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Catterall WA. Voltage gated sodium and calcium channels: Discovery, structure, function, and Pharmacology. Channels (Austin) 2023; 17:2281714. [PMID: 37983307 PMCID: PMC10761118 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2023.2281714] [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] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate action potentials in nerve and muscle, and voltage-gated calcium channels couple depolarization of the plasma membrane to intracellular events such as secretion, contraction, synaptic transmission, and gene expression. In this Review and Perspective article, I summarize early work that led to identification, purification, functional reconstitution, and determination of the amino acid sequence of the protein subunits of sodium and calcium channels and showed that their pore-forming subunits are closely related. Decades of study by antibody mapping, site-directed mutagenesis, and electrophysiological recording led to detailed two-dimensional structure-function maps of the amino acid residues involved in voltage-dependent activation and inactivation, ion permeation and selectivity, and pharmacological modulation. Most recently, high-resolution three-dimensional structure determination by X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy has revealed the structural basis for sodium and calcium channel function and pharmacological modulation at the atomic level. These studies now define the chemical basis for electrical signaling and provide templates for future development of new therapeutic agents for a range of neurological and cardiovascular diseases.
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2
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Sanchez-Sandoval AL, Hernández-Plata E, Gomora JC. Voltage-gated sodium channels: from roles and mechanisms in the metastatic cell behavior to clinical potential as therapeutic targets. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1206136. [PMID: 37456756 PMCID: PMC10348687 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1206136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
During the second half of the last century, the prevalent knowledge recognized the voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) as the proteins responsible for the generation and propagation of action potentials in excitable cells. However, over the last 25 years, new non-canonical roles of VGSCs in cancer hallmarks have been uncovered. Their dysregulated expression and activity have been associated with aggressive features and cancer progression towards metastatic stages, suggesting the potential use of VGSCs as cancer markers and prognostic factors. Recent work has elicited essential information about the signalling pathways modulated by these channels: coupling membrane activity to transcriptional regulation pathways, intracellular and extracellular pH regulation, invadopodia maturation, and proteolytic activity. In a promising scenario, the inhibition of VGSCs with FDA-approved drugs as well as with new synthetic compounds, reduces cancer cell invasion in vitro and cancer progression in vivo. The purpose of this review is to present an update regarding recent advances and ongoing efforts to have a better understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms on the involvement of both pore-forming α and auxiliary β subunits of VGSCs in the metastatic processes, with the aim at proposing VGSCs as new oncological markers and targets for anticancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Sanchez-Sandoval
- Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Medicina Genómica, Hospital General de México “Dr Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Everardo Hernández-Plata
- Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías and Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Gomora
- Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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3
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Salvage SC, Jeevaratnam K, Huang CL, Jackson AP. Cardiac sodium channel complexes and arrhythmia: structural and functional roles of the β1 and β3 subunits. J Physiol 2023; 601:923-940. [PMID: 36354758 PMCID: PMC10953345 DOI: 10.1113/jp283085] [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] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In cardiac myocytes, the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV 1.5 opens in response to membrane depolarisation and initiates the action potential. The NaV 1.5 channel is typically associated with regulatory β-subunits that modify gating and trafficking behaviour. These β-subunits contain a single extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) domain, a single transmembrane α-helix and an intracellular region. Here we focus on the role of the β1 and β3 subunits in regulating NaV 1.5. We catalogue β1 and β3 domain specific mutations that have been associated with inherited cardiac arrhythmia, including Brugada syndrome, long QT syndrome, atrial fibrillation and sudden death. We discuss how new structural insights into these proteins raises new questions about physiological function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christopher L.‐H. Huang
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PhysiologyDevelopment and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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4
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Structure of human Na V1.6 channel reveals Na + selectivity and pore blockade by 4,9-anhydro-tetrodotoxin. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1030. [PMID: 36823201 PMCID: PMC9950489 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36766-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The sodium channel NaV1.6 is widely expressed in neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems, which plays a critical role in regulating neuronal excitability. Dysfunction of NaV1.6 has been linked to epileptic encephalopathy, intellectual disability and movement disorders. Here we present cryo-EM structures of human NaV1.6/β1/β2 alone and complexed with a guanidinium neurotoxin 4,9-anhydro-tetrodotoxin (4,9-ah-TTX), revealing molecular mechanism of NaV1.6 inhibition by the blocker. The apo-form structure reveals two potential Na+ binding sites within the selectivity filter, suggesting a possible mechanism for Na+ selectivity and conductance. In the 4,9-ah-TTX bound structure, 4,9-ah-TTX binds to a pocket similar to the tetrodotoxin (TTX) binding site, which occupies the Na+ binding sites and completely blocks the channel. Molecular dynamics simulation results show that subtle conformational differences in the selectivity filter affect the affinity of TTX analogues. Taken together, our results provide important insights into NaV1.6 structure, ion conductance, and inhibition.
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5
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Corbett BF, Urban K, Luz S, Yan J, Arner J, Bhatnagar S. Sex differences in electrophysiological properties and voltage-gated ion channel expression in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus following repeated stress. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:51. [PMID: 36163074 PMCID: PMC9513901 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00460-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Habituation to repeated stress refers to a progressive reduction in the stress response following multiple exposures to the same, predictable stressor. We previously demonstrated that the posterior division of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (pPVT) nucleus regulates habituation to 5 days of repeated restraint stress in male rats. Compared to males, female rats display impaired habituation to 5 days of restraint. To better understand how activity of pPVT neurons is differentially impacted in stressed males and females, we examined the electrophysiological properties of pPVT neurons under baseline conditions or following restraint. Methods Adult male and female rats were exposed to no stress (handling only), a single period of 30 min restraint or 5 daily exposures to 30 min restraint. 24 h later, pPVT tissue was prepared for recordings. Results We report here that spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic current (sEPSC) amplitude was increased in males, but not females, following restraint. Furthermore, resting membrane potential of pPVT neurons was more depolarized in males. This may be partially due to reduced potassium leakage in restrained males as input resistance was increased in male, but not female, rats 24 h following 1 or 5 days of 30-min restraint. Reduced potassium efflux during action potential firing also occurred in males following a single restraint as action potential half-width was increased following a single restraint. Restraint had limited effects on electrophysiological properties in females, although the mRNA for 10 voltage-gated ion channel subunits was altered in the pPVT of female rats. Conclusions The results suggest that restraint-induced changes in pPVT activation promote habituation in males. These findings are the first to describe a sexual dimorphism in stress-induced electrophysiological properties and voltage-gated ion channel expression in the pPVT. These results may explain, at least in part, why habituation to 5 days of restraint is disrupted in female rats. Male, but not female, pPVT neurons display increases in EPSC amplitude and decay time 24 h following one and five restraints. Input resistance is increased 24 h following one and five restraints in male, but not female, pPVT neurons. Afterhyperpolarization potential is greater in pPVT neurons of females compared to males, regardless of restraint. Restraint alters the expression of 10 voltage-gated ion channel transcripts in the pPVT of females, but only 3 in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian F Corbett
- Department of Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden, NJ, USA
| | - Kimberly Urban
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sandra Luz
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jason Yan
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jay Arner
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Seema Bhatnagar
- Center for Stress Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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6
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Sepela RJ, Stewart RG, Valencia LA, Thapa P, Wang Z, Cohen BE, Sack JT. The AMIGO1 adhesion protein activates Kv2.1 voltage sensors. Biophys J 2022; 121:1395-1416. [PMID: 35314141 PMCID: PMC9072587 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.03.020] [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: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Kv2 voltage-gated potassium channels are modulated by amphoterin-induced gene and open reading frame (AMIGO) neuronal adhesion proteins. Here, we identify steps in the conductance activation pathway of Kv2.1 channels that are modulated by AMIGO1 using voltage-clamp recordings and spectroscopy of heterologously expressed Kv2.1 and AMIGO1 in mammalian cell lines. AMIGO1 speeds early voltage-sensor movements and shifts the gating charge-voltage relationship to more negative voltages. The gating charge-voltage relationship indicates that AMIGO1 exerts a larger energetic effect on voltage-sensor movement than is apparent from the midpoint of the conductance-voltage relationship. When voltage sensors are detained at rest by voltage-sensor toxins, AMIGO1 has a greater impact on the conductance-voltage relationship. Fluorescence measurements from voltage-sensor toxins bound to Kv2.1 indicate that with AMIGO1, the voltage sensors enter their earliest resting conformation, yet this conformation is less stable upon voltage stimulation. We conclude that AMIGO1 modulates the Kv2.1 conductance activation pathway by destabilizing the earliest resting state of the voltage sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecka J Sepela
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Robert G Stewart
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Luis A Valencia
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
| | - Parashar Thapa
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Zeming Wang
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
| | - Bruce E Cohen
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California; Division of Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
| | - Jon T Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, California; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, California.
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Marine Neurotoxins' Effects on Environmental and Human Health: An OMICS Overview. Mar Drugs 2021; 20:md20010018. [PMID: 35049872 PMCID: PMC8778346 DOI: 10.3390/md20010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HAB), and the consequent release of toxic metabolites, can be responsible for seafood poisoning outbreaks. Marine wildlife can accumulate these toxins throughout the food chain, which presents a threat to consumers’ health. Some of these toxins, such as saxitoxin (STX), domoic acid (DA), ciguatoxin (CTX), brevetoxin (BTX), tetrodotoxin (TTX), and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), cause severe neurological symptoms in humans. Considerable information is missing, however, notably the consequences of toxin exposures on changes in gene expression, protein profile, and metabolic pathways. This information could lead to understanding the consequence of marine neurotoxin exposure in aquatic organisms and humans. Nevertheless, recent contributions to the knowledge of neurotoxins arise from OMICS-based research, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the most recent research and of the available solutions to explore OMICS datasets in order to identify new features in terms of ecotoxicology, food safety, and human health. In addition, future perspectives in OMICS studies are discussed.
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8
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Arribas-Blázquez M, Piniella D, Olivos-Oré LA, Bartolomé-Martín D, Leite C, Giménez C, Artalejo AR, Zafra F. Regulation of the voltage-dependent sodium channel Na V1.1 by AKT1. Neuropharmacology 2021; 197:108745. [PMID: 34375627 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The voltage-sensitive sodium channel NaV1.1 plays a critical role in regulating excitability of GABAergic neurons and mutations in the corresponding gene are associated to Dravet syndrome and other forms of epilepsy. The activity of this channel is regulated by several protein kinases. To identify novel regulatory kinases we screened a library of activated kinases and we found that AKT1 was able to directly phosphorylate NaV1.1. In vitro kinase assays revealed that the phosphorylation site was located in the C-terminal part of the large intracellular loop connecting domains I and II of NaV1.1, a region that is known to be targeted by other kinases like PKA and PKC. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that activated AKT1 strongly reduced peak Na+ currents and displaced the inactivation curve to more negative potentials in HEK-293 cell stably expressing NaV1.1. These alterations in current amplitude and steady-state inactivation were mimicked by SC79, a specific activator of AKT1, and largely reverted by triciribine, a selective inhibitor. Neurons expressing endogenous NaV1.1 in primary cultures were identified by expressing a fluorescent protein under the NaV1.1 promoter. There, we also observed a strong decrease in the current amplitude after addition of SC79, but small effects on the inactivation parameters. Altogether, we propose a novel mechanism that might regulate the excitability of neural networks in response to AKT1, a kinase that plays a pivotal role under physiological and pathological conditions, including epileptogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Arribas-Blázquez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolores Piniella
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; IdiPAZ, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis A Olivos-Oré
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Bartolomé-Martín
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; IdiPAZ, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristiana Leite
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cecilio Giménez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; IdiPAZ, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio R Artalejo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Zafra
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Facultad de Ciencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; IdiPAZ, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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9
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Alsaloum M, Labau JIR, Sosniak D, Zhao P, Almomani R, Gerrits M, Hoeijmakers JGJ, Lauria G, Faber CG, Waxman SG, Dib-Hajj S. A novel gain-of-function sodium channel β2 subunit mutation in idiopathic small fiber neuropathy. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:827-839. [PMID: 34320850 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00184.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a common condition affecting thinly myelinated Aδ and unmyelinated C fibers, often resulting in excruciating pain and dysautonomia. SFN has been associated with several conditions, but a significant number of cases have no discernible cause. Recent genetic studies have identified potentially pathogenic gain-of-function mutations in several the pore-forming voltage-gated sodium channel α subunits (NaVs) in a subset of patients with SFN, but the auxiliary sodium channel β subunits have been less implicated in the development of the disease. β subunits modulate NaV trafficking and gating, and several mutations have been linked to epilepsy and cardiac dysfunction. Recently, we provided the first evidence for the contribution of a mutation in the β2-subunit to pain in human painful diabetic neuropathy. Here, we provide the first evidence for the involvement of a sodium channel β subunit mutation in the pathogenesis of SFN with no other known causes. We show, through current-clamp analysis, that the newly-identified Y69H variant of the β2 subunit induces neuronal hyperexcitability in dorsal root ganglion neurons, lowering the threshold for action potential firing and allowing for increased repetitive action potential spiking. Underlying the hyperexcitability induced by the β2-Y69H variant, we demonstrate an upregulation in tetrodotoxin-sensitive, but not tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents. This provides the first evidence for the involvement of β2 subunits in SFN and strengthens the link between sodium channel β subunits and the development of neuropathic pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Alsaloum
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Rehabilitation Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States.,Yale Medical Scientist Training Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Julie I R Labau
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Rehabilitation Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Clinical Genomics Unit, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel Sosniak
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Rehabilitation Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Rehabilitation Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Rowida Almomani
- Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Clinical Genomics Unit, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Monique Gerrits
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Giuseppe Lauria
- Neuroalgology Unit, IRCCS Foundation "Carlo Besta" Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco," University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Catherina G Faber
- Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Stephen G Waxman
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Rehabilitation Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Sulayman Dib-Hajj
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States.,Center for Rehabilitation Research, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
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10
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Thompson CH, Ben-Shalom R, Bender KJ, George AL. Alternative splicing potentiates dysfunction of early-onset epileptic encephalopathy SCN2A variants. J Gen Physiol 2021; 152:133672. [PMID: 31995133 PMCID: PMC7054859 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epileptic encephalopathies are severe forms of infantile-onset epilepsy often complicated by severe neurodevelopmental impairments. Some forms of early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (EOEE) have been associated with variants in SCN2A, which encodes the brain voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.2. Many voltage-gated sodium channel genes, including SCN2A, undergo developmentally regulated mRNA splicing. The early onset of these disorders suggests that developmentally regulated alternative splicing of NaV1.2 may be an important consideration when elucidating the pathophysiological consequences of epilepsy-associated variants. We hypothesized that EOEE-associated NaV1.2 variants would exhibit greater dysfunction in a splice isoform that is prominently expressed during early development. We engineered five EOEE-associated NaV1.2 variants (T236S, E999K, S1336Y, T1623N, and R1882Q) into the adult and neonatal splice isoforms of NaV1.2 and performed whole-cell voltage clamp to elucidate their functional properties. All variants exhibited functional defects that could enhance neuronal excitability. Three of the five variants (T236S, E999K, and S1336Y) exhibited greater dysfunction in the neonatal isoform compared with those observed in the adult isoform. Computational modeling of a developing cortical pyramidal neuron indicated that T236S, E999K, S1336Y, and R1882Q showed hyperexcitability preferentially in immature neurons. These results suggest that both splice isoform and neuronal developmental stage influence how EOEE-associated NaV1.2 variants affect neuronal excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Roy Ben-Shalom
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Kevin J Bender
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Alfred L George
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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11
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Pitzer EM, Williams MT, Vorhees CV. Effects of pyrethroids on brain development and behavior: Deltamethrin. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 87:106983. [PMID: 33848594 PMCID: PMC8440325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Deltamethrin (DLM) is a Type II pyrethroid pesticide widely used in agriculture, homes, public spaces, and medicine. Epidemiological studies report that increased pyrethroid exposure during development is associated with neurobehavioral disorders. This raises concern about the safety of these chemicals for children. Few animal studies have explored the long-term effects of developmental exposure to DLM on the brain. Here we review the CNS effects of pyrethroids, with emphasis on DLM. Current data on behavioral and cognitive effects after developmental exposure are emphasized. Although, the acute mechanisms of action of DLM are known, how these translate to long-term effects is only beginning to be understood. But existing data clearly show there are lasting effects on locomotor activity, acoustic startle, learning and memory, apoptosis, and dopamine in mice and rats after early exposure. The most consistent neurochemical findings are reductions in the dopamine transporter and the dopamine D1 receptor. The data show that DLM is developmentally neurotoxic but more research on its mechanisms of long-term effects is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Pitzer
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America.
| | - Michael T Williams
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States of America.
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States of America.
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12
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Chen W, Luo B, Gao N, Li H, Wang H, Li L, Cui W, Zhang L, Sun D, Liu F, Dong Z, Ren X, Zhang H, Su H, Xiong WC, Mei L. Neddylation stabilizes Nav1.1 to maintain interneuron excitability and prevent seizures in murine epilepsy models. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:136956. [PMID: 33651714 DOI: 10.1172/jci136956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The excitability of interneurons requires Nav1.1, the α subunit of the voltage-gated sodium channel. Nav1.1 deficiency and mutations reduce interneuron excitability, a major pathological mechanism for epilepsy syndromes. However, the regulatory mechanisms of Nav1.1 expression remain unclear. Here, we provide evidence that neddylation is critical to Nav1.1 stability. Mutant mice lacking Nae1, an obligatory component of the E1 ligase for neddylation, in parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVINs) exhibited spontaneous epileptic seizures and premature death. Electrophysiological studies indicate that Nae1 deletion reduced PVIN excitability and GABA release and consequently increased the network excitability of pyramidal neurons (PyNs). Further analysis revealed a reduction in sodium-current density, not a change in channel property, in mutant PVINs and decreased Nav1.1 protein levels. These results suggest that insufficient neddylation in PVINs reduces Nav1.1 stability and thus the excitability of PVINs; the ensuing increased PyN activity causes seizures in mice. Consistently, Nav1.1 was found reduced by proteomic analysis that revealed abnormality in synapses and metabolic pathways. Our findings describe a role of neddylation in maintaining Nav1.1 stability for PVIN excitability and reveal what we believe is a new mechanism in the pathogenesis of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Bin Luo
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Nannan Gao
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Haiwen Li
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanpeng Cui
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Dong Sun
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Fang Liu
- Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zhaoqi Dong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiao Ren
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Hongsheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Huabo Su
- Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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13
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Nevin ST, Lawrence N, Nicke A, Lewis RJ, Adams DJ. Functional modulation of the human voltage-gated sodium channel Na V1.8 by auxiliary β subunits. Channels (Austin) 2020; 15:79-93. [PMID: 33315536 PMCID: PMC7781643 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1860399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.8 mediates the tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) Na+ current in nociceptive primary sensory neurons, which has an important role in the transmission of painful stimuli. Here, we describe the functional modulation of the human Nav1.8 α-subunit in Xenopus oocytes by auxiliary β subunits. We found that the β3 subunit down-regulated the maximal Na+ current amplitude and decelerated recovery from inactivation of hNav1.8, whereas the β1 and β2 subunits had no such effects. The specific regulation of Nav1.8 by the β3 subunit constitutes a potential novel regulatory mechanism of the TTX-R Na+ current in primary sensory neurons with potential implications in chronic pain states. In particular, neuropathic pain states are characterized by a down-regulation of Nav1.8 accompanied by increased expression of the β3 subunit. Our results suggest that these two phenomena may be correlated, and that increased levels of the β3 subunit may directly contribute to the down-regulation of Nav1.8. To determine which domain of the β3 subunit is responsible for the specific regulation of hNav1.8, we created chimeras of the β1 and β3 subunits and co-expressed them with the hNav1.8 α-subunit in Xenopus oocytes. The intracellular domain of the β3 subunit was shown to be responsible for the down-regulation of maximal Nav1.8 current amplitudes. In contrast, the extracellular domain mediated the effect of the β3 subunit on hNav1.8 recovery kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Nevin
- School of Biomedical Sciences and the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia
| | - N Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia
| | - A Nicke
- School of Biomedical Sciences and the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia
| | - R J Lewis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia
| | - D J Adams
- School of Biomedical Sciences and the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong , Wollongong, Australia
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14
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Chemometric Models of Differential Amino Acids at the Na vα and Na vβ Interface of Mammalian Sodium Channel Isoforms. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153551. [PMID: 32756517 PMCID: PMC7435598 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs) are integral membrane proteins that allow the sodium ion flux into the excitable cells and initiate the action potential. They comprise an α (Navα) subunit that forms the channel pore and are coupled to one or more auxiliary β (Navβ) subunits that modulate the gating to a variable extent. (2) Methods: after performing homology in silico modeling for all nine isoforms (Nav1.1α to Nav1.9α), the Navα and Navβ protein-protein interaction (PPI) was analyzed chemometrically based on the primary and secondary structures as well as topological or spatial mapping. (3) Results: our findings reveal a unique isoform-specific correspondence between certain segments of the extracellular loops of the Navα subunits. Precisely, loop S5 in domain I forms part of the PPI and assists Navβ1 or Navβ3 on all nine mammalian isoforms. The implied molecular movements resemble macroscopic springs, all of which explains published voltage sensor effects on sodium channel fast inactivation in gating. (4) Conclusions: currently, the specific functions exerted by the Navβ1 or Navβ3 subunits on the modulation of Navα gating remain unknown. Our work determined functional interaction in the extracellular domains on theoretical grounds and we propose a schematic model of the gating mechanism of fast channel sodium current inactivation by educated guessing.
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15
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Bouza AA, Philippe JM, Edokobi N, Pinsky AM, Offord J, Calhoun JD, Lopez-Florán M, Lopez-Santiago LF, Jenkins PM, Isom LL. Sodium channel β1 subunits are post-translationally modified by tyrosine phosphorylation, S-palmitoylation, and regulated intramembrane proteolysis. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10380-10393. [PMID: 32503841 PMCID: PMC7383382 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) β1 subunits are multifunctional proteins that modulate the biophysical properties and cell-surface localization of VGSC α subunits and participate in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, all with important implications for intracellular signal transduction, cell migration, and differentiation. Human loss-of-function variants in SCN1B, the gene encoding the VGSC β1 subunits, are linked to severe diseases with high risk for sudden death, including epileptic encephalopathy and cardiac arrhythmia. We showed previously that β1 subunits are post-translationally modified by tyrosine phosphorylation. We also showed that β1 subunits undergo regulated intramembrane proteolysis via the activity of β-secretase 1 and γ-secretase, resulting in the generation of a soluble intracellular domain, β1-ICD, which modulates transcription. Here, we report that β1 subunits are phosphorylated by FYN kinase. Moreover, we show that β1 subunits are S-palmitoylated. Substitution of a single residue in β1, Cys-162, to alanine prevented palmitoylation, reduced the level of β1 polypeptides at the plasma membrane, and reduced the extent of β1-regulated intramembrane proteolysis, suggesting that the plasma membrane is the site of β1 proteolytic processing. Treatment with the clathrin-mediated endocytosis inhibitor, Dyngo-4a, re-stored the plasma membrane association of β1-p.C162A to WT levels. Despite these observations, palmitoylation-null β1-p.C162A modulated sodium current and sorted to detergent-resistant membrane fractions normally. This is the first demonstration of S-palmitoylation of a VGSC β subunit, establishing precedence for this post-translational modification as a regulatory mechanism in this protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Bouza
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julie M Philippe
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nnamdi Edokobi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Alexa M Pinsky
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - James Offord
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Calhoun
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mariana Lopez-Florán
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Luis F Lopez-Santiago
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Paul M Jenkins
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lori L Isom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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16
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Lubetzki C, Sol-Foulon N, Desmazières A. Nodes of Ranvier during development and repair in the CNS. Nat Rev Neurol 2020; 16:426-439. [DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-0375-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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17
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Exercise-Induced Cognitive Improvement Is Associated with Sodium Channel-Mediated Excitability in APP/PS1 Mice. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:9132720. [PMID: 32256560 PMCID: PMC7103997 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9132720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated brain activation, or hyperexcitability, induces cognitive impairment and confers an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Blocking the overexcitation of the neural network may be a promising new strategy to prevent, halt, and even reverse this condition. Physical exercise has been shown to be an effective cognitive enhancer that reduces the risk of AD in elderly individuals, but the underlying mechanisms are far from being fully understood. We explored whether long-term treadmill exercise attenuates amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin-1 (PS1) mutation-induced aberrant network activity and thus improves cognition by altering the numbers and/or distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav) in transgenic mice. APP/PS1 mice aged 2, 3.5, 5, 6.5, 8, and 9 months underwent treadmill exercise with different durations or at different stages of AD. The alterations in memory, electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, and expression levels and distributions of Nav functional members (Nav1.1α, Nav1.2, Nav1.6, and Navβ2) were evaluated. The results revealed that treadmill exercise with 12- and 24-week durations 1) induced significant improvement in novel object recognition (NOR) memory and Morris water maze (MWM) spatial memory; 2) partially reduced abnormal spike activity; and 3) redressed the disturbed cellular distribution of Nav1.1α, aberrant Navβ2 cleavage augmentation, and Nav1.6 upregulation. Additionally, APP/PS1 mice in the 24-week exercise group showed better performance in the NOR task and a large decrease in Nav1.6 expression, which was close to the wild-type level. This study suggests that exercise improves cognition and neural activity by altering the numbers and distribution of hippocampal Nav in APP/PS1 mice. Long-term treadmill exercise, for about 24 weeks, starting in the preclinical stage, is a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing AD and halting its progress.
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18
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Wang L, Han Z, Dai J, Cao K. Brugada Syndrome Caused by Sodium Channel Dysfunction Associated with a SCN1B Variant A197V. Arch Med Res 2020; 51:245-253. [PMID: 32192759 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify and characterize a SCN1B variant, A197V, associated with Brugada Syndrome (BrS). METHODS Whole-exome sequencing was employed to explore the potential causative genes in 8 unrelated clinically diagnosed BrS patients. A197V variant was only detected in exon 4 of SCN1B in a 46 year old patient, who was admitted due to syncope. Wild type (WT) and mutant (A197V) genes were co-expressed with SCN5A in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293 cells) and studied using whole-cell patch clamp and immunodetection techniques. RESULTS Coexpression of 5A/WT + 1B/A197V resulted in a marked decrease in current density compared to 5A/WT + 1B/WT. The activation velocity was decelerated by A197V mutation. No significant changes were observed in recovery from inactivation parameters. Cell surface protein analyses confirmed that Nav1.5 channel membrane distribution was affected by A197V mutation. CONCLUSIONS The current study is the first to report the functional analysis of SCN1B/ A197V, serving as a substrate responsible for BrS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhonglin Han
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Dai
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kejiang Cao
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Glass WG, Duncan AL, Biggin PC. Computational Investigation of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel β3 Subunit Dynamics. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:40. [PMID: 32266288 PMCID: PMC7103644 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels form the basis for the initiation of the action potential in excitable cells by allowing sodium ions to pass through the cell membrane. The Na v channel α subunit is known to function both with and without associated β subunits. There is increasing evidence that these β subunits have multiple roles that include not only influencing the voltage-dependent gating but also the ability to alter the spatial distribution of the pore-forming α subunit. Recent structural data has shown possible ways in which β1 subunits may interact with the α subunit. However, the position of the β1 subunit would not be compatible with a previous trimer structure of the β3 subunit. Furthermore, little is currently known about the dynamic behavior of the β subunits both as individual monomers and as higher order oligomers. Here, we use multiscale molecular dynamics simulations to assess the dynamics of the β3, and the closely related, β1 subunit. These findings reveal the spatio-temporal dynamics of β subunits and should provide a useful framework for interpreting future low-resolution experiments such as atomic force microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Philip C. Biggin
- Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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20
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Niibori Y, Lee SJ, Minassian BA, Hampson DR. Sexually Divergent Mortality and Partial Phenotypic Rescue After Gene Therapy in a Mouse Model of Dravet Syndrome. Hum Gene Ther 2020; 31:339-351. [PMID: 31830809 PMCID: PMC7087406 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2019.225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Dravet syndrome (DS) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder caused by mutations in the SCN1A gene encoding the α subunit of the NaV1.1 voltage-gated sodium channel that controls neuronal action potential firing. The high density of this mutated channel in GABAergic interneurons results in impaired inhibitory neurotransmission and subsequent excessive activation of excitatory neurons. The syndrome is associated with severe childhood epilepsy, autistic behaviors, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Here, we compared the rescue effects of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector coding for the multifunctional β1 sodium channel auxiliary subunit (AAV-NaVβ1) with a control vector lacking a transgene. We hypothesized that overexpression of NaVβ1 would facilitate the function of residual voltage-gated channels and improve the DS phenotype in the Scn1a+/− mouse model of DS. AAV-NaVβ1 was injected into the cerebral spinal fluid of neonatal Scn1a+/− mice. In untreated control Scn1a+/− mice, females showed a higher degree of mortality than males. Compared with Scn1a+/− control mice, AAV-NaVβ1-treated Scn1a+/− mice displayed increased survival, an outcome that was more pronounced in females than males. In contrast, behavioral analysis revealed that male, but not female, Scn1a+/− mice displayed motor hyperactivity, and abnormal performance on tests of fear and anxiety and learning and memory. Male Scn1a+/− mice treated with AAV-NaVβ1 showed reduced spontaneous seizures and normalization of motor activity and performance on the elevated plus maze test. These findings demonstrate sex differences in mortality in untreated Scn1a+/− mice, an effect that may be related to a lower level of intrinsic inhibitory tone in female mice, and a normalization of aberrant behaviors in males after central nervous system administration of AAV-NaVβ1. The therapeutic efficacy of AAV-NaVβ1 in a mouse model of DS suggests a potential new long-lasting biological therapeutic avenue for the treatment of this catastrophic epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Niibori
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shiron J Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Berge A Minassian
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - David R Hampson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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21
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Li Q, Zhai Z, Li J. Fibroblast growth factor homologous factors are potential ion channel modifiers associated with cardiac arrhythmias. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 871:172920. [PMID: 31935396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.172920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Stable electrical activity in cardiac myocytes is the basis of maintaining normal myocardial systolic and diastolic function. Cardiac ionic currents and their associated regulatory proteins are crucial to myocyte excitability and heart function. Fibroblast growth factor homologous factors (FHFs) are intracellular noncanonical fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) that are incapable of activating FGF receptors. The main functions of FHFs are to regulate ion channels and influence excitability, which are processes involved in sustaining normal cardiac function. In addition to their regulatory effect on ion channels, FHFs can be regulators of cardiac hypertrophic signaling and alter signaling pathways, including the protein kinase, NF<kappa>B, and p53 pathways, which are related to the pathological processes of heart diseases. This review emphasizes FHF-mediated regulation of cardiac excitability and the association of FHFs with cardiac arrhythmias and explores the idea that abnormal FHFs may be an unrecognized cause of cardiac disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhai
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Juxiang Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China.
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22
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Jiang D, Shi H, Tonggu L, Gamal El-Din TM, Lenaeus MJ, Zhao Y, Yoshioka C, Zheng N, Catterall WA. Structure of the Cardiac Sodium Channel. Cell 2019; 180:122-134.e10. [PMID: 31866066 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.5 generates cardiac action potentials and initiates the heartbeat. Here, we report structures of NaV1.5 at 3.2-3.5 Å resolution. NaV1.5 is distinguished from other sodium channels by a unique glycosyl moiety and loss of disulfide-bonding capability at the NaVβ subunit-interaction sites. The antiarrhythmic drug flecainide specifically targets the central cavity of the pore. The voltage sensors are partially activated, and the fast-inactivation gate is partially closed. Activation of the voltage sensor of Domain III allows binding of the isoleucine-phenylalanine-methionine (IFM) motif to the inactivation-gate receptor. Asp and Ala, in the selectivity motif DEKA, line the walls of the ion-selectivity filter, whereas Glu and Lys are in positions to accept and release Na+ ions via a charge-delocalization network. Arrhythmia mutation sites undergo large translocations during gating, providing a potential mechanism for pathogenic effects. Our results provide detailed insights into Nav1.5 structure, pharmacology, activation, inactivation, ion selectivity, and arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohua Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Hui Shi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lige Tonggu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Michael J Lenaeus
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yan Zhao
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Craig Yoshioka
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Ning Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - William A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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23
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Cortada E, Brugada R, Verges M. Trafficking and Function of the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel β2 Subunit. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9100604. [PMID: 31614896 PMCID: PMC6843408 DOI: 10.3390/biom9100604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium channel is vital for cardiomyocyte function, and consists of a protein complex containing a pore-forming α subunit and two associated β subunits. A fundamental, yet unsolved, question is to define the precise function of β subunits. While their location in vivo remains unclear, large evidence shows that they regulate localization of α and the biophysical properties of the channel. The current data support that one of these subunits, β2, promotes cell surface expression of α. The main α isoform in an adult heart is NaV1.5, and mutations in SCN5A, the gene encoding NaV1.5, often lead to hereditary arrhythmias and sudden death. The association of β2 with cardiac arrhythmias has also been described, which could be due to alterations in trafficking, anchoring, and localization of NaV1.5 at the cardiomyocyte surface. Here, we will discuss research dealing with mechanisms that regulate β2 trafficking, and how β2 could be pivotal for the correct localization of NaV1.5, which influences cellular excitability and electrical coupling of the heart. Moreover, β2 may have yet to be discovered roles on cell adhesion and signaling, implying that diverse defects leading to human disease may arise due to β2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Cortada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
- Medical Sciences Department, University of Girona Medical School, 17003 Girona, Spain.
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Josep Trueta, 17007 Girona, Spain.
| | - Marcel Verges
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
- Medical Sciences Department, University of Girona Medical School, 17003 Girona, Spain.
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24
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Cortada E, Brugada R, Verges M. N-Glycosylation of the voltage-gated sodium channel β2 subunit is required for efficient trafficking of Na V1.5/β2 to the plasma membrane. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:16123-16140. [PMID: 31511323 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium channel is critical for cardiomyocyte function and consists of a protein complex comprising a pore-forming α subunit and two associated β subunits. It has been shown previously that the associated β2 subunits promote cell surface expression of the α subunit. The major α isoform in the adult human heart is NaV1.5, and germline mutations in the NaV1.5-encoding gene, sodium voltage-gated channel α subunit 5 (SCN5A), often cause inherited arrhythmias. Here, we investigated the mechanisms that regulate β2 trafficking and how they may determine proper NaV1.5 cell surface localization. Using heterologous expression in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, we show that β2 is N-glycosylated in vivo and in vitro at residues 42, 66, and 74, becoming sialylated only at Asn-42. We found that fully nonglycosylated β2 was mostly retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, indicating that N-linked glycosylation is required for efficient β2 trafficking to the apical plasma membrane. The nonglycosylated variant reached the cell surface by bypassing the Golgi compartment at a rate of only approximately one-third of that of WT β2. YFP-tagged, nonglycosylated β2 displayed mobility kinetics in the plane of the membrane similar to that of WT β2. However, it was defective in promoting surface localization of NaV1.5. Interestingly, β2 with a single intact glycosylation site was as effective as the WT in promoting NaV1.5 surface localization. In conclusion, our results indicate that N-linked glycosylation of β2 is required for surface localization of NaV1.5, a property that is often defective in inherited cardiac arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Cortada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group-Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group-Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain.,Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain.,Medical Sciences Department, University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain.,Cardiology Department, Hospital Josep Trueta, University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/nγÇôEdifici IDIBGI, 17190 SaltγÇôProv. Girona, Spain
| | - Marcel Verges
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group-Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain .,Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain.,Medical Sciences Department, University of Girona Medical School, C/ Doctor Castany, s/n-Edifici IDIBGI, 17190 Salt-Prov. Girona, Spain
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25
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Haworth AS, Brackenbury WJ. Emerging roles for multifunctional ion channel auxiliary subunits in cancer. Cell Calcium 2019; 80:125-140. [PMID: 31071485 PMCID: PMC6553682 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Several superfamilies of plasma membrane channels which regulate transmembrane ion flux have also been shown to regulate a multitude of cellular processes, including proliferation and migration. Ion channels are typically multimeric complexes consisting of conducting subunits and auxiliary, non-conducting subunits. Auxiliary subunits modulate the function of conducting subunits and have putative non-conducting roles, further expanding the repertoire of cellular processes governed by ion channel complexes to processes such as transcellular adhesion and gene transcription. Given this expansive influence of ion channels on cellular behaviour it is perhaps no surprise that aberrant ion channel expression is a common occurrence in cancer. This review will focus on the conducting and non-conducting roles of the auxiliary subunits of various Ca2+, K+, Na+ and Cl- channels and the burgeoning evidence linking such auxiliary subunits to cancer. Several subunits are upregulated (e.g. Cavβ, Cavγ) and downregulated (e.g. Kvβ) in cancer, while other subunits have been functionally implicated as oncogenes (e.g. Navβ1, Cavα2δ1) and tumour suppressor genes (e.g. CLCA2, KCNE2, BKγ1) based on in vivo studies. The strengthening link between ion channel auxiliary subunits and cancer has exposed these subunits as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. However further mechanistic understanding is required into how these subunits contribute to tumour progression before their therapeutic potential can be fully realised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Haworth
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK; York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - William J Brackenbury
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK; York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
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26
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Sanchez-Sandoval AL, Gomora JC. Contribution of voltage-gated sodium channel β-subunits to cervical cancer cells metastatic behavior. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:35. [PMID: 30814913 PMCID: PMC6377746 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0757-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are heteromeric proteins consisting of a single pore forming α-subunit associated with one or two auxiliary β-subunits. These channels are classically known for being responsible of action potential generation and propagation in excitable cells; but lately they have been reported as widely expressed and regulated in several human cancer types. We have previously demonstrated the overexpression of NaV1.6 channel in cervical cancer (CeCa) biopsies and primary cultures, and its contribution to cell migration and invasiveness. Here, we investigated the expression of NaV channels β-subunits (NaVβs) in the CeCa cell lines HeLa, SiHa and CaSki, and determined their contribution to cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness. Methods We assessed the expression of NaVβs in CeCa cell lines by performing RT-PCR and western blotting experiments. We also evaluated CeCa cell lines proliferation, migration, and invasion by in vitro assays, both in basal conditions and after inducing changes in NaVβs levels by transfecting specific cDNAs or siRNAs. The potential role of NaVβs in modulating the expression of NaV α-subunits in the plasma membrane of CeCa cells was examined by the patch-clamp whole-cell technique. Furthermore, we investigated the role of NaVβ1 on cell cycle in SiHa cells by flow cytometry. Results We found that the four NaVβs are expressed in the three CeCa cell lines, even in the absence of functional NaV α-subunit expression in the plasma membrane. Functional in vitro assays showed differential roles for NaVβ1 and NaVβ4, the latter as a cell invasiveness repressor and the former as a migration abolisher in CeCa cells. In silico analysis of NaVβ4 expression in cervical tissues corroborated the downregulation of this protein expression in CeCa vs normal cervix, supporting the evidence of NaVβ4’s role as a cell invasiveness repressor. Conclusions Our results contribute to the recent conception about NaVβs as multifunctional proteins involved in cell processes like ion channel regulation, cell adhesion and motility, and even in metastatic cell behaviors. These non-canonical functions of NaVβs are independent of the presence of functional NaV α-subunits in the plasma membrane and might represent a new therapeutic target for the treatment of cervical cancer. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-019-0757-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Sanchez-Sandoval
- Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Gomora
- Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
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27
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Pan X, Li Z, Huang X, Huang G, Gao S, Shen H, Liu L, Lei J, Yan N. Molecular basis for pore blockade of human Na + channel Na v1.2 by the μ-conotoxin KIIIA. Science 2019; 363:1309-1313. [PMID: 30765605 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2 is responsible for the initiation and propagation of action potentials in the central nervous system. We report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of human Nav1.2 bound to a peptidic pore blocker, the μ-conotoxin KIIIA, in the presence of an auxiliary subunit, β2, to an overall resolution of 3.0 angstroms. The immunoglobulin domain of β2 interacts with the shoulder of the pore domain through a disulfide bond. The 16-residue KIIIA interacts with the extracellular segments in repeats I to III, placing Lys7 at the entrance to the selectivity filter. Many interacting residues are specific to Nav1.2, revealing a molecular basis for KIIIA specificity. The structure establishes a framework for the rational design of subtype-specific blockers for Nav channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhangqiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaoshuang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Gaoxingyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Huaizong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianlin Lei
- Technology Center for Protein Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Nieng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. .,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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28
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Fux JE, Mehta A, Moffat J, Spafford JD. Eukaryotic Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels: On Their Origins, Asymmetries, Losses, Diversification and Adaptations. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1406. [PMID: 30519187 PMCID: PMC6259924 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The appearance of voltage-gated, sodium-selective channels with rapid gating kinetics was a limiting factor in the evolution of nervous systems. Two rounds of domain duplications generated a common 24 transmembrane segment (4 × 6 TM) template that is shared amongst voltage-gated sodium (Nav1 and Nav2) and calcium channels (Cav1, Cav2, and Cav3) and leak channel (NALCN) plus homologs from yeast, different single-cell protists (heterokont and unikont) and algae (green and brown). A shared architecture in 4 × 6 TM channels include an asymmetrical arrangement of extended extracellular L5/L6 turrets containing a 4-0-2-2 pattern of cysteines, glycosylated residues, a universally short III-IV cytoplasmic linker and often a recognizable, C-terminal PDZ binding motif. Six intron splice junctions are conserved in the first domain, including a rare U12-type of the minor spliceosome provides support for a shared heritage for sodium and calcium channels, and a separate lineage for NALCN. The asymmetrically arranged pores of 4x6 TM channels allows for a changeable ion selectivity by means of a single lysine residue change in the high field strength site of the ion selectivity filter in Domains II or III. Multicellularity and the appearance of systems was an impetus for Nav1 channels to adapt to sodium ion selectivity and fast ion gating. A non-selective, and slowly gating Nav2 channel homolog in single cell eukaryotes, predate the diversification of Nav1 channels from a basal homolog in a common ancestor to extant cnidarians to the nine vertebrate Nav1.x channel genes plus Nax. A close kinship between Nav2 and Nav1 homologs is evident in the sharing of most (twenty) intron splice junctions. Different metazoan groups have lost their Nav1 channel genes altogether, while vertebrates rapidly expanded their gene numbers. The expansion in vertebrate Nav1 channel genes fills unique functional niches and generates overlapping properties contributing to redundancies. Specific nervous system adaptations include cytoplasmic linkers with phosphorylation sites and tethered elements to protein assemblies in First Initial Segments and nodes of Ranvier. Analogous accessory beta subunit appeared alongside Nav1 channels within different animal sub-phyla. Nav1 channels contribute to pace-making as persistent or resurgent currents, the former which is widespread across animals, while the latter is a likely vertebrate adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Fux
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Amrit Mehta
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Jack Moffat
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - J David Spafford
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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29
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Gamal El-Din TM, Lenaeus MJ, Catterall WA. Structural and Functional Analysis of Sodium Channels Viewed from an Evolutionary Perspective. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018; 246:53-72. [PMID: 29043505 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate and propagate action potentials in excitable cells. They respond to membrane depolarization through opening, followed by fast inactivation that terminates the sodium current. This ON-OFF behavior of voltage-gated sodium channels underlays the coding of information and its transmission from one location in the nervous system to another. In this review, we explore and compare structural and functional data from prokaryotic and eukaryotic channels to infer the effects of evolution on sodium channel structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer M Gamal El-Din
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-7280, USA.
| | - Michael J Lenaeus
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-7280, USA
| | - William A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-7280, USA
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30
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Turnaturi R, Montenegro L, Marrazzo A, Parenti R, Pasquinucci L, Parenti C. Benzomorphan skeleton, a versatile scaffold for different targets: A comprehensive review. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 155:492-502. [PMID: 29908442 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the fact that the benzomorphan skeleton has mainly been employed in medicinal chemistry for the development of opioid analgesics, it is a versatile structure. Its stereochemistry, as well as opportune modifications at the phenolic hydroxyl group and at the basic nitrogen, play a pivotal role addressing the benzomorphan-based compounds to a specific target. In this review, we describe the structure activity-relationships (SARs) of benzomorphan-based compounds acting at sigma 1 receptor (σ1R), sigma 2 receptor (σ2R), voltage-dependent sodium channel, N-Methyl-d-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor-channel complex and other targets. Collectively, the SARs data have highlighted that the benzomorphan nucleus could be regarded as a useful template for the synthesis of drug candidates for different targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Turnaturi
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95100, Catania, Italy.
| | - Lucia Montenegro
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technology Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95100, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosalba Parenti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Physiology Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Lorella Pasquinucci
- Department of Drug Sciences, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95100, Catania, Italy
| | - Carmela Parenti
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95100, Catania, Italy
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31
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Krishnan V, Park SA, Shin SS, Alon L, Tressler CM, Stokes W, Banerjee J, Sorrell ME, Tian Y, Fridman GY, Celnik P, Pevsner J, Guggino WB, Gilad AA, Pelled G. Wireless control of cellular function by activation of a novel protein responsive to electromagnetic fields. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8764. [PMID: 29884813 PMCID: PMC5993716 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27087-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Kryptopterus bicirrhis (glass catfish) is known to respond to electromagnetic fields (EMF). Here we tested its avoidance behavior in response to static and alternating magnetic fields stimulation. Using expression cloning we identified an electromagnetic perceptive gene (EPG) from the K. bicirrhis encoding a protein that responds to EMF. This EPG gene was cloned and expressed in mammalian cells, neuronal cultures and in rat’s brain. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of EPG is confined to the mammalian cell membrane. Calcium imaging in mammalian cells and cultured neurons expressing EPG demonstrated that remote activation by EMF significantly increases intracellular calcium concentrations, indicative of cellular excitability. Moreover, wireless magnetic activation of EPG in rat motor cortex induced motor evoked responses of the contralateral forelimb in vivo. Here we report on the development of a new technology for remote, non-invasive modulation of cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijai Krishnan
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA.,The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA
| | - Sarah A Park
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Samuel S Shin
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Lina Alon
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Caitlin M Tressler
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - William Stokes
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Jineta Banerjee
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Mary E Sorrell
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Yuemin Tian
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Gene Y Fridman
- Department of Otolaryngology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Pablo Celnik
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, USA
| | - Jonathan Pevsner
- Department of Neurology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - William B Guggino
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Assaf A Gilad
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA. .,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA. .,Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA. .,The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA. .,Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA.
| | - Galit Pelled
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA. .,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA. .,The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA. .,Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA.
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32
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Körner J, Meents J, Machtens J, Lampert A. β1 subunit stabilises sodium channel Nav1.7 against mechanical stress. J Physiol 2018; 596:2433-2445. [PMID: 29659026 PMCID: PMC6002208 DOI: 10.1113/jp275905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 is a key player in neuronal excitability and pain signalling. In addition to voltage sensing, the channel is also modulated by mechanical stress. Using whole-cell patch-clamp experiments, we discovered that the sodium channel subunit β1 is able to prevent the impact of mechanical stress on Nav1.7. An intramolecular disulfide bond of β1 was identified to be essential for stabilisation of inactivation, but not activation, against mechanical stress using molecular dynamics simulations, homology modelling and site-directed mutagenesis. Our results highlight the role of segment 6 of domain IV in fast inactivation. We present a candidate mechanism for sodium channel stabilisation against mechanical stress, ensuring reliable channel functionality in living systems. ABSTRACT Voltage-gated sodium channels are key players in neuronal excitability and pain signalling. Precise gating of these channels is crucial as even small functional alterations can lead to pathological phenotypes such as pain or heart failure. Mechanical stress has been shown to affect sodium channel activation and inactivation. This suggests that stabilising components are necessary to ensure precise channel gating in living organisms. Here, we show that mechanical shear stress affects voltage dependence of activation and fast inactivation of the Nav1.7 channel. Co-expression of the β1 subunit, however, protects both gating modes of Nav1.7 against mechanical shear stress. Using molecular dynamics simulation, homology modelling and site-directed mutagenesis, we identify an intramolecular disulfide bond of β1 (Cys21-Cys43) which is partially involved in this process: the β1-C43A mutant prevents mechanical modulation of voltage dependence of activation, but not of fast inactivation. Our data emphasise the unique role of segment 6 of domain IV for sodium channel fast inactivation and confirm previous reports that the intracellular process of fast inactivation can be modified by interfering with the extracellular end of segment 6 of domain IV. Thus, our data suggest that physiological gating of Nav1.7 may be protected against mechanical stress in a living organism by assembly with the β1 subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannis Körner
- Institute of PhysiologyRWTH Aachen UniversityPauwelsstrasse 30Aachen52074Germany
- Institute of Complex Systems, Zelluläre Biophysik (ICS‐4) and JARA‐HPCForschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
| | - Jannis Meents
- Institute of PhysiologyRWTH Aachen UniversityPauwelsstrasse 30Aachen52074Germany
| | - Jan‐Philipp Machtens
- Institute of Complex Systems, Zelluläre Biophysik (ICS‐4) and JARA‐HPCForschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
| | - Angelika Lampert
- Institute of PhysiologyRWTH Aachen UniversityPauwelsstrasse 30Aachen52074Germany
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33
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Molinarolo S, Lee S, Leisle L, Lueck JD, Granata D, Carnevale V, Ahern CA. Cross-kingdom auxiliary subunit modulation of a voltage-gated sodium channel. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:4981-4992. [PMID: 29371400 PMCID: PMC5892571 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated, sodium ion-selective channels (NaV) generate electrical signals contributing to the upstroke of the action potential in animals. NaVs are also found in bacteria and are members of a larger family of tetrameric voltage-gated channels that includes CaVs, KVs, and NaVs. Prokaryotic NaVs likely emerged from a homotetrameric Ca2+-selective voltage-gated progenerator, and later developed Na+ selectivity independently. The NaV signaling complex in eukaryotes contains auxiliary proteins, termed beta (β) subunits, which are potent modulators of the expression profiles and voltage-gated properties of the NaV pore, but it is unknown whether they can functionally interact with prokaryotic NaV channels. Herein, we report that the eukaryotic NaVβ1-subunit isoform interacts with and enhances the surface expression as well as the voltage-dependent gating properties of the bacterial NaV, NaChBac in Xenopus oocytes. A phylogenetic analysis of the β-subunit gene family proteins confirms that these proteins appeared roughly 420 million years ago and that they have no clear homologues in bacterial phyla. However, a comparison between eukaryotic and bacterial NaV structures highlighted the presence of a conserved fold, which could support interactions with the β-subunit. Our electrophysiological, biochemical, structural, and bioinformatics results suggests that the prerequisites for β-subunit regulation are an evolutionarily stable and intrinsic property of some voltage-gated channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Molinarolo
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Sora Lee
- the Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, and
| | - Lilia Leisle
- the Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, and
| | - John D Lueck
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Daniele Granata
- the Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- the Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
| | - Christopher A Ahern
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242,
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Dai Z, Chu H, Ma J, Yan Y, Zhang X, Liang Y. The Regulatory Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential of MicroRNAs: From Chronic Pain to Morphine Tolerance. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:80. [PMID: 29615865 PMCID: PMC5864932 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain, including cancer-related pain, is a pain condition often caused by inflammation or dysfunctional nerves. Chronic pain treatment poses a significant health care challenge, where opioids especially morphine are widely used and patients often develop tolerance over time with aggravated pain. microRNA (miRNA) is known to play important roles in regulating gene expressions in the nervous system to affect neuronal network plasticity related to algogenesis and the developing of morphine tolerance. In this article, we reviewed studies conducted in rodent animal models investigating the mechanisms of miRNAs regulation in chronic pain with different phenotypes and morphine tolerance. In addition, the potential of targeting miRNAs for chronic pain and morphine tolerance treatment is also reviewed. Finally, we point out the directions of the future research in chronic pain and morphine tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Dai
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haichen Chu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiahai Ma
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ying Yan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xueying Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yongxin Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Mangold KE, Brumback BD, Angsutararux P, Voelker TL, Zhu W, Kang PW, Moreno JD, Silva JR. Mechanisms and models of cardiac sodium channel inactivation. Channels (Austin) 2017; 11:517-533. [PMID: 28837385 PMCID: PMC5786193 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2017.1369637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Shortly after cardiac Na+ channels activate and initiate the action potential, inactivation ensues within milliseconds, attenuating the peak Na+ current, INa, and allowing the cell membrane to repolarize. A very limited number of Na+ channels that do not inactivate carry a persistent INa, or late INa. While late INa is only a small fraction of peak magnitude, it significantly prolongs ventricular action potential duration, which predisposes patients to arrhythmia. Here, we review our current understanding of inactivation mechanisms, their regulation, and how they have been modeled computationally. Based on this body of work, we conclude that inactivation and its connection to late INa would be best modeled with a "feet-on-the-door" approach where multiple channel components participate in determining inactivation and late INa. This model reflects experimental findings showing that perturbation of many channel locations can destabilize inactivation and cause pathological late INa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Mangold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Brittany D. Brumback
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Paweorn Angsutararux
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Taylor L. Voelker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Wandi Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Po Wei Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jonathan D. Moreno
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jonathan R. Silva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Hull JM, Isom LL. Voltage-gated sodium channel β subunits: The power outside the pore in brain development and disease. Neuropharmacology 2017; 132:43-57. [PMID: 28927993 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage gated sodium channels (VGSCs) were first identified in terms of their role in the upstroke of the action potential. The underlying proteins were later identified as saxitoxin and scorpion toxin receptors consisting of α and β subunits. We now know that VGSCs are heterotrimeric complexes consisting of a single pore forming α subunit joined by two β subunits; a noncovalently linked β1 or β3 and a covalently linked β2 or β4 subunit. VGSC α subunits contain all the machinery necessary for channel cell surface expression, ion conduction, voltage sensing, gating, and inactivation, in one central, polytopic, transmembrane protein. VGSC β subunits are more than simple accessories to α subunits. In the more than two decades since the original cloning of β1, our knowledge of their roles in physiology and pathophysiology has expanded immensely. VGSC β subunits are multifunctional. They confer unique gating mechanisms, regulate cellular excitability, affect brain development, confer distinct channel pharmacology, and have functions that are independent of the α subunits. The vast array of functions of these proteins stems from their special station in the channelome: being the only known constituents that are cell adhesion and intra/extracellular signaling molecules in addition to being part of channel complexes. This functional trifecta and how it goes awry demonstrates the power outside the pore in ion channel signaling complexes, broadening the term channelopathy beyond defects in ion conduction. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Channelopathies.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Hull
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Lori L Isom
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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37
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Sodium Channel β2 Subunits Prevent Action Potential Propagation Failures at Axonal Branch Points. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9519-9533. [PMID: 28871036 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0891-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter release depends on voltage-gated Na+ channels (Navs) to propagate an action potential (AP) successfully from the axon hillock to a synaptic terminal. Unmyelinated sections of axon are very diverse structures encompassing branch points and numerous presynaptic terminals with undefined molecular partners of Na+ channels. Using optical recordings of Ca2+ and membrane voltage, we demonstrate here that Na+ channel β2 subunits (Navβ2s) are required to prevent AP propagation failures across the axonal arborization of cultured rat hippocampal neurons (mixed male and female). When Navβ2 expression was reduced, we identified two specific phenotypes: (1) membrane excitability and AP-evoked Ca2+ entry were impaired at synapses and (2) AP propagation was severely compromised with >40% of axonal branches no longer responding to AP-stimulation. We went on to show that a great deal of electrical signaling heterogeneity exists in AP waveforms across the axonal arborization independent of axon morphology. Therefore, Navβ2 is a critical regulator of axonal excitability and synaptic function in unmyelinated axons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels are fulcrums of neurotransmission that convert electrical inputs into chemical outputs in the form of vesicle fusion at synaptic terminals. However, the role of the electrical signal, the presynaptic action potential (AP), in modulating synaptic transmission is less clear. What is the fidelity of a propagating AP waveform in the axon and what molecules shape it throughout the axonal arborization? Our work identifies several new features of AP propagation in unmyelinated axons: (1) branches of a single axonal arborization have variable AP waveforms independent of morphology, (2) Na+ channel β2 subunits modulate AP-evoked Ca2+-influx, and (3) β2 subunits maintain successful AP propagation across the axonal arbor. These findings are relevant to understanding the flow of excitation in the brain.
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Catterall WA. Forty Years of Sodium Channels: Structure, Function, Pharmacology, and Epilepsy. Neurochem Res 2017; 42:2495-2504. [PMID: 28589518 PMCID: PMC5693772 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-017-2314-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate action potentials in brain neurons. In the 1970s, much was known about the function of sodium channels from measurements of ionic currents using the voltage clamp method, but there was no information about the sodium channel molecules themselves. As a postdoctoral fellow and staff scientist at the National Institutes of Health, I developed neurotoxins as molecular probes of sodium channels in cultured neuroblastoma cells. During those years, Bruce Ransom and I crossed paths as members of the laboratories of Marshall Nirenberg and Philip Nelson and shared insights about sodium channels in neuroblastoma cells from my work and electrical excitability and synaptic transmission in cultured spinal cord neurons from Bruce's pioneering electrophysiological studies. When I established my laboratory at the University of Washington in 1977, my colleagues and I used those neurotoxins to identify the protein subunits of sodium channels, purify them, and reconstitute their ion conductance activity in pure form. Subsequent studies identified the molecular basis for the main functions of sodium channels-voltage-dependent activation, rapid and selective ion conductance, and fast inactivation. Bruce Ransom and I re-connected in the 1990s, as ski buddies at the Winter Conference on Brain Research and as faculty colleagues at the University of Washington when Bruce became our founding Chair of Neurology and provided visionary leadership of that department. In the past decade my work on sodium channels has evolved into structural biology. Molecular modeling and X-ray crystallographic studies have given new views of sodium channel function at atomic resolution. Sodium channels are also the molecular targets for genetic diseases, including Dravet Syndrome, an intractable pediatric epilepsy disorder with major co-morbidities of cognitive deficit, autistic-like behaviors, and premature death that is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the brain sodium channel NaV1.1. Our work on a mouse genetic model of this disease has shown that its multi-faceted pathophysiology and co-morbidities derive from selective loss of electrical excitability and action potential firing in GABAergic inhibitory neurons, which disinhibits neural circuits throughout the brain and leads directly to the epilepsy, premature death and complex co-morbidities of this disease. It has been rewarding for me to use our developing knowledge of sodium channels to help understand the pathophysiology and to suggest potential therapeutic approaches for this devastating childhood disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-7280, USA.
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Zhu W, Voelker TL, Varga Z, Schubert AR, Nerbonne JM, Silva JR. Mechanisms of noncovalent β subunit regulation of Na V channel gating. J Gen Physiol 2017; 149:813-831. [PMID: 28720590 PMCID: PMC5560778 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated NaV channels are modulated by two different noncovalent accessory subunits: β1 and β3. Zhu et al. present data showing that β1 and β3 cause distinct effects on channel gating because they interact with NaV channels at different locations. β3 regulates the voltage sensor in domain III, whereas β1 regulates the one in domain IV. Voltage-gated Na+ (NaV) channels comprise a macromolecular complex whose components tailor channel function. Key components are the non-covalently bound β1 and β3 subunits that regulate channel gating, expression, and pharmacology. Here, we probe the molecular basis of this regulation by applying voltage clamp fluorometry to measure how the β subunits affect the conformational dynamics of the cardiac NaV channel (NaV1.5) voltage-sensing domains (VSDs). The pore-forming NaV1.5 α subunit contains four domains (DI–DIV), each with a VSD. Our results show that β1 regulates NaV1.5 by modulating the DIV-VSD, whereas β3 alters channel kinetics mainly through DIII-VSD interaction. Introduction of a quenching tryptophan into the extracellular region of the β3 transmembrane segment inverted the DIII-VSD fluorescence. Additionally, a fluorophore tethered to β3 at the same position produced voltage-dependent fluorescence dynamics strongly resembling those of the DIII-VSD. Together, these results provide compelling evidence that β3 binds proximally to the DIII-VSD. Molecular-level differences in β1 and β3 interaction with the α subunit lead to distinct activation and inactivation recovery kinetics, significantly affecting NaV channel regulation of cell excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wandi Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Taylor L Voelker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Zoltan Varga
- MTA-DE-NAP B Ion Channel Structure-Function Research Group, RCMM, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Angela R Schubert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jeanne M Nerbonne
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.,Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jonathan R Silva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
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Yan Z, Zhou Q, Wang L, Wu J, Zhao Y, Huang G, Peng W, Shen H, Lei J, Yan N. Structure of the Na v1.4-β1 Complex from Electric Eel. Cell 2017; 170:470-482.e11. [PMID: 28735751 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels initiate and propagate action potentials. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of EeNav1.4, the Nav channel from electric eel, in complex with the β1 subunit at 4.0 Å resolution. The immunoglobulin domain of β1 docks onto the extracellular L5I and L6IV loops of EeNav1.4 via extensive polar interactions, and the single transmembrane helix interacts with the third voltage-sensing domain (VSDIII). The VSDs exhibit "up" conformations, while the intracellular gate of the pore domain is kept open by a digitonin-like molecule. Structural comparison with closed NavPaS shows that the outward transfer of gating charges is coupled to the iris-like pore domain dilation through intricate force transmissions involving multiple channel segments. The IFM fast inactivation motif on the III-IV linker is plugged into the corner enclosed by the outer S4-S5 and inner S6 segments in repeats III and IV, suggesting a potential allosteric blocking mechanism for fast inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanyu Zhao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Gaoxingyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Peng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Huaizong Shen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianlin Lei
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Technology Center for Protein Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Nieng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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41
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Dulsat G, Palomeras S, Cortada E, Riuró H, Brugada R, Vergés M. Trafficking and localisation to the plasma membrane of Nav1.5 promoted by the β2 subunit is defective due to a β2 mutation associated with Brugada syndrome. Biol Cell 2017; 109:273-291. [DOI: 10.1111/boc.201600085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Dulsat
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI); Salt Girona 17190 Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV); ISCIII Madrid 28029 Spain
| | - Sonia Palomeras
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI); Salt Girona 17190 Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV); ISCIII Madrid 28029 Spain
| | - Eric Cortada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI); Salt Girona 17190 Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV); ISCIII Madrid 28029 Spain
| | - Helena Riuró
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI); Salt Girona 17190 Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV); ISCIII Madrid 28029 Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI); Salt Girona 17190 Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV); ISCIII Madrid 28029 Spain
- Medical Sciences Department; University of Girona Medical School; Girona 17003 Spain
| | - Marcel Vergés
- Cardiovascular Genetics Group; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI); Salt Girona 17190 Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV); ISCIII Madrid 28029 Spain
- Medical Sciences Department; University of Girona Medical School; Girona 17003 Spain
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β1-C121W Is Down But Not Out: Epilepsy-Associated Scn1b-C121W Results in a Deleterious Gain-of-Function. J Neurosci 2017; 36:6213-24. [PMID: 27277800 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0405-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) β subunits signal through multiple pathways on multiple time scales. In addition to modulating sodium and potassium currents, β subunits play nonconducting roles as cell adhesion molecules, which allow them to function in cell-cell communication, neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, neuronal pathfinding, and axonal fasciculation. Mutations in SCN1B, encoding VGSC β1 and β1B, are associated with epilepsy. Autosomal-dominant SCN1B-C121W, the first epilepsy-associated VGSC mutation identified, results in genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+). This mutation has been shown to disrupt both the sodium-current-modulatory and cell-adhesive functions of β1 subunits expressed in heterologous systems. The goal of this study was to compare mice heterozygous for Scn1b-C121W (Scn1b(+/W)) with mice heterozygous for the Scn1b-null allele (Scn1b(+/-)) to determine whether the C121W mutation results in loss-of-function in vivo We found that Scn1b(+/W) mice were more susceptible than Scn1b(+/-) and Scn1b(+/+) mice to hyperthermia-induced convulsions, a model of pediatric febrile seizures. β1-C121W subunits are expressed at the neuronal cell surface in vivo However, despite this, β1-C121W polypeptides are incompletely glycosylated and do not associate with VGSC α subunits in the brain. β1-C121W subcellular localization is restricted to neuronal cell bodies and is not detected at axon initial segments in the cortex or cerebellum or at optic nerve nodes of Ranvier of Scn1b(W/W) mice. These data, together with our previous results showing that β1-C121W cannot participate in trans-homophilic cell adhesion, lead to the hypothesis that SCN1B-C121W confers a deleterious gain-of-function in human GEFS+ patients. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mechanisms underlying genetic epilepsy syndromes are poorly understood. Closing this gap in knowledge is essential to the development of new medicines to treat epilepsy. We have used mouse models to understand the mechanism of a mutation in the sodium channel gene SCN1B linked to genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus. We report that sodium channel β1 subunit proteins encoded by this mutant gene are expressed at the surface of neuronal cell bodies; however, they do not associate with the ion channel complex nor are they transported to areas of the axon that are critical for proper neuronal firing. We conclude that this disease-causing mutation is not simply a loss-of-function, but instead results in a deleterious gain-of-function in the brain.
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43
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Zostawa J, Adamczyk J, Sowa P, Adamczyk-Sowa M. The influence of sodium on pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis. Neurol Sci 2017; 38:389-398. [PMID: 28078565 PMCID: PMC5331099 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-016-2802-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, and is an important cause of disability in young adults. In genetically susceptible individuals, several environmental factors may play a partial role in the pathogenesis of MS. Some studies suggests that high-salt diet (>5 g/day) may contribute to the MS and other autoimmune disease development through the induction of pathogenic Th17 cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines in both humans and mice. However, the precise mechanisms of pro-inflammatory effect of sodium chloride intake are not yet explained. The purpose of this review was to discuss the present state of knowledge on the potential role of environmental and dietary factors, particularly sodium chloride on the development and course of MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Zostawa
- Department of Neurology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland
| | - Jowita Adamczyk
- Department of Neurology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland.
| | - Paweł Sowa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Oncological Laryngology, Medical University of Silesia, ul. C. Skłodowskiej 10, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland
| | - Monika Adamczyk-Sowa
- Department of Neurology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800, Zabrze, Poland
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44
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Aromolaran AS, Chahine M, Boutjdir M. Regulation of Cardiac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel by Kinases: Roles of Protein Kinases A and C. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 246:161-184. [PMID: 29032483 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In the heart, voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel (Nav1.5) is defined by its pore-forming α-subunit and its auxiliary β-subunits, both of which are important for its critical contribution to the initiation and maintenance of the cardiac action potential (AP) that underlie normal heart rhythm. The physiological relevance of Nav1.5 is further marked by the fact that inherited or congenital mutations in Nav1.5 channel gene SCN5A lead to altered functional expression (including expression, trafficking, and current density), and are generally manifested in the form of distinct cardiac arrhythmic events, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, migraine, and neuromuscular disorders. However, despite significant advances in defining the pathophysiology of Nav1.5, the molecular mechanisms that underlie its regulation and contribution to cardiac disorders are poorly understood. It is rapidly becoming evident that the functional expression (localization, trafficking and gating) of Nav1.5 may be under modulation by post-translational modifications that are associated with phosphorylation. We review here the molecular basis of cardiac Na channel regulation by kinases (PKA and PKC) and the resulting functional consequences. Specifically, we discuss: (1) recent literature on the structural, molecular, and functional properties of cardiac Nav1.5 channels; (2) how these properties may be altered by phosphorylation in disease states underlain by congenital mutations in Nav1.5 channel and/or subunits such as long QT and Brugada syndromes. Our expectation is that understanding the roles of these distinct and complex phosphorylation processes on the functional expression of Nav1.5 is likely to provide crucial mechanistic insights into Na channel associated arrhythmogenic events and will facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ademuyiwa S Aromolaran
- Cardiovascular Research Program, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Departments of Medicine, Cell Biology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Mohamed Chahine
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Mohamed Boutjdir
- Cardiovascular Research Program, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
- Departments of Medicine, Cell Biology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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45
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Molinarolo S, Granata D, Carnevale V, Ahern CA. Mining Protein Evolution for Insights into Mechanisms of Voltage-Dependent Sodium Channel Auxiliary Subunits. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 246:33-49. [PMID: 29464397 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) beta (β) subunits have been called the "overachieving" auxiliary ion channel subunit. Indeed, these subunits regulate the trafficking of the sodium channel complex at the plasma membrane and simultaneously tune the voltage-dependent properties of the pore-forming alpha-subunit. It is now known that VGSC β-subunits are capable of similar modulation of multiple isoforms of related voltage-gated potassium channels, suggesting that their abilities extend into the broader voltage-gated channels. The gene family for these single transmembrane immunoglobulin beta-fold proteins extends well beyond the traditional VGSC β1-β4 subunit designation, with deep roots into the cell adhesion protein family and myelin-related proteins - where inherited mutations result in a myriad of electrical signaling disorders. Yet, very little is known about how VGSC β-subunits support protein trafficking pathways, the basis for their modulation of voltage-dependent gating, and, ultimately, their role in shaping neuronal excitability. An evolutionary approach can be useful in yielding new clues to such functions as it provides an unbiased assessment of protein residues, folds, and functions. An approach is described here which indicates the greater emergence of the modern β-subunits roughly 400 million years ago in the early neurons of Bilateria and bony fish, and the unexpected presence of distant homologues in bacteriophages. Recent structural breakthroughs containing α and β eukaryotic sodium channels containing subunits suggest a novel role for a highly conserved polar contact that occurs within the transmembrane segments. Overall, a mixture of approaches will ultimately advance our understanding of the mechanism for β-subunit interactions with voltage-sensor containing ion channels and membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Molinarolo
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Daniele Granata
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Christopher A Ahern
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels are protein complexes comprised of one pore forming α subunit and two, non-pore forming, β subunits. The voltage-gated sodium channel β subunits were originally identified to function as auxiliary subunits, which modulate the gating, kinetics, and localization of the ion channel pore. Since that time, the five β subunits have been shown to play crucial roles as multifunctional signaling molecules involved in cell adhesion, cell migration, neuronal pathfinding, fasciculation, and neurite outgrowth. Here, we provide an overview of the evidence implicating the β subunits in their conducting and non-conducting roles. Mutations in the β subunit genes (SCN1B-SCN4B) have been linked to a variety of diseases. These include cancer, epilepsy, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden infant death syndrome/sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and multiple neurodegenerative disorders. β subunits thus provide novel therapeutic targets for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Bouza
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, 2200 MSRBIII, 1150 W. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA
| | - Lori L Isom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, 2301 MSRB III, 1150 W. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5632, USA.
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Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias can follow disruption of the normal cellular electrophysiological processes underlying excitable activity and their tissue propagation as coherent wavefronts from the primary sinoatrial node pacemaker, through the atria, conducting structures and ventricular myocardium. These physiological events are driven by interacting, voltage-dependent, processes of activation, inactivation, and recovery in the ion channels present in cardiomyocyte membranes. Generation and conduction of these events are further modulated by intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and metabolic and structural change. This review describes experimental studies on murine models for known clinical arrhythmic conditions in which these mechanisms were modified by genetic, physiological, or pharmacological manipulation. These exemplars yielded molecular, physiological, and structural phenotypes often directly translatable to their corresponding clinical conditions, which could be investigated at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and whole animal levels. Arrhythmogenesis could be explored during normal pacing activity, regular stimulation, following imposed extra-stimuli, or during progressively incremented steady pacing frequencies. Arrhythmic substrate was identified with temporal and spatial functional heterogeneities predisposing to reentrant excitation phenomena. These could arise from abnormalities in cardiac pacing function, tissue electrical connectivity, and cellular excitation and recovery. Triggering events during or following recovery from action potential excitation could thereby lead to sustained arrhythmia. These surface membrane processes were modified by alterations in cellular Ca2+ homeostasis and energetics, as well as cellular and tissue structural change. Study of murine systems thus offers major insights into both our understanding of normal cardiac activity and its propagation, and their relationship to mechanisms generating clinical arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L-H Huang
- Physiological Laboratory and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Ching B, Woo JM, Hiong KC, Boo MV, Wong WP, Chew SF, Ip YK. Voltage-Gated Na+ Channel Isoforms and Their mRNA Expression Levels and Protein Abundance in Three Electric Organs and the Skeletal Muscle of the Electric Eel Electrophorus electricus. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167589. [PMID: 27907137 PMCID: PMC5132174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to obtain the coding cDNA sequences of voltage-gated Na+ channel (scn) α-subunit (scna) and β-subunit (scnb) isoforms from, and to quantify their transcript levels in, the main electric organ (EO), Hunter's EO, Sach's EO and the skeletal muscle (SM) of the electric eel, Electrophorus electricus, which can generate both high and low voltage electric organ discharges (EODs). The full coding sequences of two scna (scn4aa and scn4ab) and three scnb (scn1b, scn2b and scn4b) were identified for the first time (except scn4aa) in E. electricus. In adult fish, the scn4aa transcript level was the highest in the main EO and the lowest in the Sach's EO, indicating that it might play an important role in generating high voltage EODs. For scn4ab/Scn4ab, the transcript and protein levels were unexpectedly high in the EOs, with expression levels in the main EO and the Hunter's EO comparable to those of scn4aa. As the key domains affecting the properties of the channel were mostly conserved between Scn4aa and Scn4ab, Scn4ab might play a role in electrogenesis. Concerning scnb, the transcript level of scn4b was much higher than those of scn1b and scn2b in the EOs and the SM. While the transcript level of scn4b was the highest in the main EO, protein abundance of Scn4b was the highest in the SM. Taken together, it is unlikely that Scna could function independently to generate EODs in the EOs as previously suggested. It is probable that different combinations of Scn4aa/Scn4ab and various Scnb isoforms in the three EOs account for the differences in EODs produced in E. electricus. In general, the transcript levels of various scn isoforms in the EOs and the SM were much higher in adult than in juvenile, and the three EOs of the juvenile fish could be functionally indistinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biyun Ching
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jia M. Woo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
| | - Kum C. Hiong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
| | - Mel V. Boo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
| | - Wai P. Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shit F. Chew
- Natural Sciences and Science Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yuen K. Ip
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
- The Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Republic of Singapore
- * E-mail:
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Patel F, Brackenbury WJ. Dual roles of voltage-gated sodium channels in development and cancer. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 59:357-66. [PMID: 26009234 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.150171wb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated Na(+) channels (VGSCs) are heteromeric protein complexes containing pore-forming α subunits together with non-pore-forming β subunits. There are nine α subunits, Nav1.1-Nav1.9, and four β subunits, β1-β4. The β subunits are multifunctional, modulating channel activity, cell surface expression, and are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules. VGSCs are classically responsible for action potential initiation and conduction in electrically excitable cells, including neurons and muscle cells. In addition, through the β1 subunit, VGSCs regulate neurite outgrowth and pathfinding in the developing central nervous system. Reciprocal signalling through Nav1.6 and β1 collectively regulates Na(+) current, electrical excitability and neurite outgrowth in cerebellar granule neurons. Thus, α and β subunits may have diverse interacting roles dependent on cell/tissue type. VGSCs are also expressed in non-excitable cells, including cells derived from a number of types of cancer. In cancer cells, VGSC α and β subunits regulate cellular morphology, migration, invasion and metastasis. VGSC expression associates with poor prognosis in several studies. It is hypothesised that VGSCs are up-regulated in metastatic tumours, favouring an invasive phenotype. Thus, VGSCs may have utility as prognostic markers, and/or as novel therapeutic targets for reducing/preventing metastatic disease burden. VGSCs appear to regulate a number of key cellular processes, both during normal postnatal development of the CNS and during cancer metastasis, by a combination of conducting (i.e. via Na(+) current) and non-conducting mechanisms.
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Abstract
Ion channels have emerged as regulators of developmental processes. In model organisms and in people with mutations in ion channels, disruption of ion channel function can affect cell proliferation, cell migration, and craniofacial and limb patterning. Alterations of ion channel function affect morphogenesis in fish, frogs, mammals, and flies, demonstrating that ion channels have conserved roles in developmental processes. One model suggests that ion channels affect proliferation and migration through changes in cell volume. However, ion channels have not explicitly been placed in canonical developmental signaling cascades until recently. This review gives examples of ion channels that influence developmental processes, offers a potential underlying molecular mechanism involving bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, and finally explores exciting possibilities for manipulating ion channels to influence cell fate for regenerative medicine and to impact disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Bates
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045;
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