1
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Tewes N, Kubitzki B, Bytyqi F, Metko N, Mach S, Thiel G, Rauh O. Mutation in pore-helix modulates interplay between filter gate and Ba2+ block in a Kcv channel pore. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202313514. [PMID: 38652099 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313514] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The selectivity filter of K+ channels catalyzes a rapid and highly selective transport of K+ while serving as a gate. To understand the control of this filter gate, we use the pore-only K+ channel KcvNTS in which gating is exclusively determined by the activity of the filter gate. It has been previously shown that a mutation at the C-terminus of the pore-helix (S42T) increases K+ permeability and introduces distinct voltage-dependent and K+-sensitive channel closures at depolarizing voltages. Here, we report that the latter are not generated by intrinsic conformational changes of the filter gate but by a voltage-dependent block caused by nanomolar trace contaminations of Ba2+ in the KCl solution. Channel closures can be alleviated by extreme positive voltages and they can be completely abolished by the high-affinity Ba2+ chelator 18C6TA. By contrast, the same channel closures can be augmented by adding Ba2+ at submicromolar concentrations to the cytosolic buffer. These data suggest that a conservative exchange of Ser for Thr in a crucial position of the filter gate increases the affinity of the filter for Ba2+ by >200-fold at positive voltages. While Ba2+ ions apparently remain only for a short time in the filter-binding sites of the WT channel before passing the pore, they remain much longer in the mutant channel. Our findings suggest that the dwell times of permeating and blocking ions in the filter-binding sites are tightly controlled by interactions between the pore-helix and the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel Tewes
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Beatrice Kubitzki
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Flandrit Bytyqi
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Nikola Metko
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Mach
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Oliver Rauh
- Membrane Biophysics, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt , Darmstadt, Germany
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2
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Lin H, Li J, Zhang Q, Yang H, Chen S. C-type inactivation and proton modulation mechanisms of the TASK3 channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320345121. [PMID: 38630723 PMCID: PMC11046659 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320345121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The TWIK-related acid-sensitive K+ channel 3 (TASK3) belongs to the two-pore domain (K2P) potassium channel family, which regulates cell excitability by mediating a constitutive "leak" potassium efflux in the nervous system. Extracellular acidification inhibits TASK3 channel, but the molecular mechanism by which channel inactivation is coupled to pH decrease remains unclear. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structures of human TASK3 at neutral and acidic pH. Structural comparison revealed selectivity filter (SF) rearrangements upon acidification, characteristic of C-type inactivation, but with a unique structural basis. The extracellular mouth of the SF was prominently dilated and simultaneously blocked by a hydrophobic gate. His98 protonation shifted the conformational equilibrium between the conductive and C-type inactivated SF toward the latter by engaging a cation-π interaction with Trp78, consistent with molecular dynamics simulations and electrophysiological experiments. Our work illustrated how TASK3 is gated in response to extracellular pH change and implies how physiological stimuli might directly modulate the C-type gating of K2P channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huajian Lin
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200125, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai200125, China
| | - Junnan Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai200241, China
| | - Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai200241, China
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai200241, China
| | - Shanshuang Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200125, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai200125, China
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai200011, China
- Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai200125, China
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3
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Shi D, Wang W, Liang Y, Duan L, Du G, Xie Y. Ultralow Energy Consumption Angstrom-Fluidic Memristor. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:11662-11668. [PMID: 38064458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of nanofluidic memristors has made a giant leap to mimic the neuromorphic functions of biological neurons. Here, we report neuromorphic signaling using Angstrom-scale funnel-shaped channels with poly-l-lysine (PLL) assembled at nano-openings. We found frequency-dependent current-voltage characteristics under sweeping voltage, which represents a diode in low frequencies, but it showed pinched current hysteresis as frequency increases. The current hysteresis is strongly dependent on pH values but weakly dependent on salt concentration. We attributed the current hysteresis to the entropy barrier of PLL molecules entering and exiting the Angstrom channels, resulting in reversible voltage-gated open-close state transitions. We successfully emulated the synaptic adaptation of Hebbian learning using voltage spikes and obtained a minimum energy consumption of 2-23 fJ in each spike per channel. Our findings pave a new way to mimic neuronal functions by Angstrom channels in low energy consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deli Shi
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Wenhui Wang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Yizheng Liang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Libing Duan
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Guanghua Du
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yanbo Xie
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
- School of Aeronautics and Institute of Extreme Mechanics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
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4
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Kopec W, Thomson AS, de Groot BL, Rothberg BS. Interactions between selectivity filter and pore helix control filter gating in the MthK channel. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202213166. [PMID: 37318452 PMCID: PMC10274084 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213166] [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: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
K+ channel activity can be limited by C-type inactivation, which is likely initiated in part by dissociation of K+ ions from the selectivity filter and modulated by the side chains that surround it. While crystallographic and computational studies have linked inactivation to a "collapsed" selectivity filter conformation in the KcsA channel, the structural basis for selectivity filter gating in other K+ channels is less clear. Here, we combined electrophysiological recordings with molecular dynamics simulations, to study selectivity filter gating in the model potassium channel MthK and its V55E mutant (analogous to KcsA E71) in the pore-helix. We found that MthK V55E has a lower open probability than the WT channel, due to decreased stability of the open state, as well as a lower unitary conductance. Simulations account for both of these variables on the atomistic scale, showing that ion permeation in V55E is altered by two distinct orientations of the E55 side chain. In the "vertical" orientation, in which E55 forms a hydrogen bond with D64 (as in KcsA WT channels), the filter displays reduced conductance compared to MthK WT. In contrast, in the "horizontal" orientation, K+ conductance is closer to that of MthK WT; although selectivity filter stability is lowered, resulting in more frequent inactivation. Surprisingly, inactivation in MthK WT and V55E is associated with a widening of the selectivity filter, unlike what is observed for KcsA and reminisces recent structures of inactivated channels, suggesting a conserved inactivation pathway across the potassium channel family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Kopec
- Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrew S. Thomson
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bert L. de Groot
- Computational Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Brad S. Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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5
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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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6
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Renart ML, Giudici AM, Coll-Díez C, González-Ros JM, Poveda JA. Anionic Phospholipids Shift the Conformational Equilibrium of the Selectivity Filter in the KcsA Channel to the Conductive Conformation: Predicted Consequences on Inactivation. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051376. [PMID: 37239046 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we report an allosteric effect of an anionic phospholipid on a model K+ channel, KcsA. The anionic lipid in mixed detergent-lipid micelles specifically induces a change in the conformational equilibrium of the channel selectivity filter (SF) only when the channel inner gate is in the open state. Such change consists of increasing the affinity of the channel for K+, stabilizing a conductive-like form by maintaining a high ion occupancy in the SF. The process is highly specific in several aspects: First, lipid modifies the binding of K+, but not that of Na+, which remains unperturbed, ruling out a merely electrostatic phenomenon of cation attraction. Second, no lipid effects are observed when a zwitterionic lipid, instead of an anionic one, is present in the micelles. Lastly, the effects of the anionic lipid are only observed at pH 4.0, when the inner gate of KcsA is open. Moreover, the effect of the anionic lipid on K+ binding to the open channel closely emulates the K+ binding behaviour of the non-inactivating E71A and R64A mutant proteins. This suggests that the observed increase in K+ affinity caused by the bound anionic lipid should result in protecting the channel against inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Lourdes Renart
- IDiBE-Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - Ana Marcela Giudici
- IDiBE-Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - Carlos Coll-Díez
- IDiBE-Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - José M González-Ros
- IDiBE-Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - José A Poveda
- IDiBE-Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain
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7
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Pettini F, Domene C, Furini S. Early Steps in C-Type Inactivation of the hERG Potassium Channel. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:251-258. [PMID: 36512342 PMCID: PMC9832476 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Fast C-type inactivation confers distinctive functional properties to the hERG potassium channel, and its association to inherited and acquired cardiac arrythmias makes the study of the inactivation mechanism of hERG at the atomic detail of paramount importance. At present, two models have been proposed to describe C-type inactivation in K+-channels. Experimental data and computational work on the bacterial KcsA channel support the hypothesis that C-type inactivation results from a closure of the selectivity filter that sterically impedes ion conduction. Alternatively, recent experimental structures of a mutated Shaker channel revealed a widening of the extracellular portion of the selectivity filter, which might diminish conductance by interfering with the mechanism of ion permeation. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the wild-type hERG, a non-inactivating mutant (hERG-N629D), and a mutant that inactivates faster than the wild-type channel (hERG-F627Y) to find out which and if any of the two reported C-type inactivation mechanisms applies to hERG. Closure events of the selectivity filter were not observed in any of the simulated trajectories but instead, the extracellular section of the selectivity filter deviated from the canonical conductive structure of potassium channels. The degree of widening of the potassium binding sites at the extracellular entrance of the channel was directly related to the degree of inactivation with hERG-F627Y > wild-type hERG > hERG-N629D. These findings support the hypothesis that C-type inactivation in hERG entails a widening of the extracellular entrance of the channel rather than a closure of the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pettini
- Department
of Medical Biotechnologies, University of
Siena, viale Mario Bracci 12, Siena 53100, Italy,Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, viale Mario Bracci 12, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Carmen Domene
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.,Department
of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K.,
| | - Simone Furini
- Department
of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering ″Guglielmo
Marconi”, University of Bologna, via dell’Università
50, Cesena (FC) 47521, Italy,
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8
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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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9
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Molecular Events behind the Selectivity and Inactivation Properties of Model NaK-Derived Ion Channels. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169246. [PMID: 36012519 PMCID: PMC9409022 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Y55W mutants of non-selective NaK and partly K+-selective NaK2K channels have been used to explore the conformational dynamics at the pore region of these channels as they interact with either Na+ or K+. A major conclusion is that these channels exhibit a remarkable pore conformational flexibility. Homo-FRET measurements reveal a large change in W55–W55 intersubunit distances, enabling the selectivity filter (SF) to admit different species, thus, favoring poor or no selectivity. Depending on the cation, these channels exhibit wide-open conformations of the SF in Na+, or tight induced-fit conformations in K+, most favored in the four binding sites containing NaK2K channels. Such conformational flexibility seems to arise from an altered pattern of restricting interactions between the SF and the protein scaffold behind it. Additionally, binding experiments provide clues to explain such poor selectivity. Compared to the K+-selective KcsA channel, these channels lack a high affinity K+ binding component and do not collapse in Na+. Thus, they cannot properly select K+ over competing cations, nor reject Na+ by collapsing, as K+-selective channels do. Finally, these channels do not show C-type inactivation, likely because their submillimolar K+ binding affinities prevent an efficient K+ loss from their SF, thus favoring permanently open channel states.
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10
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11
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Kiya T, Takeshita K, Kawanabe A, Fujiwara Y. Intermolecular functional coupling between phosphoinositides and the potassium channel KcsA. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102257. [PMID: 35839854 PMCID: PMC9396063 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological membranes are composed of a wide variety of lipids. Phosphoinositides (PIPns) in the membrane inner leaflet only account for a small percentage of the total membrane lipids but modulate the functions of various membrane proteins, including ion channels, which play important roles in cell signaling. KcsA, a prototypical K+ channel that is small, simple, and easy to handle, has been broadly examined regarding its crystallography, in silico molecular analysis, and electrophysiology. It has been reported that KcsA activity is regulated by membrane phospholipids, such as phosphatidylglycerol. However, there has been no quantitative analysis of the correlation between direct lipid binding and the functional modification of KcsA, and it is unknown whether PIPns modulate KcsA function. Here, using contact bubble bilayer recording, we observed that the open probability of KcsA increased significantly (from about 10% to 90%) when the membrane inner leaflet contained only a small percentage of PIPns. In addition, we found an increase in the electrophysiological activity of KcsA correlated with a larger number of negative charges on PIPns. We further analyzed the affinity of the direct interaction between PIPns and KcsA using microscale thermophoresis and observed a strong correlation between direct lipid binding and the functional modification of KcsA. In conclusion, our approach was able to reconstruct the direct modification of KcsA by PIPns, and we propose that it can also be applied to elucidate the mechanism of modification of other ion channels by PIPns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takunari Kiya
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Kohei Takeshita
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Koto, Sayo-cho, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Akira Kawanabe
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
| | - Yuichiro Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
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12
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Al Salmani MK, Tavakoli R, Zaman W, Al Harrasi A. Multiple mechanisms underlie reduced potassium conductance in the p.T1019PfsX38 variant of hERG. Physiol Rep 2022; 10:e15341. [PMID: 35854468 PMCID: PMC9296870 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Long QT syndrome type II (LQT2) is caused by loss‐of‐function mutations in the hERG K+ channel, leading to increased incidence of cardiac arrest and sudden death. Many genetic variants have been reported in the hERG gene with various consequences on channel expression, permeation, and gating. Only a small number of LQT2 causing variants has been characterized to define the underlying pathophysiological causes of the disease. We sought to determine the characteristics of the frameshift variant p.Thr1019ProfsX38 (T1019PfsX38) which affects the C‐terminus of the protein. This mutation was identified in an extended Omani family of LQT2. It replaces the last 140 amino acids of hERG with 37 unique amino acids. T1019 is positioned at a distinguished region of the C‐terminal tail of hERG, as predicted from the deep learning system AlphaFold v2.0. We employed the whole‐cell configuration of the patch‐clamp technique to study wild‐type and mutant channels that were transiently expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. Depolarizing voltages elicited slowly deactivating tail currents that appeared upon repolarization of cells that express either wild‐type‐ or T1019PfsX38‐hERG. There were no differences in the voltage and time dependencies of activation between the two variants. However, the rates of hERG channel deactivation at hyperpolarizing potentials were accelerated by T1019PfsX38. In addition, the voltage dependence of inactivation of T1019PfsX38‐hERG was shifted by 20 mV in the negative direction when compared with wild‐type hERG. The rates of channel inactivation were increased in the mutant channel variant. Next, we employed a step‐ramp protocol to mimic membrane repolarization by the cardiac action potential. The amplitudes of outward currents and their integrals were reduced in the mutant variant when compared with the wild‐type variant during repolarization. Thus, changes in the gating dynamics of hERG by the T1019PfsX38 variant contribute to the pathology seen in affected LQT2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid K Al Salmani
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Rezvan Tavakoli
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Wajid Zaman
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
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13
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Turney TS, Li V, Brohawn SG. Structural Basis for pH-gating of the K + channel TWIK1 at the selectivity filter. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3232. [PMID: 35680900 PMCID: PMC9184524 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
TWIK1 (K2P1.1, KCNK1) is a widely expressed pH-gated two-pore domain K+ channel (K2P) that contributes to cardiac rhythm generation and insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. TWIK1 displays unique properties among K2Ps including low basal activity and inhibition by extracellular protons through incompletely understood mechanisms. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of TWIK1 in lipid nanodiscs at high and low pH that reveal a previously undescribed gating mechanism at the K+ selectivity filter. At high pH, TWIK1 adopts an open conformation. At low pH, protonation of an extracellular histidine results in a cascade of conformational changes that close the channel by sealing the top of the selectivity filter, displacing the helical cap to block extracellular ion access pathways, and opening gaps for lipid block of the intracellular cavity. These data provide a mechanistic understanding for extracellular pH-gating of TWIK1 and illustrate how diverse mechanisms have evolved to gate the selectivity filter of K+ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby S Turney
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vivian Li
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stephen G Brohawn
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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14
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McGuire H, Blunck R. Studying KcsA Channel Clustering Using Single Channel Voltage-Clamp Fluorescence Imaging*. Front Physiol 2022; 13:863375. [PMID: 35721536 PMCID: PMC9204084 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.863375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligomerization and complex formation play a key role for many membrane proteins and has been described to influence ion channel function in both neurons and the heart. In this study, we observed clustering of single KcsA channels in planar lipid bilayer using single molecule fluorescence, while simultaneously measuring single channel currents. Clustering coincided with cooperative opening of KcsA. We demonstrate that clustering was not caused by direct protein-protein interactions or hydrophobic mismatch with the lipid environment, as suggested earlier, but was mediated via microdomains induced by the channel in the lipid matrix. We found that single channel activity of KcsA requires conically-shaped lipids in the lamellar liquid-crystalline (Lα) phase, and the need for a negative spontaneous curvature seem to lead to the deformations in the membrane that cause the clustering. The method introduced here will be applicable to follow oligomerization of a wide range of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo McGuire
- Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Rikard Blunck
- Department of Physics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Brain and Learning (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Rikard Blunck,
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15
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Ahrari S, Ozturk TN, D'Avanzo N. ION BEHAVIOUR IN THE SELECTIVITY FILTER OF HCN1 CHANNELS. Biophys J 2022; 121:2206-2218. [PMID: 35474263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.04.024] [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: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCNs) are responsible for the generation of pacemaker currents (If or Ih) in cardiac and neuronal cells. Despite the overall structural similarity to voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels, HCNs show much lower selectivity for K+ over Na+ ions. This increased permeability to Na+ is critical to their role in membrane depolarization. HCNs can also select between Na+ and Li+ ions. Here we investigate the unique ion selectivity properties of HCNs using molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations suggest that the HCN1 pore is flexible and dilated compared to Kv channels with only one stable ion binding site within the selectivity filter. We also observe that ion coordination and hydration differ within the HCN1 selectivity filter compared to those in Kv and CNG channels. Additionally, the C358T mutation further stabilizes the symmetry of the binding site and provides a more fit space for ion coordination, particularly for Li+. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide gated (HCN) channels represent the molecular correlate of the currents If or Ih in cardiomyocytes and neurons. Here we study the unique low conductance and semi-selective properties of HCNs. The conductance and selectivity mechanisms of ion channels are tightly associated with their physiological role and contribute to the specific properties of the excitable cells in which they are expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ahrari
- Département de pharmacologie et physiologie, Université de Montréal, 2960 Chemin de la Tour, Montréal, Canada, H3T 1J4
| | - Tugba N Ozturk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, 223 McDonnell Sciences Building, St. Louis, US, 63110; Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814
| | - Nazzareno D'Avanzo
- Département de pharmacologie et physiologie, Université de Montréal, 2960 Chemin de la Tour, Montréal, Canada, H3T 1J4.
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16
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Rohaim A, Slezak T, Koh YH, Blachowicz L, Kossiakoff AA, Roux B. Engineering of a synthetic antibody fragment for structural and functional studies of K+ channels. J Gen Physiol 2022; 154:e202112965. [PMID: 35234830 PMCID: PMC8924934 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202112965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered antibody fragments (Fabs) have made major impacts on structural biology research, particularly to aid structural determination of membrane proteins. Nonetheless, Fabs generated by traditional monoclonal technology suffer from challenges of routine production and storage. Starting from the known IgG paratopes of an antibody that binds to the "turret loop" of the KcsA K+ channel, we engineered a synthetic Fab (sFab) based upon the highly stable Herceptin Fab scaffold, which can be recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and purified with single-step affinity chromatography. This synthetic Fab was used as a crystallization chaperone to obtain crystals of the KcsA channel that diffracted to a resolution comparable to that from the parent Fab. Furthermore, we show that the turret loop can be grafted into the unrelated voltage-gated Kv1.2-Kv2.1 channel and still strongly bind the engineered sFab, in support of the loop grafting strategy. Macroscopic electrophysiology recordings show that the sFab affects the activation and conductance of the chimeric voltage-gated channel. These results suggest that straightforward engineering of antibodies using recombinant formats can facilitate the rapid and scalable production of Fabs as structural biology tools and functional probes. The impact of this approach is expanded significantly based on the potential portability of the turret loop to a myriad of other K+ channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Rohaim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Tomasz Slezak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Young Hoon Koh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Lydia Blachowicz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Anthony A. Kossiakoff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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17
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A distinct mechanism of C-type inactivation in the Kv-like KcsA mutant E71V. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1574. [PMID: 35322021 PMCID: PMC8943062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28866-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
C-type inactivation is of great physiological importance in voltage-activated K+ channels (Kv), but its structural basis remains unresolved. Knowledge about C-type inactivation has been largely deduced from the bacterial K+ channel KcsA, whose selectivity filter constricts under inactivating conditions. However, the filter is highly sensitive to its molecular environment, which is different in Kv channels than in KcsA. In particular, a glutamic acid residue at position 71 along the pore helix in KcsA is substituted by a valine conserved in most Kv channels, suggesting that this side chain is a molecular determinant of function. Here, a combination of X-ray crystallography, solid-state NMR and MD simulations of the E71V KcsA mutant is undertaken to explore inactivation in this Kv-like construct. X-ray and ssNMR data show that the filter of the Kv-like mutant does not constrict under inactivating conditions. Rather, the filter adopts a conformation that is slightly narrowed and rigidified. On the other hand, MD simulations indicate that the constricted conformation can nonetheless be stably established in the mutant channel. Together, these findings suggest that the Kv-like KcsA mutant may be associated with different modes of C-type inactivation, showing that distinct filter environments entail distinct C-type inactivation mechanisms.
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18
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Tikhonov DB, Zhorov BS. P-Loop Channels: Experimental Structures, and Physics-Based and Neural Networks-Based Models. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12020229. [PMID: 35207150 PMCID: PMC8876033 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12020229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The superfamily of P-loop channels includes potassium, sodium, and calcium channels, as well as TRP channels and ionotropic glutamate receptors. A rapidly increasing number of crystal and cryo-EM structures have revealed conserved and variable elements of the channel structures. Intriguing differences are seen in transmembrane helices of channels, which may include π-helical bulges. The bulges reorient residues in the helices and thus strongly affect their intersegment contacts and patterns of ligand-sensing residues. Comparison of the experimental structures suggests that some π-bulges are dynamic: they may appear and disappear upon channel gating and ligand binding. The AlphaFold2 models represent a recent breakthrough in the computational prediction of protein structures. We compared some crystal and cryo-EM structures of P-loop channels with respective AlphaFold2 models. Folding of the regions, which are resolved experimentally, is generally similar to that predicted in the AlphaFold2 models. The models also reproduce some subtle but significant differences between various P-loop channels. However, patterns of π-bulges do not necessarily coincide in the experimental and AlphaFold2 structures. Given the importance of dynamic π-bulges, further studies involving experimental and theoretical approaches are necessary to understand the cause of the discrepancy.
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19
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Rearrangement of a unique Kv1.3 selectivity filter conformation upon binding of a drug. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2113536119. [PMID: 35091471 PMCID: PMC8812516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113536119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) open with membrane depolarization and allow the flow of K+ ions. Ion flow is tightly governed by time-dependent entry into nonconducting inactivated states. Here, we focus on Kv1.3, a channel of physiological importance in immune cells. We used cryogenic electron microscopy to determine structures of human Kv1.3 alone and bound to dalazatide, a peptide inhibitor in human trials. In the unbound state, Kv1.3’s outer pore is rearranged compared to all other K+ channels analyzed. Interaction of dalazatide with Kv1.3’s outer pore causes a dynamic rearrangement of the selectivity filter as Kv1.3 enters a drug-blocked state. We report two structures of the human voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv) Kv1.3 in immune cells alone (apo-Kv1.3) and bound to an immunomodulatory drug called dalazatide (dalazatide–Kv1.3). Both the apo-Kv1.3 and dalazatide–Kv1.3 structures are in an activated state based on their depolarized voltage sensor and open inner gate. In apo-Kv1.3, the aromatic residue in the signature sequence (Y447) adopts a position that diverges 11 Å from other K+ channels. The outer pore is significantly rearranged, causing widening of the selectivity filter and perturbation of ion binding within the filter. This conformation is stabilized by a network of intrasubunit hydrogen bonds. In dalazatide–Kv1.3, binding of dalazatide to the channel’s outer vestibule narrows the selectivity filter, Y447 occupies a position seen in other K+ channels, and this conformation is stabilized by a network of intersubunit hydrogen bonds. These remarkable rearrangements in the selectivity filter underlie Kv1.3’s transition into the drug-blocked state.
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20
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Zhang Q, Fu J, Zhang S, Guo P, Liu S, Shen J, Guo J, Yang H. 'C-type' closed state and gating mechanisms of K2P channels revealed by conformational changes of the TREK-1 channel. J Mol Cell Biol 2022; 14:6504012. [PMID: 35022758 PMCID: PMC9021975 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels gate primarily within the selectivity filter, termed ‘C-type’ gating. Due to the lack of structural insights into the nonconductive (closed) state, ‘C-type’ gating mechanisms remain elusive. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on TREK-1, a K2P channel, revealed that M4 helix movements induce filter closing in a novel ‘deeper-down’ structure that represents a ‘C-type’ closed state. The ‘down’ structure does not represent the closed state as previously proposed and instead acts as an intermediate state in gating. The study identified the allosteric ‘seesaw’ mechanism of M4 helix movements in modulating filter closing. Finally, guided by this recognition of K2P gating mechanisms, MD simulations revealed that gain-of-function mutations and small-molecule activators activate TREK-1 by perturbing state transitions from open to closed states. Together, we reveal a ‘C-type’ closed state and provide mechanical insights into gating procedures and allosteric regulations for K2P channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiansen Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jie Fu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shaoying Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Peipei Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shijie Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Juwen Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jiangtao Guo
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huaiyu Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
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21
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Hendriks K, Öster C, Lange A. Structural Plasticity of the Selectivity Filter in Cation Channels. Front Physiol 2021; 12:792958. [PMID: 34950061 PMCID: PMC8689586 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.792958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels allow for the passage of ions across biological membranes, which is essential for the functioning of a cell. In pore loop channels the selectivity filter (SF) is a conserved sequence that forms a constriction with multiple ion binding sites. It is becoming increasingly clear that there are several conformations and dynamic states of the SF in cation channels. Here we outline specific modes of structural plasticity observed in the SFs of various pore loop channels: disorder, asymmetry, and collapse. We summarize the multiple atomic structures with varying SF conformations as well as asymmetric and more dynamic states that were discovered recently using structural biology, spectroscopic, and computational methods. Overall, we discuss here that structural plasticity within the SF is a key molecular determinant of ion channel gating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitty Hendriks
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carl Öster
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam Lange
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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22
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Reddi R, Matulef K, Riederer E, Moenne-Loccoz P, Valiyaveetil FI. Structures of Gating Intermediates in a K + channel. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167296. [PMID: 34627789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of ion conduction through the pore of a K+ channel takes place through the coordinated action of the activation gate at the bundle crossing of the inner helices and the inactivation gate located at the selectivity filter. The mechanism of allosteric coupling of these gates is of key interest. Here we report new insights into this allosteric coupling mechanism from studies on a W67F mutant of the KcsA channel. W67 is in the pore helix and is highly conserved in K+ channels. The KcsA W67F channel shows severely reduced inactivation and an enhanced rate of activation. We use continuous wave EPR spectroscopy to establish that the KcsA W67F channel shows an altered pH dependence of activation. Structural studies on the W67F channel provide the structures of two intermediate states: a pre- open state and a pre-inactivated state of the KcsA channel. These structures highlight key nodes in the allosteric pathway. The structure of the KcsA W67F channel with the activation gate open shows altered ion occupancy at the second ion binding site (S2) in the selectivity filter. This finding in combination with previous studies strongly support a requirement for ion occupancy at the S2 site for the channel to inactivate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravikumar Reddi
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States. https://twitter.com/Ravi_K_Reddi
| | - Kimberly Matulef
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Erika Riederer
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Pierre Moenne-Loccoz
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Francis I Valiyaveetil
- Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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23
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Díaz-García C, Renart ML, Poveda JA, Giudici AM, González-Ros JM, Prieto M, Coutinho A. Probing the Structural Dynamics of the Activation Gate of KcsA Using Homo-FRET Measurements. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111954. [PMID: 34769384 PMCID: PMC8584343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The allosteric coupling between activation and inactivation processes is a common feature observed in K+ channels. Particularly, in the prokaryotic KcsA channel the K+ conduction process is controlled by the inner gate, which is activated by acidic pH, and by the selectivity filter (SF) or outer gate, which can adopt non-conductive or conductive states. In a previous study, a single tryptophan mutant channel (W67 KcsA) enabled us to investigate the SF dynamics using time-resolved homo-Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (homo-FRET) measurements. Here, the conformational changes of both gates were simultaneously monitored after labelling the G116C position with tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) within a W67 KcsA background. At a high degree of protein labeling, fluorescence anisotropy measurements showed that the pH-induced KcsA gating elicited a variation in the homo-FRET efficiency among the conjugated TMR dyes (TMR homo-FRET), while the conformation of the SF was simultaneously tracked (W67 homo-FRET). The dependence of the activation pKa of the inner gate with the ion occupancy of the SF unequivocally confirmed the allosteric communication between the two gates of KcsA. This simple TMR homo-FRET based ratiometric assay can be easily extended to study the conformational dynamics associated with the gating of other ion channels and their modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Díaz-García
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.D.-G.); (M.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Lourdes Renart
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain; (J.A.P.); (A.M.G.); (J.M.G.-R.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.R.); (A.C.)
| | - José Antonio Poveda
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain; (J.A.P.); (A.M.G.); (J.M.G.-R.)
| | - Ana Marcela Giudici
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain; (J.A.P.); (A.M.G.); (J.M.G.-R.)
| | - José M. González-Ros
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain; (J.A.P.); (A.M.G.); (J.M.G.-R.)
| | - Manuel Prieto
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.D.-G.); (M.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Coutinho
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.D.-G.); (M.P.)
- Associate Laboratory i4HB, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Correspondence: (M.L.R.); (A.C.)
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24
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Lewis A, Kurauskas V, Tonelli M, Henzler-Wildman K. Ion-dependent structure, dynamics, and allosteric coupling in a non-selective cation channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6225. [PMID: 34711838 PMCID: PMC8553846 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26538-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The selectivity filter (SF) determines which ions are efficiently conducted through ion channel pores. NaK is a non-selective cation channel that conducts Na+ and K+ with equal efficiency. Crystal structures of NaK suggested a rigid SF structure, but later solid-state NMR and MD simulations questioned this interpretation. Here, we use solution NMR to characterize how bound Na+ vs. K+ affects NaK SF structure and dynamics. We find that the extracellular end of the SF is flexible on the ps-ns timescale regardless of bound ion. On a slower timescale, we observe a structural change between the Na+ and K+-bound states, accompanied by increased structural heterogeneity in Na+. We also show direct evidence that the SF structure is communicated to the pore via I88 on the M2 helix. These results support a dynamic SF with multiple conformations involved in non-selective conduction. Our data also demonstrate allosteric coupling between the SF and pore-lining helices in a non-selective cation channel that is analogous to the allosteric coupling previously demonstrated for K+-selective channels, supporting the generality of this model. NaK is a bacterial non-selective cation channel. Here, the authors use solution NMR to show that selectivity filter (SF) in NaK is dynamic, with structural differences between the Na+ and K + -bound states. The conformation of the SF is communicated to the pore-lining helices similarly as in the K + -selective channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lewis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Vilius Kurauskas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Marco Tonelli
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Katherine Henzler-Wildman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA. .,National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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25
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Li J, Shen R, Rohaim A, Mendoza Uriarte R, Fajer M, Perozo E, Roux B. Computational study of non-conductive selectivity filter conformations and C-type inactivation in a voltage-dependent potassium channel. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212541. [PMID: 34357375 PMCID: PMC8352720 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202112875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
C-type inactivation is a time-dependent process of great physiological significance that is observed in a large class of K+ channels. Experimental and computational studies of the pH-activated KcsA channel show that the functional C-type inactivated state, for this channel, is associated with a structural constriction of the selectivity filter at the level of the central glycine residue in the signature sequence, TTV(G)YGD. The structural constriction is allosterically promoted by the wide opening of the intracellular activation gate. However, whether this is a universal mechanism for C-type inactivation has not been established with certainty because similar constricted structures have not been observed for other K+ channels. Seeking to ascertain the general plausibility of the constricted filter conformation, molecular dynamics simulations of a homology model of the pore domain of the voltage-gated potassium channel Shaker were performed. Simulations performed with an open intracellular gate spontaneously resulted in a stable constricted-like filter conformation, providing a plausible nonconductive state responsible for C-type inactivation in the Shaker channel. While there are broad similarities with the constricted structure of KcsA, the hypothetical constricted-like conformation of Shaker also displays some subtle differences. Interestingly, those are recapitulated by the Shaker-like E71V KcsA mutant, suggesting that the residue at this position along the pore helix plays a pivotal role in determining the C-type inactivation behavior. Free energy landscape calculations show that the conductive-to-constricted transition in Shaker is allosterically controlled by the degree of opening of the intracellular activation gate, as observed with the KcsA channel. The behavior of the classic inactivating W434F Shaker mutant is also characterized from a 10-μs MD simulation, revealing that the selectivity filter spontaneously adopts a nonconductive conformation that is constricted at the level of the second glycine in the signature sequence, TTVGY(G)D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
| | - Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Ahmed Rohaim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Ramon Mendoza Uriarte
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Mikolai Fajer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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26
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Domene C, Ocello R, Masetti M, Furini S. Ion Conduction Mechanism as a Fingerprint of Potassium Channels. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:12181-12193. [PMID: 34323472 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c04802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
K+-channels are membrane proteins that regulate the selective conduction of potassium ions across cell membranes. Although the atomic mechanisms of K+ permeation have been extensively investigated, previous work focused on characterizing the selectivity and occupancy of the binding sites, the role of water molecules in the conduction process, or the identification of the minimum energy pathways enabling permeation. Here, we exploit molecular dynamics simulations and the analytical power of Markov state models to perform a comparative study of ion conduction in three distinct channel models. Significant differences emerged in terms of permeation mechanisms and binding site occupancy by potassium ions and/or water molecules from 100 μs cumulative trajectories. We found that, at odds with the current paradigm, each system displays a characteristic permeation mechanism, and thus, there is not a unique way by which potassium ions move through K+-channels. The high functional diversity of K+-channels can be attributed in part to the differences in conduction features that have emerged from this work. This study provides crucial information and further inspiration for wet-lab chemists designing new synthetic strategies to produce versatile artificial ion channels that emulate membrane transport for their applications in diagnosis, sensors, the next generation of water treatment technologies, etc., as the ability of synthetic channels to transport molecular ions across a bilayer in a controlled way is usually governed through the choice of metal ions, their oxidation states, or their coordination geometries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Domene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, U.K.,Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Riccardo Ocello
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Masetti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Furini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
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27
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Zequn Z, Jiangfang L. Molecular Insights Into the Gating Kinetics of the Cardiac hERG Channel, Illuminated by Structure and Molecular Dynamics. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:687007. [PMID: 34168566 PMCID: PMC8217747 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.687007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ current generated by the cardiac hERG potassium channel encoded by KCNH2 is the most important reserve current for cardiac repolarization. The unique inward rectification characteristics of the hERG channel depend on the gating regulation, which involves crucial structural domains and key single amino acid residues in the full-length hERG channel. Identifying critical molecules involved in the regulation of gating kinetics for the hERG channel requires high-resolution structures and molecular dynamics simulation models. Based on the latest progress in hERG structure and molecular dynamics simulation research, summarizing the molecules involved in the changes in the channel state helps to elucidate the unique gating characteristics of the channel and the reason for its high affinity to cardiotoxic drugs. In this review, we aim to summarize the significant advances in understanding the voltage gating regulation of the hERG channel based on its structure obtained from cryo-electron microscopy and computer simulations, which reveal the critical roles of several specific structural domains and amino acid residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zequn
- Department of Cardiovascular, Medical College, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Lian Jiangfang
- Department of Cardiovascular, Lihuili Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
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28
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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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29
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Yazdi S, Nikesjö J, Miranda W, Corradi V, Tieleman DP, Noskov SY, Larsson HP, Liin SI. Identification of PUFA interaction sites on the cardiac potassium channel KCNQ1. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212043. [PMID: 33939797 PMCID: PMC8097404 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), but not saturated fatty acids, modulate ion channels such as the cardiac KCNQ1 channel, although the mechanism is not completely understood. Using both simulations and experiments, we find that PUFAs interact directly with the KCNQ1 channel via two different binding sites: one at the voltage sensor and one at the pore. These two amphiphilic binding pockets stabilize the negatively charged PUFA head group by electrostatic interactions with R218, R221, and K316, while the hydrophobic PUFA tail is selectively stabilized by cassettes of hydrophobic residues. The rigid saturated tail of stearic acid prevents close contacts with KCNQ1. By contrast, the mobile tail of PUFA linoleic acid can be accommodated in the crevice of the hydrophobic cassette, a defining feature of PUFA selectivity in KCNQ1. In addition, we identify Y268 as a critical PUFA anchor point underlying fatty acid selectivity. Combined, this study provides molecular models of direct interactions between PUFAs and KCNQ1 and identifies selectivity mechanisms. Long term, this understanding may open new avenues for drug development based on PUFA mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Yazdi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Johan Nikesjö
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Williams Miranda
- Centre for Molecular Simulations, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Valentina Corradi
- Centre for Molecular Simulations, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - D Peter Tieleman
- Centre for Molecular Simulations, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sergei Yu Noskov
- Centre for Molecular Simulations, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - H Peter Larsson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL
| | - Sara I Liin
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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30
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Natale AM, Deal PE, Minor DL. Structural Insights into the Mechanisms and Pharmacology of K 2P Potassium Channels. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166995. [PMID: 33887333 PMCID: PMC8436263 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Leak currents, defined as voltage and time independent flows of ions across cell membranes, are central to cellular electrical excitability control. The K2P (KCNK) potassium channel class comprises an ion channel family that produces potassium leak currents that oppose excitation and stabilize the resting membrane potential in cells in the brain, cardiovascular system, immune system, and sensory organs. Due to their widespread tissue distribution, K2Ps contribute to many physiological and pathophysiological processes including anesthesia, pain, arrythmias, ischemia, hypertension, migraine, intraocular pressure regulation, and lung injury responses. Structural studies of six homomeric K2Ps have established the basic architecture of this channel family, revealed key moving parts involved in K2P function, uncovered the importance of asymmetric pinching and dilation motions in the K2P selectivity filter (SF) C-type gate, and defined two K2P structural classes based on the absence or presence of an intracellular gate. Further, a series of structures characterizing K2P:modulator interactions have revealed a striking polysite pharmacology housed within a relatively modestly sized (~70 kDa) channel. Binding sites for small molecules or lipids that control channel function are found at every layer of the channel structure, starting from its extracellular side through the portion that interacts with the membrane bilayer inner leaflet. This framework provides the basis for understanding how gating cues sensed by different channel parts control function and how small molecules and lipids modulate K2P activity. Such knowledge should catalyze development of new K2P modulators to probe function and treat a wide range of disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Natale
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Parker E Deal
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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31
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Yang L, Catalano C, Xu Y, Qiu W, Zhang D, McDermott A, Guo Y, Blount P. A native cell membrane nanoparticles system allows for high-quality functional proteoliposome reconstitution. BBA ADVANCES 2021; 1. [PMID: 34296205 PMCID: PMC8294337 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2021.100011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteoliposomes mimic the cell membrane environment allowing for structural and functional membrane protein analyses as well as antigen presenting and drug delivery devices. To make proteoliposomes, purified functional membrane proteins are required. Detergents have traditionally been used for the first step in this process However, they can irreversibly denature or render membrane proteins unstable, and the necessary removal of detergents after reconstitution can decrease proteoliposome yields. The recently developed native cell membrane nanoparticles (NCMN) system has provided a variety of detergent-free alternatives for membrane protein preparation for structural biology research. Here we attempt to employ the MCMN system for the functional reconstitution of channels into proteoliposomes. NCMN polymers NCMNP1–1 and NCMNP7–1, members of a NCMN polymer library that have been successful in extraction and affinity purification of a number of intrinsic membrane proteins, were selected for the purification and subsequent reconstitution of three bacterial channels: KcsA and the mechanosensitive channels of large and small conductance (MscL and MscS). We found that channels in NCMN particles, which appeared to be remarkably stable when stored at 4 °C, can be reconstituted into bilayers by simply incubating with lipids. We show that the resulting proteoliposomes can be patched for electrophysiological studies or used for the generation of liposome-based nanodevices. In sum, the findings demonstrate that the NCMN system is a simple and robust membrane protein extraction and reconstitution approach for making high-quality functional proteoliposomes that could significantly impact membrane protein research and the development of nanodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Yang
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9040, United States
| | - Claudio Catalano
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, United States.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0133, United States
| | - Yunyao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Weihua Qiu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, United States.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0133, United States
| | - Dongyu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Ann McDermott
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Youzhong Guo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0540, United States.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0133, United States
| | - Paul Blount
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9040, United States
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32
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Abstract
Combining crosslinking strategies with electrophysiology, biochemistry, and structural in silico analysis is a powerful tool to study transient movements of ion channels during gating. This chapter describes crosslinking in living cells using cysteine and photoactive unnatural amino acids (UAAs) that we have used on glutamate receptor ion channels. Here, we share the protocol for building a perfusion tool to enable rapid chemical modification of glutamate-gated AMPA receptors, optimized for their fast activation. This system can be used to perform state-dependent crosslinking in receptors modified by cysteines or UAA incorporation on the millisecond timescale. Introducing UAAs results in receptors with lower expression levels relative to the introduction of cysteine residues. Reduced expression is principally a challenge for biochemical studies, and we share here our approach to capture the light driven oligomerization of AMPA receptors containing UAA crosslinkers. Finally, we describe strategies for computational analysis to make sense of the crosslinking results in terms of structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J R Plested
- Institute of Biology, Cellular Biophysics, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mette H Poulsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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33
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Stautz J, Hellmich Y, Fuss MF, Silberberg JM, Devlin JR, Stockbridge RB, Hänelt I. Molecular Mechanisms for Bacterial Potassium Homeostasis. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166968. [PMID: 33798529 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Potassium ion homeostasis is essential for bacterial survival, playing roles in osmoregulation, pH homeostasis, regulation of protein synthesis, enzyme activation, membrane potential adjustment and electrical signaling. To accomplish such diverse physiological tasks, it is not surprising that a single bacterium typically encodes several potassium uptake and release systems. To understand the role each individual protein fulfills and how these proteins work in concert, it is important to identify the molecular details of their function. One needs to understand whether the systems transport ions actively or passively, and what mechanisms or ligands lead to the activation or inactivation of individual systems. Combining mechanistic information with knowledge about the physiology under different stress situations, such as osmostress, pH stress or nutrient limitation, one can identify the task of each system and deduce how they are coordinated with each other. By reviewing the general principles of bacterial membrane physiology and describing the molecular architecture and function of several bacterial K+-transporting systems, we aim to provide a framework for microbiologists studying bacterial potassium homeostasis and the many K+-translocating systems that are still poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Stautz
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yvonne Hellmich
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael F Fuss
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jakob M Silberberg
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jason R Devlin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Randy B Stockbridge
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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34
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Involvement of pore helix in voltage-dependent inactivation of TRPM5 channel. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06102. [PMID: 33553759 PMCID: PMC7848652 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The transient receptor potential melastatin 5 (TRPM5) channel is a monovalent-permeable cation channel that is activated by intracellular Ca2+. Expression of TRPM5 has been shown in taste cells, pancreas, brainstem and olfactory epithelium, and this channel is thought to be involved in controlling membrane potentials. In whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, TRPM5 exhibited voltage-dependent inactivation at negative membrane potentials and time constant of voltage-dependent inactivation of TRPM5 did not depend on the intracellular Ca2+ concentrations between 100 and 500 nM. Alanine substitution at Y913 and I916 in the pore helix of TRPM5 increased time constant of voltage-dependent inactivation. Meanwhile, voltage-dependent inactivation was reduced in TRPM5 mutants having glycine substitution at L901, Y913, Q915 and I916 in the pore helix. From these results, we conclude that the pore helix in the outer pore loop might play a role in voltage-dependent inactivation of TRPM5.
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35
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Cholasseri R, De S. Dual-Site Binding of Quaternary Ammonium Ions as Internal K +-Ion Channel Blockers: Nonclassical (C-H···O) H Bonding vs Dispersive (C-H···H-C) Interaction. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:86-100. [PMID: 33371683 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A molecular-level study of the influence of the alkyl chain length of quaternary ammonium ions (QAs) on the blocking action and the mode of binding with the bacterial KcsA K+-ion channel is carried out by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as well as quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. The present work unveils distinct modes of binding for different QAs, due to differences in size and hydrophobicity. The QAs bind near the channel gate as well as at the central cavity, leading to a possible dual-site blocking action. Small-sized tetraethylammonium (TEA) and tetrabutylammonium (TBA) ions enter inside the channel cavity in the open state of KcsA but bind strongly in the closed state. TEA binds to the polar hydroxyl group of threonine residues situated at the channel gate via nonclassical H-bonding interaction (C-H···O), while TBA binds to a second binding site, the central cavity, with hydrophobic benzyl and sec-butyl side chains of phenylalanine and isoleucine residues via alkyl-π and hydrophobic interactions (C-H···H-C). On the contrary, large tetrahexylammonium (THA) and tetraoctylammonium (TOA) ions bind the hydrophobic side-chain methyl and isopropyl of alanine and valine at the channel gate both in the open and closed states, thereby restricting the free movement of large QAs toward the center of the cavity. However, the binding to the hydrophobic benzyl and sec-butyl side chains of phenylalanine and isoleucine residues in the closed state is thermodynamically preferable. Also, the binding energy is found to increase with an increase in the alkyl chain length from ethyl (-16.4 kcal/mol) to octyl (-65.5 kcal/mol), due to an almost linear increase in dispersive interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinsha Cholasseri
- Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala 673 601, India
| | - Susmita De
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Trikakkara, Kochi, Kerala 682 022, India.,Inter University Centre for Nanomaterials and Devices, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Trikakkara, Kochi, Kerala 682 022, India
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36
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Giudici AM, Díaz-García C, Renart ML, Coutinho A, Prieto M, González-Ros JM, Poveda JA. Tetraoctylammonium, a Long Chain Quaternary Ammonium Blocker, Promotes a Noncollapsed, Resting-Like Inactivated State in KcsA. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020490. [PMID: 33419017 PMCID: PMC7825302 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alkylammonium salts have been used extensively to study the structure and function of potassium channels. Here, we use the hydrophobic tetraoctylammonium (TOA+) to shed light on the structure of the inactivated state of KcsA, a tetrameric prokaryotic potassium channel that serves as a model to its homologous eukaryotic counterparts. By the combined use of a thermal denaturation assay and the analysis of homo-Förster resonance energy transfer in a mutant channel containing a single tryptophan (W67) per subunit, we found that TOA+ binds the channel cavity with high affinity, either with the inner gate open or closed. Moreover, TOA+ bound at the cavity allosterically shifts the equilibrium of the channel's selectivity filter conformation from conductive to an inactivated-like form. The inactivated TOA+-KcsA complex exhibits a loss in the affinity towards permeant K+ at pH 7.0, when the channel is in its closed state, but maintains the two sets of K+ binding sites and the W67-W67 intersubunit distances characteristic of the selectivity filter in the channel resting state. Thus, the TOA+-bound state differs clearly from the collapsed channel state described by X-ray crystallography and claimed to represent the inactivated form of KcsA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Marcela Giudici
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE), Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular (IBMC), Universidad Miguel Hernández, E-03202 Elche, Spain; (A.M.G.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Clara Díaz-García
- Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.D.-G.); (A.C.); (M.P.)
| | - Maria Lourdes Renart
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE), Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular (IBMC), Universidad Miguel Hernández, E-03202 Elche, Spain; (A.M.G.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Ana Coutinho
- Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.D.-G.); (A.C.); (M.P.)
- Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculty of Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuel Prieto
- Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.D.-G.); (A.C.); (M.P.)
| | - José M. González-Ros
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE), Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular (IBMC), Universidad Miguel Hernández, E-03202 Elche, Spain; (A.M.G.); (M.L.R.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.G.-R.); (J.A.P.); Tel.: +34-966-658-757 (J.M.G.-R.); +34-966-658-466 (J.A.P.)
| | - José Antonio Poveda
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE), Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular (IBMC), Universidad Miguel Hernández, E-03202 Elche, Spain; (A.M.G.); (M.L.R.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.G.-R.); (J.A.P.); Tel.: +34-966-658-757 (J.M.G.-R.); +34-966-658-466 (J.A.P.)
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Cosseddu SM, Choe EJ, Khovanov IA. Unraveling of a Strongly Correlated Dynamical Network of Residues Controlling the Permeation of Potassium in KcsA Ion Channel. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 23:E72. [PMID: 33418985 PMCID: PMC7825352 DOI: 10.3390/e23010072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The complicated patterns of the single-channel currents in potassium ion channel KcsA are governed by the structural variability of the selectivity filter. A comparative analysis of the dynamics of the wild type KcsA channel and several of its mutants showing different conducting patterns was performed. A strongly correlated dynamical network of interacting residues is found to play a key role in regulating the state of the wild type channel. The network is centered on the aspartate D80 which plays the role of a hub by strong interacting via hydrogen bonds with residues E71, R64, R89, and W67. Residue D80 also affects the selectivity filter via its backbones. This network further compromises ions and water molecules located inside the channel that results in the mutual influence: the permeation depends on the configuration of residues in the network, and the dynamics of network's residues depends on locations of ions and water molecules inside the selectivity filter. Some features of the network provide a further understanding of experimental results describing the KcsA activity. In particular, the necessity of anionic lipids to be present for functioning the channel is explained by the interaction between the lipids and the arginine residues R64 and R89 that prevents destabilizing the structure of the selectivity filter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Igor A. Khovanov
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; (S.M.C.); (E.J.C.)
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38
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Abstract
Potassium channels are present in every living cell and essential to setting up a stable, non-zero transmembrane electrostatic potential which manifests the off-equilibrium livelihood of the cell. They are involved in other cellular activities and regulation, such as the controlled release of hormones, the activation of T-cells for immune response, the firing of action potential in muscle cells and neurons, etc. Pharmacological reagents targeting potassium channels are important for treating various human diseases linked to dysfunction of the channels. High-resolution structures of these channels are very useful tools for delineating the detailed chemical basis underlying channel functions and for structure-based design and optimization of their pharmacological and pharmaceutical agents. Structural studies of potassium channels have revolutionized biophysical understandings of key concepts in the field - ion selectivity, conduction, channel gating, and modulation, making them multi-modality targets of pharmacological regulation. In this chapter, I will select a few high-resolution structures to illustrate key structural insights, proposed allostery behind channel functions, disagreements still open to debate, and channel-lipid interactions and co-evolution. The known structural consensus allows the inference of conserved molecular mechanisms shared among subfamilies of K+ channels and makes it possible to develop channel-specific pharmaceutical agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Xing Jiang
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and the Cryo-EM Center, Hauptmann-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Departments of Materials Design and Invention and Physiology and Biophysics, University of Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
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39
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Li J, Shen R, Reddy B, Perozo E, Roux B. Mechanism of C-type inactivation in the hERG potassium channel. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/5/eabd6203. [PMID: 33514547 PMCID: PMC7846155 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd6203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The fast C-type inactivation displayed by the voltage-activated potassium channel hERG plays a critical role in the repolarization of cardiac cells, and malfunction caused by nonspecific binding of drugs or naturally occurring missense mutations affecting inactivation can lead to pathologies. Because of its impact on human health, understanding the molecular mechanism of C-type inactivation in hERG represents an advance of paramount importance. Here, long-time scale molecular dynamics simulations, free energy landscape calculations, and electrophysiological experiments are combined to address the structural and functional impacts of several disease-associated mutations. Results suggest that C-type inactivation in hERG is associated with an asymmetrical constricted-like conformation of the selectivity filter, identifying F627 side-chain rotation and the hydrogen bond between Y616 and N629 as key determinants. Comparison of hERG with other K+ channels suggests that C-type inactivation depends on the degree of opening of the intracellular gate via the filter-gate allosteric coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bharat Reddy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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40
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Selectivity filter ion binding affinity determines inactivation in a potassium channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:29968-29978. [PMID: 33154158 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009624117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels can become nonconducting via inactivation at a gate inside the highly conserved selectivity filter (SF) region near the extracellular side of the membrane. In certain ligand-gated channels, such as BK channels and MthK, a Ca2+-activated K+ channel from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, the SF has been proposed to play a role in opening and closing rather than inactivation, although the underlying conformational changes are unknown. Using X-ray crystallography, identical conductive MthK structures were obtained in wide-ranging K+ concentrations (6 to 150 mM), unlike KcsA, whose SF collapses at low permeant ion concentrations. Surprisingly, three of the SF's four binding sites remained almost fully occupied throughout this range, indicating high affinities (likely submillimolar), while only the central S2 site titrated, losing its ion at 6 mM, indicating low K+ affinity (∼50 mM). Molecular simulations showed that the MthK SF can also collapse in the absence of K+, similar to KcsA, but that even a single K+ binding at any of the SF sites, except S4, can rescue the conductive state. The uneven titration across binding sites differs from KcsA, where SF sites display a uniform decrease in occupancy with K+ concentration, in the low millimolar range, leading to SF collapse. We found that ions were disfavored in MthK's S2 site due to weaker coordination by carbonyl groups, arising from different interactions with the pore helix and water behind the SF. We conclude that these differences in interactions endow the seemingly identical SFs of KcsA and MthK with strikingly different inactivating phenotypes.
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41
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Furini S, Domene C. Critical Assessment of Common Force Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Potassium Channels. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:7148-7159. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Furini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Carmen Domene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
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42
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Iwahashi Y, Toyama Y, Imai S, Itoh H, Osawa M, Inoue M, Shimada I. Conformational equilibrium shift underlies altered K + channel gating as revealed by NMR. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5168. [PMID: 33057011 PMCID: PMC7560842 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19005-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The potassium ion (K+) channel plays a fundamental role in controlling K+ permeation across the cell membrane and regulating cellular excitabilities. Mutations in the transmembrane pore reportedly affect the gating transitions of K+ channels, and are associated with the onset of neural disorders. However, due to the lack of structural and dynamic insights into the functions of K+ channels, the structural mechanism by which these mutations cause K+ channel dysfunctions remains elusive. Here, we used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the structural mechanism underlying the decreased K+-permeation caused by disease-related mutations, using the prokaryotic K+ channel KcsA. We demonstrated that the conformational equilibrium in the transmembrane region is shifted toward the non-conductive state with the closed intracellular K+-gate in the disease-related mutant. We also demonstrated that this equilibrium shift is attributable to the additional steric contacts in the open-conductive structure, which are evoked by the increased side-chain bulkiness of the residues lining the transmembrane helix. Our results suggest that the alteration in the conformational equilibrium of the intracellular K+-gate is one of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the dysfunctions of K+ channels caused by disease-related mutations. Potassium ion channels control K+ permeation across cell membranes and mutations that cause cardiovascular and neural diseases are known. Here, the authors perform NMR measurements with the prototypical K+ channel from Streptomyces lividans, KcsA and characterise the effects of disease causing mutations on the conformational dynamics of K+ channels in a physiological solution environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Iwahashi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuki Toyama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Imai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Itoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masanori Osawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Keio University Faculty of Pharmacy, Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8512, Japan
| | - Masayuki Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ichio Shimada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.
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43
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Lolicato M, Natale AM, Abderemane-Ali F, Crottès D, Capponi S, Duman R, Wagner A, Rosenberg JM, Grabe M, Minor DL. K 2P channel C-type gating involves asymmetric selectivity filter order-disorder transitions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/44/eabc9174. [PMID: 33127683 PMCID: PMC7608817 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
K2P potassium channels regulate cellular excitability using their selectivity filter (C-type) gate. C-type gating mechanisms, best characterized in homotetrameric potassium channels, remain controversial and are attributed to selectivity filter pinching, dilation, or subtle structural changes. The extent to which such mechanisms control C-type gating of innately heterodimeric K2Ps is unknown. Here, combining K2P2.1 (TREK-1) x-ray crystallography in different potassium concentrations, potassium anomalous scattering, molecular dynamics, and electrophysiology, we uncover unprecedented, asymmetric, potassium-dependent conformational changes that underlie K2P C-type gating. These asymmetric order-disorder transitions, enabled by the K2P heterodimeric architecture, encompass pinching and dilation, disrupt the S1 and S2 ion binding sites, require the uniquely long K2P SF2-M4 loop and conserved "M3 glutamate network," and are suppressed by the K2P C-type gate activator ML335. These findings demonstrate that two distinct C-type gating mechanisms can operate in one channel and underscore the SF2-M4 loop as a target for K2P channel modulator development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Lolicato
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Andrew M Natale
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Fayal Abderemane-Ali
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - David Crottès
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Sara Capponi
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Ramona Duman
- Science Division, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Armin Wagner
- Science Division, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - John M Rosenberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Michael Grabe
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
| | - Daniel L Minor
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA.
- Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 93858-2330, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 93858-2330, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bio-imaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA
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44
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Callahan KM, Mondou B, Sasseville L, Schwartz JL, D'Avanzo N. The influence of membrane bilayer thickness on KcsA channel activity. Channels (Austin) 2020; 13:424-439. [PMID: 31608774 PMCID: PMC6802934 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2019.1676367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Atomic resolution structures have provided significant insight into the gating and permeation mechanisms of various ion channels, including potassium channels. However, ion channels may also be regulated by numerous factors, including the physiochemical properties of the membrane in which they are embedded. For example, the matching of the bilayer's hydrophobic region to the hydrophobic external surface of the ion channel is thought to minimize the energetic penalty needed to solvate hydrophobic residues or exposed lipid tails. To understand the molecular basis of such regulation by hydrophobic matching requires examining channels in the presence of the lipid membrane. Here we examine the role of hydrophobic matching in regulating the activity of the model potassium channel, KcsA. 86Rb+ influx assays and single-channel recordings indicate that the non-inactivating E71A KcsA channel is most active in thin bilayers (<diC18:1PC). Bilayer thickness affects the open probability of KcsA and not its unitary conductance. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the bilayer can sufficiently modify its dimensions to accommodate KcsA channels without major perturbations in the protein helical packing within the nanosecond timescale. Based on experimental results and MD simulations, we present a model in which bilayer thickness influences the stability of the open and closed conformations of the intracellular gate of KcsA, with minimal impact on the stability of the selectivity filter of the non-inactivating mutant, E71A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Callahan
- From the Département de pharmacologie et physiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada
| | - Benoit Mondou
- Département de biochimie et médecine moléculaire, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada
| | - Louis Sasseville
- From the Département de pharmacologie et physiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada
| | - Jean-Louis Schwartz
- From the Département de pharmacologie et physiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada.,Département de biochimie et médecine moléculaire, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada.,Centre SÈVE, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke , Canada
| | - Nazzareno D'Avanzo
- From the Département de pharmacologie et physiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada.,Département de biochimie et médecine moléculaire, Université de Montréal , Montréal , Canada
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45
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The Selectivity Filter Is Involved in the U-Type Inactivation Process of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 Channels. Biophys J 2020; 118:2612-2620. [PMID: 32365329 PMCID: PMC7231921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels display several types of inactivation processes, including N-, C-, and U-types. C-type inactivation is attributed to a nonconductive conformation of the selectivity filter (SF). It has been proposed that the activation gate and the channel's SF are allosterically coupled because the conformational changes of the former affect the structure of the latter and vice versa. The second threonine of the SF signature sequence (e.g., TTVGYG) has been proven to be essential for this allosteric coupling. To further study the role of the SF in U-type inactivation, we substituted the second threonine of the TTVGYG sequence by an alanine in the hKv2.1 and hKv3.1 channels, which are known to display U-type inactivation. Both hKv2.1-T377A and hKv3.1-T400A yielded channels that were resistant to inactivation, and as a result, they displayed noninactivating currents upon channel opening; i.e., hKv2.1-T377A and hKv3.1-T400A remained fully conductive upon prolonged moderate depolarizations, whereas in wild-type hKv2.1 and hKv3.1, the current amplitude typically reduces because of U-type inactivation. Interestingly, increasing the extracellular K+ concentration increased the macroscopic current amplitude of both hKv2.1-T377A and hKv3.1-T400A, which is similar to the response of the homologous T to A mutation in Shaker and hKv1.5 channels that display C-type inactivation. Our data support an important role for the second threonine of the SF signature sequence in the U-type inactivation gating of hKv2.1 and hKv3.1.
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46
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Modulation of Function, Structure and Clustering of K + Channels by Lipids: Lessons Learnt from KcsA. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072554. [PMID: 32272616 PMCID: PMC7177331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
KcsA, a prokaryote tetrameric potassium channel, was the first ion channel ever to be structurally solved at high resolution. This, along with the ease of its expression and purification, made KcsA an experimental system of choice to study structure–function relationships in ion channels. In fact, much of our current understanding on how the different channel families operate arises from earlier KcsA information. Being an integral membrane protein, KcsA is also an excellent model to study how lipid–protein and protein–protein interactions within membranes, modulate its activity and structure. In regard to the later, a variety of equilibrium and non-equilibrium methods have been used in a truly multidisciplinary effort to study the effects of lipids on the KcsA channel. Remarkably, both experimental and “in silico” data point to the relevance of specific lipid binding to two key arginine residues. These residues are at non-annular lipid binding sites on the protein and act as a common element to trigger many of the lipid effects on this channel. Thus, processes as different as the inactivation of channel currents or the assembly of clusters from individual KcsA channels, depend upon such lipid binding.
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47
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Abstract
A functional characterization of channel proteins has been performed using planar lipid bilayers as the following procedure. For bacterial channels, such as the KcsA potassium channel, channel proteins were synthesized in Escherichia coli, followed by solubilization, purification, and incorporation into liposomes. Similarly, channel proteins were synthesized using an in vitro transcription/translation kit in the presence of liposomes. Then, these liposome-incorporated channels were served for electrophysiological recordings after liposome fusion into a preformed planar lipid bilayer. Here, we established a straightforward method for concurrent channel synthesis and functional measurement using a water-in-oil bubble bilayer system. Channel proteins were synthesized in vitro within a water-in-oil bubble, having a lipid bilayer at the contact with another bubble (in bulla synthesis). The channels were spontaneously incorporated into the lipid bilayer under application of the membrane potential, and we successfully detected nascent channel activities. This way our experiment has mimicked bacterial synthetic membrane in the presence of a resting membrane potential. Technical details for establishing the in bulla expression system are described.
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48
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Selectivity filter modalities and rapid inactivation of the hERG1 channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:2795-2804. [PMID: 31980532 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909196117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human ether-á-go-go-related gene (hERG1) channel conducts small outward K+ currents that are critical for cardiomyocyte membrane repolarization. The gain-of-function mutation N629D at the outer mouth of the selectivity filter (SF) disrupts inactivation and K+-selective transport in hERG1, leading to arrhythmogenic phenotypes associated with long-QT syndrome. Here, we combined computational electrophysiology with Markov state model analysis to investigate how SF-level gating modalities control selective cation transport in wild-type (WT) and mutant (N629D) hERG1 variants. Starting from the recently reported cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) open-state channel structure, multiple microseconds-long molecular-dynamics (MD) trajectories were generated using different cation configurations at the filter, voltages, electrolyte concentrations, and force-field parameters. Most of the K+ permeation events observed in hERG1-WT simulations occurred at microsecond timescales, influenced by the spontaneous dehydration/rehydration dynamics at the filter. The SF region displayed conductive, constricted, occluded, and dilated states, in qualitative agreement with the well-documented flickering conductance of hERG1. In line with mutagenesis studies, these gating modalities resulted from dynamic interaction networks involving residues from the SF, outer-mouth vestibule, P-helices, and S5-P segments. We found that N629D mutation significantly stabilizes the SF in a state that is permeable to both K+ and Na+, which is reminiscent of the SF in the nonselective bacterial NaK channel. Increasing the external K+ concentration induced "WT-like" SF dynamics in N629D, in qualitative agreement with the recovery of flickering currents in experiments. Overall, our findings provide an understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling selective transport in K+ channels with a nonconventional SF sequence.
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49
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Izmailov SA, Rabdano SO, Hasanbasri Z, Podkorytov IS, Saxena S, Skrynnikov NR. Structural and dynamic origins of ESR lineshapes in spin-labeled GB1 domain: the insights from spin dynamics simulations based on long MD trajectories. Sci Rep 2020; 10:957. [PMID: 31969574 PMCID: PMC6976580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56750-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) ESR is a valuable tool to probe protein systems that are not amenable to characterization by x-ray crystallography, NMR or EM. While general principles that govern the shape of SDSL ESR spectra are known, its precise relationship with protein structure and dynamics is still not fully understood. To address this problem, we designed seven variants of GB1 domain bearing R1 spin label and recorded the corresponding MD trajectories (combined length 180 μs). The MD data were subsequently used to calculate time evolution of the relevant spin density matrix and thus predict the ESR spectra. The simulated spectra proved to be in good agreement with the experiment. Further analysis confirmed that the spectral shape primarily reflects the degree of steric confinement of the R1 tag and, for the well-folded protein such as GB1, offers little information on local backbone dynamics. The rotameric preferences of R1 side chain are determined by the type of the secondary structure at the attachment site. The rotameric jumps involving dihedral angles χ1 and χ2 are sufficiently fast to directly influence the ESR lineshapes. However, the jumps involving multiple dihedral angles tend to occur in (anti)correlated manner, causing smaller-than-expected movements of the R1 proxyl ring. Of interest, ESR spectra of GB1 domain with solvent-exposed spin label can be accurately reproduced by means of Redfield theory. In particular, the asymmetric character of the spectra is attributable to Redfield-type cross-correlations. We envisage that the current MD-based, experimentally validated approach should lead to a more definitive, accurate picture of SDSL ESR experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei A Izmailov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Sevastyan O Rabdano
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Zikri Hasanbasri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Ivan S Podkorytov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Sunil Saxena
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Nikolai R Skrynnikov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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50
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Kopec W, Rothberg BS, de Groot BL. Molecular mechanism of a potassium channel gating through activation gate-selectivity filter coupling. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5366. [PMID: 31772184 PMCID: PMC6879586 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Potassium channels are presumed to have two allosterically coupled gates, the activation gate and the selectivity filter gate, that control channel opening, closing, and inactivation. However, the molecular mechanism of how these gates regulate K+ ion flow through the channel remains poorly understood. An activation process, occurring at the selectivity filter, has been recently proposed for several potassium channels. Here, we use X-ray crystallography and extensive molecular dynamics simulations, to study ion permeation through a potassium channel MthK, for various opening levels of both gates. We find that the channel conductance is controlled at the selectivity filter, whose conformation depends on the activation gate. The crosstalk between the gates is mediated through a collective motion of channel helices, involving hydrophobic contacts between an isoleucine and a conserved threonine in the selectivity filter. We propose a gating model of selectivity filter-activated potassium channels, including pharmacologically relevant two-pore domain (K2P) and big potassium (BK) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Kopec
- Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Brad S Rothberg
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Bert L de Groot
- Biomolecular Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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