1
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Lin JL, Chang Y, Tewari D, Cowgill J, Chanda B. Mapping the contribution of the C-linker domain to gating polarity in CNBD channels. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00284-4. [PMID: 38678368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Ion channels of the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) family play a crucial role in the regulation of key biological processes, such as photoreception and pacemaking activity in the heart. These channels exhibit high sequence and structural similarity but differ greatly in their functional responses to membrane potential. The CNBD family includes hyperpolarization-activated ion channels and depolarization-activated ether-à-go-go channels. Structural and functional studies show that the differences in the coupling interface between these two subfamilies' voltage-sensing domain and pore domain may underlie their differential response to membrane polarity. However, other structural components may also contribute to defining the polarity differences in activation. Here, we focus on the role of the C-terminal domain, which interacts with elements in both the pore and voltage-sensing domains. By generating a series of chimeras involving the C-terminal domain derived from distant members of the CNBD family, we find that the nature of the C-termini profoundly influences the gating polarity of these ion channels. Scanning mutagenesis of the C-linker region, a helix-turn-helix motif connecting the pore helix to the CNBD, reveals that residues at the intersubunit interface between the C-linkers are crucial for hyperpolarization-dependent activation. These findings highlight the unique and unexpected role of the intersubunit interface of the C-linker region in regulating the gating polarity of voltage-gated ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna L Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Biophysics, & Structural Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Yongchang Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Debanjan Tewari
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - John Cowgill
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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2
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Pliushcheuskaya P, Kesh S, Kaufmann E, Wucherpfennig S, Schwede F, Künze G, Nache V. Similar Binding Modes of cGMP Analogues Limit Selectivity in Modulating Retinal CNG Channels via the Cyclic Nucleotide-Binding Domain. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1652-1668. [PMID: 38579109 PMCID: PMC11027099 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00665] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In treating retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder causing progressive vision loss, selective inhibition of rod cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels holds promise. Blocking the increased Ca2+-influx in rod photoreceptors through CNG channels can potentially delay disease progression and improve the quality of life for patients. To find inhibitors for rod CNG channels, we investigated the impact of 16 cGMP analogues on both rod and cone CNG channels using the patch-clamp technique. Although modifications at the C8 position of the guanine ring did not change the ligand efficacy, modifications at the N1 and N2 positions rendered cGMP largely ineffective in activating retinal CNG channels. Notably, PET-cGMP displayed selective potential, favoring rod over cone, whereas Rp-cGMPS showed greater efficiency in activating cone over rod CNG channels. Ligand docking and molecular dynamics simulations on cyclic nucleotide-binding domains showed comparable binding energies and binding modes for cGMP and its analogues in both rod and cone CNG channels (CNGA1 vs CNGA3 subunits). Computational experiments on CNGB1a vs CNGB3 subunits showed similar binding modes albeit with fewer amino acid interactions with cGMP due to an inactivated conformation of their C-helix. In addition, no clear correlation could be observed between the computational scores and the CNG channel efficacy values, suggesting additional factors beyond binding strength determining ligand selectivity and potency. This study highlights the importance of looking beyond the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain and toward the gating mechanism when searching for selective modulators. Future efforts in developing selective modulators for CNG channels should prioritize targeting alternative channel domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palina Pliushcheuskaya
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Medical Faculty, University
of Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Sandeep Kesh
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Emma Kaufmann
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Sophie Wucherpfennig
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Frank Schwede
- BIOLOG
Life Science Institute GmbH & Co KG, Bremen 28199, Germany
| | - Georg Künze
- Institute
for Drug Discovery, Medical Faculty, University
of Leipzig, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Interdisciplinary
Center for Bioinformatics, University of
Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
- Center
for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04105, Germany
| | - Vasilica Nache
- Institute
of Physiology II, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
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3
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Wenzl SJ, de Oliveira Mann CC. How enzyme-centered approaches are advancing research on cyclic oligo-nucleotides. FEBS Lett 2024; 598:839-863. [PMID: 38453162 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14838] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotides are the most diversified category of second messengers and are found in all organisms modulating diverse pathways. While cAMP and cGMP have been studied over 50 years, cyclic di-nucleotide signaling in eukaryotes emerged only recently with the anti-viral molecule 2´3´cGAMP. Recent breakthrough discoveries have revealed not only the astonishing chemical diversity of cyclic nucleotides but also surprisingly deep-rooted evolutionary origins of cyclic oligo-nucleotide signaling pathways and structural conservation of the proteins involved in their synthesis and signaling. Here we discuss how enzyme-centered approaches have paved the way for the identification of several cyclic nucleotide signals, focusing on the advantages and challenges associated with deciphering the activation mechanisms of such enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Wenzl
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Carina C de Oliveira Mann
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
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4
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Galluccio M, Mazza T, Scalise M, Tripicchio M, Scarpelli M, Tolomeo M, Pochini L, Indiveri C. Over-Production of the Human SLC7A10 in E. coli and Functional Assay in Proteoliposomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:536. [PMID: 38203703 PMCID: PMC10779382 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010536] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The human SLC7A10 transporter, also known as ASC-1, catalyzes the transport of some neutral amino acids. It is expressed in astrocytes, neurons, and adipose tissues, playing roles in learning, memory processes, and lipid metabolism, thus being involved in neurological and metabolic pathologies. Structure/function studies on this transporter are still in their infancy. In this study, we present a methodology for producing the recombinant human transporter in E. coli. Its transport function was assayed in proteoliposomes following the uptake of radiolabeled L-serine. After the testing of several growth conditions, the hASC-1 transporter was successfully expressed in BL21(DE3) codon plus RIL in the presence of 0.5% glucose and induced with 0.05 mM IPTG. After solubilization with C12E8 and cholesteryl hemisuccinate and purification by Ni-chelating chromatography, hASC-1 was reconstituted in proteoliposomes. In this experimental system it was able to catalyze an Na+-independent homologous antiport of L-serine. A Km for L-serine transport of 0.24 mM was measured. The experimental model developed in this work represents a reproducible system for the transport assay of hASC-1 in the absence of interferences. This tool will be useful to unveil unknown transport properties of hASC-1 and for testing ligands with possible application in human pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Galluccio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
| | - Tiziano Mazza
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
| | - Mariafrancesca Scalise
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
| | - Martina Tripicchio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
| | - Martina Scarpelli
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
| | - Maria Tolomeo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
| | - Lorena Pochini
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Cesare Indiveri
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology, and Molecular Biology, Department DiBEST (Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Via Bucci 4C, 6C, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; (T.M.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (M.S.); (M.T.); (L.P.)
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
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5
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Hu Z, Yang J. Structural basis of properties, mechanisms, and channelopathy of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. Channels (Austin) 2023; 17:2273165. [PMID: 37905307 PMCID: PMC10761061 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2023.2273165] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen an outpouring of atomic or near atomic resolution structures of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, captured in closed, transition, pre-open, partially open, and fully open states. These structures provide unprecedented molecular insights into the activation, assembly, architecture, regulation, and channelopathy of CNG channels, as well as mechanistic explanations for CNG channel biophysical and pharmacological properties. This article summarizes recent advances in CNG channel structural biology, describes key structural features and elements, and illuminates a detailed conformational landscape of activation by cyclic nucleotides. The review also correlates structures with findings and properties delineated in functional studies, including nonselective monovalent cation selectivity, Ca2+ permeation and block, block by L-cis-diltiazem, location of the activation gate, lack of voltage-dependent gating, and modulation by lipids and calmodulin. A perspective on future research is also offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengshan Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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6
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García-Morales A, Balleza D. Exploring Flexibility and Folding Patterns Throughout Time in Voltage Sensors. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:819-836. [PMID: 37955698 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10140-1] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The voltage-sensing domain (VSD) is a module capable of responding to changes in the membrane potential through conformational changes and facilitating electromechanical coupling to open a pore gate, activate proton permeation pathways, or promote enzymatic activity in some membrane-anchored phosphatases. To carry out these functions, this module acts cooperatively through conformational changes. The VSD is formed by four transmembrane segments (S1-S4) but the S4 segment is critical since it carries positively charged residues, mainly Arg or Lys, which require an aqueous environment for its proper function. The discovery of this module in voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), proton channels (Hv1), and voltage sensor-containing phosphatases (VSPs) has expanded our understanding of the principle of modularity in the voltage-sensing mechanism of these proteins. Here, by sequence comparison and the evaluation of the relationship between sequence composition, intrinsic flexibility, and structural analysis in 14 selected representatives of these three major protein groups, we report five interesting differences in the folding patterns of the VSD both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Our main findings indicate that this module is highly conserved throughout the evolutionary scale, however: (1) segments S1 to S3 in eukaryotes are significantly more hydrophobic than those present in prokaryotes; (2) the S4 segment has retained its hydrophilic character; (3) in eukaryotes the extramembranous linkers are significantly larger and more flexible in comparison with those present in prokaryotes; (4) the sensors present in the kHv1 proton channel and the ciVSP phosphatase, both of eukaryotic origin, exhibit relationships of flexibility and folding patterns very close to the typical ones found in prokaryotic voltage sensors; and (5) archaeal channels KvAP and MVP have flexibility profiles which are clearly contrasting in the S3-S4 region, which could explain their divergent activation mechanisms. Finally, to elucidate the obscure origins of this module, we show further evidence for a possible connection between voltage sensors and TolQ proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail García-Morales
- Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Calz. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, CP. 91897, Veracruz, Ver, Mexico
| | - Daniel Balleza
- Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos, Calz. Miguel Angel de Quevedo 2779, Col. Formando Hogar, CP. 91897, Veracruz, Ver, Mexico.
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7
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Hu Z, Zheng X, Yang J. Conformational trajectory of allosteric gating of the human cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4284. [PMID: 37463923 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39971-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels transduce chemical signals into electrical signals in sensory receptors and neurons. They are activated by cGMP or cAMP, which bind to the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) to open a gate located 50-60 Å away in the central cavity. Structures of closed and open vertebrate CNG channels have been solved, but the conformational landscape of this allosteric gating remains to be elucidated and enriched. Here, we report structures of the cGMP-activated human cone photoreceptor CNGA3/CNGB3 channel in closed, intermediate, pre-open and open states in detergent or lipid nanodisc, all with fully bound cGMP. The pre-open and open states are obtained only in the lipid nanodisc, suggesting a critical role of lipids in tuning the energetic landscape of CNGA3/CNGB3 activation. The different states exhibit subunit-unique, incremental and distinct conformational rearrangements that originate in the CNBD, propagate through the gating ring to the transmembrane domain, and gradually open the S6 cavity gate. Our work illustrates a spatial conformational-change wave of allosteric gating of a vertebrate CNG channel by its natural ligand and provides an expanded framework for studying CNG properties and channelopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengshan Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Xiangdong Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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8
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Hung TY, Wu SN, Huang CW. Concerted suppressive effects of carisbamate, an anti-epileptic alkyl-carbamate drug, on voltage-gated Na + and hyperpolarization-activated cation currents. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1159067. [PMID: 37293624 PMCID: PMC10244622 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1159067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Carisbamate (CRS, RWJ-333369) is a new anti-seizure medication. It remains unclear whether and how CRS can perturb the magnitude and/or gating kinetics of membrane ionic currents, despite a few reports demonstrating its ability to suppress voltage-gated Na+ currents. In this study, we observed a set of whole-cell current recordings and found that CRS effectively suppressed the voltage-gated Na+ (INa) and hyperpolarization-activated cation currents (Ih) intrinsically in electrically excitable cells (GH3 cells). The effective IC50 values of CRS for the differential suppression of transient (INa(T)) and late INa (INa(L)) were 56.4 and 11.4 μM, respectively. However, CRS strongly decreased the strength (i.e., Δarea) of the nonlinear window component of INa (INa(W)), which was activated by a short ascending ramp voltage (Vramp); the subsequent addition of deltamethrin (DLT, 10 μM) counteracted the ability of CRS (100 μM, continuous exposure) to suppress INa(W). CRS strikingly decreased the decay time constant of INa(T) evoked during pulse train stimulation; however, the addition of telmisartan (10 μM) effectively attenuated the CRS (30 μM, continuous exposure)-mediated decrease in the decay time constant of the current. During continued exposure to deltamethrin (10 μM), known to be a pyrethroid insecticide, the addition of CRS resulted in differential suppression of the amplitudes of INa(T) and INa(L). The amplitude of Ih activated by a 2-s membrane hyperpolarization was diminished by CRS in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 38 μM. For Ih, CRS altered the steady-state I-V relationship and attenuated the strength of voltage-dependent hysteresis (Hys(V)) activated by an inverted isosceles-triangular Vramp. Moreover, the addition of oxaliplatin effectively reversed the CRS-mediated suppression of Hys(V). The predicted docking interaction between CRS and with a model of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel or between CRS and the hNaV1.7 channel reflects the ability of CRS to bind to amino acid residues in HCN or hNaV1.7 channel via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. These findings reveal the propensity of CRS to modify INa(T) and INa(L) differentially and to effectively suppress the magnitude of Ih. INa and Ih are thus potential targets of the actions of CRS in terms of modulating cellular excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Yu Hung
- Department of Pediatrics, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Nan Wu
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Wei Huang
- Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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9
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Yao H, Cai H, Li D. Fluorescence-Detection Size-Exclusion Chromatography-Based Thermostability Assay for Membrane Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2564:299-315. [PMID: 36107350 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2667-2_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) have lightened up almost every aspect of biological research including protein sciences. In the field of membrane protein structural biology, GFPs have been used widely to monitor membrane protein localization, expression level, the purification process and yield, and the stability inside the cells and in the test tube. Of particular interest is the fluorescence-detector size-exclusion chromatography-based thermostability assay (FSEC-TS). By simple heating and FSEC, the generally applicable method allows rapid assessment of the thermostability of GFP-fused membrane proteins without purification. Here we describe the experimental details and some typical results for the FSEC-TS method.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dianfan Li
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Lugmayr W, Kotov V, Goessweiner-Mohr N, Wald J, DiMaio F, Marlovits TC. StarMap: a user-friendly workflow for Rosetta-driven molecular structure refinement. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:239-264. [PMID: 36323866 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-022-00757-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data represent density maps of macromolecular systems at atomic or near-atomic resolution. However, building and refining 3D atomic models by using data from cryo-EM maps is not straightforward and requires significant hands-on experience and manual intervention. We recently developed StarMap, an easy-to-use interface between the popular structural display program ChimeraX and Rosetta, a powerful molecular modeling engine. StarMap offers a general approach for refining structural models of biological macromolecules into cryo-EM density maps by combining Monte Carlo sampling with local density-guided optimization, Rosetta-based all-atom refinement and real-space B-factor calculations in a straightforward workflow. StarMap includes options for structural symmetry, local refinements and independent model validation. The overall quality of the refinement and the structure resolution is then assessed via analytical outputs, such as magnification calibration (pixel size calibration) and Fourier shell correlations. Z-scores reported by StarMap provide an easily interpretable indicator of the goodness of fit for each residue and can be plotted to evaluate structural models and improve local residue refinements, as well as to identify flexible regions and potentially functional sites in large macromolecular complexes. The protocol requires general computer skills, without the need for coding expertise, because most parts of the workflow can be operated by clicking tabs within the ChimeraX graphical user interface. Time requirements for the model refinement depend on the size and quality of the input data; however, this step can typically be completed within 1 d. The analytical parts of the workflow are completed within minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Lugmayr
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vadim Kotov
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Evotec SE, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Goessweiner-Mohr
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Johannes Kepler University, Institute of Biophysics, Linz, Austria
| | - Jiri Wald
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.,Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria.,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frank DiMaio
- University of Washington, Department of Biochemistry, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas C Marlovits
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Institute of Structural and Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany. .,CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany. .,Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany. .,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria. .,Institute for Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Dickinson MS, Pourmal S, Gupta M, Bi M, Stroud RM. Symmetry Reduction in a Hyperpolarization-Activated Homotetrameric Ion Channel. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2177-2181. [PMID: 34964607 PMCID: PMC9931035 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Plants obtain nutrients from the soil via transmembrane transporters and channels in their root hairs, from which ions radially transport in toward the xylem for distribution across the plant body. We determined structures of the hyperpolarization-activated channel AKT1 from Arabidopsis thaliana, which mediates K+ uptake from the soil into plant roots. These structures of AtAKT1 embedded in lipid nanodiscs show that the channel undergoes a reduction of C4 to C2 symmetry, possibly to regulate its electrical activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles Sasha Dickinson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Sergei Pourmal
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Meghna Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Maxine Bi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Robert M Stroud
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, Genentech Hall, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
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12
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Li S. Detergents and alternatives in cryo-EM studies of membrane proteins. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2022; 54:1049-1056. [PMID: 35866608 PMCID: PMC9828306 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2022088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Structure determination of membrane proteins has been a long-standing challenge to understand the molecular basis of life processes. Detergents are widely used to study the structure and function of membrane proteins by various experimental methods, and the application of membrane mimetics is also a prevalent trend in the field of cryo-EM analysis. This review focuses on the widely-used detergents and corresponding properties and structures, and also discusses the growing interests in membrane mimetic systems used in cryo-EM studies, providing insights into the role of detergent alternatives in structure determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Li
- />Department of Life ScienceNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaBeijing100085China
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13
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Characterization of Inhibitory Capability on Hyperpolarization-Activated Cation Current Caused by Lutein (β,ε-Carotene-3,3′-Diol), a Dietary Xanthophyll Carotenoid. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137186. [PMID: 35806190 PMCID: PMC9266545 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lutein (β,ε-carotene-3,3′-diol), a xanthophyll carotenoid, is found in high concentrations in the macula of the human retina. It has been recognized to exert potential effectiveness in antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. However, whether and how its modifications on varying types of plasmalemmal ionic currents occur in electrically excitable cells remain incompletely answered. The current hypothesis is that lutein produces any direct adjustments on ionic currents (e.g., hyperpolarization-activated cation current, Ih [or funny current, If]). In the present study, GH3-cell exposure to lutein resulted in a time-, state- and concentration-dependent reduction in Ih amplitude with an IC50 value of 4.1 μM. There was a hyperpolarizing shift along the voltage axis in the steady-state activation curve of Ih in the presence of this compound, despite being void of changes in the gating charge of the curve. Under continued exposure to lutein (3 μM), further addition of oxaliplatin (10 μM) or ivabradine (3 μM) could be effective at either reversing or further decreasing lutein-induced suppression of hyperpolarization-evoked Ih, respectively. The voltage-dependent anti-clockwise hysteresis of Ih responding to long-lasting inverted isosceles-triangular ramp concentration-dependently became diminished by adding this compound. However, the addition of 10 μM lutein caused a mild but significant suppression in the amplitude of erg-mediated or A-type K+ currents. Under current-clamp potential recordings, the sag potential evoked by long-lasting hyperpolarizing current stimulus was reduced under cell exposure to lutein. Altogether, findings from the current observations enabled us to reflect that during cell exposure to lutein used at pharmacologically achievable concentrations, lutein-perturbed inhibition of Ih would be an ionic mechanism underlying its changes in membrane excitability.
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14
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Shimizu M, Mi X, Toyoda F, Kojima A, Ding WG, Fukushima Y, Omatsu-Kanbe M, Kitagawa H, Matsuura H. Propofol, an Anesthetic Agent, Inhibits HCN Channels through the Allosteric Modulation of the cAMP-Dependent Gating Mechanism. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12040570. [PMID: 35454159 PMCID: PMC9032835 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Propofol is a broadly used intravenous anesthetic agent that can cause cardiovascular effects, including bradycardia and asystole. A possible mechanism for these effects is slowing cardiac pacemaker activity due to inhibition of the hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. However, it remains unclear how propofol affects the allosteric nature of the voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating mechanism in HCN channels. To address this aim, we investigated the effect of propofol on HCN channels (HCN4 and HCN2) in heterologous expression systems using a whole-cell patch clamp technique. The extracellular application of propofol substantially suppressed the maximum current at clinical concentrations. This was accompanied by a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of channel opening. These effects were significantly attenuated by intracellular loading of cAMP, even after considering the current modification by cAMP in opposite directions. The differential degree of propofol effects in the presence and absence of cAMP was rationalized by an allosteric gating model for HCN channels, where we assumed that propofol affects allosteric couplings between the pore, voltage-sensor, and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD). The model predicted that propofol enhanced autoinhibition of pore opening by unliganded CNBD, which was relieved by the activation of CNBD by cAMP. Taken together, these findings reveal that propofol acts as an allosteric modulator of cAMP-dependent gating in HCN channels, which may help us to better understand the clinical action of this anesthetic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morihiro Shimizu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (M.S.); (A.K.); (Y.F.); (H.K.)
| | - Xinya Mi
- Department of Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (X.M.); (F.T.); (M.O.-K.); (H.M.)
| | - Futoshi Toyoda
- Department of Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (X.M.); (F.T.); (M.O.-K.); (H.M.)
| | - Akiko Kojima
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (M.S.); (A.K.); (Y.F.); (H.K.)
| | - Wei-Guang Ding
- Department of Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (X.M.); (F.T.); (M.O.-K.); (H.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-77-548-2152; Fax: +81-77-548-2348
| | - Yutaka Fukushima
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (M.S.); (A.K.); (Y.F.); (H.K.)
| | - Mariko Omatsu-Kanbe
- Department of Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (X.M.); (F.T.); (M.O.-K.); (H.M.)
| | - Hirotoshi Kitagawa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (M.S.); (A.K.); (Y.F.); (H.K.)
| | - Hiroshi Matsuura
- Department of Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Japan; (X.M.); (F.T.); (M.O.-K.); (H.M.)
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Gucan Dai
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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16
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Barret DCA, Schertler GFX, Kaupp UB, Marino J. The structure of the native CNGA1/CNGB1 CNG channel from bovine retinal rods. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:32-39. [PMID: 34969975 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00700-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In rod photoreceptors of the retina, the cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel is composed of three CNGA and one CNGB subunits, and it closes in response to light activation to generate an electrical signal that is conveyed to the brain. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the closed state of the native rod CNG channel isolated from bovine retina. The structure reveals differences between CNGA1 and CNGB1 subunits. Three CNGA1 subunits are tethered at their C terminus by a coiled-coil region. The C-helix in the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of CNGB1 features a different orientation from that in the three CNGA1 subunits. The arginine residue R994 of CNGB1 reaches into the ionic pathway and blocks the pore, thus introducing an additional gate, which is different from the central hydrophobic gate known from homomeric CNGA channels. These results address the long-standing question of how CNGB1 subunits contribute to the function of CNG channels in visual and olfactory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane C A Barret
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Gebhard F X Schertler
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.,Department of Biology, ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Center for Advanced European Studies and Research (CAESAR), Bonn, Germany.,Life and Medical Sciences Institute LIMES, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jacopo Marino
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.
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17
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Lefoulon C. The bare necessities of plant K+ channel regulation. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:2092-2109. [PMID: 34618033 PMCID: PMC8644596 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Potassium (K+) channels serve a wide range of functions in plants from mineral nutrition and osmotic balance to turgor generation for cell expansion and guard cell aperture control. Plant K+ channels are members of the superfamily of voltage-dependent K+ channels, or Kv channels, that include the Shaker channels first identified in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Kv channels have been studied in depth over the past half century and are the best-known of the voltage-dependent channels in plants. Like the Kv channels of animals, the plant Kv channels are regulated over timescales of milliseconds by conformational mechanisms that are commonly referred to as gating. Many aspects of gating are now well established, but these channels still hold some secrets, especially when it comes to the control of gating. How this control is achieved is especially important, as it holds substantial prospects for solutions to plant breeding with improved growth and water use efficiencies. Resolution of the structure for the KAT1 K+ channel, the first channel from plants to be crystallized, shows that many previous assumptions about how the channels function need now to be revisited. Here, I strip the plant Kv channels bare to understand how they work, how they are gated by voltage and, in some cases, by K+ itself, and how the gating of these channels can be regulated by the binding with other protein partners. Each of these features of plant Kv channels has important implications for plant physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Lefoulon
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Bower Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland
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18
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Patel VR, Salinas AM, Qi D, Gupta S, Sidote DJ, Goldschen-Ohm MP. Single-molecule imaging with cell-derived nanovesicles reveals early binding dynamics at a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6459. [PMID: 34753946 PMCID: PMC8578382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26816-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ligand binding to membrane proteins is critical for many biological signaling processes. However, individual binding events are rarely directly observed, and their asynchronous dynamics are occluded in ensemble-averaged measures. For membrane proteins, single-molecule approaches that resolve these dynamics are challenged by dysfunction in non-native lipid environments, lack of access to intracellular sites, and costly sample preparation. Here, we introduce an approach combining cell-derived nanovesicles, microfluidics, and single-molecule fluorescence colocalization microscopy to track individual binding events at a cyclic nucleotide-gated TAX-4 ion channel critical for sensory transduction. Our observations reveal dynamics of both nucleotide binding and a subsequent conformational change likely preceding pore opening. Kinetic modeling suggests that binding of the second ligand is either independent of the first ligand or exhibits up to ~10-fold positive binding cooperativity. This approach is broadly applicable to studies of binding dynamics for proteins with extracellular or intracellular domains in native cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal R Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Arturo M Salinas
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Darong Qi
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Shipra Gupta
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David J Sidote
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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19
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Ehsan M, Wang H, Cecchetti C, Mortensen JS, Du Y, Hariharan P, Nygaard A, Lee HJ, Ghani L, Guan L, Loland CJ, Byrne B, Kobilka BK, Chae PS. Maltose-bis(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MBPs) and Maltose-tris(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MTPs) Amphiphiles for Membrane Protein Stability. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1779-1790. [PMID: 34445864 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Membrane protein structures provide a fundamental understanding of their molecular actions and are of importance for drug development. Detergents are widely used to solubilize, stabilize, and crystallize membrane proteins, but membrane proteins solubilized in conventional detergents are prone to denaturation and aggregation. Thus, developing novel detergents with enhanced efficacy for protein stabilization remains important. We report herein the design and synthesis of a class of phenol-derived maltoside detergents. Using two different linkers, we prepared two sets of new detergents, designated maltose-bis(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MBPs) and maltose-tris(hydroxymethyl)phenol (MTPs). The evaluation of these detergents with three transporters and two G-protein coupled receptors allowed us to identify a couple of new detergents (MBP-C9 and MTP-C12) that consistently conferred enhanced stability to all tested proteins compared to a gold standard detergent (DDM). Furthermore, the data analysis based on the detergent structures provides key detergent features responsible for membrane protein stabilization that together will facilitate the future design of novel detergents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ehsan
- Department of Bionano Engineering, Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Hanyang University, Ansan 155-88, South Korea
| | - Haoqing Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, California 94305, United States
| | - Cristina Cecchetti
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonas S. Mortensen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yang Du
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, California 94305, United States
| | - Parameswaran Hariharan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, United States
| | - Andreas Nygaard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ho Jin Lee
- Department of Bionano Engineering, Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Hanyang University, Ansan 155-88, South Korea
| | - Lubna Ghani
- Department of Bionano Engineering, Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Hanyang University, Ansan 155-88, South Korea
| | - Lan Guan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, United States
| | - Claus J. Loland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bernadette Byrne
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Brian K. Kobilka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, California 94305, United States
| | - Pil Seok Chae
- Department of Bionano Engineering, Center for Bionano Intelligence Education and Research, Hanyang University, Ansan 155-88, South Korea
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20
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CNG channel structure, function, and gating: a tale of conformational flexibility. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1423-1435. [PMID: 34357442 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02610-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are key to the signal transduction machinery of certain sensory modalities both in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. They translate a chemical change in cyclic nucleotide concentration into an electrical signal that can spread through sensory cells. Despite CNG and voltage-gated potassium channels sharing a remarkable amino acid sequence homology and basic architectural plan, their functional properties are dramatically different. While voltage-gated potassium channels are highly selective and require membrane depolarization to open, CNG channels have low ion selectivity and are not very sensitive to voltage. In the last few years, many high-resolution structures of intact CNG channels have been released. This wealth of new structural information has provided enormous progress toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms and driving forces underpinning CNG channel activation. In this review, we report on the current understanding and controversies surrounding the gating mechanism in CNG channels, as well as the deep intertwining existing between gating, the ion permeation process, and its modulation by membrane voltage. While the existence of this powerful coupling was recognized many decades ago, its direct structural demonstration, and ties to the CNG channel inherent pore flexibility, is a recent achievement.
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21
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Codding SJ, Johnson AA, Trudeau MC. Gating and regulation of KCNH (ERG, EAG, and ELK) channels by intracellular domains. Channels (Austin) 2021; 14:294-309. [PMID: 32924766 PMCID: PMC7515569 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1816107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The KCNH family comprises the ERG, EAG, and ELK voltage-activated, potassium-selective channels. Distinct from other K channels, KCNH channels contain unique structural domains, including a PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) domain in the N-terminal region and a CNBHD (cyclic nucleotide-binding homology domain) in the C-terminal region. The intracellular PAS domains and CNBHDs interact directly and regulate some of the characteristic gating properties of each type of KCNH channel. The PAS-CNBHD interaction regulates slow closing (deactivation) of hERG channels, the kinetics of activation and pre-pulse dependent population of closed states (the Cole-Moore shift) in EAG channels and voltage-dependent potentiation in ELK channels. KCNH channels are all regulated by an intrinsic ligand motif in the C-terminal region which binds to the CNBHD. Here, we focus on some recent advances regarding the PAS-CNBHD interaction and the intrinsic ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Codding
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ashley A Johnson
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew C Trudeau
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD, USA
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22
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Electromechanical coupling mechanism for activation and inactivation of an HCN channel. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2802. [PMID: 33990563 PMCID: PMC8121817 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pacemaker hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels exhibit a reversed voltage-dependent gating, activating by membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization. Sea urchin HCN (spHCN) channels also undergo inactivation with hyperpolarization which occurs only in the absence of cyclic nucleotide. Here we applied transition metal ion FRET, patch-clamp fluorometry and Rosetta modeling to measure differences in the structural rearrangements between activation and inactivation of spHCN channels. We found that removing cAMP produced a largely rigid-body rotation of the C-linker relative to the transmembrane domain, bringing the A’ helix of the C-linker in close proximity to the voltage-sensing S4 helix. In addition, rotation of the C-linker was elicited by hyperpolarization in the absence but not the presence of cAMP. These results suggest that — in contrast to electromechanical coupling for channel activation — the A’ helix serves to couple the S4-helix movement for channel inactivation, which is likely a conserved mechanism for CNBD-family channels. Sea urchin hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (spHCN) ion channels channels are activated by membrane hyperpolarization instead of depolarization and undergo inactivation with hyperpolarization. Here authors apply transition metal ion FRET, patch-clamp fluorometry and Rosetta modeling to measure differences in the structural rearrangements between activation and inactivation of spHCN channels.
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23
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Structural mechanisms of gating and selectivity of human rod CNGA1 channel. Neuron 2021; 109:1302-1313.e4. [PMID: 33651975 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels play an essential role in the signal transduction of the visual and olfactory sensory systems. Here we reveal the structural mechanism of ligand gating in human rod CNGA1 channel by determining its cryo-EM structures in both the apo closed and cGMP-bound open states. Distinct from most other members of voltage-gated tetrameric cation channels, CNGA1 forms a central channel gate in the middle of the membrane, occluding the central cavity. Structural analyses of ion binding profiles in the selectivity filters of the wild-type channel and the E365Q filter mutant allow us to unambiguously define the two Ca2+ binding sites inside the selectivity filter, providing structural insights into Ca2+ blockage and permeation in CNG channels. The structure of the E365Q mutant also reveals two alternative side-chain conformations at Q365, providing a plausible explanation for the voltage-dependent gating of CNG channel acquired upon E365 mutation.
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24
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Liu Y, Chen J, Fontes SK, Bautista EN, Cheng Z. Physiological And Pathological Roles Of Protein Kinase A In The Heart. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 118:386-398. [PMID: 33483740 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinase A (PKA) is a central regulator of cardiac performance and morphology. Myocardial PKA activation is induced by a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters and stress signals, most notably catecholamines secreted by the sympathetic nervous system. Catecholamines bind β-adrenergic receptors to stimulate cAMP-dependent PKA activation in cardiomyocytes. Elevated PKA activity enhances Ca2+ cycling and increases cardiac muscle contractility. Dynamic control of PKA is essential for cardiac homeostasis, as dysregulation of PKA signaling is associated with a broad range of heart diseases. Specifically, abnormal PKA activation or inactivation contributes to the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia, hypertrophy, heart failure, as well as diabetic, takotsubo, or anthracycline cardiomyopathies. PKA may also determine sex-dependent differences in contractile function and heart disease predisposition. Here, we describe the recent advances regarding the roles of PKA in cardiac physiology and pathology, highlighting previous study limitations and future research directions. Moreover, we discuss the therapeutic strategies and molecular mechanisms associated with cardiac PKA biology. In summary, PKA could serve as a promising drug target for cardioprotection. Depending on disease types and mechanisms, therapeutic intervention may require either inhibition or activation of PKA. Therefore, specific PKA inhibitors or activators may represent valuable drug candidates for the treatment of heart diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuening Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, PBS 423, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, ., Spokane, WA, 99202-2131, USA
| | - Jingrui Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, PBS 423, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, ., Spokane, WA, 99202-2131, USA
| | - Shayne K Fontes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, PBS 423, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, ., Spokane, WA, 99202-2131, USA
| | - Erika N Bautista
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, PBS 423, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, ., Spokane, WA, 99202-2131, USA
| | - Zhaokang Cheng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, PBS 423, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, ., Spokane, WA, 99202-2131, USA
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25
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Nguyen H, Linh HQ, Matteini P, La Penna G, Li MS. Emergence of Barrel Motif in Amyloid-β Trimer: A Computational Study. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:10617-10631. [PMID: 33180492 PMCID: PMC7735726 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides form assemblies that are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ oligomers are soluble, mobile, and toxic forms of the peptide that act in the extracellular space before assembling into protofibrils and fibrils. Therefore, oligomers play an important role in the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease. Since it is difficult to determine by experiment the atomic structures of oligomers, which accumulate fast and are polymorphic, computer simulation is a useful tool to investigate elusive oligomers' structures. In this work, we report extended all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, both canonical and replica exchange, of Aβ(1-42) trimer starting from two different initial conformations: (i) the pose produced by the best docking of a monomer aside of a dimer (simulation 1), representing oligomers freshly formed by assembling monomers, and (ii) a configuration extracted from an experimental mature fibril structure (simulation 2), representing settled oligomers in equilibrium with extended fibrils. We showed that in simulation 1, regions with small β-barrels are populated, indicating the chance of spontaneous formation of domains resembling channel-like structures. These structural domains are alternative to those more representative of mature fibrils (simulation 2), the latter showing a stable bundle of C-termini that is not sampled in simulation 1. Moreover, trimer of Aβ(1-42) can form internal pores that are large enough to be accessed by water molecules and Ca2+ ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang
Linh Nguyen
- Institute
for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software
City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Ho
Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Vietnam
National University, Ho Chi Minh
City 700000, Vietnam
| | - Huynh Quang Linh
- Ho
Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Vietnam
National University, Ho Chi Minh
City 700000, Vietnam
| | - Paolo Matteini
- Institute
of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Via Madonna Del Piano 10, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giovanni La Penna
- National
Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute
for Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds (ICCOM), 50019 Florence, Italy
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics
(INFN), Section of Roma-Tor
Vergata Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of
Sciences, Al. Lotnikow
32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mai Suan Li
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics
(INFN), Section of Roma-Tor
Vergata Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of
Sciences, Al. Lotnikow
32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
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26
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Zheng X, Fu Z, Su D, Zhang Y, Li M, Pan Y, Li H, Li S, Grassucci RA, Ren Z, Hu Z, Li X, Zhou M, Li G, Frank J, Yang J. Mechanism of ligand activation of a eukaryotic cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:625-634. [PMID: 32483338 PMCID: PMC7354226 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0433-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels convert cyclic nucleotide (CN) binding and unbinding into electrical signals in sensory receptors and neurons. The molecular conformational changes underpinning ligand activation are largely undefined. We report both closed- and open-state atomic cryo-EM structures of a full-length Caenorhabditis elegans cyclic GMP-activated channel TAX-4, reconstituted in lipid nanodiscs. These structures, together with computational and functional analyses and a mutant channel structure, reveal a double-barrier hydrophobic gate formed by two S6 amino acids in the central cavity. cGMP binding produces global conformational changes that open the cavity gate located ~52 Å away but do not alter the structure of the selectivity filter-the commonly presumed activation gate. Our work provides mechanistic insights into the allosteric gating and regulation of CN-gated and nucleotide-modulated channels and CNG channel-related channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangdong Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ziao Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Deyuan Su
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Yuebin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Minghui Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Current address: HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yaping Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Huan Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Shufang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Robert A. Grassucci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zhenning Ren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhengshan Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Xueming Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Joachim Frank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA,Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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27
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Ehsan M, Katsube S, Cecchetti C, Du Y, Mortensen JS, Wang H, Nygaard A, Ghani L, Loland CJ, Kobilka BK, Byrne B, Guan L, Chae PS. New Malonate-Derived Tetraglucoside Detergents for Membrane Protein Stability. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1697-1707. [PMID: 32501004 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are widely studied in detergent micelles, a membrane-mimetic system formed by amphiphilic compounds. However, classical detergents have serious limitations in their utility, particularly for unstable proteins such as eukaryotic membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes, and thus, there is an unmet need for novel amphiphiles with enhanced ability to stabilize membrane proteins. Here, we developed a new class of malonate-derived detergents with four glucosides, designated malonate-derived tetra-glucosides (MTGs), and compared these new detergents with previously reported octyl glucose neopentyl glycol (OGNG) and n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM). When tested with two G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and three transporters, a couple of MTGs consistently conferred enhanced stability to all tested proteins compared to DDM and OGNG. As a result of favorable behaviors for a range of membrane proteins, these MTGs have substantial potential for membrane protein research. This study additionally provides a new detergent design principle based on the effect of a polar functional group (i.e., ether) on protein stability depending on its position in the detergent scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ehsan
- Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Korea
| | - Satoshi Katsube
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, United States
| | - Cristina Cecchetti
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yang Du
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Kobilka Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001 Longxiang Avenue, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
| | - Jonas S. Mortensen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Haoqing Wang
- Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Andreas Nygaard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Lubna Ghani
- Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Korea
| | - Claus J. Loland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Brian K. Kobilka
- Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Bernadette Byrne
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Lan Guan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, United States
| | - Pil Seok Chae
- Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Korea
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28
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Evans EGB, Morgan JLW, DiMaio F, Zagotta WN, Stoll S. Allosteric conformational change of a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel revealed by DEER spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:10839-10847. [PMID: 32358188 PMCID: PMC7245078 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916375117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are essential components of mammalian visual and olfactory signal transduction. CNG channels open upon direct binding of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and/or cGMP), but the allosteric mechanism by which this occurs is incompletely understood. Here, we employed double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy to measure intersubunit distance distributions in SthK, a bacterial CNG channel from Spirochaeta thermophila Spin labels were introduced into the SthK C-linker, a domain that is essential for coupling cyclic nucleotide binding to channel opening. DEER revealed an agonist-dependent conformational change in which residues of the B'-helix displayed outward movement with respect to the symmetry axis of the channel in the presence of the full agonist cAMP, but not with the partial agonist cGMP. This conformational rearrangement was observed both in detergent-solubilized SthK and in channels reconstituted into lipid nanodiscs. In addition to outward movement of the B'-helix, DEER-constrained Rosetta structural models suggest that channel activation involves upward translation of the cytoplasmic domain and formation of state-dependent interactions between the C-linker and the transmembrane domain. Our results demonstrate a previously unrecognized structural transition in a CNG channel and suggest key interactions that may be responsible for allosteric gating in these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G B Evans
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Jacob L W Morgan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - William N Zagotta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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29
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Barros F, de la Peña P, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, Pardo LA. The EAG Voltage-Dependent K + Channel Subfamily: Similarities and Differences in Structural Organization and Gating. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:411. [PMID: 32351384 PMCID: PMC7174612 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
EAG (ether-à-go-go or KCNH) are a subfamily of the voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. Like for all potassium channels, opening of EAG channels drives the membrane potential toward its equilibrium value for potassium, thus setting the resting potential and repolarizing action potentials. As voltage-dependent channels, they switch between open and closed conformations (gating) when changes in membrane potential are sensed by a voltage sensing domain (VSD) which is functionally coupled to a pore domain (PD) containing the permeation pathway, the potassium selectivity filter, and the channel gate. All Kv channels are tetrameric, with four VSDs formed by the S1-S4 transmembrane segments of each subunit, surrounding a central PD with the four S5-S6 sections arranged in a square-shaped structure. Structural information, mutagenesis, and functional experiments, indicated that in "classical/Shaker-type" Kv channels voltage-triggered VSD reorganizations are transmitted to PD gating via the α-helical S4-S5 sequence that links both modules. Importantly, these Shaker-type channels share a domain-swapped VSD/PD organization, with each VSD contacting the PD of the adjacent subunit. In this case, the S4-S5 linker, acting as a rigid mechanical lever (electromechanical lever coupling), would lead to channel gate opening at the cytoplasmic S6 helices bundle. However, new functional data with EAG channels split between the VSD and PD modules indicate that, in some Kv channels, alternative VSD/PD coupling mechanisms do exist. Noticeably, recent elucidation of the architecture of some EAG channels, and other relatives, showed that their VSDs are non-domain swapped. Despite similarities in primary sequence and predicted structural organization for all EAG channels, they show marked kinetic differences whose molecular basis is not completely understood. Thus, while a common general architecture may establish the gating system used by the EAG channels and the physicochemical coupling of voltage sensing to gating, subtle changes in that common structure, and/or allosteric influences of protein domains relatively distant from the central gating machinery, can crucially influence the gating process. We consider here the latest advances on these issues provided by the elucidation of eag1 and erg1 three-dimensional structures, and by both classical and more recent functional studies with different members of the EAG subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis A. Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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30
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cGMP signalling in cardiomyocyte microdomains. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 47:1327-1339. [PMID: 31652306 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
3',5'-Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is one of the major second messengers critically involved in the regulation of cardiac electrophysiology, hypertrophy, and contractility. Recent molecular and cellular studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the cGMP signalling cascade, its local microdomain-specific regulation and its role in protecting the heart from pathological stress. Here, we summarise recent findings on cardiac cGMP microdomain regulation and discuss their potential clinical significance.
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31
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Romero-Romero S, Martínez-Delgado G, Balleza D. Voltage vs. Ligand II: Structural insights of the intrinsic flexibility in cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. Channels (Austin) 2019; 13:382-399. [PMID: 31552786 PMCID: PMC6768053 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2019.1666456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the preceding article, we present a flexibility analysis of the voltage-gated ion channel (VGIC) superfamily. In this study, we describe in detail the flexibility profile of the voltage-sensor domain (VSD) and the pore domain (PD) concerning the evolution of 6TM ion channels. In particular, we highlight the role of flexibility in the emergence of CNG channels and describe a significant level of sequence similarity between the archetypical VSD and the TolQ proteins. A highly flexible S4-like segment exhibiting Lys instead Arg for these membrane proteins is reported. Sequence analysis indicates that, in addition to this S4-like segment, TolQ proteins also show similarity with specific motifs in S2 and S3 from typical V-sensors. Notably, S3 flexibility profiles from typical VSDs and S3-like in TolQ proteins are also similar. Interestingly, TolQ from early divergent prokaryotes are comparatively more flexible than those in modern counterparts or true V-sensors. Regarding the PD, we also found that 2TM K+-channels in early prokaryotes are considerably more flexible than the ones in modern microbes, and such flexibility is comparable to the one present in CNG channels. Voltage dependence is mainly exhibited in prokaryotic CNG channels whose VSD is rigid whereas the eukaryotic CNG channels are considerably more flexible and poorly V-dependent. The implication of the flexibility present in CNG channels, their sensitivity to cyclic nucleotides and the cation selectivity are discussed. Finally, we generated a structural model of the putative cyclic nucleotide-modulated ion channel, which we coined here as AqK, from the thermophilic bacteria Aquifex aeolicus, one of the earliest diverging prokaryotes known. Overall, our analysis suggests that V-sensors in CNG-like channels were essentially rigid in early prokaryotes but raises the possibility that this module was probably part of a very flexible stator protein of the bacterial flagellum motor complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Romero-Romero
- Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico. Current address: Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Gustavo Martínez-Delgado
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Balleza
- Departamento de Química ICET, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
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32
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Robertson GA, Morais-Cabral JH. hERG Function in Light of Structure. Biophys J 2019; 118:790-797. [PMID: 31669064 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human ether-a-go-go-related gene1 (hERG) ion channel has been the subject of fascination since it was identified as a target of long QT syndrome more than 20 years ago. In this Biophysical Perspective, we look at what makes hERG intriguing and vexingly unique. By probing recent high-resolution structures in the context of functional and biochemical data, we attempt to summarize new insights into hERG-specific function and articulate important unanswered questions. X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy have revealed features not previously on the radar-the "nonswapped" transmembrane architecture, an "intrinsic ligand," and hydrophobic pockets off a pore cavity that is surprisingly small. Advances in our understanding of drug block and inactivation mechanisms are noted, but a full picture will require more investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail A Robertson
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
| | - João H Morais-Cabral
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; IBMC- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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33
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Morgan JLW, Evans EGB, Zagotta WN. Functional characterization and optimization of a bacterial cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:7503-7515. [PMID: 30885945 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels produce the initial electrical signal in mammalian vision and olfaction. They open in response to direct binding of cyclic nucleotide (cAMP or cGMP) to a cytoplasmic region of the channel. However, the conformational rearrangements occurring upon binding to produce pore opening (i.e. gating) are not well understood. SthK is a bacterial CNG channel that has the potential to serve as an ideal model for structure-function studies of gating but is currently limited by its toxicity, native cysteines, and low open probability (P o). Here, we expressed SthK in giant Escherichia coli spheroplasts and performed patch-clamp recordings to characterize SthK gating in a bacterial membrane. We demonstrated that the P o in cAMP is higher than has been previously published and that cGMP acts as a weak partial SthK agonist. Additionally, we determined that SthK expression is toxic to E. coli because of gating by cytoplasmic cAMP. We overcame this toxicity by developing an adenylate cyclase-knockout E. coli cell line. Finally, we generated a cysteine-free SthK construct and introduced mutations that further increase the P o in cAMP. We propose that this SthK model will help elucidate the gating mechanism of CNG channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L W Morgan
- From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Eric G B Evans
- From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - William N Zagotta
- From the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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34
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Barros F, Pardo LA, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, de la Peña P. New Structures and Gating of Voltage-Dependent Potassium (Kv) Channels and Their Relatives: A Multi-Domain and Dynamic Question. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20020248. [PMID: 30634573 PMCID: PMC6359393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kv channels) are crucial regulators of cell excitability that participate in a range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. These channels are molecular machines that display a mechanism (known as gating) for opening and closing a gate located in a pore domain (PD). In Kv channels, this mechanism is triggered and controlled by changes in the magnitude of the transmembrane voltage sensed by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD). In this review, we consider several aspects of the VSD–PD coupling in Kv channels, and in some relatives, that share a common general structure characterized by a single square-shaped ion conduction pore in the center, surrounded by four VSDs located at the periphery. We compile some recent advances in the knowledge of their architecture, based in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data for high-resolution determination of their structure, plus some new functional data obtained with channel variants in which the covalent continuity between the VSD and PD modules has been interrupted. These advances and new data bring about some reconsiderations about the use of exclusively a classical electromechanical lever model of VSD–PD coupling by some Kv channels, and open a view of the Kv-type channels as allosteric machines in which gating may be dynamically influenced by some long-range interactional/allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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35
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Miranda P, Holmgren M, Giraldez T. Voltage-dependent dynamics of the BK channel cytosolic gating ring are coupled to the membrane-embedded voltage sensor. eLife 2018; 7:40664. [PMID: 30526860 PMCID: PMC6301790 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, large conductance voltage- and calcium-dependent potassium (BK) channels are regulated allosterically by transmembrane voltage and intracellular Ca2+. Divalent cation binding sites reside within the gating ring formed by two Regulator of Conductance of Potassium (RCK) domains per subunit. Using patch-clamp fluorometry, we show that Ca2+ binding to the RCK1 domain triggers gating ring rearrangements that depend on transmembrane voltage. Because the gating ring is outside the electric field, this voltage sensitivity must originate from coupling to the voltage-dependent channel opening, the voltage sensor or both. Here we demonstrate that alterations of the voltage sensor, either by mutagenesis or regulation by auxiliary subunits, are paralleled by changes in the voltage dependence of the gating ring movements, whereas modifications of the relative open probability are not. These results strongly suggest that conformational changes of RCK1 domains are specifically coupled to the voltage sensor function during allosteric modulation of BK channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Miranda
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Miguel Holmgren
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Teresa Giraldez
- Departamento de Ciencias Medicas Basicas, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.,Instituto de Tecnologias Biomedicas, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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36
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Jegla T, Busey G, Assmann SM. Evolution and Structural Characteristics of Plant Voltage-Gated K + Channels. THE PLANT CELL 2018; 30:2898-2909. [PMID: 30389753 PMCID: PMC6354262 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.18.00523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant voltage-gated K+ channels have been referred to as "plant Shakers" in reference to animal Shaker channels, the first K+ channels identified. Recent advances in our knowledge of K+ channel evolution and structure have significantly deepened the divide between these plant and animal K+ channels, suggesting that it is time to completely retire the "plant Shaker" designation. Evolutionary genomics reveals that plant voltage-gated K+ channels and metazoan Shakers derive from distinct prokaryotic ancestors. The plant channels belong to a lineage that includes cyclic nucleotide-gated channels and metazoan ether-à-go-go and hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. We refer to this lineage as the CNBD channel superfamily, because all these channels share a cytoplasmic gating domain homologous to cyclic nucleotide binding domains. The first structures of CNBD superfamily channels reveal marked differences in coupling between the voltage sensor and ion-conducting pore relative to metazoan Shaker channels. Viewing plant voltage-gated K+ channel function through the lens of CNBD superfamily structures should lead to insights into how these channels are regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Jegla
- Department of Biology and Huck Institute for the Life Sciences, Penn State University, 230 Life Sciences Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Gregory Busey
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, 225 Life Sciences Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, 354 North Frear, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
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37
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An iris diaphragm mechanism to gate a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3978. [PMID: 30266906 PMCID: PMC6162275 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06414-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are non-selective cation channels key to signal transduction. The free energy difference of cyclic-nucleotide (cAMP/cGMP) binding/unbinding is translated into mechanical work to modulate the open/closed probability of the pore, i.e., gating. Despite the recent advances in structural determination of CNG channels, the conformational changes associated with gating remain unknown. Here we examine the conformational dynamics of a prokaryotic homolog of CNG channels, SthK, using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). HS-AFM of SthK in lipid bilayers shows that the CNBDs undergo dramatic conformational changes during the interconversion between the resting (apo and cGMP) and the activated (cAMP) states: the CNBDs approach the membrane and splay away from the 4-fold channel axis accompanied by a clockwise rotation with respect to the pore domain. We propose that these movements may be converted by the C-linker to pull the pore helices open in an iris diaphragm-like mechanism. Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels are non-selective cation channels key to signal transduction, but conformational changes associated with gating remained unknown. Here authors use high-speed atomic force microscopy to visualize SthK channels dynamics in response to cyclic nucleotides.
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Insights into the molecular mechanism for hyperpolarization-dependent activation of HCN channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E8086-E8095. [PMID: 30076228 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1805596115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels are both voltage- and ligand-activated membrane proteins that contribute to electrical excitability and pace-making activity in cardiac and neuronal cells. These channels are members of the voltage-gated Kv channel superfamily and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain subfamily of ion channels. HCN channels have a unique feature that distinguishes them from other voltage-gated channels: the HCN channel pore opens in response to hyperpolarizing voltages instead of depolarizing voltages. In the canonical model of electromechanical coupling, based on Kv channels, a change in membrane voltage activates the voltage-sensing domains (VSD) and the activation energy passes to the pore domain (PD) through a covalent linker that connects the VSD to the PD. In this investigation, the covalent linkage between the VSD and PD, the S4-S5 linker, and nearby regions of spHCN channels were mutated to determine the functional role each plays in hyperpolarization-dependent activation. The results show that: (i) the S4-S5 linker is not required for hyperpolarization-dependent activation or ligand-dependent gating; (ii) the S4 C-terminal region (S4C-term) is not necessary for ligand-dependent gating but is required for hyperpolarization-dependent activation and acts like an autoinhibitory domain on the PD; (iii) the S5N-term region is involved in VSD-PD coupling and holding the pore closed; and (iv) spHCN channels have two voltage-dependent processes, a hyperpolarization-dependent activation and a depolarization-dependent recovery from inactivation. These results are inconsistent with the canonical model of VSD-PD coupling in Kv channels and elucidate the mechanism for hyperpolarization-dependent activation of HCN channels.
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Rheinberger J, Gao X, Schmidpeter PA, Nimigean CM. Ligand discrimination and gating in cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels from apo and partial agonist-bound cryo-EM structures. eLife 2018; 7:39775. [PMID: 30028291 PMCID: PMC6093708 DOI: 10.7554/elife.39775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-modulated channels have important roles in visual signal transduction and pacemaking. Binding of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP/cGMP) elicits diverse functional responses in different channels within the family despite their high sequence and structure homology. The molecular mechanisms responsible for ligand discrimination and gating are unknown due to lack of correspondence between structural information and functional states. Using single particle cryo-electron microscopy and single-channel recording, we assigned functional states to high-resolution structures of SthK, a prokaryotic cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. The structures for apo, cAMP-bound, and cGMP-bound SthK in lipid nanodiscs, correspond to no, moderate, and low single-channel activity, respectively, consistent with the observation that all structures are in resting, closed states. The similarity between apo and ligand-bound structures indicates that ligand-binding domains are strongly coupled to pore and SthK gates in an allosteric, concerted fashion. The different orientations of cAMP and cGMP in the ‘resting’ and ‘activated’ structures suggest a mechanism for ligand discrimination. Ion channels are essential for transmitting signals in the nervous system and brain. One large group of ion channels includes members that are activated by cyclic nucleotides, small molecules used to transmit signals within cells. These cyclic nucleotide-gated channels play an important role in regulating our ability to see and smell. The activity of these ion channels has been studied for years, but scientists have only recently been able to look into their structure. Since structural biology methods require purified, well-behaved proteins, the members of this ion channel family selected for structural studies do not necessarily match those whose activity has been well established. There is a need for a good model that would allow both the structure and activity of a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel to be characterized. The cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel, SthK, from bacteria called Spirochaeta thermophila, was identified as such model because both its activity and its structure are accessible. Rheinberger et al. have used cryo electron microscopy to solve several high-resolution structures of SthK channels. In two of the structures, SthK was bound to either one of two types of activating cyclic nucleotides – cAMP or cGMP – and in another structure, no cyclic nucleotides were bound. Separately recording the activity of individual channels allowed the activity states likely to be represented by these structures to be identified. Combining the results of the experiments revealed no activity from channels in an unbound state, low levels of activity for channels bound to cGMP, and moderate activity for channels bound to cAMP. Rheinberger et al. show that the channel, under the conditions experienced in cryo electron microscopy, is closed in all of the states studied. Unexpectedly, the binding of cyclic nucleotides produced no structural change even in the cyclic nucleotide-binding pocket of the channel, a region that was previously observed to undergo such changes when this region alone was crystallized. Rheinberger et al. deduce from this that the four subunits that make up the channel likely undergo the conformational change towards an open state all at once, rather than one by one. The structures and the basic functional characterization of SthK channels provide a strong starting point for future research into determining the entire opening and closing cycle for a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel. Human equivalents of the channel are likely to work in similar ways. The results presented by Rheinberger et al. could therefore be built upon to help address diseases that result from deficiencies in cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, such as loss of vision due to retinal degradation (retinitis pigmentosa or progressive cone dystrophy) and achromatopsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rheinberger
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Xiaolong Gao
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | | | - Crina M Nimigean
- Departments of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
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40
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Alvarez-Baron CP, Klenchin VA, Chanda B. Minimal molecular determinants of isoform-specific differences in efficacy in the HCN channel family. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:1203-1213. [PMID: 29980633 PMCID: PMC6080897 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels generate rhythmic activity in the heart and brain. Isoform-specific functional differences reflect the specializations required for the various roles that they play. Despite a high sequence and structural similarity, HCN isoforms differ greatly in their response to cyclic nucleotides. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) enhances the activity of HCN2 and HCN4 isoforms by shifting the voltage dependence of activation to more depolarized potentials, whereas HCN1 and HCN3 isoforms are practically insensitive to this ligand. Here, to determine the molecular basis for increased cAMP efficacy in HCN2 channels, we progressively mutate residues in the C-linker and cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) of the mouse HCN2 to their equivalents in HCN1. We identify two clusters of mutations that determine the differences in voltage-dependent activation between these two isoforms. One maps to the C-linker region, whereas the other is in proximity to the cAMP-binding site in the CNBD. A mutant channel containing just five mutations (M485I, G497D, S514T, V562A, and S563G) switches cAMP sensitivity of full-length HCN2 to that of HCN1 channels. These findings, combined with a detailed analysis of various allosteric models for voltage- and ligand-dependent gating, indicate that these residues alter the ability of the C-linker to transduce signals from the CNBD to the pore gates of the HCN channel.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vadim A Klenchin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Baron Chanda
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI .,Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
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41
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Sedwick C. A new model struts its stuff. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:771. [PMID: 29784855 PMCID: PMC5987884 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
JGP paper presents a model for studying cyclic nucleotide–modulated channels. JGP paper presents a model for studying cyclic nucleotide–modulated channels.
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42
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Schmidpeter PAM, Gao X, Uphadyay V, Rheinberger J, Nimigean CM. Ligand binding and activation properties of the purified bacterial cyclic nucleotide-gated channel SthK. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:821-834. [PMID: 29752414 PMCID: PMC5987880 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201812023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
SthK is a bacterial cyclic nucleotide–gated ion channel from Spirochaeta thermophila. By optimizing the expression and purification of SthK, Schmidpeter et al. show that cAMP and cGMP bind to the channel with similar affinity but activate it with different efficacy. Cyclic nucleotide–modulated ion channels play several essential physiological roles. They are involved in signal transduction in photoreceptors and olfactory sensory neurons as well as pacemaking activity in the heart and brain. Investigations of the molecular mechanism of their actions, including structural and electrophysiological characterization, are restricted by the availability of stable, purified protein obtained from accessible systems. Here, we establish that SthK, a cyclic nucleotide–gated (CNG) channel from Spirochaeta thermophila, is an excellent model for investigating the gating of eukaryotic CNG channels at the molecular level. The channel has high sequence similarity with its eukaryotic counterparts and was previously reported to be activated by cyclic nucleotides in patch-clamp experiments with Xenopus laevis oocytes. We optimized protein expression and purification to obtain large quantities of pure, homogeneous, and active recombinant SthK protein from Escherichia coli. A negative-stain electron microscopy (EM) single-particle analysis indicated that this channel is a promising candidate for structural studies with cryo-EM. Using radioactivity and fluorescence flux assays, as well as single-channel recordings in lipid bilayers, we show that the protein is partially activated by micromolar concentrations of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and that channel activity is increased by depolarization. Unlike previous studies, we find that cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is also able to activate SthK, but with much lower efficiency than cAMP. The distinct sensitivities to different ligands resemble eukaryotic CNG and hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide–modulated channels. Using a fluorescence binding assay, we show that cGMP and cAMP bind to SthK with similar apparent affinities, suggesting that the large difference in channel activation by cAMP or cGMP is caused by the efficacy with which each ligand promotes the conformational changes toward the open state. We conclude that the functional characteristics of SthK reported here will permit future studies to analyze ligand gating and discrimination in CNG channels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaolong Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Vikrant Uphadyay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Jan Rheinberger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Crina M Nimigean
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY .,Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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43
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Amporndanai K, Johnson RM, O’Neill PM, Fishwick CWG, Jamson AH, Rawson S, Muench SP, Hasnain SS, Antonyuk SV. X-ray and cryo-EM structures of inhibitor-bound cytochrome bc1 complexes for structure-based drug discovery. IUCRJ 2018; 5:200-210. [PMID: 29765610 PMCID: PMC5947725 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252518001616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cytochrome bc1, a dimeric multi-subunit electron-transport protein embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane, is a major drug target for the treatment and prevention of malaria and toxoplasmosis. Structural studies of cytochrome bc1 from mammalian homologues co-crystallized with lead compounds have underpinned structure-based drug design to develop compounds with higher potency and selectivity. However, owing to the limited amount of cytochrome bc1 that may be available from parasites, all efforts have been focused on homologous cytochrome bc1 complexes from mammalian species, which has resulted in the failure of some drug candidates owing to toxicity in the host. Crystallographic studies of the native parasite proteins are not feasible owing to limited availability of the proteins. Here, it is demonstrated that cytochrome bc1 is highly amenable to single-particle cryo-EM (which uses significantly less protein) by solving the apo and two inhibitor-bound structures to ∼4.1 Å resolution, revealing clear inhibitor density at the binding site. Therefore, cryo-EM is proposed as a viable alternative method for structure-based drug discovery using both host and parasite enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangsa Amporndanai
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, England
| | - Rachel M. Johnson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
| | - Paul M. O’Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, England
| | - Colin W. G. Fishwick
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
| | - Alexander H. Jamson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
| | - Shaun Rawson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
| | - Stephen P. Muench
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
- Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England
| | - S. Samar Hasnain
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, England
| | - Svetlana V. Antonyuk
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, England
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Mazzolini M, Arcangeletti M, Marchesi A, Napolitano LMR, Grosa D, Maity S, Anselmi C, Torre V. The gating mechanism in cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels. Sci Rep 2018; 8:45. [PMID: 29311674 PMCID: PMC5758780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18499-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels mediate transduction in several sensory neurons. These channels use the free energy of CNs' binding to open the pore, a process referred to as gating. CNG channels belong to the superfamily of voltage-gated channels, where the motion of the α-helix S6 controls gating in most of its members. To date, only the open, cGMP-bound, structure of a CNG channel has been determined at atomic resolution, which is inadequate to determine the molecular events underlying gating. By using electrophysiology, site-directed mutagenesis, chemical modification, and Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy, we demonstrate that opening of CNGA1 channels is initiated by the formation of salt bridges between residues in the C-linker and S5 helix. These events trigger conformational changes of the α-helix S5, transmitted to the P-helix and leading to channel opening. Therefore, the superfamily of voltage-gated channels shares a similar molecular architecture but has evolved divergent gating mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mazzolini
- International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, 34136, Italy.
| | | | - Arin Marchesi
- INSERM U1006, Aix-Marseille Université, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, 13009, France
| | - Luisa M R Napolitano
- International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, 34136, Italy
- Structural Biology Laboratory, Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza, Trieste, 34149, Italy
| | - Debora Grosa
- International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, 34136, Italy
| | - Sourav Maity
- International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, 34136, Italy
| | - Claudio Anselmi
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Vincent Torre
- International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, 34136, Italy.
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45
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Schmidpeter PAM, Nimigean CM. Fluorescence Titrations to Determine the Binding Affinity of Cyclic Nucleotides to SthK Ion Channels. Bio Protoc 2018; 8:e3041. [PMID: 30417032 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyclic-nucleotide modulated ion channel family includes cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) and hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channels, which play essential roles in visual and olfactory signaling and the heart pacemaking activity. Functionally, these channels have been extensively characterized by electrophysiological techniques from protein heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes and mammalian cells. On the other hand, expression and purification of these proteins for biophysical and structural analyses in vitro is problematic and expensive and, accordingly, only limited information on the purified channels is available in the literature. Here we describe a protocol for binding studies of fluorescently labeled cyclic nucleotides to a homologue of eukaryotic CNG channels. Furthermore, we describe how to directly probe binding of unlabeled cyclic nucleotides in a competition assay. The use of fluorescence as a sensitive probe for ligand binding reduces the amount of protein needed and enables fast and easy measurements using standard laboratory equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Crina M Nimigean
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, New York, NY, USA
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46
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James ZM, Zagotta WN. Structural insights into the mechanisms of CNBD channel function. J Gen Physiol 2017; 150:225-244. [PMID: 29233886 PMCID: PMC5806680 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
James and Zagotta discuss how recent cryoEM structures inform our understanding of cyclic nucleotide–binding domain channels. Cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) channels are a family of ion channels in the voltage-gated K+ channel superfamily that play crucial roles in many physiological processes. CNBD channels are structurally similar but functionally very diverse. This family includes three subfamilies: (1) the cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, which are cation-nonselective, voltage-independent, and cyclic nucleotide-gated; (2) the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, which are weakly K+ selective, hyperpolarization-activated, and cyclic nucleotide-gated; and (3) the ether-à-go-go-type (KCNH) channels, which are strongly K+ selective, depolarization-activated, and cyclic nucleotide-independent. Recently, several high-resolution structures have been reported for intact CNBD channels, providing a structural framework to better understand their diverse function. In this review, we compare and contrast the recent structures and discuss how they inform our understanding of ion selectivity, voltage-dependent gating, and cyclic nucleotide–dependent gating within this channel family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M James
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - William N Zagotta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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47
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Lu Q, Tang Q, Chen Z, Zhao S, Qing G, Sun T. Developing an Inositol-Phosphate-Actuated Nanochannel System by Mimicking Biological Calcium Ion Channels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:32554-32564. [PMID: 28871777 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b09992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, ion channels, which ubiquitously present as polypeptides or proteins, usually regulate the ion transport across biological membranes by conformational switching of the channel proteins in response to the binding of diverse signaling molecules (e.g., inositol phosphate, abbreviated to InsP). To mimic the gating behaviors of natural Ca2+ channels manipulated by InsPs, a smart poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-4-(3-acryloylthioureido) benzoic acid)0.2] (denoted as PNI-co-ATBA0.2) was integrated onto a porous anodic alumina (PAA) membrane, building an InsP-actuated nanochannel system. Driven by the intensive hydrogen bonding complexation of ATBA monomer with InsP, the copolymer chains displayed a remarkable and reversible conformational transition from a contracted state to a swollen one, accompanied with significant changes in surface morphology, wettability, and viscoelasticity. Benefiting from these features, dynamic gating behaviors of the nanochannels located on the copolymer-modified PAA membrane could be precisely manipulated by InsPs, reflected as a satisfactory linear relationship between real-time variation in transmembrane ionic current and the InsP concentration over a wide range from 1 nmol L-1 to 10 μmol L-1, as well as a clear discrimination among InsP2, InsP3, and InsP6. This study indicates the great potential of biomolecule-responsive polymers in the fabrication of biomimetic ion nanochannels and other nanoscale biodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Qiuhan Tang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Zhonghui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Shilong Zhao
- Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University , 2279 Lishui Road, Shenzhen 518000, P. R. China
| | - Guangyan Qing
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Taolei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology , 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
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48
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Chiasson DM, Haage K, Sollweck K, Brachmann A, Dietrich P, Parniske M. A quantitative hypermorphic CNGC allele confers ectopic calcium flux and impairs cellular development. eLife 2017; 6:25012. [PMID: 28933692 PMCID: PMC5716663 DOI: 10.7554/elife.25012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The coordinated control of Ca2+ signaling is essential for development in eukaryotes. Cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC) family members mediate Ca2+ influx from cellular stores in plants (Charpentier et al., 2016; Gao et al., 2016; Frietsch et al., 2007; Urquhart et al., 2007). Here, we report the unusual genetic behavior of a quantitative gain-of-function CNGC mutation (brush) in Lotus japonicus resulting in a leaky tetrameric channel. brush resides in a cluster of redundant CNGCs encoding subunits which resemble metazoan voltage-gated potassium (Kv1-Kv4) channels in assembly and gating properties. The recessive mongenic brush mutation impaired root development and infection by nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. The brush allele exhibited quantitative behavior since overexpression of the cluster subunits was required to suppress the brush phenotype. The results reveal a mechanism by which quantitative competition between channel subunits for tetramer assembly can impact the phenotype of the mutation carrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Chiasson
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Genetics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kristina Haage
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Genetics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Sollweck
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Genetics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Brachmann
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Genetics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Petra Dietrich
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Parniske
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Genetics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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