergoes the first conformational changes in response to membrane voltage variations. In particular, the S4 segment of each domain, which contains several positively charged residues interspersed with hydrophobic amino acids, is located within the membrane electric field and plays an essential role in voltage sensing. In neurons, specific gating properties of each channel subtype underlie a variety of biological events, ranging from the generation and propagation of electrical impulses, to the secretion of neurotransmitters and to the regulation of gene expression. Given the important functional role played by the VSM in neuronal VGICs, it is not surprising that various VSM mutations affecting the gating process of these channels are responsible for human diseases, and that compounds acting on the VSM have emerged as important investigational tools with great therapeutic potential. In the present review we will briefly describe the most recent discoveries concerning how the VSM exerts its function, how genetically inherited diseases caused by mutations occurring in the VSM affects gating in VGICs, and how several classes of drugs and toxins selectively target the VSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Miceli
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Ambrosino
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Michela De Maria
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Laura Manocchio
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Alessandro Medoro
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
| | - Maurizio Taglialatela
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples Federico II Naples, Italy ; Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise Campobasso, Italy
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Palovcak E, Delemotte L, Klein ML, Carnevale V. Comparative sequence analysis suggests a conserved gating mechanism for TRP channels. J Gen Physiol 2015; 146:37-50. [PMID: 26078053 PMCID: PMC4485022 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The transient receptor potential (TRP) channel superfamily plays a central role in transducing diverse sensory stimuli in eukaryotes. Although dissimilar in sequence and domain organization, all known TRP channels act as polymodal cellular sensors and form tetrameric assemblies similar to those of their distant relatives, the voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. Here, we investigated the related questions of whether the allosteric mechanism underlying polymodal gating is common to all TRP channels, and how this mechanism differs from that underpinning Kv channel voltage sensitivity. To provide insight into these questions, we performed comparative sequence analysis on large, comprehensive ensembles of TRP and Kv channel sequences, contextualizing the patterns of conservation and correlation observed in the TRP channel sequences in light of the well-studied Kv channels. We report sequence features that are specific to TRP channels and, based on insight from recent TRPV1 structures, we suggest a model of TRP channel gating that differs substantially from the one mediating voltage sensitivity in Kv channels. The common mechanism underlying polymodal gating involves the displacement of a defect in the H-bond network of S6 that changes the orientation of the pore-lining residues at the hydrophobic gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Palovcak
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
| | - Michael L Klein
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
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Kuang Q, Purhonen P, Hebert H. Structure of potassium channels. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:3677-93. [PMID: 26070303 PMCID: PMC4565861 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Potassium channels ubiquitously exist in nearly all kingdoms of life and perform diverse but important functions. Since the first atomic structure of a prokaryotic potassium channel (KcsA, a channel from Streptomyces lividans) was determined, tremendous progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of potassium channels and channels conducting other ions. In this review, we discuss the structure of various kinds of potassium channels, including the potassium channel with the pore-forming domain only (KcsA), voltage-gated, inwardly rectifying, tandem pore domain, and ligand-gated ones. The general properties shared by all potassium channels are introduced first, followed by specific features in each class. Our purpose is to help readers to grasp the basic concepts, to be familiar with the property of the different domains, and to understand the structure and function of the potassium channels better.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qie Kuang
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden.
- School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Pasi Purhonen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hans Hebert
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden
- School of Technology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Novum, 14183, Huddinge, Sweden
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A specialized molecular motion opens the Hv1 voltage-gated proton channel. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2015; 22:283-290. [PMID: 25730777 PMCID: PMC4385474 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Hv1 proton channel is unique among voltage-gated channels for containing the pore and gate within its voltage-sensing domain. Pore opening has been proposed to include assembly of the selectivity filter between an arginine (R3) of segment S4 and an aspartate (D1) of segment S1. We determined whether gating involves motion of S1, using Ciona intestinalis Hv1. We found that channel opening is concomitant with solution access to the pore-lining face of S1, from the cytoplasm to deep inside the pore. Voltage- and patch-clamp fluorometry showed that this involves a motion of S1 relative to its surroundings. S1 motion and the S4 motion that precedes it are each influenced by residues on the other helix, thus suggesting a dynamic interaction between S1 and S4. Our findings suggest that the S1 of Hv1 has specialized to function as part of the channel's gate.
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44
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Protein sectors: statistical coupling analysis versus conservation. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004091. [PMID: 25723535 PMCID: PMC4344308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical coupling analysis (SCA) is a method for analyzing multiple sequence alignments that was used to identify groups of coevolving residues termed "sectors". The method applies spectral analysis to a matrix obtained by combining correlation information with sequence conservation. It has been asserted that the protein sectors identified by SCA are functionally significant, with different sectors controlling different biochemical properties of the protein. Here we reconsider the available experimental data and note that it involves almost exclusively proteins with a single sector. We show that in this case sequence conservation is the dominating factor in SCA, and can alone be used to make statistically equivalent functional predictions. Therefore, we suggest shifting the experimental focus to proteins for which SCA identifies several sectors. Correlations in protein alignments, which have been shown to be informative in a number of independent studies, would then be less dominated by sequence conservation.
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Zaydman MA, Kasimova MA, McFarland K, Beller Z, Hou P, Kinser HE, Liang H, Zhang G, Shi J, Tarek M, Cui J. Domain-domain interactions determine the gating, permeation, pharmacology, and subunit modulation of the IKs ion channel. eLife 2014; 3:e03606. [PMID: 25535795 PMCID: PMC4381907 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated ion channels generate electrical currents that control muscle
contraction, encode neuronal information, and trigger hormonal release.
Tissue-specific expression of accessory (β) subunits causes these channels to
generate currents with distinct properties. In the heart, KCNQ1 voltage-gated
potassium channels coassemble with KCNE1 β-subunits to generate the
IKs current (Barhanin et al.,
1996; Sanguinetti et al., 1996),
an important current for maintenance of stable heart rhythms. KCNE1 significantly
modulates the gating, permeation, and pharmacology of KCNQ1 (Wrobel et al., 2012; Sun et
al., 2012; Abbott, 2014). These
changes are essential for the physiological role of IKs (Silva and Rudy, 2005); however, after 18 years
of study, no coherent mechanism explaining how KCNE1 affects KCNQ1 has emerged. Here
we provide evidence of such a mechanism, whereby, KCNE1 alters the state-dependent
interactions that functionally couple the voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) to the
pore. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03606.001 Cells are surrounded by a membrane that prevents charged molecules from flowing
directly into or out of the cell. Instead ions move through channel proteins within
the cell membrane. Most ion channel proteins are selective and only allow one or a
few types of ion to cross. Ion channels can also be ‘gated’, and have a
central pore that can open or close to allow or stop the flow of selected ions. This
gating can be affected by the channel sensing changes in conditions, such as changes
in the voltage across the cell membrane. Research conducted more than half a century ago—before the discovery of
channel proteins—led to a mathematical model of the flow of potassium ions
across a membrane in response to changes in voltage. This model made a number of
assumptions, many of which are still widely accepted. However, Zaydman et al. have
now called into question some of the assumptions of this model. Based on the original model, it has been long assumed that the voltage-sensing
domains that open or close the central pore in response to changes in voltage must be
fully activated to allow the channel to open. It had also been assumed that the
voltage-sensing domains do not affect the flow of ions once the channel is open.
Zaydman et al. have now shown that these assumptions are not valid for a specific
voltage-gated potassium channel called KCNQ1. Instead, this ion channel opens when
its voltage-sensing domains are either partially or fully activated. Zaydman found
that the intermediate-open and activated-open states had different preferences for
passing various types of ion; therefore, the gating of the channel and the flow of
ions through the open channel are both dependent on the state of the voltage-sensing
domains. This is in direct contrast to what had previously been assumed. The original model cannot reproduce the gating of KCNQ1, nor can any other
established model. Therefore, Zaydman et al. devised a new model to understand how
the interactions between different states of the voltage-sensing domains and the pore
lead to gating. Zaydman et al. then used their model to address how another protein
called KCNE1 is able to alter properties of the KCNQ1 channel. KCNE1 is a protein that is expressed in the heart muscle cell and mutations affecting
KCNQ1 or KCNE1 have been associated with potentially fatal heart conditions. Based on
the assumptions of the original model, it had been difficult to understand how KCNE1
was able to affect different properties of the KCNQ1 channel. Thus, for nearly 20
years it has been debated whether KCNE1 primarily affects the activation of the
voltage-sensing domains or the opening of the pore. Zaydman et al. found instead that
KCNE1 alters the interactions between the voltage-sensing domains and the pore, which
prevented the intermediate-open state and modified the properties of the
activated-open state. This mechanism provides one of the most complete explanations
for the action of the KCNE1 protein. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03606.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Zaydman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Marina A Kasimova
- Theory, Modeling, and Simulations, UMR 7565, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Kelli McFarland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Zachary Beller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Panpan Hou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Holly E Kinser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Hongwu Liang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Guohui Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Jingyi Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
| | - Mounir Tarek
- Theory, Modeling, and Simulations, UMR 7565, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Jianmin Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, United States
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Conformational dynamics of shaker-type Kv1.1 ion channel in open, closed, and two mutated states. J Membr Biol 2014; 248:241-55. [PMID: 25451198 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-014-9764-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The dynamic properties of shaker-type Kv1.1 ion channel in its open, closed, & two mutated (E325D & V408A) states embedded in DPPC membrane have been investigated using all-atom force field-based MD simulation. Here, we represent the detailed channel stability, gating environment of charge-carrying residues, salt bridge interaction among the voltage-sensing domains (VSDs), movement of S4 helix, and ion conduction of pore. At positive potential, the S4 helix undergoes lateral fluctuations in accordance with their gating motions found in every model. During transition from closed to active state conformation, charged residues of S4 move "up" across the membrane with an average tilt angle difference of 24°, which is more consistent with the paddle model of channel gating. The E325D mutation at C-terminal end of S4-S5 helical linker leads the channel to a rapid activated state by pushing the gating charge residues upward beside the VSDs resulting in more prominent tilt of S4. Similarly in V408A mutant model, disruption of hydrophobic gate at S6 C-terminal end takes place, which causes the violation of channel-active conformation by bringing the C-terminal end of S4 to its corresponding resting state. The ion permeation is observed only in open-state conformation.
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47
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Boukalova S, Touska F, Marsakova L, Hynkova A, Sura L, Chvojka S, Dittert I, Vlachova V. Gain-of-function mutations in the transient receptor potential channels TRPV1 and TRPA1: how painful? Physiol Res 2014; 63:S205-13. [PMID: 24564660 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in ion channels are rare events, which lead to increased agonist sensitivity or altered gating properties, and may render the channel constitutively active. Uncovering and following characterization of such mutants contribute substantially to the understanding of the molecular basis of ion channel functioning. Here we give an overview of some GOF mutants in polymodal ion channels specifically involved in transduction of painful stimuli--TRPV1 and TRPA1, which are scrutinized by scientists due to their important role in development of some pathological pain states. Remarkably, a substitution of single amino acid in the S4-S5 region of TRPA1 (N855S) has been recently associated with familial episodic pain syndrome. This mutation increases chemical sensitivity of TRPA1, but leaves the voltage sensitivity unchanged. On the other hand, mutations in the analogous region of TRPV1 (R557K and G563S) severely affect all aspects of channel activation and lead to spontaneous activity. Comparison of the effects induced by mutations in homologous positions in different TRP receptors (or more generally in other distantly related ion channels) may elucidate the gating mechanisms conserved during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Boukalova
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.
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48
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Palovcak E, Delemotte L, Klein ML, Carnevale V. Evolutionary imprint of activation: the design principles of VSDs. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 143:145-56. [PMID: 24470486 PMCID: PMC4001776 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201311103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-sensor domains (VSDs) are modular biomolecular machines that transduce electrical signals in cells through a highly conserved activation mechanism. Here, we investigate sequence-function relationships in VSDs with approaches from information theory and probabilistic modeling. Specifically, we collect over 6,600 unique VSD sequences from diverse, long-diverged phylogenetic lineages and relate the statistical properties of this ensemble to functional constraints imposed by evolution. The VSD is a helical bundle with helices labeled S1-S4. Surrounding conserved VSD residues such as the countercharges and the S2 phenylalanine, we discover sparse networks of coevolving residues. Additional networks are found lining the VSD lumen, tuning the local hydrophilicity. Notably, state-dependent contacts and the absence of coevolution between S4 and the rest of the bundle are imprints of the activation mechanism on the VSD sequence ensemble. These design principles rationalize existing experimental results and generate testable hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Palovcak
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
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Chowdhury S, Haehnel BM, Chanda B. Interfacial gating triad is crucial for electromechanical transduction in voltage-activated potassium channels. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 144:457-67. [PMID: 25311635 PMCID: PMC4210428 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gating interaction analysis reveals a cluster of three conserved amino acids that couple structural transitions in the potassium channel voltage sensor to those in the pore. Voltage-dependent potassium channels play a crucial role in electrical excitability and cellular signaling by regulating potassium ion flux across membranes. Movement of charged residues in the voltage-sensing domain leads to a series of conformational changes that culminate in channel opening in response to changes in membrane potential. However, the molecular machinery that relays these conformational changes from voltage sensor to the pore is not well understood. Here we use generalized interaction-energy analysis (GIA) to estimate the strength of site-specific interactions between amino acid residues putatively involved in the electromechanical coupling of the voltage sensor and pore in the outwardly rectifying KV channel. We identified candidate interactors at the interface between the S4–S5 linker and the pore domain using a structure-guided graph theoretical approach that revealed clusters of conserved and closely packed residues. One such cluster, located at the intracellular intersubunit interface, comprises three residues (arginine 394, glutamate 395, and tyrosine 485) that interact with each other. The calculated interaction energies were 3–5 kcal, which is especially notable given that the net free-energy change during activation of the Shaker KV channel is ∼14 kcal. We find that this triad is delicately maintained by balance of interactions that are responsible for structural integrity of the intersubunit interface while maintaining sufficient flexibility at a critical gating hinge for optimal transmission of force to the pore gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandipan Chowdhury
- Graduate Program in Biophysics and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705 Graduate Program in Biophysics and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705
| | - Benjamin M Haehnel
- Graduate Program in Biophysics and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705 Graduate Program in Biophysics and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705
| | - Baron Chanda
- Graduate Program in Biophysics and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705 Graduate Program in Biophysics and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705
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50
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Xu Y, Wang Y, Meng XY, Zhang M, Jiang M, Cui M, Tseng GN. Building KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel models and probing their interactions by molecular-dynamics simulations. Biophys J 2014; 105:2461-73. [PMID: 24314077 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.09.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The slow delayed rectifier (I(KS)) channel is composed of KCNQ1 (pore-forming) and KCNE1 (auxiliary) subunits, and functions as a repolarization reserve in the human heart. Design of I(KS)-targeting anti-arrhythmic drugs requires detailed three-dimensional structures of the KCNQ1/KCNE1 complex, a task made possible by Kv channel crystal structures (templates for KCNQ1 homology-modeling) and KCNE1 NMR structures. Our goal was to build KCNQ1/KCNE1 models and extract mechanistic information about their interactions by molecular-dynamics simulations in an explicit lipid/solvent environment. We validated our models by confirming two sets of model-generated predictions that were independent from the spatial restraints used in model-building. Detailed analysis of the molecular-dynamics trajectories revealed previously unrecognized KCNQ1/KCNE1 interactions, whose relevance in I(KS) channel function was confirmed by voltage-clamp experiments. Our models and analyses suggest three mechanisms by which KCNE1 slows KCNQ1 activation: by promoting S6 bending at the Pro hinge that closes the activation gate; by promoting a downward movement of gating charge on S4; and by establishing a network of electrostatic interactions with KCNQ1 on the extracellular surface that stabilizes the channel in a pre-open activated state. Our data also suggest how KCNE1 may affect the KCNQ1 pore conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xu
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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