1
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Lopez-Medina AI, Campos-Staffico AM, A Chahal CA, Volkers I, Jacoby JP, Berenfeld O, Luzum JA. Genetic risk factors for drug-induced long QT syndrome: findings from a large real-world case-control study. Pharmacogenomics 2024; 25:117-131. [PMID: 38506312 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2023-0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: Drug-induced long QT syndrome (diLQTS), an adverse effect of many drugs, can lead to sudden cardiac death. Candidate genetic variants in cardiac ion channels have been associated with diLQTS, but several limitations of previous studies hamper clinical utility. Materials & methods: Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the associations of KCNE1-D85N, KCNE2-I57T and SCN5A-G615E with diLQTS in a large observational case-control study (6,083 self-reported white patients treated with 27 different high-risk QT-prolonging medications; 12.0% with diLQTS). Results: KCNE1-D85N significantly associated with diLQTS (adjusted odds ratio: 2.24 [95% CI: 1.35-3.58]; p = 0.001). Given low minor allele frequencies, the study had insufficient power to analyze KCNE2-I57T and SCN5A-G615E. Conclusion: KCNE1-D85N is a risk factor for diLQTS that should be considered in future clinical practice guidelines.
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Grants
- F32 HL162231, K08 HL146990, R01-HL156961, R21-EB032661, R21-HL153694, T32 TR004371 CSR NIH HHS
- F32 HL162231, K08 HL146990, R01-HL156961, R21-EB032661, R21-HL153694, T32 TR004371 CSR NIH HHS
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Lopez-Medina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Choudhary Anwar A Chahal
- Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases, WellSpan Health, Lancaster, PA, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Cardiology, Barts Heart Centre, London, UK
| | - Isabella Volkers
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Juliet P Jacoby
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Omer Berenfeld
- Center for Arrhythmia Research, Departments of Internal Medicine - Cardiology, Biomedical Engineering, & Applied Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jasmine A Luzum
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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2
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Szanto TG, Papp F, Zakany F, Varga Z, Deutsch C, Panyi G. Molecular rearrangements in S6 during slow inactivation in Shaker-IR potassium channels. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202313352. [PMID: 37212728 PMCID: PMC10202832 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313352] [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: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated K+ channels have distinct gates that regulate ion flux: the activation gate (A-gate) formed by the bundle crossing of the S6 transmembrane helices and the slow inactivation gate in the selectivity filter. These two gates are bidirectionally coupled. If coupling involves the rearrangement of the S6 transmembrane segment, then we predict state-dependent changes in the accessibility of S6 residues from the water-filled cavity of the channel with gating. To test this, we engineered cysteines, one at a time, at S6 positions A471, L472, and P473 in a T449A Shaker-IR background and determined the accessibility of these cysteines to cysteine-modifying reagents MTSET and MTSEA applied to the cytosolic surface of inside-out patches. We found that neither reagent modified either of the cysteines in the closed or the open state of the channels. On the contrary, A471C and P473C, but not L472C, were modified by MTSEA, but not by MTSET, if applied to inactivated channels with open A-gate (OI state). Our results, combined with earlier studies reporting reduced accessibility of residues I470C and V474C in the inactivated state, strongly suggest that the coupling between the A-gate and the slow inactivation gate is mediated by rearrangements in the S6 segment. The S6 rearrangements are consistent with a rigid rod-like rotation of S6 around its longitudinal axis upon inactivation. S6 rotation and changes in its environment are concomitant events in slow inactivation of Shaker KV channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor G. Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Papp
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Florina Zakany
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Varga
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Carol Deutsch
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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3
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Wu X, Gupta K, Swartz KJ. Mutations within the selectivity filter reveal that Kv1 channels have distinct propensities to slow inactivate. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:e202213222. [PMID: 36197416 PMCID: PMC9539455 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-activated potassium (Kv) channels open in response to membrane depolarization and subsequently inactivate through distinct mechanisms. For the model Shaker Kv channel from Drosophila, fast N-type inactivation is thought to occur by a mechanism involving blockade of the internal pore by the N-terminus, whereas slow C-type inactivation results from conformational changes in the ion selectivity filter in the external pore. Kv channel inactivation plays critical roles in shaping the action potential and regulating firing frequency, and has been implicated in a range of diseases including episodic ataxia and arrhythmias. Although structures of the closely related Shaker and Kv1.2 channels containing mutations that promote slow inactivation both support a mechanism involving dilation of the outer selectivity filter, mutations in the outer pores of these two Kv channels have been reported to have markedly distinct effects on slow inactivation, raising questions about the extent to which slow inactivation is related in both channels. In this study, we characterized the influence of a series of mutations within the external pore of Shaker and Kv1.2 channels and observed many distinct mutant phenotypes. We find that mutations at four positions near the selectivity filter promote inactivation less dramatically in Kv1.2 when compared to Shaker, and they identify one key variable position (T449 in Shaker and V381 in Kv1.2) underlying the different phenotypes in the two channels. Collectively, our results suggest that Kv1.2 is less prone to inactivate compared to Shaker, yet support a common mechanism of inactivation in the two channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosa Wu
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kanchan Gupta
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kenton J. Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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4
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Coonen L, Martinez-Morales E, Van De Sande DV, Snyders DJ, Cortes DM, Cuello LG, Labro AJ. The nonconducting W434F mutant adopts upon membrane depolarization an inactivated-like state that differs from wild-type Shaker-IR potassium channels. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn1731. [PMID: 36112676 PMCID: PMC9481120 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn1731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels mediate the flow of K+ across the cell membrane by regulating the conductive state of their activation gate (AG). Several Kv channels display slow C-type inactivation, a process whereby their selectivity filter (SF) becomes less or nonconductive. It has been proposed that, in the fast inactivation-removed Shaker-IR channel, the W434F mutation epitomizes the C-type inactivated state because it functionally accelerates this process. By introducing another pore mutation that prevents AG closure, P475D, we found a way to record ionic currents of the Shaker-IR-W434F-P475D mutant at hyperpolarized membrane potentials as the W434F-mutant SF recovers from its inactivated state. This W434F conductive state lost its high K+ over Na+ selectivity, and even NMDG+ can permeate, features not observed in a wild-type SF. This indicates that, at least during recovery from inactivation, the W434F-mutant SF transitions to a widened and noncationic specific conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Coonen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Evelyn Martinez-Morales
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dieter V. Van De Sande
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dirk J. Snyders
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - D. Marien Cortes
- Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Luis G. Cuello
- Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Alain J. Labro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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5
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Malik C, Ghosh S. A mutation in the S6 segment of the KvAP channel changes the secondary structure and alters ion channel activity in a lipid bilayer membrane. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1461-1475. [PMID: 35896819 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03188-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The peptide segment S6 is known to form the inner lining of the voltage-gated K+ channel KvAP (potassium channel of archaea-bacterium, Aeropyrum pernix). In our previous work, it has been demonstrated that S6 itself can form an ion channel on a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM). In the present work, the role of a specific amino acid sequence 'LIG' in determining the secondary structure of S6 has been investigated. For this purpose, 22-residue synthetic peptides named S6-Wild (S6W) and S6-Mutant (S6M) were used. Sequences of these peptides are similar except that the two amino acids isoleucine and glycine of the wild peptide interchanged in the mutant peptide. Channel forming capabilities of both the peptides were checked electro-physiologically on BLM composed of DPhPC and cholesterol. Bilayer electrophysiological experiments showed that the conductance of S6M is higher than that of S6W. Significant differences in the current versus voltage (I-V) plot, open probability, and gating characteristics were observed. Interestingly, two sub-types of channels, S6M Type 1 and Type 2, were identified in S6M differing in conductances and open probability patterns. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicated that the secondary structures of the two peptides are different in phosphatidyl choline/asolectin liposomes and 1% SDS detergent. Reduced helicity of S6M was also noticed in membrane mimetic liposomes and 1% SDS detergent micelles. These results are interpreted in view of the difference in hydrophobicity of the two amino acids, isoleucine and glycine. It is concluded that the 'LIG' stretch regulates the structure and pore-forming ability of the S6 peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetan Malik
- Department of Biophysics, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Subhendu Ghosh
- Department of Biophysics, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi, 110021, India.
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6
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Lopez-Medina AI, Chahal CAA, Luzum JA. The genetics of drug-induced QT prolongation: evaluating the evidence for pharmacodynamic variants. Pharmacogenomics 2022; 23:543-557. [PMID: 35698903 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2022-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-induced long QT syndrome (diLQTS) is an adverse effect of many commonly prescribed drugs, and it can increase the risk for lethal ventricular arrhythmias. Genetic variants in pharmacodynamic genes have been associated with diLQTS, but the strength of the evidence for each of those variants has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to evaluate the strength of the evidence for pharmacodynamic genetic variants associated with diLQTS using a novel, semiquantitative scoring system modified from the approach used for congenital LQTS. KCNE1-D85N and KCNE2-T8A had definitive and strong evidence for diLQTS, respectively. The high level of evidence for these variants supports current consideration as risk factors for patients that will be prescribed a QT-prolonging drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Lopez-Medina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Choudhary Anwar A Chahal
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Barts Heart Centre, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 7BE, UK.,WellSpan Health, Lancaster, PA 17607, USA
| | - Jasmine A Luzum
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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7
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Jin R, He S, Black KA, Clarke OB, Wu D, Bolla JR, Johnson P, Periasamy A, Wardak A, Czabotar P, Colman PM, Robinson CV, Laver D, Smith BJ, Gulbis JM. Ion currents through Kir potassium channels are gated by anionic lipids. Nat Commun 2022; 13:490. [PMID: 35079013 PMCID: PMC8789855 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28148-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractIon currents through potassium channels are gated. Constriction of the ion conduction pathway at the inner helix bundle, the textbook gate of Kir potassium channels, has been shown to be an ineffective permeation control, creating a rift in our understanding of how these channels are gated. Here we present evidence that anionic lipids act as interactive response elements sufficient to gate potassium conduction. We demonstrate the limiting barrier to K+ permeation lies within the ion conduction pathway and show that this gate is operated by the fatty acyl tails of lipids that infiltrate the conduction pathway via fenestrations in the walls of the pore. Acyl tails occupying a surface groove extending from the cytosolic interface to the conduction pathway provide a potential means of relaying cellular signals, mediated by anionic lipid head groups bound at the canonical lipid binding site, to the internal gate.
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8
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Szanto TG, Gaal S, Karbat I, Varga Z, Reuveny E, Panyi G. Shaker-IR K+ channel gating in heavy water: Role of structural water molecules in inactivation. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212166. [PMID: 34014250 PMCID: PMC8148028 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been reported earlier that the slow (C-type) inactivated conformation in Kv channels is stabilized by a multipoint hydrogen-bond network behind the selectivity filter. Furthermore, MD simulations revealed that structural water molecules are also involved in the formation of this network locking the selectivity filter in its inactive conformation. We found that the application of an extracellular, but not intracellular, solution based on heavy water (D2O) dramatically slowed entry into the slow inactivated state in Shaker-IR mutants (T449A, T449A/I470A, and T449K/I470C, displaying a wide range of inactivation kinetics), consistent with the proposed effect of the dynamics of structural water molecules on the conformational stability of the selectivity filter. Alternative hypotheses capable of explaining the observed effects of D2O were examined. Increased viscosity of the external solution mimicked by the addition of glycerol had a negligible effect on the rate of inactivation. In addition, the inactivation time constants of K+ currents in the outward and the inward directions in asymmetric solutions were not affected by a H2O/D2O exchange, negating an indirect effect of D2O on the rate of K+ rehydration. The elimination of the nonspecific effects of D2O on our macroscopic current measurements supports the hypothesis that the rate of structural water exchange at the region behind the selectivity filter determines the rate of slow inactivation, as proposed by molecular modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor G Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Gaal
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Izhar Karbat
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Zoltan Varga
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Eitan Reuveny
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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9
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Toplak Ž, Hendrickx LA, Abdelaziz R, Shi X, Peigneur S, Tomašič T, Tytgat J, Peterlin-Mašič L, Pardo LA. Overcoming challenges of HERG potassium channel liability through rational design: Eag1 inhibitors for cancer treatment. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:183-226. [PMID: 33945158 DOI: 10.1002/med.21808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Two decades of research have proven the relevance of ion channel expression for tumor progression in virtually every indication, and it has become clear that inhibition of specific ion channels will eventually become part of the oncology therapeutic arsenal. However, ion channels play relevant roles in all aspects of physiology, and specificity for the tumor tissue remains a challenge to avoid undesired effects. Eag1 (KV 10.1) is a voltage-gated potassium channel whose expression is very restricted in healthy tissues outside of the brain, while it is overexpressed in 70% of human tumors. Inhibition of Eag1 reduces tumor growth, but the search for potent inhibitors for tumor therapy suffers from the structural similarities with the cardiac HERG channel, a major off-target. Existing inhibitors show low specificity between the two channels, and screenings for Eag1 binders are prone to enrichment in compounds that also bind HERG. Rational drug design requires knowledge of the structure of the target and the understanding of structure-function relationships. Recent studies have shown subtle structural differences between Eag1 and HERG channels with profound functional impact. Thus, although both targets' structure is likely too similar to identify leads that exclusively bind to one of the channels, the structural information combined with the new knowledge of the functional relevance of particular residues or areas suggests the possibility of selective targeting of Eag1 in cancer therapies. Further development of selective Eag1 inhibitors can lead to first-in-class compounds for the treatment of different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Žan Toplak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Louise A Hendrickx
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Reham Abdelaziz
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Shi
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Steve Peigneur
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tihomir Tomašič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Luis A Pardo
- AG Oncophysiology, Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Wu X, Larsson HP. Insights into Cardiac IKs (KCNQ1/KCNE1) Channels Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249440. [PMID: 33322401 PMCID: PMC7763278 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The delayed rectifier potassium IKs channel is an important regulator of the duration of the ventricular action potential. Hundreds of mutations in the genes (KCNQ1 and KCNE1) encoding the IKs channel cause long QT syndrome (LQTS). LQTS is a heart disorder that can lead to severe cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. A better understanding of the IKs channel (here called the KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel) properties and activities is of great importance to find the causes of LQTS and thus potentially treat LQTS. The KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel belongs to the superfamily of voltage-gated potassium channels. The KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel consists of both the pore-forming subunit KCNQ1 and the modulatory subunit KCNE1. KCNE1 regulates the function of the KCNQ1 channel in several ways. This review aims to describe the current structural and functional knowledge about the cardiac KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel. In addition, we focus on the modulation of the KCNQ1/KCNE1 channel and its potential as a target therapeutic of LQTS.
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11
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Gopalsamy B, Chia JSM, Farouk AAO, Sulaiman MR, Perimal EK. Zerumbone-Induced Analgesia Modulated via Potassium Channels and Opioid Receptors in Chronic Constriction Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25173880. [PMID: 32858809 PMCID: PMC7503342 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25173880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Zerumbone, a monocyclic sesquiterpene from the wild ginger plant Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Smith, attenuates allodynia and hyperalgesia. Currently, its mechanisms of action in neuropathic pain conditions remain unclear. This study examines the involvement of potassium channels and opioid receptors in zerumbone-induced analgesia in a chronic constriction injury (CCI) neuropathic pain mice model. Male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were subjected to CCI and behavioral responses were tested on day 14. Responses toward mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were tested with von Frey's filament and Hargreaves' tests, respectively. Symptoms of neuropathic pain were significantly alleviated following treatment with zerumbone (10 mg/kg; intraperitoneal, i.p.). However, when the voltage-dependent K+ channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA, 4 mg/kg; i.p.), ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker, glibenclamide (GLIB, 10 mg/kg; i.p.); small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel inhibitor apamin (APA, 0.04 mg/kg; i.p.), or large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel inhibitor charybdotoxin (CHAR, 0.02 mg/kg; i.p.) was administered prior to zerumbone (10 mg/kg; i.p.), the antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of zerumbone were significantly reversed. Additionally, non-specific opioid receptors antagonist, naloxone (NAL, 10 mg/kg; i.p.), selective µ-, δ- and κ-opioid receptor antagonists; β-funaltrexamine (β-FN, 40 mg/kg; i.p.), naltrindole (20 mg/kg; s.c.), nor-binaltorphamine (10 mg/kg; s.c.) respectively attenuated the antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of zerumbone. This outcome clearly demonstrates the participation of potassium channels and opioid receptors in the antineuropathic properties of zerumbone. As various clinically used neuropathic pain drugs also share this similar mechanism, this compound is, therefore, a highly potential substitute to these therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banulata Gopalsamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (B.G.); (A.A.O.F.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Jasmine Siew Min Chia
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia;
| | - Ahmad Akira Omar Farouk
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (B.G.); (A.A.O.F.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Mohd Roslan Sulaiman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (B.G.); (A.A.O.F.); (M.R.S.)
| | - Enoch Kumar Perimal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (B.G.); (A.A.O.F.); (M.R.S.)
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +61-603-8947-2774
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12
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Petráčková D, Farman MR, Amman F, Linhartová I, Dienstbier A, Kumar D, Držmíšek J, Hofacker I, Rodriguez ME, Večerek B. Transcriptional profiling of human macrophages during infection with Bordetella pertussis. RNA Biol 2020; 17:731-742. [PMID: 32070192 PMCID: PMC7237194 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1727694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bordetella pertussis, a strictly human re-emerging pathogen and the causative agent of whooping cough, exploits a broad variety of virulence factors to establish efficient infection. Here, we used RNA sequencing to analyse the changes in gene expression profiles of human THP-1 macrophages resulting from B. pertussis infection. In parallel, we attempted to determine the changes in intracellular B. pertussis-specific transcriptomic profiles resulting from interaction with macrophages. Our analysis revealed that global gene expression profiles in THP-1 macrophages are extensively rewired 6 h post-infection. Among the highly expressed genes, we identified those encoding cytokines, chemokines, and transcription regulators involved in the induction of the M1 and M2 macrophage polarization programmes. Notably, several host genes involved in the control of apoptosis and inflammation which are known to be hijacked by intracellular bacterial pathogens were overexpressed upon infection. Furthermore, in silico analyses identified large temporal changes in expression of specific gene subsets involved in signalling and metabolic pathways. Despite limited numbers of the bacterial reads, we observed reduced expression of majority of virulence factors and upregulation of several transcriptional regulators during infection suggesting that intracellular B. pertussis cells switch from virulent to avirulent phase and actively adapt to intracellular environment, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisa Petráčková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mariam R. Farman
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Amman
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Irena Linhartová
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Bacterial Pathogens, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ana Dienstbier
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dilip Kumar
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Držmíšek
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ivo Hofacker
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Computer Science, Research Group Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Eugenia Rodriguez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CINDEFI (UNLP CONICET La Plata), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Branislav Večerek
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression, Prague, Czech Republic
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13
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Barros F, de la Peña P, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, Pardo LA. The EAG Voltage-Dependent K + Channel Subfamily: Similarities and Differences in Structural Organization and Gating. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:411. [PMID: 32351384 PMCID: PMC7174612 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
EAG (ether-à-go-go or KCNH) are a subfamily of the voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. Like for all potassium channels, opening of EAG channels drives the membrane potential toward its equilibrium value for potassium, thus setting the resting potential and repolarizing action potentials. As voltage-dependent channels, they switch between open and closed conformations (gating) when changes in membrane potential are sensed by a voltage sensing domain (VSD) which is functionally coupled to a pore domain (PD) containing the permeation pathway, the potassium selectivity filter, and the channel gate. All Kv channels are tetrameric, with four VSDs formed by the S1-S4 transmembrane segments of each subunit, surrounding a central PD with the four S5-S6 sections arranged in a square-shaped structure. Structural information, mutagenesis, and functional experiments, indicated that in "classical/Shaker-type" Kv channels voltage-triggered VSD reorganizations are transmitted to PD gating via the α-helical S4-S5 sequence that links both modules. Importantly, these Shaker-type channels share a domain-swapped VSD/PD organization, with each VSD contacting the PD of the adjacent subunit. In this case, the S4-S5 linker, acting as a rigid mechanical lever (electromechanical lever coupling), would lead to channel gate opening at the cytoplasmic S6 helices bundle. However, new functional data with EAG channels split between the VSD and PD modules indicate that, in some Kv channels, alternative VSD/PD coupling mechanisms do exist. Noticeably, recent elucidation of the architecture of some EAG channels, and other relatives, showed that their VSDs are non-domain swapped. Despite similarities in primary sequence and predicted structural organization for all EAG channels, they show marked kinetic differences whose molecular basis is not completely understood. Thus, while a common general architecture may establish the gating system used by the EAG channels and the physicochemical coupling of voltage sensing to gating, subtle changes in that common structure, and/or allosteric influences of protein domains relatively distant from the central gating machinery, can crucially influence the gating process. We consider here the latest advances on these issues provided by the elucidation of eag1 and erg1 three-dimensional structures, and by both classical and more recent functional studies with different members of the EAG subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis A. Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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14
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The membrane protein KCNQ1 potassium ion channel: Functional diversity and current structural insights. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1862:183148. [PMID: 31825788 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ion channels play crucial roles in cellular biology, physiology, and communication including sensory perception. Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels execute their function by sensor activation, pore-coupling, and pore opening leading to K+ conductance. SCOPE OF REVIEW This review focuses on a voltage-gated K+ ion channel KCNQ1 (Kv 7.1). Firstly, discussing its positioning in the human ion chanome, and the role of KCNQ1 in the multitude of cellular processes. Next, we discuss the overall channel architecture and current structural insights on KCNQ1. Finally, the gating mechanism involving members of the KCNE family and its interaction with non-KCNE partners. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS KCNQ1 executes its important physiological functions via interacting with KCNE1 and non-KCNE1 proteins/molecules: calmodulin, PIP2, PKA. Although, KCNQ1 has been studied in great detail, several aspects of the channel structure and function still remain unexplored. This review emphasizes the structural and biophysical studies of KCNQ1, its interaction with KCNE1 and non-KCNE1 proteins and focuses on several seminal findings showing the role of VSD and the pore domain in the channel activation and gating properties. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE KCNQ1 mutations can result in channel defects and lead to several diseases including atrial fibrillation and long QT syndrome. Therefore, a thorough structure-function understanding of this channel complex is essential to understand its role in both normal and disease biology. Moreover, unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of this channel complex will help to find therapeutic strategies for several diseases.
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15
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Ben-Abu Y. RETRACTED: Symmetrical interactions in K+ channel. Biophys Chem 2019; 254:106259. [PMID: 31494500 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2019.106259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Ben-Abu
- Department of Physics and Project Unit, Sapir Academic College, Sderot, Hof Ashkelon 79165, Israel
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16
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Barros F, Pardo LA, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, de la Peña P. New Structures and Gating of Voltage-Dependent Potassium (Kv) Channels and Their Relatives: A Multi-Domain and Dynamic Question. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20020248. [PMID: 30634573 PMCID: PMC6359393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kv channels) are crucial regulators of cell excitability that participate in a range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. These channels are molecular machines that display a mechanism (known as gating) for opening and closing a gate located in a pore domain (PD). In Kv channels, this mechanism is triggered and controlled by changes in the magnitude of the transmembrane voltage sensed by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD). In this review, we consider several aspects of the VSD–PD coupling in Kv channels, and in some relatives, that share a common general structure characterized by a single square-shaped ion conduction pore in the center, surrounded by four VSDs located at the periphery. We compile some recent advances in the knowledge of their architecture, based in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data for high-resolution determination of their structure, plus some new functional data obtained with channel variants in which the covalent continuity between the VSD and PD modules has been interrupted. These advances and new data bring about some reconsiderations about the use of exclusively a classical electromechanical lever model of VSD–PD coupling by some Kv channels, and open a view of the Kv-type channels as allosteric machines in which gating may be dynamically influenced by some long-range interactional/allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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OKAMURA Y, OKOCHI Y. Molecular mechanisms of coupling to voltage sensors in voltage-evoked cellular signals. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2019; 95:111-135. [PMID: 30853698 PMCID: PMC6541726 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.95.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The voltage sensor domain (VSD) has long been studied as a unique domain intrinsic to voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs). Within VGICs, the VSD is tightly coupled to the pore-gate domain (PGD) in diverse ways suitable for its specific function in each physiological context, including action potential generation, muscle contraction and relaxation, hormone and neurotransmitter secretion, and cardiac pacemaking. However, some VSD-containing proteins lack a PGD. Voltage-sensing phosphatase contains a cytoplasmic phosphoinositide phosphatase with similarity to phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Hv1, a voltage-gated proton channel, also lacks a PGD. Within Hv1, the VSD operates as a voltage sensor, gate, and pore for both proton sensing and permeation. Hv1 has a C-terminal coiled coil that mediates dimerization for cooperative gating. Recent progress in the structural biology of VGICs and VSD proteins provides insights into the principles of VSD coupling conserved among these proteins as well as the hierarchy of protein organization for voltage-evoked cell signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi OKAMURA
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi OKOCHI
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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18
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Idikuda V, Gao W, Su Z, Liu Q, Zhou L. cAMP binds to closed, inactivated, and open sea urchin HCN channels in a state-dependent manner. J Gen Physiol 2018; 151:200-213. [PMID: 30541772 PMCID: PMC6363418 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide–modulated (HCN) channels bind cAMP preferably in the open state. Using sea urchin HCN channels, Idikuda et al. reveal less cAMP binding to the closed state and further reduced binding to the inactivated state and thus demonstrate intricate communication between the gate and ligand-binding domain. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide–modulated (HCN) channels are nonselective cation channels that regulate electrical activity in the heart and brain. Previous studies of mouse HCN2 (mHCN2) channels have shown that cAMP binds preferentially to and stabilizes these channels in the open state—a simple but elegant implementation of ligand-dependent gating. Distinct from mammalian isoforms, the sea urchin (spHCN) channel exhibits strong voltage-dependent inactivation in the absence of cAMP. Here, using fluorescently labeled cAMP molecules as a marker for cAMP binding, we report that the inactivated spHCN channel displays reduced cAMP binding compared with the closed channel. The reduction in cAMP binding is a voltage-dependent process but proceeds at a much slower rate than the movement of the voltage sensor. A single point mutation in the last transmembrane domain near the channel’s gate, F459L, abolishes inactivation and concurrently reverses the response to hyperpolarizing voltage steps from a decrease to an increase in cAMP binding. ZD7288, an open channel blocker that interacts with a region close to the activation/inactivation gate, dampens the reduction of cAMP binding to inactivated spHCN channels. In addition, compared with closed and “locked” closed channels, increased cAMP binding is observed in channels purposely locked in the open state upon hyperpolarization. Thus, the order of cAMP-binding affinity, measured by the fluorescence signal from labeled cAMP, ranges from high in the open state to intermediate in the closed state to low in the inactivated state. Our work on spHCN channels demonstrates intricate state-dependent communications between the gate and ligand-binding domain and provides new mechanistic insight into channel inactivation/desensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Idikuda
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Weihua Gao
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Zhuocheng Su
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Qinglian Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Lei Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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19
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Insights into the molecular mechanism for hyperpolarization-dependent activation of HCN channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E8086-E8095. [PMID: 30076228 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1805596115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels are both voltage- and ligand-activated membrane proteins that contribute to electrical excitability and pace-making activity in cardiac and neuronal cells. These channels are members of the voltage-gated Kv channel superfamily and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain subfamily of ion channels. HCN channels have a unique feature that distinguishes them from other voltage-gated channels: the HCN channel pore opens in response to hyperpolarizing voltages instead of depolarizing voltages. In the canonical model of electromechanical coupling, based on Kv channels, a change in membrane voltage activates the voltage-sensing domains (VSD) and the activation energy passes to the pore domain (PD) through a covalent linker that connects the VSD to the PD. In this investigation, the covalent linkage between the VSD and PD, the S4-S5 linker, and nearby regions of spHCN channels were mutated to determine the functional role each plays in hyperpolarization-dependent activation. The results show that: (i) the S4-S5 linker is not required for hyperpolarization-dependent activation or ligand-dependent gating; (ii) the S4 C-terminal region (S4C-term) is not necessary for ligand-dependent gating but is required for hyperpolarization-dependent activation and acts like an autoinhibitory domain on the PD; (iii) the S5N-term region is involved in VSD-PD coupling and holding the pore closed; and (iv) spHCN channels have two voltage-dependent processes, a hyperpolarization-dependent activation and a depolarization-dependent recovery from inactivation. These results are inconsistent with the canonical model of VSD-PD coupling in Kv channels and elucidate the mechanism for hyperpolarization-dependent activation of HCN channels.
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20
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Gating interaction maps reveal a noncanonical electromechanical coupling mode in the Shaker K + channel. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2018; 25:320-326. [PMID: 29581567 PMCID: PMC6170002 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-018-0047-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Membrane potential regulates the activity of voltage-dependent ion channels via specialized voltage-sensing modules but the mechanisms involved in coupling voltage-sensor movement to pore opening remain unclear due to lack of resting state structures and robust methods to identify allosteric pathways. Here, using a newly developed interaction energy analysis, we probe the interfaces of the voltage-sensing and pore modules in the drosophila Shaker K+ channel. Our measurements reveal unexpectedly strong equilibrium gating interactions between contacts at the S4 and S5 helices in addition to those between S6 and S4–S5 linker. Network analysis of MD trajectories shows that the voltage-sensor and pore motions are linked by two distinct pathways- canonical one through the S4–S5 linker and a hitherto unknown pathway akin to rack and pinion coupling involving S4 and S5 helices. Our findings highlight the central role of the S5 helix in electromechanical transduction in the VGIC superfamily.
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21
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Chao RY, Cheng CH, Wu SN, Chen PC. Defective trafficking of Kv2.1 channels in MPTP-induced nigrostriatal degeneration. J Neurochem 2018; 144:483-497. [PMID: 29265365 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular protein trafficking is tightly regulated, and improper trafficking might be the fundamental provocateur for human diseases including neurodegeneration. In neurons, protein trafficking to and from the plasma membrane affects synaptic plasticity. Voltage-gated potassium channel 2.1 (Kv2.1) is a predominant delayed rectifier potassium (K+ ) current, and electrical activity patterns of dopamine (DA) neurons within the substantia nigra are generated and modulated by the orchestrated function of different ion channels. The pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the progressive loss of these DA neurons, resulting in the degeneration of striatal dopaminergic terminals. However, whether trafficking of Kv2.1 channels contributes to PD remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that MPTP/MPP+ increases the surface expression of the Kv2.1 channel and causes nigrostriatal degeneration by using a subchronic MPTP mouse model. The inhibition of the Kv2.1 channel by using a specific blocker, guangxitoxin-1E, protected nigrostriatal projections against MPTP/MPP+ insult and thus facilitated the recovery of motor coordination. These findings highlight the importance of trafficking of Kv2.1 channels in the pathogenesis of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru-Yi Chao
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hui Cheng
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Nan Wu
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Chun Chen
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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22
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Deyawe A, Kasimova MA, Delemotte L, Loussouarn G, Tarek M. Studying Kv Channels Function using Computational Methods. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1684:321-341. [PMID: 29058202 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7362-0_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, molecular modeling techniques, combined with MD simulations, provided significant insights on voltage-gated (Kv) potassium channels intrinsic properties. Among the success stories are the highlight of molecular level details of the effects of mutations, the unraveling of several metastable intermediate states, and the influence of a particular lipid, PIP2, in the stability and the modulation of Kv channel function. These computational studies offered a detailed view that could not have been reached through experimental studies alone. With the increase of cross disciplinary studies, numerous experiments provided validation of these computational results, which endows an increase in the reliability of molecular modeling for the study of Kv channels. This chapter offers a description of the main techniques used to model Kv channels at the atomistic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Deyawe
- Structure et Réactivité des Systèmes Moléculaires Complexes, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Marina A Kasimova
- Structure et Réactivité des Systèmes Moléculaires Complexes, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Lucie Delemotte
- Structure et Réactivité des Systèmes Moléculaires Complexes, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Gildas Loussouarn
- L'institut du thorax, Inserm, CNRS, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Mounir Tarek
- Structure et Réactivité des Systèmes Moléculaires Complexes, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France.
- CNRS, Unité Mixte de Recherches 7565, Université de Lorraine, Boulevard des Aiguillettes, BP 70239, 54506, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
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23
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Interaction among hERG channel blockers is a potential mechanism of death in caffeine overdose. Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 800:23-33. [PMID: 28216052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Caffeine overdose death is due to cardiac arrest, but its mechanism has not been explored in detail. In this study, our data showed that caffeine significantly prolonged the heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) of rabbits in vivo (P<0.05; n=7). Caffeine was also found to be a hERG channel blocker with an IC50 of 5.04mM (n=5). Although these two findings likely link caffeine overdose death with hERG channel blockade, the amount of caffeine consumption needed to reach the IC50 is very high. Further study demonstrated that addition another hERG blocker could lower the consumption of caffeine significantly, no matter whether two hERG blockers share the same binding sites. Our data does not rule out other possibility, however, it suggests that there is a potential causal relationship between caffeine overdose death with hERG channel and the interaction among these hERG blockers.
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24
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Starek G, Freites JA, Bernèche S, Tobias DJ. Gating energetics of a voltage-dependent K + channel pore domain. J Comput Chem 2017; 38:1472-1478. [PMID: 28211063 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.24742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
We used targeted molecular dynamics, informed by experimentally determined inter-atomic distances defining the pore region of open and closed states of the KvAP voltage-gated potassium channel, to generate a gating pathway of the pore domain in the absence of the voltage-sensing domains. We then performed umbrella sampling simulations along this pathway to calculate a potential of mean force that describes the free energy landscape connecting the closed and open conformations of the pore domain. The resulting energetic landscape displays three minima, corresponding to stable open, closed, and intermediate conformations with roughly similar stabilities. We found that the extent of hydration of the interior of the pore domain could influence the free energy landscape for pore opening/closing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Starek
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-2025
| | - J Alfredo Freites
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-2025
| | - Simon Bernèche
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Douglas J Tobias
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697-2025
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25
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Schwartz AB, Kapur A, Wang W, Huang Z, Fardone E, Palui G, Mattoussi H, Fadool DA. Margatoxin-bound quantum dots as a novel inhibitor of the voltage-gated ion channel Kv1.3. J Neurochem 2016; 140:404-420. [PMID: 27861889 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Venom-derived ion channel inhibitors have strong channel selectivity, potency, and stability; however, tracking delivery to their target can be challenging. Herein, we utilized luminescent quantum dots (QDs) conjugated to margatoxin (MgTx) as a traceable vehicle to target a voltage-dependent potassium channel, Kv1.3, which has a select distribution and well-characterized role in immunity, glucose metabolism, and sensory ability. We screened both unconjugated (MgTx) and conjugated MgTx (QD-MgTx) for their ability to inhibit Shaker channels Kv1.1 to Kv1.7 using patch-clamp electrophysiology in HEK293 cells. Our data indicate that MgTx inhibits 79% of the outward current in Kv1.3-transfected cells and that the QD-MgTx conjugate is able to achieve a similar level of block, albeit a slightly reduced efficacy (66%) and at a slower time course (50% block by 10.9 ± 1.1 min, MgTx; vs. 15.3 ± 1.2 min, QD-MgTx). Like the unbound peptide, the QD-MgTx conjugate inhibits both Kv1.3 and Kv1.2 at a 1 nM concentration, whereas it does not inhibit other screened Shaker channels. We tested the ability of QD-MgTx to inhibit native Kv1.3 expressed in the mouse olfactory bulb (OB). In brain slices of the OB, the conjugate acted similarly to MgTx to inhibit Kv1.3, causing an increased action potential firing frequency attributed to decreased intraburst duration rather than interspike interval. Our data demonstrate a retention of known biophysical properties associated with block of the vestibule of Kv1.3 by QD-MgTx conjugate compared to that of MgTx, inferring QDs could provide a useful tool to deliver ion channel inhibitors to targeted tissues in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin B Schwartz
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Anshika Kapur
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Wentao Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Zhenbo Huang
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Erminia Fardone
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.,Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Goutam Palui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Hedi Mattoussi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Debra Ann Fadool
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.,Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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26
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Ahern CA, Payandeh J, Bosmans F, Chanda B. The hitchhiker's guide to the voltage-gated sodium channel galaxy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 147:1-24. [PMID: 26712848 PMCID: PMC4692491 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201511492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels contribute to the rising phase of action potentials and served as an early muse for biophysicists laying the foundation for our current understanding of electrical signaling. Given their central role in electrical excitability, it is not surprising that (a) inherited mutations in genes encoding for Nav channels and their accessory subunits have been linked to excitability disorders in brain, muscle, and heart; and (b) Nav channels are targeted by various drugs and naturally occurring toxins. Although the overall architecture and behavior of these channels are likely to be similar to the more well-studied voltage-gated potassium channels, eukaryotic Nav channels lack structural and functional symmetry, a notable difference that has implications for gating and selectivity. Activation of voltage-sensing modules of the first three domains in Nav channels is sufficient to open the channel pore, whereas movement of the domain IV voltage sensor is correlated with inactivation. Also, structure–function studies of eukaryotic Nav channels show that a set of amino acids in the selectivity filter, referred to as DEKA locus, is essential for Na+ selectivity. Structures of prokaryotic Nav channels have also shed new light on mechanisms of drug block. These structures exhibit lateral fenestrations that are large enough to allow drugs or lipophilic molecules to gain access into the inner vestibule, suggesting that this might be the passage for drug entry into a closed channel. In this Review, we will synthesize our current understanding of Nav channel gating mechanisms, ion selectivity and permeation, and modulation by therapeutics and toxins in light of the new structures of the prokaryotic Nav channels that, for the time being, serve as structural models of their eukaryotic counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Ahern
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Jian Payandeh
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080
| | - Frank Bosmans
- Department of Physiology and Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 Department of Physiology and Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705 Department of Neuroscience and Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705
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27
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Whicher JR, MacKinnon R. Structure of the voltage-gated K⁺ channel Eag1 reveals an alternative voltage sensing mechanism. Science 2016; 353:664-9. [PMID: 27516594 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf8070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (K(v)) channels are gated by the movement of the transmembrane voltage sensor, which is coupled, through the helical S4-S5 linker, to the potassium pore. We determined the single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of mammalian K(v)10.1, or Eag1, bound to the channel inhibitor calmodulin, at 3.78 angstrom resolution. Unlike previous K(v) structures, the S4-S5 linker of Eag1 is a five-residue loop and the transmembrane segments are not domain swapped, which suggest an alternative mechanism of voltage-dependent gating. Additionally, the structure and position of the S4-S5 linker allow calmodulin to bind to the intracellular domains and to close the potassium pore, independent of voltage-sensor position. The structure reveals an alternative gating mechanism for K(v) channels and provides a template to further understand the gating properties of Eag1 and related channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Whicher
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Roderick MacKinnon
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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28
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Fineberg JD, Szanto TG, Panyi G, Covarrubias M. Closed-state inactivation involving an internal gate in Kv4.1 channels modulates pore blockade by intracellular quaternary ammonium ions. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31131. [PMID: 27502553 PMCID: PMC4977472 DOI: 10.1038/srep31131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channel activation depends on interactions between voltage sensors and an intracellular activation gate that controls access to a central pore cavity. Here, we hypothesize that this gate is additionally responsible for closed-state inactivation (CSI) in Kv4.x channels. These Kv channels undergo CSI by a mechanism that is still poorly understood. To test the hypothesis, we deduced the state of the Kv4.1 channel intracellular gate by exploiting the trap-door paradigm of pore blockade by internally applied quaternary ammonium (QA) ions exhibiting slow blocking kinetics and high-affinity for a blocking site. We found that inactivation gating seemingly traps benzyl-tributylammonium (bTBuA) when it enters the central pore cavity in the open state. However, bTBuA fails to block inactivated Kv4.1 channels, suggesting gated access involving an internal gate. In contrast, bTBuA blockade of a Shaker Kv channel that undergoes open-state P/C-type inactivation exhibits fast onset and recovery inconsistent with bTBuA trapping. Furthermore, the inactivated Shaker Kv channel is readily blocked by bTBuA. We conclude that Kv4.1 closed-state inactivation modulates pore blockade by QA ions in a manner that depends on the state of the internal activation gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Fineberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Physiology &Biophysics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College and College of Biomedical Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Tibor G Szanto
- Department of Biophysics &Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics &Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,MTA-DE-NAP B Ion Channel Structure-Function Research Group, RCMM University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Manuel Covarrubias
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Graduate Program in Molecular Physiology &Biophysics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College and College of Biomedical Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.,Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience at Thomas Jefferson University,Philadelphia, PA, USA
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29
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Abstract
All true metazoans modify their RNAs by converting specific adenosine residues to inosine. Because inosine binds to cytosine, it is a biological mimic for guanosine. This subtle change, termed RNA editing, can have diverse effects on various RNA-mediated cellular pathways, including RNA interference, innate immunity, retrotransposon defense and messenger RNA recoding. Because RNA editing can be regulated, it is an ideal tool for increasing genetic diversity, adaptation and environmental acclimation. This review will cover the following themes related to RNA editing: (1) how it is used to modify different cellular RNAs, (2) how frequently it is used by different organisms to recode mRNA, (3) how specific recoding events regulate protein function, (4) how it is used in adaptation and (5) emerging evidence that it can be used for acclimation. Organismal biologists with an interest in adaptation and acclimation, but with little knowledge of RNA editing, are the intended audience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J C Rosenthal
- Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Ciencias Medicas, Instituto de Neurobiologia, 201 Blvd. del Valle, San Juan, PR 00901, USA
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30
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Grafting voltage and pharmacological sensitivity in potassium channels. Cell Res 2016; 26:935-45. [PMID: 27174053 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2016.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
A classical voltage-gated ion channel consists of four voltage-sensing domains (VSDs). However, the roles of each VSD in the channels remain elusive. We developed a GVTDT (Graft VSD To Dimeric TASK3 channels that lack endogenous VSDs) strategy to produce voltage-gated channels with a reduced number of VSDs. TASK3 channels exhibit a high host tolerance to VSDs of various voltage-gated ion channels without interfering with the intrinsic properties of the TASK3 selectivity filter. The constructed channels, exemplified by the channels grafted with one or two VSDs from Kv7.1 channels, exhibit classical voltage sensitivity, including voltage-dependent opening and closing. Furthermore, the grafted Kv7.1 VSD transfers the potentiation activity of benzbromarone, an activator that acts on the VSDs of the donor channels, to the constructed channels. Our study indicates that one VSD is sufficient to voltage-dependently gate the pore and provides new insight into the roles of VSDs.
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31
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Kim DM, Nimigean CM. Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels: A Structural Examination of Selectivity and Gating. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2016; 8:a029231. [PMID: 27141052 PMCID: PMC4852806 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels play a fundamental role in the generation and propagation of the action potential. The discovery of these channels began with predictions made by early pioneers, and has culminated in their extensive functional and structural characterization by electrophysiological, spectroscopic, and crystallographic studies. With the aid of a variety of crystal structures of these channels, a highly detailed picture emerges of how the voltage-sensing domain reports changes in the membrane electric field and couples this to conformational changes in the activation gate. In addition, high-resolution structural and functional studies of K(+) channel pores, such as KcsA and MthK, offer a comprehensive picture on how selectivity is achieved in K(+) channels. Here, we illustrate the remarkable features of voltage-gated potassium channels and explain the mechanisms used by these machines with experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy M Kim
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065
| | - Crina M Nimigean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065
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32
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Structural Refinement of Proteins by Restrained Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Non-interacting Molecular Fragments. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004368. [PMID: 26505197 PMCID: PMC4624691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The knowledge of multiple conformational states is a prerequisite to understand the function of membrane transport proteins. Unfortunately, the determination of detailed atomic structures for all these functionally important conformational states with conventional high-resolution approaches is often difficult and unsuccessful. In some cases, biophysical and biochemical approaches can provide important complementary structural information that can be exploited with the help of advanced computational methods to derive structural models of specific conformational states. In particular, functional and spectroscopic measurements in combination with site-directed mutations constitute one important source of information to obtain these mixed-resolution structural models. A very common problem with this strategy, however, is the difficulty to simultaneously integrate all the information from multiple independent experiments involving different mutations or chemical labels to derive a unique structural model consistent with the data. To resolve this issue, a novel restrained molecular dynamics structural refinement method is developed to simultaneously incorporate multiple experimentally determined constraints (e.g., engineered metal bridges or spin-labels), each treated as an individual molecular fragment with all atomic details. The internal structure of each of the molecular fragments is treated realistically, while there is no interaction between different molecular fragments to avoid unphysical steric clashes. The information from all the molecular fragments is exploited simultaneously to constrain the backbone to refine a three-dimensional model of the conformational state of the protein. The method is illustrated by refining the structure of the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) of the Kv1.2 potassium channel in the resting state and by exploring the distance histograms between spin-labels attached to T4 lysozyme. The resulting VSD structures are in good agreement with the consensus model of the resting state VSD and the spin-spin distance histograms from ESR/DEER experiments on T4 lysozyme are accurately reproduced. Knowledge of multiple conformational states of membrane transport proteins is a prerequisite to understand their function. However, the determination of atomic structures for all these states with conventional high-resolution approaches can be very challenging due to inherent difficulties in high yield purification of functional membrane transport proteins. Various complementary structural information of proteins in their native states can be obtained by a variety of biophysical and biochemical methods with site-directed mutations. Here, a novel restrained molecular dynamics structural refinement method is developed to help derive a structural model that is consistent with experimental data by incorporating all the experimental constraints simultaneously through the use of non-interacting all-atom molecular fragments. The method can be easily and effectively extended to incorporate many kinds of structural constraints from a variety of biophysical and biochemical experiments, and should be very useful in generating and refining models of proteins in specific functional states.
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33
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Lörinczi É, Gómez-Posada JC, de la Peña P, Tomczak AP, Fernández-Trillo J, Leipscher U, Stühmer W, Barros F, Pardo LA. Voltage-dependent gating of KCNH potassium channels lacking a covalent link between voltage-sensing and pore domains. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6672. [PMID: 25818916 PMCID: PMC4389246 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated channels open paths for ion permeation upon changes in membrane potential, but how voltage changes are coupled to gating is not entirely understood. Two modules can be recognized in voltage-gated potassium channels, one responsible for voltage sensing (transmembrane segments S1 to S4), the other for permeation (S5 and S6). It is generally assumed that the conversion of a conformational change in the voltage sensor into channel gating occurs through the intracellular S4–S5 linker that provides physical continuity between the two regions. Using the pathophysiologically relevant KCNH family, we show that truncated proteins interrupted at, or lacking the S4–S5 linker produce voltage-gated channels in a heterologous model that recapitulate both the voltage-sensing and permeation properties of the complete protein. These observations indicate that voltage sensing by the S4 segment is transduced to the channel gate in the absence of physical continuity between the modules. The pore of voltage-gated ion channels opens in response to membrane depolarization sensed by a separate voltage-sensing domain. Here, Lörinczi et al. show that, contrary to assumptions, no physical linker is required to transmit changes from the voltage-sensing to the permeation domain of KCNH channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Lörinczi
- Department of Molecular Biology of Neuronal Signals, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Juan Camilo Gómez-Posada
- Department of Molecular Biology of Neuronal Signals, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Adam P Tomczak
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jorge Fernández-Trillo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Leipscher
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Walter Stühmer
- Department of Molecular Biology of Neuronal Signals, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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34
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Liin SI, Barro-Soria R, Larsson HP. The KCNQ1 channel - remarkable flexibility in gating allows for functional versatility. J Physiol 2015; 593:2605-15. [PMID: 25653179 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.287607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The KCNQ1 channel (also called Kv7.1 or KvLQT1) belongs to the superfamily of voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels. KCNQ1 shares several general features with other Kv channels but also displays a fascinating flexibility in terms of the mechanism of channel gating, which allows KCNQ1 to play different physiological roles in different tissues. This flexibility allows KCNQ1 channels to function as voltage-independent channels in epithelial tissues, whereas KCNQ1 function as voltage-activated channels with very slow kinetics in cardiac tissues. This flexibility is in part provided by the association of KCNQ1 with different accessory KCNE β-subunits and different modulators, but also seems like an integral part of KCNQ1 itself. The aim of this review is to describe the main mechanisms underlying KCNQ1 flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara I Liin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Rene Barro-Soria
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - H Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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35
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Sepúlveda FV, Pablo Cid L, Teulon J, Niemeyer MI. Molecular aspects of structure, gating, and physiology of pH-sensitive background K2P and Kir K+-transport channels. Physiol Rev 2015; 95:179-217. [PMID: 25540142 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
K(+) channels fulfill roles spanning from the control of excitability to the regulation of transepithelial transport. Here we review two groups of K(+) channels, pH-regulated K2P channels and the transport group of Kir channels. After considering advances in the molecular aspects of their gating based on structural and functional studies, we examine their participation in certain chosen physiological and pathophysiological scenarios. Crystal structures of K2P and Kir channels reveal rather unique features with important consequences for the gating mechanisms. Important tasks of these channels are discussed in kidney physiology and disease, K(+) homeostasis in the brain by Kir channel-equipped glia, and central functions in the hearing mechanism in the inner ear and in acid secretion by parietal cells in the stomach. K2P channels fulfill a crucial part in central chemoreception probably by virtue of their pH sensitivity and are central to adrenal secretion of aldosterone. Finally, some unorthodox behaviors of the selectivity filters of K2P channels might explain their normal and pathological functions. Although a great deal has been learned about structure, molecular details of gating, and physiological functions of K2P and Kir K(+)-transport channels, this has been only scratching at the surface. More molecular and animal studies are clearly needed to deepen our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco V Sepúlveda
- Centro de Estudios Científicos, Valdivia, Chile; UPMC Université Paris 06, Team 3, Paris, France; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR_S 1138, Paris, France
| | - L Pablo Cid
- Centro de Estudios Científicos, Valdivia, Chile; UPMC Université Paris 06, Team 3, Paris, France; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR_S 1138, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Teulon
- Centro de Estudios Científicos, Valdivia, Chile; UPMC Université Paris 06, Team 3, Paris, France; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR_S 1138, Paris, France
| | - María Isabel Niemeyer
- Centro de Estudios Científicos, Valdivia, Chile; UPMC Université Paris 06, Team 3, Paris, France; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR_S 1138, Paris, France
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36
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Baronas VA, Kurata HT. Inward rectifiers and their regulation by endogenous polyamines. Front Physiol 2014; 5:325. [PMID: 25221519 PMCID: PMC4145359 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Inwardly-rectifying potassium (Kir) channels contribute to maintenance of the resting membrane potential and regulation of electrical excitation in many cell types. Strongly rectifying Kir channels exhibit a very steep voltage dependence resulting in silencing of their activity at depolarized membrane voltages. The mechanism underlying this steep voltage dependence is blockade by endogenous polyamines. These small multifunctional, polyvalent metabolites enter the long Kir channel pore from the intracellular side, displacing multiple occupant ions as they migrate to a stable binding site in the transmembrane region of the channel. Numerous structure-function studies have revealed structural elements of Kir channels that determine their susceptibility to polyamine block, and enable the steep voltage dependence of this process. In addition, various channelopathies have been described that result from alteration of the polyamine sensitivity or activity of strongly rectifying channels. The primary focus of this article is to summarize current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of polyamine block, and provide some perspective on lingering uncertainties related to this physiologically important mechanism of ion channel blockade. We also briefly review some of the important and well understood physiological roles of polyamine sensitive, strongly rectifying Kir channels, primarily of the Kir2 family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Baronas
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Harley T Kurata
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada
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37
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Son YK, Hong DH, Li H, Kim DJ, Na SH, Park H, Jung WK, Choi IW, Park WS. Ca2+ channel inhibitor NNC 55-0396 inhibits voltage-dependent K+ channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells. J Pharmacol Sci 2014; 125:312-9. [PMID: 24989838 DOI: 10.1254/jphs.14054fp] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We demonstrated the inhibitory effect of NNC 55-0396, a T-type Ca(2+) channel inhibitor, on voltage-dependent K(+) (K(V)) channels in freshly isolated rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells. NNC 55-0396 decreased the amplitude of K(V) currents in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC(50) of 0.080 μM and a Hill coefficient of 0.76.NNC 55-0396 did not affect steady-state activation and inactivation curves, indicating that the compound does not affect the voltage sensitivity of K(V) channel gating. Both the K(V) currents and the inhibitory effect of NNC 55-0396 on K(V) channels were not altered by depletion of extracellular Ca(2+) or intracellular ATP, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of NNC 55-0396 is independent of Ca(2+)-channel activity and phosphorylation-dependent signaling cascades. From these results, we concluded that NNC 55-0396 dosedependently inhibits K(V) currents, independently of Ca(2+)-channel activity and intracellular signaling cascades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youn Kyoung Son
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Korea
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38
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Gao W, Su Z, Liu Q, Zhou L. State-dependent and site-directed photodynamic transformation of HCN2 channel by singlet oxygen. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 143:633-44. [PMID: 24733837 PMCID: PMC4003188 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201311112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Singlet oxygen acts through a histidine residue to delay HCN channel deactivation and enhance voltage-insensitive current. Singlet oxygen (1O2), which is generated through metabolic reactions and oxidizes numerous biological molecules, has been a useful tool in basic research and clinical practice. However, its role as a signaling factor, as well as a mechanistic understanding of the oxidation process, remains poorly understood. Here, we show that hyperpolarization-activated, cAMP-gated (HCN) channels–which conduct the hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) and the voltage-insensitive instantaneous current (Iinst), and contribute to diverse physiological functions including learning and memory, cardiac pacemaking, and the sensation of pain–are subject to modification by 1O2. To increase the site specificity of 1O2 generation, we used fluorescein-conjugated cAMP, which specifically binds to HCN channels, or a chimeric channel in which an in-frame 1O2 generator (SOG) protein was fused to the HCN C terminus. Millisecond laser pulses reduced Ih current amplitude, slowed channel deactivation, and enhanced Iinst current. The modification of HCN channel function is a photodynamic process that involves 1O2, as supported by the dependence on dissolved oxygen in solutions, the inhibitory effect by a 1O2 scavenger, and the results with the HCN2-SOG fusion protein. Intriguingly, 1O2 modification of the HCN2 channel is state dependent: laser pulses applied to open channels mainly slow down deactivation and increase Iinst, whereas for the closed channels, 1O2 modification mainly reduced Ih amplitude. We identified a histidine residue (H434 in S6) near the activation gate in the pore critical for 1O2 modulation of HCN function. Alanine replacement of H434 abolished the delay in channel deactivation and the generation of Iinst induced by photodynamic modification. Our study provides new insights into the instantaneous current conducted by HCN channels, showing that modifications to the region close to the intracellular gate underlie the expression of Iinst, and establishes a well-defined model for studying 1O2 modifications at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Gao
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298
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39
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Randich AM, Cuello LG, Wanderling SS, Perozo E. Biochemical and structural analysis of the hyperpolarization-activated K(+) channel MVP. Biochemistry 2014; 53:1627-36. [PMID: 24490868 PMCID: PMC3985891 DOI: 10.1021/bi4014243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
In
contrast to the majority of voltage-gated ion channels, hyperpolarization-activated
channels remain closed at depolarizing potentials and are activated
at hyperpolarizing potentials. The basis for this reverse polarity
is thought to be a result of differences in the way the voltage-sensing
domain (VSD) couples to the pore domain. In the absence of structural
data, the molecular mechanism of this reverse polarity coupling remains
poorly characterized. Here we report the characterization of the structure
and local dynamics of the closed activation gate (lower S6 region)
of MVP, a hyperpolarization-activated potassium channel from Methanococcus jannaschii, by electron paramagnetic resonance
(EPR) spectroscopy. We show that a codon-optimized version of MVP
has high expression levels in Escherichia coli, is
purified as a stable tetramer, and exhibits expected voltage-dependent
activity when reconstituted in liposomes. EPR analysis of the mid
to lower S6 region revealed positions exhibiting strong spin–spin
coupling, indicating that the activation gate of MVP is closed at
0 mV. A comparison of local environmental parameters along the activation
gate for MVP and KcsA indicates that MVP adopts a different closed
conformation. These structural details set the stage for future evaluations
of reverse electromechanical coupling in MVP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia M Randich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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40
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Shin DS, Park MJ, Lee HA, Lee JY, Chung HC, Yoo DS, Chae CH, Park SJ, Kim KS, Bae MA. A novel assessment of nefazodone-induced hERG inhibition by electrophysiological and stereochemical method. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2014; 274:361-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2013.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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41
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Abstract
Abnormal functioning of cardiac ion channels can disrupt cardiac myocyte action potentials and thus cause potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmias. Ion channel dysfunction has been observed at all stages in channel ontogeny, from biogenesis to regulation, and arises from genetic or environmental factors, or both. Acquired arrhythmias - including those that are drug induced - are more common than solely inherited arrhythmias but, in some cases, also contain an identifiable genetic component. This interplay between the pharmacology and genetics - known as 'pharmacogenetics' - of cardiac ion channels and the systems that impact them presents both challenges and opportunities to academics, pharmaceutical companies and clinicians seeking to develop and utilize therapies for cardiac rhythm disorders. In this review, we discuss ion channel pharmacogenetics in the context of both causation and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, focusing on the long QT syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey W Abbott
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Greenberg Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Department of Pharmacology, 520 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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42
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Fowler PW, Sansom MSP. The pore of voltage-gated potassium ion channels is strained when closed. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1872. [PMID: 23695666 PMCID: PMC3674235 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels form potassium-selective pores in cell membranes. They open or close in response to changes in the transmembrane potential and are essential for generating action potentials, and thus for the functioning of heart and brain. While a mechanism for how these channels close has been proposed, it is not clear what drives their opening. Here we use free energy molecular dynamics simulations to show that work must be done on the pore to reduce the kink in the pore-lining (S6) α-helices, thereby forming the helix bundle crossing and closing the channel. Strain is built up as the pore closes, which subsequently drives opening. We also determine the effect of mutating the PVPV motif that causes the kink in the S6 helix. Finally, an approximate upper limit on how far the S4 helix is displaced as the pore closes is estimated. Voltage-gated potassium channels open and close in response to changes in transmembrane potential, but their opening mechanism is poorly understood. Here, free energy molecular dynamics simulations show that strain accumulates as the pore closes, which subsequently drives opening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip W Fowler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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43
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BK channel opening involves side-chain reorientation of multiple deep-pore residues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 111:E79-88. [PMID: 24367115 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1321697111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Three deep-pore locations, L312, A313, and A316, were identified in a scanning mutagenesis study of the BK (Ca(2+)-activated, large-conductance K(+)) channel S6 pore, where single aspartate substitutions led to constitutively open mutant channels (L312D, A313D, and A316D). To understand the mechanisms of the constitutive openness of these mutant channels, we individually mutated these three sites into the other 18 amino acids. We found that charged or polar side-chain substitutions at each of the sites resulted in constitutively open mutant BK channels, with high open probability at negative voltages, as well as a loss of voltage and Ca(2+) dependence. Given the fact that multiple pore residues in BK displayed side-chain hydrophilicity-dependent constitutive openness, we propose that BK channel opening involves structural rearrangement of the deep-pore region, where multiple residues undergo conformational changes that may increase the exposure of their side chains to the polar environment of the pore.
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44
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González C, Baez-Nieto D, Valencia I, Oyarzún I, Rojas P, Naranjo D, Latorre R. K(+) channels: function-structural overview. Compr Physiol 2013; 2:2087-149. [PMID: 23723034 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c110047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Potassium channels are particularly important in determining the shape and duration of the action potential, controlling the membrane potential, modulating hormone secretion, epithelial function and, in the case of those K(+) channels activated by Ca(2+), damping excitatory signals. The multiplicity of roles played by K(+) channels is only possible to their mammoth diversity that includes at present 70 K(+) channels encoding genes in mammals. Today, thanks to the use of cloning, mutagenesis, and the more recent structural studies using x-ray crystallography, we are in a unique position to understand the origins of the enormous diversity of this superfamily of ion channels, the roles they play in different cell types, and the relations that exist between structure and function. With the exception of two-pore K(+) channels that are dimers, voltage-dependent K(+) channels are tetrameric assemblies and share an extremely well conserved pore region, in which the ion-selectivity filter resides. In the present overview, we discuss in the function, localization, and the relations between function and structure of the five different subfamilies of K(+) channels: (a) inward rectifiers, Kir; (b) four transmembrane segments-2 pores, K2P; (c) voltage-gated, Kv; (d) the Slo family; and (e) Ca(2+)-activated SK family, SKCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos González
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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45
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46
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Chowdhury S, Chanda B. Perspectives on: conformational coupling in ion channels: thermodynamics of electromechanical coupling in voltage-gated ion channels. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [PMID: 23183697 PMCID: PMC3514737 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201210840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandipan Chowdhury
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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47
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Goodchild SJ, Xu H, Es-Salah-Lamoureux Z, Ahern CA, Fedida D. Basis for allosteric open-state stabilization of voltage-gated potassium channels by intracellular cations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 140:495-511. [PMID: 23071269 PMCID: PMC3483119 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201210823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The open state of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels is associated with an increased stability relative to the pre-open closed states and is reflected by a slowing of OFF gating currents after channel opening. The basis for this stabilization is usually assigned to intrinsic structural features of the open pore. We have studied the gating currents of Kv1.2 channels and found that the stabilization of the open state is instead conferred largely by the presence of cations occupying the inner cavity of the channel. Large impermeant intracellular cations such as N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMG+) and tetraethylammonium cause severe slowing of channel closure and gating currents, whereas the smaller cation, Cs+, displays a more moderate effect on voltage sensor return. A nonconducting mutant also displays significant open state stabilization in the presence of intracellular K+, suggesting that K+ ions in the intracellular cavity also slow pore closure. A mutation in the S6 segment used previously to enlarge the inner cavity (Kv1.2-I402C) relieves the slowing of OFF gating currents in the presence of the large NMG+ ion, suggesting that the interaction site for stabilizing ions resides within the inner cavity and creates an energetic barrier to pore closure. The physiological significance of ionic occupation of the inner cavity is underscored by the threefold slowing of ionic current deactivation in the wild-type channel compared with Kv1.2-I402C. The data suggest that internal ions, including physiological concentrations of K+, allosterically regulate the deactivation kinetics of the Kv1.2 channel by impairing pore closure and limiting the return of voltage sensors. This may represent a primary mechanism by which Kv channel deactivation kinetics is linked to ion permeation and reveals a novel role for channel inner cavity residues to indirectly regulate voltage sensor dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Goodchild
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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48
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Bett GCL, Lis A, Guo H, Liu M, Zhou Q, Rasmusson RL. Interaction of the S6 proline hinge with N-type and C-type inactivation in Kv1.4 channels. Biophys J 2012; 103:1440-50. [PMID: 23062336 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Revised: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Several voltage-gated channels share a proline-valine-proline (proline hinge) sequence motif at the intracellular side of S6. We studied the proline hinge in Kv1.4 channels, which inactivate via two mechanisms: N- and C-type. We mutated the second proline to glycine or alanine: P558A, P558G. These mutations were studied in the presence/absence of the N-terminal to separate the effects of the interaction between the proline hinge and N- and C-type inactivation. Both S6 mutations slowed or removed N- and C-type inactivation, and altered recovery from inactivation. P558G slowed activation and N- and C-type inactivation by nearly an order of magnitude. Sensitivity to extracellular acidosis and intracellular quinidine binding remained, suggesting that transmembrane communication in N- and C-type inactivation was preserved, consistent with our previous findings of major structural rearrangements involving S6 during C-type inactivation. P558A was very disruptive: activation was slowed by more than an order of magnitude, and no inactivation was observed. These results are consistent with our hypothesis that the proline hinge and intracellular S6 movement play a significant role in inactivation and recovery. Computer modeling suggests that both P558G and P558A mutations modify early voltage-dependent steps and make a final voltage-insensitive step that is rate limiting at positive potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenna C L Bett
- Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics, Center for Cellular and Systems Electrophysiology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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49
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Labro AJ, Snyders DJ. Being flexible: the voltage-controllable activation gate of kv channels. Front Pharmacol 2012; 3:168. [PMID: 22993508 PMCID: PMC3440756 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Kv channels form voltage-dependent potassium selective pores in the outer cell membrane and are composed out of four α-subunits, each having six membrane-spanning α-helices (S1–S6). The α-subunits tetramerize such that the S5–S6 pore domains co-assemble into a centrally located K+ pore which is surrounded by four operational voltage-sensing domains (VSD) that are each formed by the S1–S4 segments. Consequently, each subunit is capable of responding to changes in membrane potential and dictates whether the pore should be conductive or not. K+ permeation through the pore can be sealed off by two separate gates in series: (a) at the inner S6 bundle crossing (BC gate) and (b) at the level of the selectivity filter (SF gate) located at the extracellular entrance of the pore. Within the last years a general consensus emerged that a direct communication between the S4S5-linker and the bottom part of S6 (S6c) constitutes the coupling with the VSD thus making the BC gate the main voltage-controllable activation gate. While the BC gate listens to the VSD, the SF changes its conformation depending on the status of the BC gate. Through the eyes of an entering K+ ion, the operation of the BC gate apparatus can be compared with the iris-like motion of the diaphragm from a camera whereby its diameter widens. Two main gating motions have been proposed to create this BC gate widening: (1) tilting of the helix whereby the S6 converts from a straight α-helix to a tilted one or (2) swiveling of the S6c whereby the S6 remains bent. Such motions require a flexible hinge that decouples the pre- and post-hinge segment. Roughly at the middle of the S6 there exists a highly conserved glycine residue and a tandem proline motif that seem to fulfill the role of a gating hinge which allows for tilting/swiveling/rotations of the post-hinge S6 segment. In this review we delineate our current view on the operation of the BC gate for controlling K+ permeation in Kv channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain J Labro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium
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50
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Norimatsu Y, Ivetac A, Alexander C, O'Donnell N, Frye L, Sansom MSP, Dawson DC. Locating a plausible binding site for an open-channel blocker, GlyH-101, in the pore of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Mol Pharmacol 2012; 82:1042-55. [PMID: 22923500 DOI: 10.1124/mol.112.080267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput screening has led to the identification of small-molecule blockers of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel, but the structural basis of blocker binding remains to be defined. We developed molecular models of the CFTR channel on the basis of homology to the bacterial transporter Sav1866, which could permit blocker binding to be analyzed in silico. The models accurately predicted the existence of a narrow region in the pore that is a likely candidate for the binding site of an open-channel pore blocker such as N-(2-naphthalenyl)-[(3,5-dibromo-2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)methylene]glycine hydrazide (GlyH-101), which is thought to act by entering the channel from the extracellular side. As a more-stringent test of predictions of the CFTR pore model, we applied induced-fit, virtual, ligand-docking techniques to identify potential binding sites for GlyH-101 within the CFTR pore. The highest-scoring docked position was near two pore-lining residues, Phe337 and Thr338, and the rates of reactions of anionic, thiol-directed reagents with cysteines substituted at these positions were slowed in the presence of the blocker, consistent with the predicted repulsive effect of the net negative charge on GlyH-101. When a bulky phenylalanine that forms part of the predicted binding pocket (Phe342) was replaced with alanine, the apparent affinity of the blocker was increased ∼200-fold. A molecular mechanics-generalized Born/surface area analysis of GlyH-101 binding predicted that substitution of Phe342 with alanine would substantially increase blocker affinity, primarily because of decreased intramolecular strain within the blocker-protein complex. This study suggests that GlyH-101 blocks the CFTR channel by binding within the pore bottleneck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Norimatsu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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