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Tewes N, Kubitzki B, Bytyqi F, Metko N, Mach S, Thiel G, Rauh O. Mutation in pore-helix modulates interplay between filter gate and Ba2+ block in a Kcv channel pore. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202313514. [PMID: 38652099 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The selectivity filter of K+ channels catalyzes a rapid and highly selective transport of K+ while serving as a gate. To understand the control of this filter gate, we use the pore-only K+ channel KcvNTS in which gating is exclusively determined by the activity of the filter gate. It has been previously shown that a mutation at the C-terminus of the pore-helix (S42T) increases K+ permeability and introduces distinct voltage-dependent and K+-sensitive channel closures at depolarizing voltages. Here, we report that the latter are not generated by intrinsic conformational changes of the filter gate but by a voltage-dependent block caused by nanomolar trace contaminations of Ba2+ in the KCl solution. Channel closures can be alleviated by extreme positive voltages and they can be completely abolished by the high-affinity Ba2+ chelator 18C6TA. By contrast, the same channel closures can be augmented by adding Ba2+ at submicromolar concentrations to the cytosolic buffer. These data suggest that a conservative exchange of Ser for Thr in a crucial position of the filter gate increases the affinity of the filter for Ba2+ by >200-fold at positive voltages. While Ba2+ ions apparently remain only for a short time in the filter-binding sites of the WT channel before passing the pore, they remain much longer in the mutant channel. Our findings suggest that the dwell times of permeating and blocking ions in the filter-binding sites are tightly controlled by interactions between the pore-helix and the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel Tewes
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Beatrice Kubitzki
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Flandrit Bytyqi
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Nikola Metko
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Mach
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Oliver Rauh
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
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2
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Höler S, Degreif D, Stix F, Yang S, Gao S, Nagel G, Moroni A, Thiel G, Bertl A, Rauh O. Tailoring baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for functional testing of channelrhodopsin. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280711. [PMID: 37053213 PMCID: PMC10101416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) and its variants are the most frequent tools for remote manipulation of electrical properties in cells via light. Ongoing attempts try to enlarge their functional spectrum with respect to ion selectivity, light sensitivity and protein trafficking by mutations, protein engineering and environmental mining of ChR2 variants. A shortcoming in the required functional testing of large numbers of ChR2 variants is the lack of an easy screening system. Baker's yeast, which was successfully employed for testing ion channels from eukaryotes has not yet been used for screening of ChR2s, because they neither produce the retinal chromophore nor its precursor carotenoids. We found that addition of retinal to the external medium was not sufficient for detecting robust ChR activity in yeast in simple growth assays. This obstacle was overcome by metabolic engineering of a yeast strain, which constitutively produces retinal. In proof of concept experiments we functionally express different ChR variants in these cells and monitor their blue light induced activity in simple growth assays. We find that light activation of ChR augments an influx of Na+ with a consequent inhibition of cell growth. In a K+ uptake deficient yeast strain, growth can be rescued in selective medium by the blue light induced K+ conductance of ChR. This yeast strain can now be used as chassis for screening of new functional ChR variants and mutant libraries in simple yeast growth assays under defined selective conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Höler
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Daniel Degreif
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Florentine Stix
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Shang Yang
- Institute of Physiology-Neurophysiology, Biocentre, Julius-Maximilians-University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Shiqiang Gao
- Institute of Physiology-Neurophysiology, Biocentre, Julius-Maximilians-University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Georg Nagel
- Institute of Physiology-Neurophysiology, Biocentre, Julius-Maximilians-University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biosciences and CNR IBF-Mi, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Adam Bertl
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Oliver Rauh
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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3
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Asrani P, Seebohm G, Stoll R. Potassium viroporins as model systems for understanding eukaryotic ion channel behaviour. Virus Res 2022; 320:198903. [PMID: 36037849 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels are membrane proteins essential for a plethora of cellular functions including maintaining cell shape, ion homeostasis, cardiac rhythm and action potential in neurons. The complexity and often extensive structure of eukaryotic membrane proteins makes it difficult to understand their basic biological regulation. Therefore, this article suggests, viroporins - the miniature versions of eukaryotic protein homologs from viruses - might serve as model systems to provide insights into behaviour of eukaryotic ion channels in general. The structural requirements for correct assembly of the channel along with the basic functional properties of a K+ channel exist in the minimal design of the viral K+ channels from two viruses, Chlorella virus (Kcv) and Ectocarpus siliculosus virus (Kesv). These small viral proteins readily assemble into tetramers and they sort in cells to distinct target membranes. When these viruses-encoded channels are expressed into the mammalian cells, they utilise their protein machinery and hence can serve as excellent tools to study the cells protein sorting machinery. This combination of small size and robust function makes viral K+ channels a valuable model system for detection of basic structure-function correlations. It is believed that molecular and physiochemical analyses of these viroporins may serve as basis for the development of inhibitors or modulators to ion channel activity for targeting ion channel diseases - so called channelopathies. Therefore, it may provide a potential different scope for molecular pharmacology studies aiming at novel and innovative therapeutics associated with channel related diseases. This article reviews the structural and functional properties of Kcv and Kesv upon expression in mammalian cells and Xenopus oocytes. The mechanisms behind differential protein sorting in Kcv and Kesv are also thoroughly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purva Asrani
- Biomolecular Spectroscopy and RUBiospec|NMR, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum D-44780, Germany
| | - Guiscard Seebohm
- Institute for Genetics of Heart Diseases (IfGH), Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster D-48149, Germany
| | - Raphael Stoll
- Biomolecular Spectroscopy and RUBiospec|NMR, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum D-44780, Germany.
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4
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Rauh O, Opper J, Sturm M, Drexler N, Scheub DD, Hansen UP, Thiel G, Schroeder I. Role of ion distribution and energy barriers for concerted motion of subunits in selectivity filter gating of a K+ channel. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167522. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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5
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Qaswal AB. Lithium Stabilizes the Mood of Bipolar Patients by Depolarizing the Neuronal Membrane Via Quantum Tunneling through the Sodium Channels. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 18:214-218. [PMID: 32329302 PMCID: PMC7242109 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2020.18.2.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Objective Lithium is used as first line in treating bipolar patients to stabilize their mood. However, the exact mechanism of lithium is not yet established. One of the proposed mechanisms is that lithium depolarizes the hyperpolarized neuronal membrane of bipolar patients bringing it back to the normal potential. On the other hand, the only way that lithium causes significant therapeutic depolarization is to have a membrane conductance that must be at least an order of magnitude higher than that for sodium but this is not achieved since both; lithium and sodium have the same conductance because the membrane channels are selective for them approximately by the same degree. So, this study aimed to explain how lithium could achieve higher conductance than sodium. Methods The idea of quantum tunneling through closed channels was used in a way to calculate the tunneling probability and the quantum conductance for lithium ions. Results It was found that lithium could achieve higher conductance than sodium because it has a smaller mass than sodium making lithium to have higher probability of tunneling and consequently higher conductance through channels and membrane. Conclusion Lithium tunneling model provides a reasonable explanation for the therapeutic depolarization effect of lithium. This model is experimentally testable to prove the tunneling effect of ions through the closed channels and to show the variations of quantum conductance between ions according to their mass.
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6
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Shen W, Ren W, Zhai S, Yang B, Vanoye CG, Mitra A, George AL, Surmeier DJ. Striatal Kir2 K+ channel inhibition mediates the antidyskinetic effects of amantadine. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:2593-2601. [PMID: 32310223 PMCID: PMC7190977 DOI: 10.1172/jci133398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) poses a significant health care challenge for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Amantadine is currently the only drug proven to alleviate LID. Although its efficacy in treating LID is widely assumed to be mediated by blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors, our experiments demonstrate that at therapeutically relevant concentrations, amantadine preferentially blocks inward-rectifying K+ channel type 2 (Kir2) channels in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) - not NMDA receptors. In so doing, amantadine enhances dendritic integration of excitatory synaptic potentials in SPNs and enhances - not antagonizes - the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) at excitatory, axospinous synapses. Taken together, our studies suggest that the alleviation of LID in PD patients is mediated by diminishing the disparity in the excitability of direct- and indirect-pathway SPNs in the on state, rather than by disrupting LTP induction. This insight points to a pharmacological approach that could be used to effectively ameliorate LID and improve the quality of life for PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carlos G. Vanoye
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ananya Mitra
- Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Emeryville, California, USA
| | - Alfred L. George
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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7
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Eckert D, Schulze T, Stahl J, Rauh O, Van Etten JL, Hertel B, Schroeder I, Moroni A, Thiel G. A small viral potassium ion channel with an inherent inward rectification. Channels (Austin) 2020; 13:124-135. [PMID: 31010373 PMCID: PMC6527081 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2019.1605813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Some algal viruses have coding sequences for proteins with structural and functional characteristics of pore modules of complex K+ channels. Here we exploit the structural diversity among these channel orthologs to discover new basic principles of structure/function correlates in K+ channels. The analysis of three similar K+ channels with ≤ 86 amino acids (AA) shows that one channel (Kmpv1) generates an ohmic conductance in HEK293 cells while the other two (KmpvSP1, KmpvPL1) exhibit typical features of canonical Kir channels. Like Kir channels, the rectification of the viral channels is a function of the K+ driving force. Reconstitution of KmpvSP1 and KmpvPL1 in planar lipid bilayers showed rapid channel fluctuations only at voltages negative of the K+ reversal voltage. This rectification was maintained in KCl buffer with 1 mM EDTA, which excludes blocking cations as the source of rectification. This means that rectification of the viral channels must be an inherent property of the channel. The structural basis for rectification was investigated by a chimera between rectifying and non-rectifying channels as well as point mutations making the rectifier similar to the ohmic conducting channel. The results of these experiments exclude the pore with pore helix and selectivity filter as playing a role in rectification. The insensitivity of the rectifier to point mutations suggests that tertiary or quaternary structural interactions between the transmembrane domains are responsible for this type of gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Eckert
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Tobias Schulze
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Julian Stahl
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Oliver Rauh
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
| | - James L Van Etten
- b Department of Plant Pathology and Nebraska Center for Virology , University of Nebraska Lincoln , Lincoln , NE , USA
| | - Brigitte Hertel
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Indra Schroeder
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- c Department of Biosciences and CNR IBF-Mi , Università degli Studi di Milano , Milano , Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- a Membrane Biophysics , Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt , Germany
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8
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Brunner JD, Jakob RP, Schulze T, Neldner Y, Moroni A, Thiel G, Maier T, Schenck S. Structural basis for ion selectivity in TMEM175 K + channels. eLife 2020; 9:e53683. [PMID: 32267231 PMCID: PMC7176437 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [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: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The TMEM175 family constitutes recently discovered K+channels that are important for autophagosome turnover and lysosomal pH regulation and are associated with the early onset of Parkinson Disease. TMEM175 channels lack a P-loop selectivity filter, a hallmark of all known K+ channels, raising the question how selectivity is achieved. Here, we report the X-ray structure of a closed bacterial TMEM175 channel in complex with a nanobody fusion-protein disclosing bound K+ ions. Our analysis revealed that a highly conserved layer of threonine residues in the pore conveys a basal K+ selectivity. An additional layer comprising two serines in human TMEM175 increases selectivity further and renders this channel sensitive to 4-aminopyridine and Zn2+. Our findings suggest that large hydrophobic side chains occlude the pore, forming a physical gate, and that channel opening by iris-like motions simultaneously relocates the gate and exposes the otherwise concealed selectivity filter to the pore lumen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine D Brunner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Department Biozentrum, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer InstitutVilligenSwitzerland
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIBBrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Roman P Jakob
- Department Biozentrum, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Tobias Schulze
- Membrane Biophysics, Technical University of DarmstadtDarmstadtGermany
| | - Yvonne Neldner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biosciences, University of MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Membrane Biophysics, Technical University of DarmstadtDarmstadtGermany
| | - Timm Maier
- Department Biozentrum, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Stephan Schenck
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer InstitutVilligenSwitzerland
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIBBrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
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9
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Van Etten JL, Agarkova IV, Dunigan DD. Chloroviruses. Viruses 2019; 12:E20. [PMID: 31878033 PMCID: PMC7019647 DOI: 10.3390/v12010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chloroviruses are large dsDNA, plaque-forming viruses that infect certain chlorella-like green algae; the algae are normally mutualistic endosymbionts of protists and metazoans and are often referred to as zoochlorellae. The viruses are ubiquitous in inland aqueous environments throughout the world and occasionally single types reach titers of thousands of plaque-forming units per ml of native water. The viruses are icosahedral in shape with a spike structure located at one of the vertices. They contain an internal membrane that is required for infectivity. The viral genomes are 290 to 370 kb in size, which encode up to 16 tRNAs and 330 to ~415 proteins, including many not previously seen in viruses. Examples include genes encoding DNA restriction and modification enzymes, hyaluronan and chitin biosynthetic enzymes, polyamine biosynthetic enzymes, ion channel and transport proteins, and enzymes involved in the glycan synthesis of the virus major capsid glycoproteins. The proteins encoded by many of these viruses are often the smallest or among the smallest proteins of their class. Consequently, some of the viral proteins are the subject of intensive biochemical and structural investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L. Van Etten
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0900, USA; (I.V.A.); (D.D.D.)
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10
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Effects of amantadine on corneal endothelium. Exp Eye Res 2019; 181:208-212. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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11
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Genes for Membrane Transport Proteins: Not So Rare in Viruses. Viruses 2018; 10:v10090456. [PMID: 30149667 PMCID: PMC6163359 DOI: 10.3390/v10090456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Some viruses have genes encoding proteins with membrane transport functions. It is unknown if these types of proteins are rare or are common in viruses. In particular, the evolutionary origin of some of the viral genes is obscure, where other viral proteins have homologs in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. We searched virus genomes in databases looking for transmembrane proteins with possible transport function. This effort led to the detection of 18 different types of putative membrane transport proteins indicating that they are not a rarity in viral genomes. The most abundant proteins are K+ channels. Their predicted structures vary between different viruses. With a few exceptions, the viral proteins differed significantly from homologs in their current hosts. In some cases the data provide evidence for a recent gene transfer between host and virus, but in other cases the evidence indicates a more complex evolutionary history.
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12
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Mackie TD, Brodsky JL. Investigating Potassium Channels in Budding Yeast: A Genetic Sandbox. Genetics 2018; 209:637-650. [PMID: 29967058 PMCID: PMC6028241 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Like all species, the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or Bakers' yeast, concentrates potassium in the cytosol as an electrogenic osmolyte and enzyme cofactor. Yeast are capable of robust growth on a wide variety of potassium concentrations, ranging from 10 µM to 2.5 M, due to the presence of a high-affinity potassium uptake system and a battery of cation exchange transporters. Genetic perturbation of either of these systems retards yeast growth on low or high potassium, respectively. However, these potassium-sensitized yeast are a powerful genetic tool, which has been leveraged for diverse studies. Notably, the potassium-sensitive cells can be transformed with plasmids encoding potassium channels from bacteria, plants, or mammals, and subsequent changes in growth rate have been found to correlate with the activity of the introduced potassium channel. Discoveries arising from the use of this assay over the past three decades have increased our understanding of the structure-function relationships of various potassium channels, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of potassium channel function and trafficking, and the chemical basis of potassium channel modulation. In this article, we provide an overview of the major genetic tools used to study potassium channels in S. cerevisiae, a survey of seminal studies utilizing these tools, and a prospective for the future use of this elegant genetic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Mackie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Jeffrey L Brodsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
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13
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Andersson AEV, Kasimova MA, Delemotte L. Exploring the Viral Channel Kcv PBCV-1 Function via Computation. J Membr Biol 2018; 251:419-430. [PMID: 29476260 PMCID: PMC6028866 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-018-0022-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Viral potassium channels (Kcv) are homologous to the pore module of complex \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\hbox {K}^+$$\end{document}K+-selective ion channels of cellular organisms. Due to their relative simplicity, they have attracted interest towards understanding the principles of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\hbox {K}^+$$\end{document}K+ conduction and channel gating. In this work, we construct a homology model of the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\hbox {Kcv}}_{\text{PBCV-1}}$$\end{document}KcvPBCV-1 open state, which we validate by studying the binding of known blockers and by monitoring ion conduction through the channel. Molecular dynamics simulations of this model reveal that the re-orientation of selectivity filter carbonyl groups coincides with the transport of potassium ions, suggesting a possible mechanism for fast gating. In addition, we show that the voltage sensitivity of this mechanism can originate from the relocation of potassium ions inside the selectivity filter. We also explore the interaction of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\hbox {Kcv}}_{\text{PBCV-1}}$$\end{document}KcvPBCV-1 with the surrounding bilayer and observe the binding of lipids in the area between two adjacent subunits. The model is available to the scientific community to further explore the structure/function relationship of Kcv channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma E V Andersson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Box 1031, SE-171 21, Solna, Sweden
| | - Marina A Kasimova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Box 1031, SE-171 21, Solna, Sweden
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Box 1031, SE-171 21, Solna, Sweden.
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14
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Cosentino C, Alberio L, Thiel G, Moroni A. Yeast-Based Screening System for the Selection of Functional Light-Driven K + Channels. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1596:271-285. [PMID: 28293893 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6940-1_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Ion channels control the electrical properties of cells by opening and closing (gating) in response to a wide palette of environmental and physiological stimuli. Endowing ion channels with the possibility to be gated by remotely applied stimuli, such as light, provides a tool for in vivo control of cellular functions in behaving animals. We have engineered a synthetic light-gated potassium (K+) channel by connecting an exogenous plant photoreceptor LOV2 domain to the K+ channel pore Kcv. Here, we describe the experimental strategy that we have used to evolve the properties of the channel toward full control of light on pore gating. Our method combines rational and random mutagenesis of the channel followed by a yeast-based screening system for light-activated K+ conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Cosentino
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan and Biophysics Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Via Celoria 26, 201333, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Alberio
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan and Biophysics Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Via Celoria 26, 201333, Milan, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan and Biophysics Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Via Celoria 26, 201333, Milan, Italy.
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15
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Schroeder I. How to resolve microsecond current fluctuations in single ion channels: the power of beta distributions. Channels (Austin) 2016; 9:262-80. [PMID: 26368656 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2015.1083660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A main ingredient for the understanding of structure/function correlates of ion channels is the quantitative description of single-channel gating and conductance. However, a wealth of information provided from fast current fluctuations beyond the temporal resolution of the recording system is often ignored, even though it is close to the time window accessible to molecular dynamics simulations. This kind of current fluctuations provide a special technical challenge, because individual opening/closing or blocking/unblocking events cannot be resolved, and the resulting averaging over undetected events decreases the single-channel current. Here, I briefly summarize the history of fast-current fluctuation analysis and focus on the so-called "beta distributions." This tool exploits characteristics of current fluctuation-induced excess noise on the current amplitude histograms to reconstruct the true single-channel current and kinetic parameters. A guideline for the analysis and recent applications demonstrate that a construction of theoretical beta distributions by Markov Model simulations offers maximum flexibility as compared to analytical solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Schroeder
- a Plant Membrane Biophysics, Technical University of Darmstadt ; Darmstadt , Germany
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16
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Hoffgaard F, Kast S, Moroni A, Thiel G, Hamacher K. Tectonics of a K+ channel: The importance of the N-terminus for channel gating. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1848:3197-204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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Zhuo RG, Peng P, Liu XY, Zhang SZ, Xu JP, Zheng JQ, Wei XL, Ma XY. The isoforms generated by alternative translation initiation adopt similar conformation in the selectivity filter in TREK-2. J Physiol Biochem 2015; 71:601-10. [PMID: 26271386 DOI: 10.1007/s13105-015-0422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
TREK-2 (TWIK-related K(+) channel-2), a member of two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel family, tunes cellular excitability via conducting leak or background currents. In TREK-2, the isoforms generated by alternative translation initiation (ATI) mechanism exhibit large divergence in unitary conductance, but similar in selectivity to K(+). Up to now, the structural basis for this similarity in ion selectivity is unknown. Here, we report that externally applied Ba(2+) inhibits the currents of TREK-2 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The blocking effect is blunted by elevated extracellular K(+) or mutation of S4 K(+) binding site, which suggests that the inhibitory mechanism of Ba(2+) is due to its competitive docking properties within the selectivity filter (SF). Next, we demonstrate that all the ATI isoforms exhibit analogous behaviors upon the application of Ba(2+) and alteration of extracellular pH (pHo), which acts on the outer position of the SF. These results strongly support the notion that all the ATI isoforms of TREK-2 possess resembled SF conformation in S4 site and the position defined by pHo, which implicates that neither the role of N-terminus (Nt) nor the unitary conductance is associated with SF conformation. Our findings might help to understand the detail gating mechanism of TREK-2 and K2P channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Gong Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Peng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China.,Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Street, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Shu-Zhuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Jiang-Ping Xu
- Department of Neuropharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, No.1838, North Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jian-Quan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Xiao-Li Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China.
| | - Xiao-Yun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China.
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18
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Abstract
The hydration structure of Ba(2+) ion is important for understanding blocking mechanisms in potassium ion channels. Here, we combine statistical mechanical theory, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and electronic structure methods to calculate the hydration free energy and local hydration structure of Ba(2+)(aq). The predicted hydration free energy (-304 ± 1 kcal/mol) agrees with the experimental value (-303 kcal/mol) when a maximally occupied, unimodal inner solvation shell is treated. In the local environment defined by the first shell of hydrating waters, Ba(2+) is directly and stably coordinated by eight (8) waters. Octa-coordination resembles the crystal structure of Ba(2+) and K(+) bound in potassium ion channels, but differs from the local hydration structure of K(+)(aq) determined earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mangesh I Chaudhari
- †Center for Biological and Engineering Sciences, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Marielle Soniat
- ‡Department of Chemistry, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, United States
| | - Susan B Rempe
- †Center for Biological and Engineering Sciences, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
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19
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Hassinen M, Haverinen J, Hardy ME, Shiels HA, Vornanen M. Inward rectifier potassium current (I K1) and Kir2 composition of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart. Pflugers Arch 2015; 467:2437-46. [PMID: 25991088 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-015-1710-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Electrophysiological properties and molecular background of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) cardiac inward rectifier current (IK1) were examined. Ventricular myocytes of zebrafish have a robust (-6.7 ± 1.2 pA pF(-1) at -120 mV) strongly rectifying and Ba(2+)-sensitive (IC50 = 3.8 μM) IK1. Transcripts of six Kir2 channels (drKir2.1a, drKir2.1b, drKir2.2a, drKir2.2b, drKir2.3, and drKir2.4) were expressed in the zebrafish heart. drKir2.4 and drKir2.2a were the dominant isoforms in both the ventricle (92.9 ± 1.5 and 6.3 ± 1.5%) and the atrium (28.9 ± 2.9 and 64.7 ± 3.0%). The remaining four channels comprised together less than 1 and 7 % of the total transcripts in ventricle and atrium, respectively. The four main gene products (drKir2.1a, drKir2.2a, drKir2.2b, drKir2.4) were cloned, sequenced, and expressed in HEK cells for electrophysiological characterization. drKir2.1a was the most weakly rectifying (passed more outward current) and drKir2.2b the most strongly rectifying (passed less outward current) channel, whilst drKir2.2a and drKir2.4 were intermediate between the two. In regard to sensitivity to Ba(2+) block, drKir2.4 was the most sensitive (IC50 = 1.8 μM) and drKir2.1a the least sensitive channel (IC50 = 132 μM). These findings indicate that the Kir2 isoform composition of the zebrafish heart markedly differs from that of mammalian hearts. Furthermore orthologous Kir2 channels (Kir2.1 and Kir2.4) of zebrafish and mammals show striking differences in Ba(2+)-sensitivity. Structural and functional differences needs to be taken into account when zebrafish is used as a model for human cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac diseases, and in screening cardioactive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna Hassinen
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland.
| | - Jaakko Haverinen
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Matt E Hardy
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK
| | - Holly A Shiels
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK
| | - Matti Vornanen
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland
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20
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Cosentino C, Alberio L, Gazzarrini S, Aquila M, Romano E, Cermenati S, Zuccolini P, Petersen J, Beltrame M, Van Etten JL, Christie JM, Thiel G, Moroni A. Optogenetics. Engineering of a light-gated potassium channel. Science 2015; 348:707-10. [PMID: 25954011 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa2787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The present palette of opsin-based optogenetic tools lacks a light-gated potassium (K(+)) channel desirable for silencing of excitable cells. Here, we describe the construction of a blue-light-induced K(+) channel 1 (BLINK1) engineered by fusing the plant LOV2-Jα photosensory module to the small viral K(+) channel Kcv. BLINK1 exhibits biophysical features of Kcv, including K(+) selectivity and high single-channel conductance but reversibly photoactivates in blue light. Opening of BLINK1 channels hyperpolarizes the cell to the K(+) equilibrium potential. Ectopic expression of BLINK1 reversibly inhibits the escape response in light-exposed zebrafish larvae. BLINK1 therefore provides a single-component optogenetic tool that can establish prolonged, physiological hyperpolarization of cells at low light intensities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Alberio
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Italy
| | | | - Marco Aquila
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Jan Petersen
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, UK
| | | | - James L Van Etten
- Department of Plant Pathology and Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0900, USA
| | - John M Christie
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Membrane Biophysics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Italy.
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21
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Engineering a Ca⁺⁺⁺-sensitive (bio)sensor from the pore-module of a potassium channel. SENSORS 2015; 15:4913-24. [PMID: 25734643 PMCID: PMC4435187 DOI: 10.3390/s150304913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Signals recorded at the cell membrane are meaningful indicators of the physiological vs. pathological state of a cell and will become useful diagnostic elements in nanomedicine. In this project we present a coherent strategy for the design and fabrication of a bio-nano-sensor that monitors changes in intracellular cell calcium concentration and allows an easy read out by converting the calcium signal into an electrical current in the range of microampere that can be easily measured by conventional cell electrophysiology apparatus.
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22
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Siotto F, Martin C, Rauh O, Van Etten JL, Schroeder I, Moroni A, Thiel G. Viruses infecting marine picoplancton encode functional potassium ion channels. Virology 2014; 466-467:103-11. [PMID: 25441713 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Phycodnaviruses are dsDNA viruses, which infect algae. Their large genomes encode many gene products, like small K(+) channels, with homologs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Screening for K(+) channels revealed their abundance in viruses from fresh-water habitats. Recent sequencing of viruses from marine algae or from salt water in Antarctica revealed sequences with the predicted characteristics of K(+) channels but with some unexpected features. Two genes encode either 78 or 79 amino acid proteins, which are the smallest known K(+) channels. Also of interest is an unusual sequence in the canonical α-helixes in K(+) channels. Structural prediction algorithms indicate that the new channels have the conserved α-helix folds but the algorithms failed to identify the expected transmembrane domains flanking the K(+) channel pores. In spite of these unexpected properties electophysiological studies confirmed that the new proteins are functional K(+) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenja Siotto
- Membrane Biophysics Group, Dept. of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Corinna Martin
- Membrane Biophysics Group, Dept. of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Oliver Rauh
- Membrane Biophysics Group, Dept. of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany
| | - James L Van Etten
- Department of Plant Pathology and Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0900, USA
| | - Indra Schroeder
- Membrane Biophysics Group, Dept. of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- Dipartimento di Biologia Università degli Studi di Milano e Istituto di Biofisica, CNR, Milano, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Membrane Biophysics Group, Dept. of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany.
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23
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von Charpuis C, Meckel T, Moroni A, Thiel G. The sorting of a small potassium channel in mammalian cells can be shifted between mitochondria and plasma membrane. Cell Calcium 2014; 58:114-21. [PMID: 25449299 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2014.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The two small and similar viral K(+) channels Kcv and Kesv are sorted in mammalian cells and yeast to different destinations. Analysis of the sorting pathways shows that Kcv is trafficking via the secretory pathway to the plasma membrane, while Kesv is inserted via the TIM/TOM complex to the inner membrane of mitochondria. Studies with Kesv mutants show that an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence in this channel is neither necessary nor sufficient for sorting of Kesv the mitochondria. Instead the sorting of Kesv can be redirected from the mitochondria to the plasma membrane by an insertion of ≥2 amino acids in a position sensitive manner into the C-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD2) of this channel. The available data advocate the presence of a C-terminal sorting signal in TMD2 of Kesv channel, which is presumably not determined by the length of this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte von Charpuis
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tobias Meckel
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department of Biology and CNR IBF-Mi, and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Plant Membrane Biophysics, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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24
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Bagriantsev SN, Chatelain FC, Clark KA, Alagem N, Reuveny E, Minor DL. Tethered protein display identifies a novel Kir3.2 (GIRK2) regulator from protein scaffold libraries. ACS Chem Neurosci 2014; 5:812-22. [PMID: 25028803 PMCID: PMC4176385 DOI: 10.1021/cn5000698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
Use of randomized peptide libraries
to evolve molecules with new
functions provides a means for developing novel regulators of protein
activity. Despite the demonstrated power of such approaches for soluble
targets, application of this strategy to membrane systems, such as
ion channels, remains challenging. Here, we have combined libraries
of a tethered protein scaffold with functional selection in yeast
to develop a novel activator of the G-protein-coupled mammalian inwardly
rectifying potassium channel Kir3.2 (GIRK2). We show that the novel
regulator, denoted N5, increases Kir3.2 (GIRK2) basal activity by
inhibiting clearance of the channel from the cellular surface rather
than affecting the core biophysical properties of the channel. These
studies establish the tethered protein display strategy as a means
to create new channel modulators and highlight the power of approaches
that couple randomized libraries with direct selections for functional
effects. Our results further underscore the possibility for the development
of modulators that influence channel function by altering cell surface
expression densities rather than by direct action on channel biophysical
parameters. The use of tethered library selection strategies coupled
with functional selection bypasses the need for a purified target
and is likely to be applicable to a range of membrane protein systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Noga Alagem
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Eitan Reuveny
- Department
of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Daniel L. Minor
- Physical
Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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25
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Payandeh J, Minor DL. Bacterial voltage-gated sodium channels (BacNa(V)s) from the soil, sea, and salt lakes enlighten molecular mechanisms of electrical signaling and pharmacology in the brain and heart. J Mol Biol 2014; 427:3-30. [PMID: 25158094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na(V)s) provide the initial electrical signal that drives action potential generation in many excitable cells of the brain, heart, and nervous system. For more than 60years, functional studies of Na(V)s have occupied a central place in physiological and biophysical investigation of the molecular basis of excitability. Recently, structural studies of members of a large family of bacterial voltage-gated sodium channels (BacNa(V)s) prevalent in soil, marine, and salt lake environments that bear many of the core features of eukaryotic Na(V)s have reframed ideas for voltage-gated channel function, ion selectivity, and pharmacology. Here, we analyze the recent advances, unanswered questions, and potential of BacNa(V)s as templates for drug development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Payandeh
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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26
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Arrigoni C, Schroeder I, Romani G, Van Etten JL, Thiel G, Moroni A. The voltage-sensing domain of a phosphatase gates the pore of a potassium channel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 141:389-95. [PMID: 23440279 PMCID: PMC3581695 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201210940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The modular architecture of voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels suggests that they resulted from the fusion of a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) to a pore module. Here, we show that the VSD of Ciona intestinalis phosphatase (Ci-VSP) fused to the viral channel Kcv creates Kv(Synth1), a functional voltage-gated, outwardly rectifying K(+) channel. Kv(Synth1) displays the summed features of its individual components: pore properties of Kcv (selectivity and filter gating) and voltage dependence of Ci-VSP (V(1/2) = +56 mV; z of ~1), including the depolarization-induced mode shift. The degree of outward rectification of the channel is critically dependent on the length of the linker more than on its amino acid composition. This highlights a mechanistic role of the linker in transmitting the movement of the sensor to the pore and shows that electromechanical coupling can occur without coevolution of the two domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Arrigoni
- Department of Biosciences, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
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27
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Bagriantsev SN, Ang KH, Gallardo-Godoy A, Clark KA, Arkin MR, Renslo AR, Minor DL. A high-throughput functional screen identifies small molecule regulators of temperature- and mechano-sensitive K2P channels. ACS Chem Biol 2013; 8:1841-51. [PMID: 23738709 PMCID: PMC3747594 DOI: 10.1021/cb400289x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
![]()
K2P (KCNK) potassium channels
generate “leak”
potassium currents that strongly influence cellular excitability and
contribute to pain, somatosensation, anesthesia, and mood. Despite
their physiological importance, K2Ps lack specific pharmacology.
Addressing this issue has been complicated by the challenges that
the leak nature of K2P currents poses for electrophysiology-based
high-throughput screening strategies. Here, we present a yeast-based
high-throughput screening assay that avoids this problem. Using a
simple growth-based functional readout, we screened a library of 106,281
small molecules and identified two new inhibitors and three new activators
of the mammalian K2P channel K2P2.1 (KCNK2, TREK-1). By combining biophysical, structure–activity,
and mechanistic analysis, we developed a dihydroacridine analogue,
ML67-33, that acts as a low micromolar, selective activator of temperature-
and mechano-sensitive K2P channels. Biophysical studies
show that ML67-33 reversibly increases channel currents by activating
the extracellular selectivity filter-based C-type gate that forms
the core gating apparatus on which a variety of diverse modulatory
inputs converge. The new K2P modulators presented here,
together with the yeast-based assay, should enable both mechanistic
and physiological studies of K2P activity and facilitate
the discovery and development of other K2P small molecule
modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel L. Minor
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
94720, United States
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28
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Rossi M, Tkatchenko A, Rempe SB, Varma S. Role of methyl-induced polarization in ion binding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:12978-83. [PMID: 23878238 PMCID: PMC3740884 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1302757110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemical property of methyl groups that renders them indispensable to biomolecules is their hydrophobicity. Quantum mechanical studies undertaken here to understand the effect of point substitutions on potassium (K-) channels illustrate quantitatively how methyl-induced polarization also contributes to biomolecular function. K- channels regulate transmembrane salt concentration gradients by transporting K(+) ions selectively. One of the K(+) binding sites in the channel's selectivity filter, the S4 site, also binds Ba(2+) ions, which blocks K(+) transport. This inhibitory property of Ba(2+) ions has been vital in understanding K-channel mechanism. In most K-channels, the S4 site is composed of four threonine amino acids. The K channels that carry serine instead of threonine are significantly less susceptible to Ba(2+) block and have reduced stabilities. We find that these differences can be explained by the lower polarizability of serine compared with threonine, because serine carries one less branched methyl group than threonine. A T→S substitution in the S4 site reduces its polarizability, which, in turn, reduces ion binding by several kilocalories per mole. Although the loss in binding affinity is high for Ba(2+), the loss in K(+) binding affinity is also significant thermodynamically, which reduces channel stability. These results highlight, in general, how biomolecular function can rely on the polarization induced by methyl groups, especially those that are proximal to charged moieties, including ions, titratable amino acids, sulfates, phosphates, and nucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rossi
- Theory Department, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandre Tkatchenko
- Theory Department, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Susan B. Rempe
- Biological and Materials Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185; and
| | - Sameer Varma
- Biological and Materials Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185; and
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, and Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
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29
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Thiel G, Moroni A, Blanc G, Van Etten JL. Potassium ion channels: could they have evolved from viruses? PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 162:1215-24. [PMID: 23719891 PMCID: PMC3707557 DOI: 10.1104/pp.113.219360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses of small viral K+ channels suggests that they did not originate from their hosts, but instead could be the source of the postulated pore precursor in the evolution of K+ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Thiel
- Department of Biology, Technische Universität-Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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30
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Schroeder I, Gazzarrini S, Ferrara G, Thiel G, Hansen UP, Moroni A. Creation of a reactive oxygen species-insensitive Kcv channel. Biochemistry 2013; 52:3130-7. [PMID: 23578303 DOI: 10.1021/bi3016197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The current of the minimal viral K(+) channel Kcv(PCBV-1) heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes is strongly inhibited by reactive oxygen species (ROS) like H(2)O(2). Possible targets for the ROS effect are two cysteines (C53 and C79) and four methionines (M1, M15, M23, and M26). The C53A/C79A and M23L/M26L double mutations maintained the same ROS sensitivity as the wild type. However, M15L as a single mutant or in combination with C53A/C79A and/or M23L/M26L caused a complete loss of sensitivity to H(2)O(2). These results indicate a prominent role of M15 at the cytosolic end of the outer transmembrane helix for gating of Kcv(PCBV-1). Furthermore, even though the channel lacks a canonical voltage sensor, it exhibits a weak voltage sensitivity, resulting in a slight activation in the millisecond range after a voltage step to negative potentials. The M15L mutation inverts this kinetics into an inactivation, underlining the critical role of this residue for gating. The negative slope of the I-V curves of M15L is the same as in the wild type, indicating that the selectivity filter is not involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Schroeder
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Gray NW, Zhorov BS, Moczydlowski EG. Interaction of local anesthetics with the K (+) channel pore domain: KcsA as a model for drug-dependent tetramer stability. Channels (Austin) 2013; 7:182-93. [PMID: 23545989 DOI: 10.4161/chan.24455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Local anesthetics and related drugs block ionic currents of Na (+) , K (+) and Ca ( 2+) conducted across the cell membrane by voltage-dependent ion channels. Many of these drugs bind in the permeation pathway, occlude the pore and stop ion movement. However channel-blocking drugs have also been associated with decreased membrane stability of certain tetrameric K (+) channels, similar to the destabilization of channel function observed at low extracellular K (+) concentration. Such drug-dependent stability may result from electrostatic repulsion of K (+) from the selectivity filter by a cationic drug molecule bound in the central cavity of the channel. In this study we used the pore domain of the KcsA K (+) channel protein to test this hypothesis experimentally with a biochemical assay of tetramer stability and theoretically by computational simulation of local anesthetic docking to the central cavity. We find that two common local anesthetics, lidocaine and tetracaine, promote thermal dissociation of the KcsA tetramer in a K (+) -dependent fashion. Docking simulations of these drugs with open, open-inactivated and closed crystal structures of KcsA yield many energetically favorable drug-channel complexes characterized by nonbonded attraction to pore-lining residues and electrostatic repulsion of K (+) . The results suggest that binding of cationic drugs to the inner cavity can reduce tetramer stability of K (+) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel W Gray
- Neuroscience & Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Using yeast to study potassium channel function and interactions with small molecules. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 995:31-42. [PMID: 23494370 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-345-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of ion channel mutants is a widely used approach for dissecting ion channel function and for characterizing the mechanisms of action of channel-directed modulators. Expression of functional potassium channels in potassium-uptake-deficient yeast together with genetic selection approaches offers an unbiased, high-throughput, activity-based readout that can rapidly identify large numbers of active ion channel mutants. Because of the assumption-free nature of the method, detailed biophysical analysis of the functional mutants from such selections can provide new and unexpected insights into both ion channel gating and ion channel modulator mechanisms. Here, we present detailed protocols for generation and identification of functional mutations in potassium channels using yeast selections in the potassium-uptake-deficient strain SGY1528. This approach is applicable for the analysis of structure-function relationships of potassium channels from a wide range of sources including viruses, bacteria, plants, and mammals and can be used as a facile way to probe the interactions between ion channels and small-molecule modulators.
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Prole DL, Marrion NV. Identification of putative potassium channel homologues in pathogenic protozoa. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32264. [PMID: 22363819 PMCID: PMC3283738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
K+ channels play a vital homeostatic role in cells and abnormal activity of these channels can dramatically alter cell function and survival, suggesting that they might be attractive drug targets in pathogenic organisms. Pathogenic protozoa lead to diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis and dysentery that are responsible for millions of deaths each year worldwide. The genomes of many protozoan parasites have recently been sequenced, allowing rational design of targeted therapies. We analyzed the genomes of pathogenic protozoa and show the existence within them of genes encoding putative homologues of K+ channels. These protozoan K+ channel homologues represent novel targets for anti-parasitic drugs. Differences in the sequences and diversity of human and parasite proteins may allow pathogen-specific targeting of these K+ channel homologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Prole
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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34
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Van Etten JL, Dunigan DD. Chloroviruses: not your everyday plant virus. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2012; 17:1-8. [PMID: 22100667 PMCID: PMC3259250 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2011.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2011] [Revised: 10/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Viruses infecting higher plants are among the smallest viruses known and typically have four to ten protein-encoding genes. By contrast, many viruses that infect algae (classified in the virus family Phycodnaviridae) are among the largest viruses found to date and have up to 600 protein-encoding genes. This brief review focuses on one group of plaque-forming phycodnaviruses that infect unicellular chlorella-like green algae. The prototype chlorovirus PBCV-1 has more than 400 protein-encoding genes and 11 tRNA genes. About 40% of the PBCV-1 encoded proteins resemble proteins of known function including many that are completely unexpected for a virus. In many respects, chlorovirus infection resembles bacterial infection by tailed bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Van Etten
- Department of Plant Pathology and Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0900, USA.
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Greiner T, Ramos J, Alvarez MC, Gurnon JR, Kang M, Van Etten JL, Moroni A, Thiel G. Functional HAK/KUP/KT-like potassium transporter encoded by chlorella viruses. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 68:977-986. [PMID: 21848655 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313x.2011.04748.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Chlorella viruses are a source of interesting membrane transport proteins. Here we examine a putative K(+) transporter encoded by virus FR483 and related chlorella viruses. The protein shares sequence and structural features with HAK/KUP/KT-like K(+) transporters from plants, bacteria and fungi. Yeast complementation assays and Rb(+) uptake experiments show that the viral protein, termed HAKCV (high-affinity K(+) transporter of chlorella virus), is functional, with transport characteristics that are similar to those of known K(+) transporters. Expression studies revealed that the protein is expressed as an early gene during viral replication, and proteomics data indicate that it is not packaged in the virion. The function of HAKCV is unclear, but the data refute the hypothesis that the transporter acts as a substitute for viral-encoded K(+) channels during virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Greiner
- Institute of Botany at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 3-5, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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Ma XY, Yu JM, Zhang SZ, Liu XY, Wu BH, Wei XL, Yan JQ, Sun HL, Yan HT, Zheng JQ. External Ba2+ block of the two-pore domain potassium channel TREK-1 defines conformational transition in its selectivity filter. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:39813-22. [PMID: 21965685 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.264788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
TREK-1 is a member of the two-pore domain potassium channel family that is known as a leak channel and plays a key role in many physiological and pathological processes. The conformational transition of the selectivity filter is considered as an effective strategy for potassium channels to control the course of potassium efflux. It is well known that TREK-1 is regulated by a large volume of extracellular and intracellular signals. However, until now, little was known about the selectivity filter gating mechanism of the channel. In this research, it was found that Ba(2+) blocked the TREK-1 channel in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. A mutagenesis analysis showed that overlapped binding of Ba(2+) at the assumed K(+) binding site 4 (S4) within the selectivity filter was responsible for the inhibitory effects on TREK-1. Then, Ba(2+) was used as a probe to explore the conformational transition in the selectivity filter of the channel. It was confirmed that collapsed conformations were induced by extracellular K(+)-free and acidification at the selectivity filters, leading to nonconductive to permeable ions. Further detailed characterization demonstrated that the two conformations presented different properties. Additionally, the N-terminal truncated isoform (ΔN41), a product derived from alternative translation initiation, was identified as a constitutively nonconductive variant. Together, these results illustrate the important role of selectivity filter gating in the regulation of TREK-1 by the extracellular K(+) and proton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yun Ma
- Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
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Multiple modalities converge on a common gate to control K2P channel function. EMBO J 2011; 30:3594-606. [PMID: 21765396 PMCID: PMC3181481 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
K2P potassium channels play important roles in the regulation of neuronal excitability. K2P channels are gated chemical, thermal, and mechanical stimuli, and the present study identifies and characterizes a common molecular gate that responds to all different stimuli, both activating and inhibitory ones. Members of the K2P potassium channel family regulate neuronal excitability and are implicated in pain, anaesthetic responses, thermosensation, neuroprotection, and mood. Unlike other potassium channels, K2Ps are gated by remarkably diverse stimuli that include chemical, thermal, and mechanical modalities. It has remained unclear whether the various gating inputs act through separate or common channel elements. Here, we show that protons, heat, and pressure affect activity of the prototypical, polymodal K2P, K2P2.1 (KCNK2/TREK-1), at a common molecular gate that comprises elements of the pore-forming segments and the N-terminal end of the M4 transmembrane segment. We further demonstrate that the M4 gating element is conserved among K2Ps and is employed regardless of whether the gating stimuli are inhibitory or activating. Our results define a unique gating mechanism shared by K2P family members and suggest that their diverse sensory properties are achieved by coupling different molecular sensors to a conserved core gating apparatus.
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Paynter JJ, Shang L, Bollepalli MK, Baukrowitz T, Tucker SJ. Random mutagenesis screening indicates the absence of a separate H(+)-sensor in the pH-sensitive Kir channels. Channels (Austin) 2010; 4:390-7. [PMID: 20699659 DOI: 10.4161/chan.4.5.13006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Several inwardly-rectifying (Kir) potassium channels (Kir1.1, Kir4.1 and Kir4.2) are characterised by their sensitivity to inhibition by intracellular H(+) within the physiological range. The mechanism by which these channels are regulated by intracellular pH has been the subject of intense scrutiny for over a decade, yet the molecular identity of the titratable pH-sensor remains elusive. In this study we have taken advantage of the acidic intracellular environment of S. cerevisiae and used a K(+) -auxotrophic strain to screen for mutants of Kir1.1 with impaired pH-sensitivity. In addition to the previously identified K80M mutation, this unbiased screening approach identified a novel mutation (S172T) in the second transmembrane domain (TM2) that also produces a marked reduction in pH-sensitivity through destabilization of the closed-state. However, despite this extensive mutagenic approach, no mutations could be identified which removed channel pH-sensitivity or which were likely to act as a separate H(+) -sensor unique to the pH-sensitive Kir channels. In order to explain these results we propose a model in which the pH-sensing mechanism is part of an intrinsic gating mechanism common to all Kir channels, not just the pH-sensitive Kir channels. In this model, mutations which disrupt this pH-sensor would result in an increase, not reduction, in pH-sensitivity. This has major implications for any future studies of Kir channel pH-sensitivity and explains why formal identification of these pH-sensing residues still represents a major challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Paynter
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, UK
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Thiel G, Baumeister D, Schroeder I, Kast SM, Van Etten JL, Moroni A. Minimal art: or why small viral K(+) channels are good tools for understanding basic structure and function relations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2010; 1808:580-8. [PMID: 20417613 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2010.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2010] [Revised: 04/09/2010] [Accepted: 04/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Some algal viruses contain genes that encode proteins with the hallmarks of K(+) channels. One feature of these proteins is that they are less than 100 amino acids in size, which make them truly minimal for a K(+) channel protein. That is, they consist of only the pore module present in more complex K(+) channels. The combination of miniature size and the functional robustness of the viral K(+) channels make them ideal model systems for studying how K(+) channels work. Here we summarize recent structure/function correlates from these channels, which provide insight into functional properties such as gating, pharmacology and sorting in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Thiel
- Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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