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Stowe RB, Bates A, Cook L, Dixit G, Sahu ID, Dabney-Smith C, Lorigan GA. Dynamic protein-protein interactions of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 measured by EPR line shape analysis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184377. [PMID: 39103068 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2024.184377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
KCNQ1, also known as Kv7.1, is a voltage gated potassium channel that associates with the KCNE protein family. Mutations in this protein has been found to cause a variety of diseases including Long QT syndrome, a type of cardiac arrhythmia where the QT interval observed on an electrocardiogram is longer than normal. This condition is often aggravated during strenuous exercise and can cause fainting spells or sudden death. KCNE1 is an ancillary protein that interacts with KCNQ1 in the membrane at varying molar ratios. This interaction allows for the flow of potassium ions to be modulated to facilitate repolarization of the heart. The interaction between these two proteins has been studied previously with cysteine crosslinking and electrophysiology. In this study, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy line shape analysis in tandem with site directed spin labeling (SDSL) was used to observe changes in side chain dynamics as KCNE1 interacts with KCNQ1. KCNE1 was labeled at different sites that were found to interact with KCNQ1 based on previous literature, along with sites outside of that range as a control. Once labeled KCNE1 was incorporated into vesicles, KCNQ1 (helices S1-S6) was titrated into the vesicles. The line shape differences observed upon addition of KCNQ1 are indicative of an interaction between the two proteins. This method provides a first look at the interactions between KCNE1 and KCNQ1 from a dynamics perspective using the full transmembrane portion of KCNQ1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca B Stowe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 651 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Alison Bates
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 651 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Lauryn Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 651 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Gunjan Dixit
- Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology Program, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Indra D Sahu
- Division of Natural Sciences, Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, KY 42718, USA
| | - Carole Dabney-Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 651 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Gary A Lorigan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 651 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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2
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Muhammad A, Calandranis ME, Li B, Yang T, Blackwell DJ, Harvey ML, Smith JE, Daniel ZA, Chew AE, Capra JA, Matreyek KA, Fowler DM, Roden DM, Glazer AM. High-throughput functional mapping of variants in an arrhythmia gene, KCNE1, reveals novel biology. Genome Med 2024; 16:73. [PMID: 38816749 PMCID: PMC11138074 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01340-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND KCNE1 encodes a 129-residue cardiac potassium channel (IKs) subunit. KCNE1 variants are associated with long QT syndrome and atrial fibrillation. However, most variants have insufficient evidence of clinical consequences and thus limited clinical utility. METHODS In this study, we leveraged the power of variant effect mapping, which couples saturation mutagenesis with high-throughput sequencing, to ascertain the function of thousands of protein-coding KCNE1 variants. RESULTS We comprehensively assayed KCNE1 variant cell surface expression (2554/2709 possible single-amino-acid variants) and function (2534 variants). Our study identified 470 loss- or partial loss-of-surface expression and 574 loss- or partial loss-of-function variants. Of the 574 loss- or partial loss-of-function variants, 152 (26.5%) had reduced cell surface expression, indicating that most functionally deleterious variants affect channel gating. Nonsense variants at residues 56-104 generally had WT-like trafficking scores but decreased functional scores, indicating that the latter half of the protein is dispensable for protein trafficking but essential for channel function. 22 of the 30 KCNE1 residues (73%) highly intolerant of variation (with > 70% loss-of-function variants) were in predicted close contact with binding partners KCNQ1 or calmodulin. Our functional assay data were consistent with gold standard electrophysiological data (ρ = - 0.64), population and patient cohorts (32/38 presumed benign or pathogenic variants with consistent scores), and computational predictors (ρ = - 0.62). Our data provide moderate-strength evidence for the American College of Medical Genetics/Association of Molecular Pathology functional criteria for benign and pathogenic variants. CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive variant effect maps of KCNE1 can both provide insight into I Ks channel biology and help reclassify variants of uncertain significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Muhammad
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1235 Medical Research Building IV, 2215B Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Maria E Calandranis
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Bian Li
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Tao Yang
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Daniel J Blackwell
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - M Lorena Harvey
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Jeremy E Smith
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Zerubabell A Daniel
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Ashli E Chew
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - John A Capra
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Kenneth A Matreyek
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Douglas M Fowler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Dan M Roden
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1235 Medical Research Building IV, 2215B Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Andrew M Glazer
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1235 Medical Research Building IV, 2215B Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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3
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Fedida D, Sastre D, Dou Y, Westhoff M, Eldstrom J. Evaluating sequential and allosteric activation models in IKs channels with mutated voltage sensors. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202313465. [PMID: 38294435 PMCID: PMC10829594 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313465] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The ion-conducting IKs channel complex, important in cardiac repolarization and arrhythmias, comprises tetramers of KCNQ1 α-subunits along with 1-4 KCNE1 accessory subunits and calmodulin regulatory molecules. The E160R mutation in individual KCNQ1 subunits was used to prevent activation of voltage sensors and allow direct determination of transition rate data from complexes opening with a fixed number of 1, 2, or 4 activatable voltage sensors. Markov models were used to test the suitability of sequential versus allosteric models of IKs activation by comparing simulations with experimental steady-state and transient activation kinetics, voltage-sensor fluorescence from channels with two or four activatable domains, and limiting slope currents at negative potentials. Sequential Hodgkin-Huxley-type models approximately describe IKs currents but cannot explain an activation delay in channels with only one activatable subunit or the hyperpolarizing shift in the conductance-voltage relationship with more activatable voltage sensors. Incorporating two voltage sensor activation steps in sequential models and a concerted step in opening via rates derived from fluorescence measurements improves models but does not resolve fundamental differences with experimental data. Limiting slope current data that show the opening of channels at negative potentials and very low open probability are better simulated using allosteric models of activation with one transition per voltage sensor, which implies that movement of all four sensors is not required for IKs conductance. Tiered allosteric models with two activating transitions per voltage sensor can fully account for IKs current and fluorescence activation kinetics in constructs with different numbers of activatable voltage sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Daniel Sastre
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ying Dou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maartje Westhoff
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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4
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Chang L, Ji R, Sa R, Huge J, An C. Whole-exome sequencing of pathogenic genes in a family with congenital heart disease: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e36977. [PMID: 38306576 PMCID: PMC10843419 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect and an important cause of noninfectious deaths in infants and children. It has high prevalence globally, placing an enormous burden on society and families. Studies of individuals with hereditary or sporadic CHD have provided strong evidence for its genetic basis. The aim of this study was to identify causative gene variants in a Chinese family with congenital heart disease. PATIENT CONCERNS AND DIAGNOSES Three generations of a CHD family were recruited. Proband III.9 was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at age 11 months, and the echocardiogram showed arterial ductus arteriosus, with a left-to-right shunt at the level of the arteries. Precedent III.10 was a twin of Proband III.9 who was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at age 11 months, in whom the echocardiogram revealed an arterial ductus arteriosus, an unenclosed patent ductus arteriosus, and a left to right shunt at the level of the arteries (second figure). III.8 was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at age 15, but echocardiography in this study showed no abnormalities. No cardiac abnormalities were detected in any of his parents, grandparents, or maternal grandparents. We performed whole-exome sequencing on CHD sufferers and their unexpressing family members to investigate the genetic causes of CHD in this family line. Exome sequencing identified 4 mutation sites in this family line. The variant c.3245A>G (p.His1082Arg) of the AMER1 gene was consistent with concomitant X-chromosome recessive inheritance, the variant c.238G>C (p.Val80Leu) of the KCNE1 gene was consistent with autosomal accessory inheritance, and the other 2 variants did not conform to the law of the mode of inheritance of the disease. OUTCOMES The first identified variant, c.3245A>G (p.His1082Arg) of the AMER1 gene, with X-chromosome recessive inheritance, and the variant c.238G>C (p.Val80Leu) of the KCNE1 gene, which has been reported as autosomal dominant, may be the causative agent of CHD in this family line. These findings broaden the genetic scope of congenital heart disease and could help in the development of targeted drugs for the treatment of congenital heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Basic Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Rehabilitation Department, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China
| | - Renhui Ji
- Department of Pathophysiology, Basic Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Rehabilitation Department, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China
| | - Rina Sa
- Rehabilitation Department, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China
| | - Jiletu Huge
- Department of Pediatrics, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China
| | - Caiyan An
- Department of Pathophysiology, Basic Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Rehabilitation Department, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China
- Foundational and Translational Medical Research Center, Department of Allergy and General Surgery, Hohhot First Hospital, Hohhot, China
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5
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Selvasingh JA, McDonald EF, Neufer PD, McKinney JR, Meiler J, Ledwitch KV. Dark nanodiscs for evaluating membrane protein thermostability by differential scanning fluorimetry. Biophys J 2024; 123:68-79. [PMID: 37978799 PMCID: PMC10808023 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.019] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Measuring protein thermostability provides valuable information on the biophysical rules that govern the structure-energy relationships of proteins. However, such measurements remain a challenge for membrane proteins. Here, we introduce a new experimental system to evaluate membrane protein thermostability. This system leverages a recently developed nonfluorescent membrane scaffold protein to reconstitute proteins into nanodiscs and is coupled with a nano-format of differential scanning fluorimetry (nanoDSF). This approach offers a label-free and direct measurement of the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the membrane protein as it unfolds in solution without signal interference from the "dark" nanodisc. In this work, we demonstrate the application of this method using the disulfide bond formation protein B (DsbB) as a test membrane protein. NanoDSF measurements of DsbB reconstituted in dark nanodiscs loaded with 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylglycerol (DMPG) lipids show a complex biphasic thermal unfolding pattern with a minor unfolding transition followed by a major transition. The inflection points of the thermal denaturation curve reveal two distinct unfolding midpoint melting temperatures (Tm) of 70.5°C and 77.5°C, consistent with a three-state unfolding model. Further, we show that the catalytically conserved disulfide bond between residues C41 and C130 drives the intermediate state of the unfolding pathway for DsbB in a DMPC and DMPG nanodisc. To extend the utility of this method, we evaluate and compare the thermostability of DsbB in different lipid environments. We introduce this method as a new tool that can be used to understand how compositionally and biophysically complex lipid environments drive membrane protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazlyn A Selvasingh
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Eli F McDonald
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Preston D Neufer
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jacob R McKinney
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Institute of Drug Discovery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Kaitlyn V Ledwitch
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
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6
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Chan M, Sahakyan H, Eldstrom J, Sastre D, Wang Y, Dou Y, Pourrier M, Vardanyan V, Fedida D. A generic binding pocket for small molecule IKs activators at the extracellular inter-subunit interface of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 channel complexes. eLife 2023; 12:RP87038. [PMID: 37707495 PMCID: PMC10501768 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The cardiac IKs ion channel comprises KCNQ1, calmodulin, and KCNE1 in a dodecameric complex which provides a repolarizing current reserve at higher heart rates and protects from arrhythmia syndromes that cause fainting and sudden death. Pharmacological activators of IKs are therefore of interest both scientifically and therapeutically for treatment of IKs loss-of-function disorders. One group of chemical activators are only active in the presence of the accessory KCNE1 subunit and here we investigate this phenomenon using molecular modeling techniques and mutagenesis scanning in mammalian cells. A generalized activator binding pocket is formed extracellularly by KCNE1, the domain-swapped S1 helices of one KCNQ1 subunit and the pore/turret region made up of two other KCNQ1 subunits. A few residues, including K41, A44 and Y46 in KCNE1, W323 in the KCNQ1 pore, and Y148 in the KCNQ1 S1 domain, appear critical for the binding of structurally diverse molecules, but in addition, molecular modeling studies suggest that induced fit by structurally different molecules underlies the generalized nature of the binding pocket. Activation of IKs is enhanced by stabilization of the KCNQ1-S1/KCNE1/pore complex, which ultimately slows deactivation of the current, and promotes outward current summation at higher pulse rates. Our results provide a mechanistic explanation of enhanced IKs currents by these activator compounds and provide a map for future design of more potent therapeutically useful molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Chan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Harutyun Sahakyan
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Biological Processes, Institute of Molecular BiologyYerevanArmenia
| | - Jodene Eldstrom
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Daniel Sastre
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Yundi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Ying Dou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Marc Pourrier
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Vitya Vardanyan
- Molecular Neuroscience Group, Institute of Molecular BiologyYerevanArmenia
| | - David Fedida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
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7
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Selvasingh JA, McDonald EF, Mckinney JR, Meiler J, Ledwitch KV. Dark nanodiscs as a model membrane for evaluating membrane protein thermostability by differential scanning fluorimetry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539917. [PMID: 37214798 PMCID: PMC10197605 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Measuring protein thermostability provides valuable information on the biophysical rules that govern structure-energy relationships of proteins. However, such measurements remain a challenge for membrane proteins. Here, we introduce a new experimental system to evaluate membrane protein thermostability. This system leverages a recently-developed non-fluorescent membrane scaffold protein (MSP) to reconstitute proteins into nanodiscs and is coupled with a nano-format of differential scanning fluorimetry (nanoDSF). This approach offers a label-free and direct measurement of the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the membrane protein as it unfolds in solution without signal interference from the "dark" nanodisc. In this work, we demonstrate the application of this method using the disulfide bond formation protein B (DsbB) as a test membrane protein. NanoDSF measurements of DsbB reconstituted in dark nanodiscs show a complex biphasic thermal unfolding pattern in the presence of lipids with a minor unfolding transition followed by a major transition. The inflection points of the thermal denaturation curve reveal two distinct unfolding midpoint melting temperatures (Tm) of 70.5 °C and 77.5 °C, consistent with a three-state unfolding model. Further, we show that the catalytically conserved disulfide bond between residues C41 and C130 drives the intermediate state of the unfolding pathway for DsbB in a nanodisc. We introduce this method as a new tool that can be used to understand how compositionally, and biophysically complex lipid environments drive membrane protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazlyn A. Selvasingh
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Eli Fritz McDonald
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jacob R. Mckinney
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Institute of Drug Discovery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kaitlyn V. Ledwitch
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Lead contact
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8
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Muhammad A, Calandranis ME, Li B, Yang T, Blackwell DJ, Harvey ML, Smith JE, Chew AE, Capra JA, Matreyek KA, Fowler DM, Roden DM, Glazer AM. High-throughput functional mapping of variants in an arrhythmia gene, KCNE1, reveals novel biology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.28.538612. [PMID: 37162834 PMCID: PMC10168370 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Background KCNE1 encodes a 129-residue cardiac potassium channel (IKs) subunit. KCNE1 variants are associated with long QT syndrome and atrial fibrillation. However, most variants have insufficient evidence of clinical consequences and thus limited clinical utility. Results Here, we demonstrate the power of variant effect mapping, which couples saturation mutagenesis with high-throughput sequencing, to ascertain the function of thousands of protein coding KCNE1 variants. We comprehensively assayed KCNE1 variant cell surface expression (2,554/2,709 possible single amino acid variants) and function (2,539 variants). We identified 470 loss-of-surface expression and 588 loss-of-function variants. Out of the 588 loss-of-function variants, only 155 had low cell surface expression. The latter half of the protein is dispensable for protein trafficking but essential for channel function. 22 of the 30 KCNE1 residues (73%) highly intolerant of variation were in predicted close contact with binding partners KCNQ1 or calmodulin. Our data were highly concordant with gold standard electrophysiological data (ρ = -0.65), population and patient cohorts (32/38 concordant variants), and computational metrics (ρ = -0.55). Our data provide moderate-strength evidence for the ACMG/AMP functional criteria for benign and pathogenic variants. Conclusions Comprehensive variant effect maps of KCNE1 can both provide insight into IKs channel biology and help reclassify variants of uncertain significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Muhammad
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Maria E. Calandranis
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Bian Li
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Tao Yang
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Daniel J. Blackwell
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - M. Lorena Harvey
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jeremy E. Smith
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ashli E. Chew
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - John A. Capra
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kenneth A. Matreyek
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Douglas M. Fowler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dan M. Roden
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Andrew M. Glazer
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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9
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Erlandsdotter LM, Giammarino L, Halili A, Nikesjö J, Gréen H, Odening KE, Liin SI. Long-QT mutations in KCNE1 modulate the 17β-estradiol response of Kv7.1/KCNE1. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade7109. [PMID: 36921038 PMCID: PMC10017040 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Estradiol (17[Formula: see text]-E2) is implicated in higher arrhythmia risk of women with congenital or acquired long-QT syndrome (LQTS) compared to men. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, and little is known about the impact of LQTS-associated mutations. We show that 17[Formula: see text]-E2 inhibits the human cardiac Kv7.1/KCNE1 channel expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We find that the 17[Formula: see text]-E2 effect depends on the Kv7.1 to KCNE1 stoichiometry, and we reveal a critical function of the KCNE1 carboxyl terminus for the effect. LQTS-associated mutations in the KCNE1 carboxyl terminus show a range of responses to 17[Formula: see text]-E2, from a wild-type like response to impaired or abolished response. Together, this study increases our understanding of the mechanistic basis for 17[Formula: see text]-E2 inhibition of Kv7.1/KCNE1 and demonstrates mutation-dependent responses to 17[Formula: see text]-E2. These findings suggest that the 17[Formula: see text]-E2 effect on Kv7.1/KCNE1 might contribute to the higher arrhythmia risk of women, particularly in carriers with specific LQTS-associated mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucilla Giammarino
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern and Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Azemine Halili
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Johan Nikesjö
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Henrik Gréen
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Katja E. Odening
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern and Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sara I. Liin
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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10
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Zhu Z, Deng Z, Wang Q, Wang Y, Zhang D, Xu R, Guo L, Wen H. Simulation and Machine Learning Methods for Ion-Channel Structure Determination, Mechanistic Studies and Drug Design. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:939555. [PMID: 35837274 PMCID: PMC9275593 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.939555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels are expressed in almost all living cells, controlling the in-and-out communications, making them ideal drug targets, especially for central nervous system diseases. However, owing to their dynamic nature and the presence of a membrane environment, ion channels remain difficult targets for the past decades. Recent advancement in cryo-electron microscopy and computational methods has shed light on this issue. An explosion in high-resolution ion channel structures paved way for structure-based rational drug design and the state-of-the-art simulation and machine learning techniques dramatically improved the efficiency and effectiveness of computer-aided drug design. Here we present an overview of how simulation and machine learning-based methods fundamentally changed the ion channel-related drug design at different levels, as well as the emerging trends in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengdan Zhu
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute of Big Data Research, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenfeng Deng
- DP Technology, Beijing, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Duo Zhang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- DP Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Ruihan Xu
- DP Technology, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Visual Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Han Wen
- DP Technology, Beijing, China
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11
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Barbera N, Granados ST, Vanoye CG, Abramova TV, Kulbak D, Ahn SJ, George AL, Akpa BS, Levitan I. Cholesterol-induced suppression of Kir2 channels is mediated by decoupling at the inter-subunit interfaces. iScience 2022; 25:104329. [PMID: 35602957 PMCID: PMC9120057 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol is a major regulator of multiple types of ion channels. Although there is increasing information about cholesterol binding sites, the molecular mechanisms through which cholesterol binding alters channel function are virtually unknown. In this study, we used a combination of Martini coarse-grained simulations, a network theory-based analysis, and electrophysiology to determine the effect of cholesterol on the dynamic structure of the Kir2.2 channel. We found that increasing membrane cholesterol reduced the likelihood of contact between specific regions of the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of the channel, most prominently at the subunit-subunit interfaces of the cytosolic domains. This decrease in contact was mediated by pairwise interactions of specific residues and correlated to the stoichiometry of cholesterol binding events. The predictions of the model were tested by site-directed mutagenesis of two identified residues-V265 and H222-and high throughput electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Barbera
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Sara T. Granados
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Carlos Guillermo Vanoye
- Department of Pharmacology; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Tatiana V. Abramova
- Department of Pharmacology; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Danielle Kulbak
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Sang Joon Ahn
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Alfred L. George
- Department of Pharmacology; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Belinda S. Akpa
- Division of Biosciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Irena Levitan
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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12
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High-throughput characterization of photocrosslinker-bearing ion channel variants to map residues critical for function and pharmacology. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001321. [PMID: 34491979 PMCID: PMC8448361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) can endow proteins with novel functionalities, such as crosslinking or fluorescence. In ion channels, the function of these variants can be studied with great precision using standard electrophysiology, but this approach is typically labor intensive and low throughput. Here, we establish a high-throughput protocol to conduct functional and pharmacological investigations of ncAA-containing human acid-sensing ion channel 1a (hASIC1a) variants in transiently transfected mammalian cells. We introduce 3 different photocrosslinking ncAAs into 103 positions and assess the function of the resulting 309 variants with automated patch clamp (APC). We demonstrate that the approach is efficient and versatile, as it is amenable to assessing even complex pharmacological modulation by peptides. The data show that the acidic pocket is a major determinant for current decay, and live-cell crosslinking provides insight into the hASIC1a–psalmotoxin 1 (PcTx1) interaction. Further, we provide evidence that the protocol can be applied to other ion channels, such as P2X2 and GluA2 receptors. We therefore anticipate the approach to enable future APC-based studies of ncAA-containing ion channels in mammalian cells. This study describes a method to rapidly screen hundreds of ion channel variants containing non-canonical amino acids. A proof-of-principle introducing photocrosslinking non-canonical amino acids into the human ion channel hASIC1a shows how this approach can provide insights into function and pharmacology.
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13
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Wu X, Perez ME, Noskov SY, Larsson HP. A general mechanism of KCNE1 modulation of KCNQ1 channels involving non-canonical VSD-PD coupling. Commun Biol 2021; 4:887. [PMID: 34285340 PMCID: PMC8292421 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02418-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated KCNQ1 channels contain four separate voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) and a pore domain (PD). KCNQ1 expressed alone opens when the VSDs are in an intermediate state. In cardiomyocytes, KCNQ1 co-expressed with KCNE1 opens mainly when the VSDs are in a fully activated state. KCNE1 also drastically slows the opening of KCNQ1 channels and shifts the voltage dependence of opening by >40 mV. We here show that mutations of conserved residues at the VSD-PD interface alter the VSD-PD coupling so that the mutant KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels open in the intermediate VSD state. Using recent structures of KCNQ1 and KCNE beta subunits in different states, we present a mechanism by which KCNE1 rotates the VSD relative to the PD and affects the VSD-PD coupling of KCNQ1 channels in a non-canonical way, forcing KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels to open in the fully-activated VSD state. This would explain many of the KCNE1-induced effects on KCNQ1 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoan Wu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Marta E Perez
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sergei Yu Noskov
- Centre for Molecular Simulation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - H Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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14
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Kuenze G, Vanoye CG, Desai RR, Adusumilli S, Brewer KR, Woods H, McDonald EF, Sanders CR, George AL, Meiler J. Allosteric mechanism for KCNE1 modulation of KCNQ1 potassium channel activation. eLife 2020; 9:57680. [PMID: 33095155 PMCID: PMC7584456 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The function of the voltage-gated KCNQ1 potassium channel is regulated by co-assembly with KCNE auxiliary subunits. KCNQ1-KCNE1 channels generate the slow delayed rectifier current, IKs, which contributes to the repolarization phase of the cardiac action potential. A three amino acid motif (F57-T58-L59, FTL) in KCNE1 is essential for slow activation of KCNQ1-KCNE1 channels. However, how this motif interacts with KCNQ1 to control its function is unknown. Combining computational modeling with electrophysiological studies, we developed structural models of the KCNQ1-KCNE1 complex that suggest how KCNE1 controls KCNQ1 activation. The FTL motif binds at a cleft between the voltage-sensing and pore domains and appears to affect the channel gate by an allosteric mechanism. Comparison with the KCNQ1-KCNE3 channel structure suggests a common transmembrane-binding mode for different KCNEs and illuminates how specific differences in the interaction of their triplet motifs determine the profound differences in KCNQ1 functional modulation by KCNE1 versus KCNE3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Kuenze
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carlos G Vanoye
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Reshma R Desai
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Sneha Adusumilli
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Kathryn R Brewer
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Hope Woods
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Eli F McDonald
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Charles R Sanders
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Alfred L George
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Jens Meiler
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
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