α-Actinin-1 promotes activity of the L-type Ca2+ channel Cav 1.2

Structural biology of voltage-gated calcium channels

Voltage-gated calcium (Cav) channels mediate Ca2+ influx in response to membrane depolarization, playing critical roles in diverse physiological processes. Dysfunction or aberrant regulation of Cav channels can lead to life-threatening consequences. Cav-targeting drugs have been clinically used to treat cardiovascular and neuronal disorders for several decades. This review aims to provide an account of recent developments in the structural dissection of Cav channels. High-resolution structures have significantly advanced our understanding of the working and disease mechanisms of Cav channels, shed light on the molecular basis for their modulation, and elucidated the modes of actions (MOAs) of representative drugs and toxins. The progress in structural studies of Cav channels lays the foundation for future drug discovery efforts targeting Cav channelopathies.

CaV1.3 channel clusters characterized by live-cell and isolated plasma membrane nanoscopy

A key player of excitable cells in the heart and brain is the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3. In the heart, it is required for voltage-dependent Ca2+-signaling, i.e., for controlling and modulating atrial cardiomyocyte excitation-contraction coupling. The clustering of CaV1.3 in functionally relevant channel multimers has not been addressed due to a lack of stoichiometric labeling combined with high-resolution imaging. Here, we developed a HaloTag-labeling strategy to visualize and quantify CaV1.3 clusters using STED nanoscopy to address the questions of cluster size and intra-cluster channel density. Channel clusters were identified in the plasma membrane of transfected live HEK293 cells as well as in giant plasma membrane vesicles derived from these cells that were spread on modified glass support to obtain supported plasma membrane bilayers (SPMBs). A small fraction of the channel clusters was colocalized with early and recycling endosomes at the membranes. STED nanoscopy in conjunction with live-cell and SPMB imaging enabled us to quantify CaV1.3 cluster sizes and their molecular density revealing significantly lower channel densities than expected for dense channel packing. CaV1.3 channel cluster size and molecular density were increased in SPMBs after treatment of the cells with the sympathomimetic compound isoprenaline, suggesting a regulated channel cluster condensation mechanism.

ACTN1 promotes HNSCC tumorigenesis and cisplatin resistance by enhancing MYH9-dependent degradation of GSK-3β and integrin β1-mediated phosphorylation of FAK

BACKGROUND

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors globally. Understanding the molecular basis of tumor progression and drug resistance can offer innovative strategies to enhance clinical outcomes for HNSCC patients.

METHODS

The cytoskeletal remodeling genes associated with cisplatin resistance were screened using a PCR array. The role of alpha-actinin 1 (ACTN1) in modulating cisplatin resistance and tumorigenesis in HNSCC was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), IP-mass spectrometry (MS), western blotting, dual-luciferase assay, and bioinformatics analysis were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.

RESULTS

Our study identifies ACTN1 as a crucial contributor to cisplatin resistance and tumorigenesis in HNSCC, as evidenced across cellular, animal, and patient-derived xenograft models. From a clinical perspective, overexpression of ACTN1 significantly correlates with a suboptimal response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and reduced overall survival in HNSCC patients. Mechanistically, ACTN1 predominantly activates β-catenin-mediated signaling by promoting the interaction between myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) and GSK-3β, leading to the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of GSK-3β. ACTN1 also interacts with integrin β1, subsequently activating the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway, providing an additional avenue for the activation of β-catenin signaling. Our study also unveils that the β-catenin/c-Myc axis transcriptionally regulates ACTN1, thereby creating a positive feedback loop promoting HNSCC tumorigenesis and drug resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

These insights underscore the novel mechanisms that highlight ACTN1's pivotal role in driving HNSCC progression and resistance to chemotherapy, suggesting ACTN1 as a promising therapeutic target in HNSCC management.

Calmodulin promotes a Ca2+ -dependent conformational change in the C-terminal regulatory domain of CaV 1.2

Calmodulin (CaM) binds to the membrane-proximal cytosolic C-terminal domain of CaV 1.2 (residues 1520-1669, CT(1520-1669)) and causes Ca2+ -induced conformational changes that promote Ca2+ -dependent channel inactivation (CDI). We report biophysical studies that probe the structural interaction between CT(1520-1669) and CaM. The recombinantly expressed CT(1520-1669) is insoluble, but can be solubilized in the presence of Ca2+ -saturated CaM (Ca4 /CaM), but not in the presence of Ca2+ -free CaM (apoCaM). We show that half-calcified CaM (Ca2 /CaM12 ) forms a complex with CT(1520-1669) that is less soluble than CT(1520-1669) bound to Ca4 /CaM. The NMR spectrum of CT(1520-1669) reveals spectral differences caused by the binding of Ca2 /CaM12 versus Ca4 /CaM, suggesting that the binding of Ca2+ to the CaM N-lobe may induce a conformational change in CT(1520-1669).

L-Type Ca2+ Channel Regulation by Calmodulin and CaBP1

L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (CaV1.2 and CaV1.3, called CaV) interact with the Ca2+ sensor proteins, calmodulin (CaM) and Ca2+ binding Protein 1 (CaBP1), that oppositely control Ca2+-dependent channel activity. CaM and CaBP1 can each bind to the IQ-motif within the C-terminal cytosolic domain of CaV, which promotes increased channel open probability under basal conditions. At elevated cytosolic Ca2+ levels (caused by CaV channel opening), Ca2+-bound CaM binding to CaV is essential for promoting rapid Ca2+-dependent channel inactivation (CDI). By contrast, CaV binding to CaBP1 prevents CDI and promotes Ca2+-induced channel opening (called CDF). In this review, I provide an overview of the known structures of CaM and CaBP1 and their structural interactions with the IQ-motif to help understand how CaM promotes CDI, whereas CaBP1 prevents CDI and instead promotes CDF. Previous electrophysiology studies suggest that Ca2+-free forms of CaM and CaBP1 may pre-associate with CaV under basal conditions. However, previous Ca2+ binding data suggest that CaM and CaBP1 are both calculated to bind to Ca2+ with an apparent dissociation constant of ~100 nM when CaM or CaBP1 is bound to the IQ-motif. Since the neuronal basal cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is ~100 nM, nearly half of the neuronal CaV channels are suggested to be bound to Ca2+-bound forms of either CaM or CaBP1 under basal conditions. The pre-association of CaV with calcified forms of CaM or CaBP1 are predicted here to have functional implications. The Ca2+-bound form of CaBP1 is proposed to bind to CaV under basal conditions to block CaV binding to CaM, which could explain how CaBP1 might prevent CDI.

EVAP: A two-photon imaging tool to study conformational changes in endogenous Kv2 channels in live tissues

A primary goal of molecular physiology is to understand how conformational changes of proteins affect the function of cells, tissues, and organisms. Here, we describe an imaging method for measuring the conformational changes of the voltage sensors of endogenous ion channel proteins within live tissue, without genetic modification. We synthesized GxTX-594, a variant of the peptidyl tarantula toxin guangxitoxin-1E, conjugated to a fluorophore optimal for two-photon excitation imaging through light-scattering tissue. We term this tool EVAP (Endogenous Voltage-sensor Activity Probe). GxTX-594 targets the voltage sensors of Kv2 proteins, which form potassium channels and plasma membrane–endoplasmic reticulum junctions. GxTX-594 dynamically labels Kv2 proteins on cell surfaces in response to voltage stimulation. To interpret dynamic changes in fluorescence intensity, we developed a statistical thermodynamic model that relates the conformational changes of Kv2 voltage sensors to degree of labeling. We used two-photon excitation imaging of rat brain slices to image Kv2 proteins in neurons. We found puncta of GxTX-594 on hippocampal CA1 neurons that responded to voltage stimulation and retain a voltage response roughly similar to heterologously expressed Kv2.1 protein. Our findings show that EVAP imaging methods enable the identification of conformational changes of endogenous Kv2 voltage sensors in tissue.

Ciliary GPCR-based transcriptome as a key regulator of cilia length control

The primary cilium is a plasma membrane-protruding sensory organelle that efficiently conveys signaling cascades in a highly ordered microenvironment. Its signaling is mediated, in part, by a limited set of GPCRs preferentially enriched in the cilium membrane. This includes melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) receptor 1 (MCHR1), which plays a role in feeding and mood. In addition to its receptor composition, the length of the cilium is a characteristic parameter that is implicated in its function. We previously found that MCH can dynamically shorten cilia length via the Gi/o and Akt pathways in both MCHR1-expressing hTERT-RPE1 cells (hRPE1 cells) and rat hippocampal neurons. However, the detailed mechanisms by which MCH regulates cilia length through ciliary MCHR1 remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the transcriptome changes in MCHR1-expressing hRPE1 cells in response to MCH to identify the target molecules involved in cilia length regulation via MCHR1 activation. RNA sequencing analysis of ciliated cells subjected to MCH treatment showed upregulation of 424 genes and downregulation of 112 genes compared with static control cells. Validation by quantitative real-time PCR, knocking down, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout technology identified a molecule, PDZ and LIM domain-containing protein 5 (PDLIM5). Thus, it was considered as the most significant key factor for MCHR1-mediated shortening of cilia length. Additional analyses revealed that the actin-binding protein alpha-actinin 1/4 is a crucial downstream target of the PDLIM5 signaling pathway that exerts an effect on MCHR1-induced cilia shortening. In the endogenous MCHR1-expressing hippocampus, transcriptional upregulation of PDLIM5 and actinin 1/4, following the application of MCH, was detected when the MCHR1-positive cilia were shortened. Together, our transcriptome study based on ciliary MCHR1 function uncovered a novel and important regulatory step underlying cilia length control. These results will potentially serve as a basis for understanding the mechanism underlying the development of obesity and mood disorders.

The Crystal Structure of Calmodulin Bound to the Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor (RyR2) at Residues Phe4246-Val4271 Reveals a Fifth Calcium Binding Site

Calmodulin (CaM) regulates the activity of a Ca2+ channel known as the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2), which facilitates the release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes. Mutations that disrupt this CaM-dependent channel inactivation result in cardiac arrhythmias. RyR2 contains three different CaM binding sites: CaMBD1 (residues 1940-1965), CaMBD2 (residues 3580-3611), and CaMBD3 (residues 4246-4275). Here, we report a crystal structure of Ca2+-bound CaM bound to RyR2 CaMBD3. The structure reveals Ca2+ bound to the four EF-hands of CaM as well as a fifth Ca2+ bound to CaM in the interdomain linker region involving Asp81 and Glu85. The CaM mutant E85A abolishes the binding of the fifth Ca2+ and weakens the binding of CaMBD3 to Ca2+-bound CaM. Thus, the binding of the fifth Ca2+ is important for stabilizing the complex in solution and is not a crystalline artifact. The CaMBD3 peptide in the complex adopts an α-helix (between Phe4246 and Val4271) that interacts with both lobes of CaM. Hydrophobic residues in the CaMBD3 helix (Leu4255 and Leu4259) form intermolecular contacts with the CaM N-lobe, and the CaMBD3 mutations (L4255A and L4259A) each weaken the binding of CaM to RyR2. Aromatic residues on the opposite side of the CaMBD3 helix (Phe4246 and Tyr4250) interact with the CaM C-lobe, but the mutants (F4246A and Y4250A) have no detectable effect on CaM binding in solution. We suggest that the binding of CaM to CaMBD3 and the binding of a fifth Ca2+ to CaM may contribute to the regulation of RyR2 channel function.

Fluorescent toxins as ion channel activity sensors

Voltage gated ion channels (VGICs) shape the electrical character of cells by undergoing structural changes in response to membrane depolarization. High-resolution techniques have provided a wealth of data on individual VGIC structures, but the conformational changes of endogenous channels in live cell membranes have remained unexplored. Here, we describe methods for imaging structural changes of voltage-gated K⁺ channels in living cells, using peptidyl toxins labeled with fluorophores that report specific protein conformations. These Endogenous Voltage-sensor Activity Probes (EVAPs) enable study of both VGIC allostery and function in the context of endogenous live-cell membranes under different physiological states. In this chapter, we describe methods for the synthesis, imaging, and analysis of dynamic EVAPs, which can report K⁺ channel activity in complex tissue preparations via 2-photon excitation microscopy, and environment-sensitive EVAPs, which report voltage-dependent conformational changes at the VGIC-toxin interface. The methods here present the utility of current EVAPs and lay the groundwork for the development of other probes that act by similar mechanisms. EVAPs can be correlated with electrophysiology, offering insight into the molecular details of endogenous channel function and allostery in live cells. This enables investigation of conformational changes of channels in their native, functional states, putting structures and models into a context of live-cell membranes. The expansive array of state-dependent ligands and optical probes should enable probes more generally for investigating the molecular motions of endogenous proteins.

The life cycle of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in neurons: an update on the trafficking of neuronal calcium channels

Neuronal voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels play a critical role in cellular excitability, synaptic transmission, excitation-transcription coupling and activation of intracellular signaling pathways. CaV channels are multiprotein complexes and their functional expression in the plasma membrane involves finely tuned mechanisms, including forward trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the plasma membrane, endocytosis and recycling. Whether genetic or acquired, alterations and defects in the trafficking of neuronal CaV channels can have severe physiological consequences. In this review, we address the current evidence concerning the regulatory mechanisms which underlie precise control of neuronal CaV channel trafficking and we discuss their potential as therapeutic targets.

Tissue-specific adrenergic regulation of the L-type Ca2+ channel CaV1.2

Ca²⁺ influx through the L-type Ca²⁺ channel Cav1.2 triggers each heartbeat. The fight-or-flight response induces the release of the stress response hormone norepinephrine to stimulate β-adrenergic receptors, cAMP production, and protein kinase A activity to augment Ca²⁺ influx through Ca_v1.2 and, consequently, cardiomyocyte contractility. Emerging evidence shows that Ca_v1.2 is regulated by different mechanisms in cardiomyocytes compared to neurons and vascular smooth muscle cells.

CaV channels reject signaling from a second CaM in eliciting Ca2+-dependent feedback regulation

Calmodulin (CaM) regulation of voltage-gated calcium (Ca_V1-2) channels is a powerful Ca²⁺-feedback mechanism to adjust channel activity in response to Ca²⁺ influx. Despite progress in resolving mechanisms of CaM-Ca_V feedback, the stoichiometry of CaM interaction with Ca_V channels remains ambiguous. Functional studies that tethered CaM to Ca_V1.2 suggested that a single CaM sufficed for Ca²⁺ feedback, yet biochemical, FRET, and structural studies showed that multiple CaM molecules interact with distinct interfaces within channel cytosolic segments, suggesting that functional Ca²⁺ regulation may be more nuanced. Resolving this ambiguity is critical as CaM is enriched in subcellular domains where Ca_V channels reside, such as the cardiac dyad. We here localized multiple CaMs to the Ca_V nanodomain by tethering either WT or mutant CaM that lack Ca²⁺-binding capacity to the pore-forming α-subunit of Ca_V1.2, Ca_V1.3, and Ca_V2.1 and/or the auxiliary β_2A subunit. We observed that a single CaM tethered to either the α or β_2A subunit tunes Ca²⁺ regulation of Ca_V channels. However, when multiple CaMs are localized concurrently, Ca_V channels preferentially respond to signaling from the α-subunit-tethered CaM. Mechanistically, the introduction of a second IQ domain to the Ca_V1.3 carboxyl tail switched the apparent functional stoichiometry, permitting two CaMs to mediate functional regulation. In all, Ca²⁺ feedback of Ca_V channels depends exquisitely on a single CaM preassociated with the α-subunit carboxyl tail. Additional CaMs that colocalize with the channel complex are unable to trigger Ca²⁺-dependent feedback of channel gating but may support alternate regulatory functions.

α-Actinin-1 promotes activity of the L-type Ca2+ channel Cav 1.2

The L-type Ca²⁺ channel Ca_V 1.2 governs gene expression, cardiac contraction, and neuronal activity. Binding of α-actinin to the IQ motif of Ca_V 1.2 supports its surface localization and postsynaptic targeting in neurons. We report a bi-functional mechanism that restricts Ca_V 1.2 activity to its target sites. We solved separate NMR structures of the IQ motif (residues 1,646-1,664) bound to α-actinin-1 and to apo-calmodulin (apoCaM). The Ca_V 1.2 K1647A and Y1649A mutations, which impair α-actinin-1 but not apoCaM binding, but not the F1658A and K1662E mutations, which impair apoCaM but not α-actinin-1 binding, decreased single-channel open probability, gating charge movement, and its coupling to channel opening. Thus, α-actinin recruits Ca_V 1.2 to defined surface regions and simultaneously boosts its open probability so that Ca_V 1.2 is mostly active when appropriately localized.