1
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Okada Y. Physiology of the volume-sensitive/regulatory anion channel VSOR/VRAC: part 2: its activation mechanisms and essential roles in organic signal release. J Physiol Sci 2024; 74:34. [PMID: 38877402 PMCID: PMC11177392 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-024-00926-3] [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: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
The volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying or volume-regulated anion channel, VSOR/VRAC, which was discovered in 1988, is expressed in most vertebrate cell types, and is essentially involved in cell volume regulation after swelling and in the induction of cell death. This series of review articles describes what is already known and what remains to be uncovered about the functional and molecular properties as well as the physiological and pathophysiological roles of VSOR/VRAC. This Part 2 review article describes, from the physiological and pathophysiological standpoints, first the pivotal roles of VSOR/VRAC in the release of autocrine/paracrine organic signal molecules, such as glutamate, ATP, glutathione, cGAMP, and itaconate, as well as second the swelling-independent and -dependent activation mechanisms of VSOR/VRAC. Since the pore size of VSOR/VRAC has now well been evaluated by electrophysiological and 3D-structural methods, the signal-releasing activity of VSOR/VRAC is here discussed by comparing the molecular sizes of these organic signals to the channel pore size. Swelling-independent activation mechanisms include a physicochemical one caused by the reduction of intracellular ionic strength and a biochemical one caused by oxidation due to stimulation by receptor agonists or apoptosis inducers. Because some organic substances released via VSOR/VRAC upon cell swelling can trigger or augment VSOR/VRAC activation in an autocrine fashion, swelling-dependent activation mechanisms are to be divided into two phases: the first phase induced by cell swelling per se and the second phase caused by receptor stimulation by released organic signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasunobu Okada
- National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan.
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan.
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan.
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2
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Zhang H, Liu R, Jing Z, Li C, Fan W, Li H, Li H, Ren J, Cui S, Zhao W, Yu L, Bai Y, Liu S, Fang C, Yang W, Wei Y, Li L, Peng S. LRRC8A as a central mediator promotes colon cancer metastasis by regulating PIP5K1B/PIP2 pathway. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167066. [PMID: 38350542 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167066] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been the third most common malignancy and the second cause of cancer-related mortality. As the core of volume-sensitive chloride currents, leucine-rich repeat-containing 8A (LRRC8A) contributes to tumor progression but is not consistent, especially for whom the roles in colon carcinoma metastasis were not fully elucidated. Herein, LRRC8A proteins were found highly expressed in hematogenous metastasis from human colorectal cancer samples. The oxaliplatin-resistant HCT116 cells highly expressed LRRC8A, which was related to impaired proliferation and enhanced migration. The over-expressed LRRC8A slowed proliferation and increased migration ex vivo and in vivo. The elevated LRRC8A upregulated the focal adhesion, MAPK, AMPK, and chemokine signaling pathways via phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Inhibition of LRRC8A impeded the TNF-α signaling cascade and TNF-α-induced migration. LRRC8A binding to PIP5K1B regulated the PIP2 formation, providing a platform for LRRC8A to mediate cell signaling transduction. Importantly, LRRC8A self-regulated its transcription via NF-κB1 and NF-κB2 pathways and the upregulation of NIK/NF-κB2/LRRC8A transcriptional axis was unfavorable for colon cancer patients. Collectively, our findings reveal that LRRC8A is a central mediator in mediating multiple signaling pathways to promote metastasis and targeting LRRC8A proteins could become a potential clinical biomarker-driven treatment strategy for colon cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Zhang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Zhenghui Jing
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Chunying Li
- School of Nursing, Li Shui University, Lishui, Zhejiang 323020, China
| | - Wentao Fan
- Guangzhou Huayin Medical Laboratory Center. Ltd, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China
| | - Houli Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Hongbing Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Department of Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Shiyu Cui
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Wenbao Zhao
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yuhui Bai
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China
| | - Shujing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China
| | - Chunlu Fang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China
| | - Wenqi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China
| | - Yuan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China
| | - Liangming Li
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China; School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China
| | - Shuang Peng
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China; School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510500, China.
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3
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Kostritskaia Y, Klüssendorf M, Pan YE, Hassani Nia F, Kostova S, Stauber T. Physiological Functions of the Volume-Regulated Anion Channel VRAC/LRRC8 and the Proton-Activated Chloride Channel ASOR/TMEM206. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2024; 283:181-218. [PMID: 37468723 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_673] [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] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) and the acid-sensitive outwardly rectifying anion channel (ASOR) mediate flux of chloride and small organic anions. Although known for a long time, they were only recently identified at the molecular level. VRACs are heteromers consisting of LRRC8 proteins A to E. Combining the essential LRRC8A with different LRRC8 paralogues changes key properties of VRAC such as conductance or substrate selectivity, which is how VRACs are involved in multiple physiological functions including regulatory volume decrease, cell proliferation and migration, cell death, purinergic signalling, fat and glucose metabolism, insulin signalling, and spermiogenesis. VRACs are also involved in pathological conditions, such as the neurotoxic release of glutamate and aspartate. Certain VRACs are also permeable to larger, organic anions, including antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs, making them an interesting therapeutic target. ASOR, also named proton-activated chloride channel (PAC), is formed by TMEM206 homotrimers on the plasma membrane and on endosomal compartments where it mediates chloride flux in response to extracytosolic acidification and plays a role in the shrinking and maturation of macropinosomes. ASOR has been shown to underlie neuronal swelling which causes cell death after stroke as well as promoting the metastasis of certain cancers, making them intriguing therapeutic targets as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Kostritskaia
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Malte Klüssendorf
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yingzhou Edward Pan
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fatemeh Hassani Nia
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simona Kostova
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Stauber
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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Liu H, Polovitskaya MM, Yang L, Li M, Li H, Han Z, Wu J, Zhang Q, Jentsch TJ, Liao J. Structural insights into anion selectivity and activation mechanism of LRRC8 volume-regulated anion channels. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112926. [PMID: 37543949 PMCID: PMC10480491 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112926] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are hexamers of LRRC8 proteins that are crucial for cell volume regulation. N termini (NTs) of the obligatory LRRC8A subunit modulate VRACs activation and ion selectivity, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we report a 2.8-Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of human LRRC8A that displays well-resolved NTs. Amino-terminal halves of NTs fold back into the pore and constrict the permeation path, thereby determining ion selectivity together with an extracellular selectivity filter with which it works in series. They also interact with pore-surrounding helices and support their compact arrangement. The C-terminal halves of NTs interact with intracellular loops that are crucial for channel activation. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that low ionic strength increases NT mobility and expands the radial distance between pore-surrounding helices. Our work suggests an unusual pore architecture with two selectivity filters in series and a mechanism for VRAC activation by cell swelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Maya M Polovitskaya
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Linlin Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 45001, China.
| | - Meiling Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 45001, China
| | - Hongyue Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhen Han
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 45001, China
| | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Thomas J Jentsch
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany; Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jun Liao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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5
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Liu T, Li Y, Wang D, Stauber T, Zhao J. Trends in volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) research: visualization and bibliometric analysis from 2014 to 2022. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1234885. [PMID: 37538172 PMCID: PMC10394876 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1234885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: In this study, we utilized bibliometric methods to assess the worldwide scientific output and identify hotspots related to the research on the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) from 2014 to 2022. Methods: From Web of Science, we obtained studies related to VRAC published from 2014 to 2022. To analyzed the data, we utilized VOSviewer, a tool for visualizing network, to create networks based on the collaboration between countries, institutions, and authors. Additionally, we performed an analysis of journal co-citation, document citation, and co-occurrence of keywords. Furthermore, we employed CiteSpace (6.1. R6 Advanced) to analyzed keywords and co-cited references with the strongest burst. Results: The final analysis included a total of 278 related articles and reviews, covering the period from 2014 to 2022. The United States emerged as the leading country contributing to this field, while the University of Copenhagen stood out as the most prominent institution. The author with most publications and most citations was Thomas J. Jentsch. Among the cited references, the article by Voss et al. published in Science (2014) gained significant attention for its identification of LRRC8 heteromers as a crucial component of the volume-regulated anion channel VRAC. Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology and Journal of Physiology-London were the leading journals in terms of the quantity of associated articles and citations. Through the analysis of keyword co-occurrence, it was discovered that VRAC is involved in various physiological processes including cell growth, migration, apoptosis, swelling, and myogenesis, as well as anion and organic osmolyte transport including chloride, taurine, glutamate and ATP. VRAC is also associated with related ion channels such as TMEM16A, TMEM16F, pannexin, and CFTR, and associated with various diseases including epilepsy, leukodystrophy, atherosclerosis, hypertension, cerebral edema, stroke, and different types of cancer including gastric cancer, glioblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, VRAC is involved in anti-tumor drug resistance by regulating the uptake of platinum-based drugs and temozolomide. Additionally, VRAC has been studied in the context of pharmacology involving DCPIB and flavonoids. Conclusion: The aim of this bibliometric analysis is to provide an overall perspective for research on VRAC. VRAC has become a topic of increasing interest, and our analysis shows that it continues to be a prominent area. This study offers insights into the investigation of VRAC channel and may guide researchers in identifying new directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianbao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yin Li
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Tobias Stauber
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jiajun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Chen GL, Li J, Zhang J, Zeng B. To Be or Not to Be an Ion Channel: Cryo-EM Structures Have a Say. Cells 2023; 12:1870. [PMID: 37508534 PMCID: PMC10378246 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion channels are the second largest class of drug targets after G protein-coupled receptors. In addition to well-recognized ones like voltage-gated Na/K/Ca channels in the heart and neurons, novel ion channels are continuously discovered in both excitable and non-excitable cells and demonstrated to play important roles in many physiological processes and diseases such as developmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. However, in the field of ion channel discovery, there are an unignorable number of published studies that are unsolid and misleading. Despite being the gold standard of a functional assay for ion channels, electrophysiological recordings are often accompanied by electrical noise, leak conductance, and background currents of the membrane system. These unwanted signals, if not treated properly, lead to the mischaracterization of proteins with seemingly unusual ion-conducting properties. In the recent ten years, the technical revolution of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has greatly advanced our understanding of the structures and gating mechanisms of various ion channels and also raised concerns about the pore-forming ability of some previously identified channel proteins. In this review, we summarize cryo-EM findings on ion channels with molecular identities recognized or disputed in recent ten years and discuss current knowledge of proposed channel proteins awaiting cryo-EM analyses. We also present a classification of ion channels according to their architectures and evolutionary relationships and discuss the possibility and strategy of identifying more ion channels by analyzing structures of transmembrane proteins of unknown function. We propose that cross-validation by electrophysiological and structural analyses should be essentially required for determining molecular identities of novel ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Lan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Jian Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education & Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
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Kern DM, Bleier J, Mukherjee S, Hill JM, Kossiakoff AA, Isacoff EY, Brohawn SG. Structural basis for assembly and lipid-mediated gating of LRRC8A:C volume-regulated anion channels. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023:10.1038/s41594-023-00944-6. [PMID: 36928458 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-00944-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8 (LRRC8) family members form volume-regulated anion channels activated by hypoosmotic cell swelling. LRRC8 channels are ubiquitously expressed in vertebrate cells as heteromeric assemblies of LRRC8A (SWELL1) and LRRC8B-E subunits. Channels of different subunit composition have distinct properties that explain the functional diversity of LRRC8 currents across cell types. However, the basis for heteromeric LRRC8 channel assembly and function is unknown. Here we leverage a fiducial-tagging strategy to determine single-particle cryo-EM structures of heterohexameric LRRC8A:C channels in multiple conformations. Compared to homomers, LRRC8A:C channels show pronounced differences in architecture due to heterotypic LRR interactions that displace subunits away from the conduction axis and poise the channel for activation. Structures and functional studies further reveal that lipids embedded in the channel pore block ion conduction in the closed state. These results provide insight into determinants for heteromeric LRRC8 channel assembly, activity and gating by lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Kern
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biology (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Julia Bleier
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Somnath Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer M Hill
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Anthony A Kossiakoff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ehud Y Isacoff
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biology (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Stephen G Brohawn
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,California Institute for Quantitative Biology (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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8
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Rutz S, Deneka D, Dittmann A, Sawicka M, Dutzler R. Structure of a volume-regulated heteromeric LRRC8A/C channel. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:52-61. [PMID: 36522427 PMCID: PMC9851909 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00899-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) participate in the cellular response to osmotic swelling. These membrane proteins consist of heteromeric assemblies of LRRC8 subunits, whose compositions determine permeation properties. Although structures of the obligatory LRRC8A, also referred to as SWELL1, have previously defined the architecture of VRACs, the organization of heteromeric channels has remained elusive. Here we have addressed this question by the structural characterization of murine LRRC8A/C channels. Like LRRC8A, these proteins assemble as hexamers. Despite 12 possible arrangements, we find a predominant organization with an A:C ratio of two. In this assembly, four LRRC8A subunits cluster in their preferred conformation observed in homomers, as pairs of closely interacting proteins that stabilize a closed state of the channel. In contrast, the two interacting LRRC8C subunits show a larger flexibility, underlining their role in the destabilization of the tightly packed A subunits, thereby enhancing the activation properties of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Rutz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dawid Deneka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Marta Sawicka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Raimund Dutzler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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9
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Shcheynikov N, Boggs K, Green A, Feranchak AP. Identification of the chloride channel, leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8, subfamily a (LRRC8A), in mouse cholangiocytes. Hepatology 2022; 76:1248-1258. [PMID: 35445421 PMCID: PMC10126881 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Chloride (Cl- ) channels in the apical membrane of biliary epithelial cells (BECs), also known as cholangiocytes, provide the driving force for biliary secretion. Although two Cl- channels have been identified on a molecular basis, the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator and Transmembrane Member 16A, a third Cl- channel with unique biophysical properties has been described. Leucine-Rich Repeat-Containing Protein 8, subfamily A (LRRC8A) is a newly identified protein capable of transporting Cl- in other epithelium in response to cell swelling. The aim of the present study was to determine if LRRC8A represents the volume-regulated anion channel in mouse BECs. APPROACH AND RESULTS Studies were performed in mouse small (MSC) and large (MLC) cholangiocytes. Membrane Cl- currents were measured by whole-cell patch-clamp techniques and cell volume measurements were performed by calcein-AM fluorescence. Exposure of either MSC or MLC to hypotonicity (190 mOsm) rapidly increased cell volume and activated Cl- currents. Currents exhibited outward rectification, time-dependent inactivation at positive membrane potentials, and reversal potential at 0 mV (ECl ). Removal of extracellular Cl- or specific pharmacological inhibition of LRRC8A abolished currents. LRRC8A was detected in both MSC and MLC by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by western blot. Transfection with LRRC8A small interfering RNA decreased protein levels by >70% and abolished volume-stimulated Cl- currents. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that LRRC8A is functionally present in mouse BECs, contributes to volume-activated Cl- secretion, and, therefore, may be a target to modulate bile formation in the treatment of cholestatic liver disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Shcheynikov
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kristy Boggs
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anthony Green
- Tissue and Research Pathology Core, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew P Feranchak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Bertelli S, Zuccolini P, Gavazzo P, Pusch M. Molecular determinants underlying VRAC subunit dependent oxidation sensitivity. J Physiol 2022; 600:3965-3982. [PMID: 35861288 PMCID: PMC9540897 DOI: 10.1113/jp283321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract The volume‐regulated anion channel (VRAC) is formed by LRRC8 subunits. Besides their role in the maintenance of cell homeostasis, VRACs are critically involved in oxidative stress mechanisms: reactive oxygen species directly modulate VRACs in a subunit‐dependent manner. It was reported that LRRC8A–LRRC8E heteromeric channels are activated by oxidation, whereas LRRC8A–LRRC8C heteromers are inhibited. Here we adopted chimeric‐ as well as concatemeric‐based strategies to identify residues responsible for the divergent effect of oxidants. We identified two cysteines in the first two leucine rich repeats of LRRC8E, C424 and C448, as the targets of oxidation. Oxidation likely results in the formation of a disulfide bond between the two cysteines, which in turn induces a conformational change leading to channel activation. Additionally, we found that LRRC8C inhibition is caused by oxidation of the first methionine. We thus identified crucial molecular elements involved in channel activation, which are conceivably relevant in determining physiological ROS effects.
![]() Key points Volume‐regulated anion channels (VRACs) are heterohexameric complexes composed of an essential LRRC8A subunit and a variable number of LRRC8B–E subunits. VRACs are directly regulated by oxidation, with LRRC8A–LRRC8E heteromers being potentiated and LRRC8A–LRRC8C heteromers being inhibited by oxidation. We identified two LRRC8E specific intracellular cysteines that form a disulfide bond upon oxidation leading to LRRC8A–LRRC8E potentiation. Inhibition of LRRC8A–LRRC8C heteromers is mediated by the oxidation of the start methionine, being additionally dependent on the identity of the LRR domain. Besides providing physiological insights concerning the outcome of reactive oxygen species modulation, the results point to key structural elements involved in VRAC activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bertelli
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy.,Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Paolo Zuccolini
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy
| | - Paola Gavazzo
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy
| | - Michael Pusch
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy
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11
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Sawicka M, Dutzler R. Regulators of cell volume: The structural and functional properties of anion channels of the LRRC8 family. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 74:102382. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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12
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Kasuya G, Nureki O. Recent Advances in the Structural Biology of the Volume-Regulated Anion Channel LRRC8. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:896532. [PMID: 35645818 PMCID: PMC9130832 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.896532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the leucine-rich repeat-containing 8 (LRRC8) protein family, composed of five LRRC8A-E isoforms, are pore-forming components of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC), which is activated by cell swelling and releases chloride ions (Cl−) or other osmolytes to counteract cell swelling. Although the LRRC8 protein family was identified as the molecular entity of VRAC only in 2014, due to recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), various LRRC8 structures, including homo-hexameric LRRC8A and LRRC8D structures, as well as inhibitor-bound and synthetic single-domain antibody-bound homo-hexameric LRRC8A structures, have been reported, thus extending our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this protein family. In this review, we describe the important features of LRRC8 provided by these structures, particularly the overall architectures, and the suggested mechanisms underlying pore inhibition and allosteric modulation by targeting the intracellular leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go Kasuya
- Division of Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
- *Correspondence: Go Kasuya, ; Osamu Nureki,
| | - Osamu Nureki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Go Kasuya, ; Osamu Nureki,
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13
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Turner DGP, Tyan L, DeGuire FC, Medvedev RY, Stroebel SJ, Lang D, Glukhov AV. Caveolin-3 prevents swelling-induced membrane damage via regulation of I Cl,swell activity. Biophys J 2022; 121:1643-1659. [PMID: 35378081 PMCID: PMC9117929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.04.001] [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: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Caveola membrane structures harbor mechanosensitive chloride channels (MCCs; including chloride channel 2, chloride channel 3, and SWELL1, also known as LRRC8A) that form a swelling-activated chloride current (ICl,swell) and play an important role in cell volume regulation and mechanoelectrical signal transduction. However, the role of the muscle-specific caveolar scaffolding protein caveolin-3 (Cav3) in regulation of MCC expression, activity, and contribution to membrane integrity in response to mechanical stress remains unclear. Here we showed that Cav3-transfected (Cav3-positive) HEK293 cells were significantly resistant to extreme (<20 milliosmole) hypotonic swelling compared with native (Cav3-negative) HEK293 cells; the percentage of cells with membrane damage decreased from 45% in Cav3-negative cells to 17% in Cav3-positive cells (p < 0.05). This mechanoprotection was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) when cells were exposed to the ICl,swell-selective inhibitor 4-[(2-butyl-6,7-dichloro-2-cyclopentyl-2,3-dihydro-1-oxo-1H-inden-5-yl)oxy]butanoic acid (10 μM). These results were recapitulated in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes, where the percentage of cardiomyocytes with membrane damage increased from 47% in control cells to 78% in 4-[(2-butyl-6,7-dichloro-2-cyclopentyl-2,3-dihydro-1-oxo-1H-inden-5-yl)oxy]butanoic acid-treated cells (p < 0.05). A higher resistance to hypotonic swelling in Cav3-positive HEK293 cells was accompanied by a significant twofold increase of ICl,swell current density and SWELL1 protein expression, whereas ClC-2/3 protein levels remained unchanged. Förster resonance energy transfer analysis showed a less than 10-nm membrane and intracellular association between Cav3 and SWELL1. Cav3/SWELL1 membrane Förster resonance energy transfer efficiency was halved in mild (220 milliosmole) hypotonic solution as well as after disruption of caveola structures via cholesterol depletion by 1-h treatment with 10 mM methyl-β-cyclodextrin. A close association between Cav3 and SWELL1 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation analysis. Our findings indicate that, in the MCCs tested, SWELL1 abundance and activity are regulated by Cav3 and that their association relies on membrane tension and caveola integrity. This study highlights the mechanoprotective role of Cav3, which is facilitated by complimentary SWELL1 expression and activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G P Turner
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Leonid Tyan
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Frank C DeGuire
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Roman Y Medvedev
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Sami J Stroebel
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Di Lang
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Alexey V Glukhov
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
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14
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Chen L, Hassani Nia F, Stauber T. Ion Channels and Transporters in Muscle Cell Differentiation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13615. [PMID: 34948411 PMCID: PMC8703453 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigations on ion channels in muscle tissues have mainly focused on physiological muscle function and related disorders, but emerging evidence supports a critical role of ion channels and transporters in developmental processes, such as controlling the myogenic commitment of stem cells. In this review, we provide an overview of ion channels and transporters that influence skeletal muscle myoblast differentiation, cardiac differentiation from pluripotent stem cells, as well as vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation. We highlight examples of model organisms or patients with mutations in ion channels. Furthermore, a potential underlying molecular mechanism involving hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential and a series of calcium signaling is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingye Chen
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Fatemeh Hassani Nia
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, 20457 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Tobias Stauber
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, 20457 Hamburg, Germany;
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15
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Kolobkova Y, Pervaiz S, Stauber T. The expanding toolbox to study the LRRC8-formed volume-regulated anion channel VRAC. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2021; 88:119-163. [PMID: 34862024 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) is activated upon cell swelling and facilitates the passive movement of anions across the plasma membrane in cells. VRAC function underlies many critical homeostatic processes in vertebrate cells. Among them are the regulation of cell volume and membrane potential, glutamate release and apoptosis. VRAC is also permeable for organic osmolytes and metabolites including some anti-cancer drugs and antibiotics. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of VRAC's structure-function relationships, its physiological roles, its utility for therapy of diseases, and the development of compounds modulating its activity are important research frontiers. Here, we describe approaches that have been applied to study VRAC since it was first described more than 30 years ago, providing an overview of the recent methodological progress. The diverse applications reflecting a compromise between the physiological situation, biochemical definition, and biophysical resolution range from the study of VRAC activity using a classic electrophysiology approach, to the measurement of osmolytes transport by various means and the investigation of its activation using a novel biophysical approach based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Kolobkova
- Department of Human Medicine and Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sumaira Pervaiz
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Stauber
- Department of Human Medicine and Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
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16
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Passive coupling of membrane tension and cell volume during active response of cells to osmosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2103228118. [PMID: 34785592 PMCID: PMC8617515 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2103228118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tension is the force-opposing stretch of lipid membranes. It controls cell functions involving membranes. Membranes rupture above a tension threshold, causing cell death if tension is not properly buffered. However, how cell membrane tension is quantitatively regulated is unknown because it is difficult to measure. Using a fluorescent membrane tension probe, we explored the coupling between membrane tension and cell volume changes during osmosis. This coupling is described by an equilibrium theory linking tension to folding and unfolding of the membrane. This coupling is nevertheless actively regulated by cell components such as the cytoskeleton, ion transporters, and mTOR pathways. Our results highlight that cell volume regulation and membrane tension homeostasis are independent from the regulation of their coupling. During osmotic changes of their environment, cells actively regulate their volume and plasma membrane tension that can passively change through osmosis. How tension and volume are coupled during osmotic adaptation remains unknown, as their quantitative characterization is lacking. Here, we performed dynamic membrane tension and cell volume measurements during osmotic shocks. During the first few seconds following the shock, cell volume varied to equilibrate osmotic pressures inside and outside the cell, and membrane tension dynamically followed these changes. A theoretical model based on the passive, reversible unfolding of the membrane as it detaches from the actin cortex during volume increase quantitatively describes our data. After the initial response, tension and volume recovered from hypoosmotic shocks but not from hyperosmotic shocks. Using a fluorescent membrane tension probe (fluorescent lipid tension reporter [Flipper-TR]), we investigated the coupling between tension and volume during these asymmetric recoveries. Caveolae depletion and pharmacological inhibition of ion transporters and channels, mTORCs, and the cytoskeleton all affected tension and volume responses. Treatments targeting mTORC2 and specific downstream effectors caused identical changes to both tension and volume responses, their coupling remaining the same. This supports that the coupling of tension and volume responses to osmotic shocks is primarily regulated by mTORC2.
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17
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Rezola M, Castellanos A, Gasull X, Comes N. Functional Interaction Between Caveolin 1 and LRRC8-Mediated Volume-Regulated Anion Channel. Front Physiol 2021; 12:691045. [PMID: 34658903 PMCID: PMC8517123 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.691045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC), constituted by leucine-rich repeat-containing 8 (LRRC8) heteromers, is crucial for volume homeostasis in vertebrate cells. This widely expressed channel has been associated with membrane potential modulation, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and glutamate release. VRAC is activated by cell swelling and by low cytoplasmic ionic strength or intracellular guanosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP-γS) in isotonic conditions. Despite the substantial number of studies that characterized the biophysical properties of VRAC, its mechanism of activation remains a mystery. Different evidence suggests a possible effect of caveolins in modulating VRAC activity: (1) Caveolin 1 (Cav1)-deficient cells display insignificant swelling-induced Cl– currents mediated by VRAC, which can be restored by Cav1 expression; (2) Caveolin 3 (Cav3) knockout mice display reduced VRAC currents; and (3) Interaction between LRRC8A, the essential subunit for VRAC, and Cav3 has been found in transfected human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cells. In this study, we demonstrate a physical interaction between endogenous LRRC8A and Cav1 proteins, that is enhanced by hypotonic stimulation, suggesting that this will increase the availability of the channel to Cav1. In addition, LRRC8A targets plasma membrane regions outside caveolae of HEK 293 cells where it associates with non-caveolar Cav1. We propose that a rise in cell membrane tension by hypotonicity would flatten caveolae, as described previously, increasing the amount of Cav1 outside of caveolar structures interacting with VRAC. Besides, the expression of Cav1 in HEK Cav1- cells increases VRAC current density without changing the main biophysical properties of the channel. The present study provides further evidence on the relevance of Cav1 on the activation of endothelial VRAC through a functional molecular interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Rezola
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Physiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Medical School, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aida Castellanos
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Physiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Medical School, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Gasull
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Physiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Medical School, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Comes
- Neurophysiology Laboratory, Physiology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Medical School, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Deneka D, Rutz S, Hutter CAJ, Seeger MA, Sawicka M, Dutzler R. Allosteric modulation of LRRC8 channels by targeting their cytoplasmic domains. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5435. [PMID: 34521847 PMCID: PMC8440666 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25742-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the LRRC8 family form heteromeric assemblies, which function as volume-regulated anion channels. These modular proteins consist of a transmembrane pore and cytoplasmic leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains. Despite their known molecular architecture, the mechanism of activation and the role of the LRR domains in this process has remained elusive. Here we address this question by generating synthetic nanobodies, termed sybodies, which target the LRR domain of the obligatory subunit LRRC8A. We use these binders to investigate their interaction with homomeric LRRC8A channels by cryo-electron microscopy and the consequent effect on channel activation by electrophysiology. The five identified sybodies either inhibit or enhance activity by binding to distinct epitopes of the LRR domain, thereby altering channel conformations. In combination, our work provides a set of specific modulators of LRRC8 proteins and reveals the role of their cytoplasmic domains as regulators of channel activity by allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Deneka
- Department of Biochemistry University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Rutz
- Department of Biochemistry University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cedric A J Hutter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus A Seeger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marta Sawicka
- Department of Biochemistry University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Raimund Dutzler
- Department of Biochemistry University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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19
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Syrjanen J, Michalski K, Kawate T, Furukawa H. On the molecular nature of large-pore channels. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166994. [PMID: 33865869 PMCID: PMC8409005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Membrane transport is a fundamental means to control basic cellular processes such as apoptosis, inflammation, and neurodegeneration and is mediated by a number of transporters, pumps, and channels. Accumulating evidence over the last half century has shown that a type of so-called "large-pore channel" exists in various tissues and organs in gap-junctional and non-gap-junctional forms in order to flow not only ions but also metabolites such as ATP. They are formed by a number of protein families with little or no evolutionary linkages including connexin, innexin, pannexin, leucine-rich repeat-containing 8 (LRRC8), and calcium homeostasis modulator (CALHM). This review summarizes the history and concept of large-pore channels starting from connexin gap junction channels to the more recent developments in innexin, pannexin, LRRC8, and CALHM. We describe structural and functional features of large-pore channels that are crucial for their diverse functions on the basis of available structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Syrjanen
- W.M. Keck Structural Biology Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Kevin Michalski
- W.M. Keck Structural Biology Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Toshimitsu Kawate
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Fields of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology (BMCB), and Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Hiro Furukawa
- W.M. Keck Structural Biology Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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20
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Ritter M, Bresgen N, Kerschbaum HH. From Pinocytosis to Methuosis-Fluid Consumption as a Risk Factor for Cell Death. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:651982. [PMID: 34249909 PMCID: PMC8261248 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.651982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The volumes of a cell [cell volume (CV)] and its organelles are adjusted by osmoregulatory processes. During pinocytosis, extracellular fluid volume equivalent to its CV is incorporated within an hour and membrane area equivalent to the cell's surface within 30 min. Since neither fluid uptake nor membrane consumption leads to swelling or shrinkage, cells must be equipped with potent volume regulatory mechanisms. Normally, cells respond to outwardly or inwardly directed osmotic gradients by a volume decrease and increase, respectively, i.e., they shrink or swell but then try to recover their CV. However, when a cell death (CD) pathway is triggered, CV persistently decreases in isotonic conditions in apoptosis and it increases in necrosis. One type of CD associated with cell swelling is due to a dysfunctional pinocytosis. Methuosis, a non-apoptotic CD phenotype, occurs when cells accumulate too much fluid by macropinocytosis. In contrast to functional pinocytosis, in methuosis, macropinosomes neither recycle nor fuse with lysosomes but with each other to form giant vacuoles, which finally cause rupture of the plasma membrane (PM). Understanding methuosis longs for the understanding of the ionic mechanisms of cell volume regulation (CVR) and vesicular volume regulation (VVR). In nascent macropinosomes, ion channels and transporters are derived from the PM. Along trafficking from the PM to the perinuclear area, the equipment of channels and transporters of the vesicle membrane changes by retrieval, addition, and recycling from and back to the PM, causing profound changes in vesicular ion concentrations, acidification, and-most importantly-shrinkage of the macropinosome, which is indispensable for its proper targeting and cargo processing. In this review, we discuss ion and water transport mechanisms with respect to CVR and VVR and with special emphasis on pinocytosis and methuosis. We describe various aspects of the complex mutual interplay between extracellular and intracellular ions and ion gradients, the PM and vesicular membrane, phosphoinositides, monomeric G proteins and their targets, as well as the submembranous cytoskeleton. Our aim is to highlight important cellular mechanisms, components, and processes that may lead to methuotic CD upon their derangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Ritter
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany
- Gastein Research Institute, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Arthritis und Rehabilitation, Salzburg, Austria
- Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, Nepal
| | - Nikolaus Bresgen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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21
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Chen X, Wang L, Cao L, Li T, Li Z, Sun Y, Ding J, Zhou C, Xie Y, Yue N, Nan J, Jia XM, Peng C, Li H, Yang J, Xiao H. Regulation of Anion Channel LRRC8 Volume-Regulated Anion Channels in Transport of 2'3'-Cyclic GMP-AMP and Cisplatin under Steady State and Inflammation. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 206:2061-2074. [PMID: 33827893 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The recently identified anion channel LRRC8 volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are heteromeric hexamers constituted with the obligate LRRC8A subunit paired with at least one of the accessory LRRC8B to LRRC8E subunits. In addition to transport chloride, taurine, and glutamate, LRRC8 VRACs also transport the anticancer agent cisplatin and STING agonists 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) and cyclic dinucleotides; hence, they are implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, such as cell swelling, stroke, cancer, and viral infection. Although the subunit composition largely determines VRAC substrate specificity, the opening of various VRAC pores under physiological and pathological settings remains enigmatic. In this study, we demonstrated that VRACs comprising LRRC8A and LRRC8E (LRRC8A/E-containing VRACs), specialized in cGAMP transport, can be opened by a protein component present in serum under resting condition. Serum depletion ablated the tonic activity of LRRC8A/E-containing VRACs, decreasing cGAMP transport in various human and murine cells. Also, heating or proteinase K treatment abolished the ability of serum to activate VRAC. Genetic analyses revealed a crucial role for cGAMP synthase (cGAS) in serum/TNF-promoted VRAC activation. Notably, the presence of cGAS on the plasma membrane, rather than its DNA-binding or enzymatic activity, enabled VRAC activation. Moreover, phospholipid PIP2 seemed to be instrumental in the membrane localization of cGAS and its association with VRACs. Corroborating a role for LRRC8A/D-containing VRACs in cisplatin transport, serum and TNF markedly potentiated cisplatin uptake and killing of cancer cells derived from human or mouse. Together, these observations provide new insights into the complex regulation of VRAC activation and suggest a novel approach to enhance the efficacy of cGAMP and cisplatin in treating infection and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Chen
- Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Screening, College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.,The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Limin Cao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiantian Li
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhihong Li
- Zhangjiang Lab, National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Science Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yumeng Sun
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinqiu Ding
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun Zhou
- Center for Allergic and Inflammatory Diseases and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; and
| | - Yadong Xie
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Center for Allergic and Inflammatory Diseases and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; and
| | - Nan Yue
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Nan
- Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Screening, College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xin-Ming Jia
- Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Peng
- Zhangjiang Lab, National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Science Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Huabin Li
- Center for Allergic and Inflammatory Diseases and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; and
| | - Jinbo Yang
- Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Screening, College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China; .,Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hui Xiao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China;
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22
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Ion Channels in Biophysics and Physiology: Methods & Challenges to Study Mechanosensitive Ion Channels. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1349:33-49. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4254-8_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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23
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Fernandez-Abascal J, Graziano B, Encalada N, Bianchi L. Glial Chloride Channels in the Function of the Nervous System Across Species. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1349:195-223. [PMID: 35138616 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4254-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In the nervous system, the concentration of Cl- in neurons that express GABA receptors plays a key role in establishing whether these neurons are excitatory, mostly during early development, or inhibitory. Thus, much attention has been dedicated to understanding how neurons regulate their intracellular Cl- concentration. However, regulation of the extracellular Cl- concentration by other cells of the nervous system, including glia and microglia, is as important because it ultimately affects the Cl- equilibrium potential across the neuronal plasma membrane. Moreover, Cl- ions are transported in and out of the cell, via either passive or active transporter systems, as counter ions for K+ whose concentration in the extracellular environment of the nervous system is tightly regulated because it directly affects neuronal excitability. In this book chapter, we report on the Cl- channel types expressed in the various types of glial cells focusing on the role they play in the function of the nervous system in health and disease. Furthermore, we describe the types of stimuli that these channels are activated by, the other solutes that they may transport, and the involvement of these channels in processes such as pH regulation and Regulatory Volume Decrease (RVD). The picture that emerges is one of the glial cells expressing a variety of Cl- channels, encoded by members of different gene families, involved both in short- and long-term regulation of the nervous system function. Finally, we report data on invertebrate model organisms, such as C. elegans and Drosophila, that are revealing important and previously unsuspected functions of some of these channels in the context of living and behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Fernandez-Abascal
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Bianca Graziano
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Nicole Encalada
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Department Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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24
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Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Cholesterol antagonism of alcohol inhibition of smooth muscle BK channel requires cell integrity and involves a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism(s). Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1866:158874. [PMID: 33383194 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol constricts cerebral arteries via inhibition of voltage/calcium-gated, large conductance potassium (BK) channels in vascular myocytes. Using a rat model of high-cholesterol (high-CLR) diet and CLR enrichment of cerebral arteries in vitro, we recently showed that CLR protected against alcohol-induced constriction of cerebral arteries. The subcellular mechanism(s) underlying CLR protection against alcohol-induced constriction of the artery is unclear. Here we use a rat model of high-CLR diet and patch-clamp recording of BK channels in inside-out patches from cerebral artery myocytes to demonstrate that this diet antagonizes inhibition of BK currents by 50 mM ethanol. High-CLR-driven protection against alcohol inhibition of BK currents is reversed following CLR depletion in vitro. Similar to CLR accumulation in vivo, pre-incubation of arterial myocytes from normocholesterolemic rats in CLR-enriching media in vitro protects against alcohol-induced inhibition of BK current. However, application of CLR-enriching media to cell-free membrane patches does not protect against the alcohol effect. These different outcomes point to the involvement of cell signaling in CLR-alcohol interaction on BK channels. Incubation of myocytes with the PKC activators phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, but not with the PKC inhibitor Gouml 6983, prior to patch excision precludes CLR enrichment from antagonizing alcohol action. Thus, PKC activation either disables the CLR target(s) or competes with elevated CLR. Favoring the latter possibility, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol protects against alcohol-induced inhibition of BK currents in patches from myocytes with naïve CLR. Our findings document that CLR antagonism of alcohol-induced BK channel inhibition requires cell integrity and is enabled by a PKC-dependent mechanism(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Dept. Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Dept. Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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25
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Chen L, König B, Stauber T. LRRC8 channel activation and reduction in cytosolic chloride concentration during early differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 532:482-488. [PMID: 32892951 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.08.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeat containing family 8 (LRRC8) proteins form the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). Recently, they were shown to be required for normal differentiation and fusion of C2C12 myoblasts, by promoting membrane hyperpolarization and intracellular Ca2+ signals. However, the mechanism by which they are involved remained obscure. Here, using a FRET-based sensor for VRAC activity, we show temporary activation of VRAC within the first 2 h of myogenic differentiation. During this period, we also observed a significant decrease in the intracellular Cl- concentration that was abolished by the VRAC inhibitor carbenoxolone. However, lowering the intracellular Cl- concentration by extracellular Cl- depletion did not promote differentiation as judged by the percentage of myogenin-positive nuclei or total myogenin levels in C2C12 cells. Instead, it inhibited myosin expression and myotube formation. Together, these data suggest that VRAC is activated and mediates Cl- efflux early on during myogenic differentiation, and a moderate intracellular Cl- concentration is necessary for myoblast fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingye Chen
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin König
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Stauber
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Thielallee 63, 14195, Berlin, Germany; Department of Human Medicine and Institute for Molecular Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
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26
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Absolute Protein Amounts and Relative Abundance of Volume-regulated Anion Channel (VRAC) LRRC8 Subunits in Cells and Tissues Revealed by Quantitative Immunoblotting. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20235879. [PMID: 31771171 PMCID: PMC6928916 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) plays an important role in osmotic cell volume regulation. In addition, it is involved in various physiological processes such as insulin secretion, glia-neuron communication and purinergic signaling. VRAC is formed by hetero-hexamers of members of the LRRC8 protein family, which consists of five members, LRRC8A-E. LRRC8A is an essential subunit for physiological functionality of VRAC. Its obligate heteromerization with at least one of its paralogues, LRRC8B-E, determines the biophysical properties of VRAC. Moreover, the subunit composition is of physiological relevance as it largely influences the activation mechanism and especially the substrate selectivity. However, the endogenous tissue-specific subunit composition of VRAC is unknown. We have now developed and applied a quantitative immunoblot study of the five VRAC LRRC8 subunits in various mouse cell lines and tissues, using recombinant protein for signal calibration. We found tissue-specific expression patterns of the subunits, and generally relative low expression of the essential LRRC8A subunit. Immunoprecipitation of LRRC8A also co-precipitates an excess of the other subunits, suggesting that non-LRRC8A subunits present the majority in hetero-hexamers. With this, we can estimate that in the tested cell lines, the number of VRAC channels per cell is in the order of 10,000, which is in agreement with earlier calculations from the comparison of single-channel and whole-cell currents.
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27
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Binding of the protein ICln to α-integrin contributes to the activation of ICl swell current. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12195. [PMID: 31434921 PMCID: PMC6704128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IClswell is the chloride current induced by cell swelling, and plays a fundamental role in several biological processes, including the regulatory volume decrease (RVD). ICln is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed and multifunctional protein involved in the activation of IClswell. In platelets, ICln binds to the intracellular domain of the integrin αIIb chain, however, whether the ICln/integrin interaction plays a role in RVD is not known. Here we show that a direct molecular interaction between ICln and the integrin α-chain is not restricted to platelets and involves highly conserved amino acid motifs. Integrin α recruits ICln to the plasma membrane, thereby facilitating the activation of IClswell during hypotonicity. Perturbation of the ICln/integrin interaction prevents the transposition of ICln towards the cell surface and, in parallel, impedes the activation of IClswell. We suggest that the ICln/integrin interaction interface may represent a new molecular target enabling specific IClswell suppression in pathological conditions when this current is deregulated or plays a detrimental role.
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Chen L, Becker TM, Koch U, Stauber T. The LRRC8/VRAC anion channel facilitates myogenic differentiation of murine myoblasts by promoting membrane hyperpolarization. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:14279-14288. [PMID: 31387946 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.008840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle myoblast differentiation involves elaborate signaling networks, including the activity of various ion channels and transporters. Several K+ and Ca2+ channels have been shown to affect myogenesis, but little is known about roles of Cl- channels in the associated processes. Here, we report that the leucine-rich repeat containing family 8 (LRRC8)/volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) promotes mouse myoblast differentiation. All LRRC8 subunits of heteromeric VRAC were expressed during myotube formation of murine C2C12 myoblasts. Pharmacological VRAC inhibitors, siRNA-mediated knockdown of the essential VRAC subunit LRRC8A, or VRAC activity-suppressing overexpression of LRRC8A effectively reduced the expression of the myogenic transcription factor myogenin and suppressed myoblast fusion while not affecting myoblast proliferation. We found that inhibiting VRAC impairs plasma membrane hyperpolarization early during differentiation. At later times (more than 6 h after inducing differentiation), VRAC inhibition no longer suppressed myoblast differentiation, suggesting that VRAC acts upstream of K+ channel activation. Consequently, VRAC inhibition prevented the increase of intracellular steady-state Ca2+ levels that normally occurs during myogenesis. Our results may explain the mechanism for the thinning of skeletal muscle bundles observed in LRRC8A-deficient mice and highlight the importance of the LRRC8/VRAC anion channel in cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingye Chen
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thorsten M Becker
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ursula Koch
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Stauber
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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