Biophysical reviews top five: voltage-dependent charge movement in nerve and muscle

The discovery of gating currents and asymmetric charge movement in the early 1970s represented a remarkable leap forward in our understanding of the biophysical basis of voltage-dependent events that underlie electrical signalling that is vital for nerve and muscle function. Gating currents and charge movement reflect a fundamental process in which charged amino acid residues in an ion channel protein move in response to a change in the membrane electrical field and therefore activate the specific voltage-dependent response of that protein. The detection of gating currents and asymmetric charge movement over the past 50 years has been pivotal in unraveling the multiple molecular and intra-molecular processes which lead to action potentials in excitable tissues and excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in skeletal muscle. The recording of gating currents and asymmetric charge movement remains an essential component of investigations into the basic molecular mechanisms of neuronal conduction and muscle contraction.

Modeling squid axon Na+ channel by a nucleation and growth kinetic mechanism

A kinetic model accounting for all salient features of the Na⁺ channel of the squid giant axon is provided. The model furnishes explanations for the Cole-Moore-like effect, the rising phase of the ON gating current and the slow 'intermediate component' of its decaying phase, as well as the gating charge immobilization. Experimental ON ionic currents are semi-quantitatively simulated by the use of only three free parameters, upon assuming that the Na⁺ channel opening proceeds along with the stepwise aggregation of its four domains, while they are moving their gating charge outward under depolarizing conditions. The inactivation phase of the ON ionic current is interpreted by a progressive electrostatic attraction between the positively charged 'hinged lid' containing the hydrophobic IFM triad and its receptor inside the channel pore, as the stepwise outward movement of the S4 segments of the Na⁺ channel progressively increases the negative charge attracting the triad to its receptor. The Na⁺ channel closing is assumed to proceed by repolarization-induced disaggregation of its domains, accompanied by inward movement of their gating charge. The phenomenon of 'gating charge immobilization' can be explained by assuming that gradual structural changes of the receptor over the time course of depolarization strengthen the interaction between the IFM triad and its receptor, causing a slow release of the gating charge during the subsequent repolarization.

Modeling squid axon K+ channel by a nucleation and growth kinetic mechanism

A kinetic model accounting for all salient features of the K⁺ channel of the squid giant axon, including the rising phase of the ON gating charge and the Cole-Moore effect, is provided. Upon accounting for a significant feature distinguishing K⁺, Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ channels from channel-forming peptides modeled in our previous 2016 BBA paper, the nucleation-and-growth kinetic model developed therein is extended to simulate ON ionic and gating currents of the K⁺ channel of the squid giant axon at different depolarization potentials by the use of only two free parameters. K⁺ channel opening is considered to proceed by progressive aggregation of single subunits, while they are moving their gating charge outward under depolarizing conditions within their tetrameric structure; K⁺ channel closing proceeds in the opposite direction, by repolarization-induced disaggregation of subunits, accompanied by inward movement of their gating charge.

Contrasting the roles of the I-II loop gating brake in CaV3.1 and CaV3.3 calcium channels

Low-voltage-activated CaV3 channels are distinguished among other voltage-activated calcium channels by the most negative voltage activation threshold. The voltage dependence of current activation is virtually identical in all three CaV3 channels while the current kinetics of the CaV3.3 current is one order slower than that of the CaV3.1 and CaV3.2 channels. We have analyzed the voltage dependence and kinetics of charge (Q) movement in human recombinant CaV3.3 and CaV3.1 channels. The voltage dependence of voltage sensor activation (Qon-V) of the CaV3.3 channel was significantly shifted with respect to that of the CaV3.1 channel by +18.6 mV and the kinetic of Qon activation in the CaV3.3 channel was significantly slower than that of the CaV3.1 channel. Removal of the gating brake in the intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II in the CaV3.3 channel in the ID12 mutant channel shifted the Qon-V relation to a value even more negative than that for the CaV3.1 channel. The kinetic of Qon activation was not significantly different between ID12 and CaV3.1 channels. Deletion of the gating brake in the CaV3.1 channel resulted in a GD12 channel with the voltage dependence of the gating current activation significantly shifted toward more negative potentials. The Qon kinetic was not significantly altered. ID12 and GD12 mutants did not differ significantly in voltage dependence nor in the kinetic of voltage sensor activation. In conclusion, the putative gating brake in the intracellular loop connecting repeats I and II controls the gating current of the CaV3 channels. We suggest that activation of the voltage sensor in domain I is limiting both the voltage dependence and the kinetics of CaV3 channel activation.