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PubMed1994

Subunit 2 (or beta) of retinal rod cGMP-gated cation channel is a component of the 240-kDa channel-associated protein and mediates Ca(2+)-calmodulin modulation.

The cGMP-gated cation channel mediating visual transduction in retinal rods was recently found to comprise at least two subunits, 1 and 2 (or alpha and beta). SDS gels of the purified channel show, in addition to a 63-kDa protein band (subunit 1), a 240-kDa protein band that binds Ca(2+)-calmodulin, a modulator of the channel. To examine any connection between subunit 2 and the 240-kDa protein, cGMP-gated channels formed from the expressed cloned subunits in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were tested for Ca(2+)-calmodulin effect. Homooligomeric channels formed by subunit 1 alone showed no sensitivity to Ca(2+)-calmodulin, and neither did heterooligomeric channels formed by subunit 1 and the short alternatively spliced form of subunit 2 (2a). By contrast, the cGMP half-activation constant (K1/2) for heterooligomeric channels formed from subunit 1 and the long form of subunit 2 (2b) was increased 1.5- to 2-fold by Ca(2+)-calmodulin, similar to the increase observed for the native channel. In Western blots of rod outer segment membranes, a subunit 2-specific antibody also recognized the 240-kDa protein. Finally, amino acid sequences derived from peptide fragments of the bovine 240-kDa protein showed approximately 80% identity to regions of subunit 2b of the human channel. These results together suggest that subunit 2b of the rod channel is a component of the 240-kDa protein and that it mediates the Ca(2+)-calmodulin modulation of the channel.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Functionally important calmodulin-binding sites in both NH2- and COOH-terminal regions of the cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated channel CNGB3 subunit.

Whereas an important aspect of sensory adaptation in rod photoreceptors and olfactory receptor neurons is thought to be the regulation of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel activity by calcium-calmodulin (Ca2+-CaM), it is not clear that cone photoreceptor CNG channels are similarly modulated. Cone CNG channels are composed of at least two different subunit types, CNGA3 and CNGB3. We have investigated whether calmodulin modulates the activity of these channels by direct binding to the CNGB3 subunit. Heteromeric channels were formed by co-expression of human CNGB3 with human CNGA3 subunits in Xenopus oocytes; CNGB3 subunits conferred sensitivity to regulation by Ca2+-CaM, whereas CaM regulation of homomeric CNGA3 channels was not detected. To explore the mechanism underlying this regulation, we localized potential CaM-binding sites in both NH2- and COOH-terminal cytoplasmic domains of CNGB3 using gel-overlay and glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays. For both sites, binding of CaM depended on the presence of Ca2+. Individual deletions of either CaM-binding site in CNGB3 generated channels that remained sensitive to regulation by Ca2+-CaM, but deletion of both together resulted in heteromeric channels that were not modulated. Thus, both NH2- and COOH-terminal CaM-binding sites in CNGB3 are functionally important for regulation of recombinant cone CNG channels. These studies suggest a potential role for direct binding and unbinding of Ca2+-CaM to human CNGB3 during cone photoreceptor adaptation and recovery.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Molecular regions controlling the activity of CNG channels.

The alpha subunits of CNG channels of retinal photoreceptors (rod) and olfactory neurons (olf) are proteins that consist of a cytoplasmic NH(2) terminus, a transmembrane core region (including the segments S1-S6), and a cytoplasmic COOH terminus. The COOH terminus contains a cyclic nucleotide monophosphate binding domain NBD) that is linked by the C-linker (CL) to the core region. The binding of cyclic nucleotides to the NBD promotes channel opening by an allosteric mechanism. We examined why the sensitivity to cGMP is 22 times higher in olf than in rod by constructing chimeric channels and determining the [cGMP] causing half maximum channel activity (EC(50)). The characteristic difference in the EC(50) value between rod and olf was introduced by the NH(2) terminus and the core-CL region, whereas the NBD showed a paradoxical effect. The difference of the free energy difference Delta(DeltaG) was determined for each of these three regions with all possible combinations of the other two regions. For rod regions with respect to corresponding olf regions, the open channel conformation was destabilized by the NH(2) terminus (Delta(DeltaG) = -1.0 to -2.0 RT) and the core-CL region (Delta(DeltaG) = -2.0 to -2.9 RT), whereas it was stabilized by the NBD (Delta(DeltaG) = 0.3 to 1.1 RT). The NH(2) terminus deletion mutants of rod and olf differed by Delta(DeltaG) of only 0.9 RT, whereas the wild-type channels differed by the much larger value of 3.1 RT. The results show that in rod and olf, the NH(2) terminus, the core-CL region, and the NBD differ by characteristic Delta(DeltaG) values that do not depend on the specific composition of the other two regions and that the NH(2) terminus generates the main portion of Delta(DeltaG) between the wild-type channels.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Co-expression of wild-type and mutant olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated channels: restoration of the native sensitivity to Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) blockage.

In the pore of homomeric cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) bind to a set of glutamate residues, which in the bovine olfactory CNG channel are located at position 340. However, native CNG channels from olfactory sensory neurons are composed by the assembly of three different types of subunits, each having a different residue -- glutamate, aspartate or glycine -- at the position corresponding to the binding site for external Ca(2+) and Mg(2+). We co-expressed the wild-type principal alpha subunit with its mutants E340G and E340D in different combinations in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and measured Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) blockage in excised outside-out membrane patches. The comparison between our results and data from native olfactory CNG channels indicates that the presence of all three residues -- glutamate, aspartate and glycine -- in the different subunits, is necessary to restore the sensitivity to external Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) measured in native channels.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Mechanisms of modulation by internal protons of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels cloned from sensory receptor cells.

We have examined the modulation by internal protons of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels cloned from bovine olfactory receptor cells and retinal rods. CNG channels were studied in excised inside-out membrane patches from Xenopus laevis oocytes previously injected with the mRNA encoding for the subunit 1 of olfactory or rod channels. Channels were activated by cGMP or cAMP, and currents as a function of cyclic nucleotide concentrations were measured as pHi varied between 7.6 and 5.0. Increasing internal proton concentrations caused a partial blockage of the single-channel current, consistent with protonation of a single acidic site with a pK1 of 4.5-4.7, both in rod and in olfactory CNG channels. Channel gating properties were also affected by internal protons. The open probability at low cyclic nucleotide concentrations was greatly increased by lowering pHi, and the increase was larger when channels were activated by cAMP than by cGMP. Therefore, internal protons affected both channel permeation and gating properties, causing a reduction in single-channel current and an increase in open probability. These effects are likely to be caused by different titratable groups on the channel.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate compartmentation in rat cardiac myocytes.

BACKGROUND: Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is the common second messenger for the cardiovascular effects of nitric oxide (NO) and natriuretic peptides, such as atrial or brain natriuretic peptide, which activate the soluble and particulate forms of guanylyl cyclase, respectively. However, natriuretic peptides and NO donors exert different effects on cardiac and vascular smooth muscle function. We therefore tested whether these differences are due to an intracellular compartmentation of cGMP and evaluated the role of phosphodiesterase (PDE) subtypes in this process. METHODS AND RESULTS: Subsarcolemmal cGMP signals were monitored in adult rat cardiomyocytes by expression of the rat olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel alpha-subunit and recording of the associated cGMP-gated current (ICNG). Atrial natriuretic peptide (10 nmol/L) or brain natriuretic peptide (10 nmol/L) induced a clear activation of ICNG, whereas NO donors (S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine, diethylamine NONOate, 3-morpholinosydnonimine, and spermine NO, all at 100 micromol/L) had little effect. The ICNG current was strongly potentiated by nonselective PDE inhibition with isobutyl methylxanthine (100 micromol/L) and by the PDE2 inhibitors erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (10 micromol/L) and Bay 60-7550 (50 nmol/L). Surprisingly, sildenafil, a PDE5 inhibitor, produced a dose-dependent increase of I(CNG) activated by NO donors but had no effect (at 100 nmol/L) on the current elicited by atrial natriuretic peptide. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that in rat cardiomyocytes (1) the particulate cGMP pool is readily accessible at the plasma membrane, whereas the soluble pool is not; and (2) PDE5 controls the soluble but not the particulate pool, whereas the latter is under the exclusive control of PDE2. Differential spatiotemporal distributions of cGMP may therefore contribute to the specific effects of natriuretic peptides and NO donors on cardiac function.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed2002

Mechanism of glutamate receptor desensitization.

Ligand-gated ion channels transduce chemical signals into electrical impulses by opening a transmembrane pore in response to binding one or more neurotransmitter molecules. After activation, many ligand-gated ion channels enter a desensitized state in which the neurotransmitter remains bound but the ion channel is closed. Although receptor desensitization is crucial to the functioning of many ligand-gated ion channels in vivo, the molecular basis of this important process has until now defied analysis. Using the GluR2 AMPA-sensitive glutamate receptor, we show here that the ligand-binding cores form dimers and that stabilization of the intradimer interface by either mutations or allosteric modulators reduces desensitization. Perturbations that destabilize the interface enhance desensitization. Receptor activation involves conformational changes within each subunit that result in an increase in the separation of portions of the receptor that are linked to the ion channel. Our analysis defines the dimer interface in the resting and activated state, indicates how ligand binding is coupled to gating, and suggests modes of dimer dimer interaction in the assembled tetramer. Desensitization occurs through rearrangement of the dimer interface, which disengages the agonist-induced conformational change in the ligand-binding core from the ion channel gate.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed2004

Statistical mechanics model for the interaction between the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid and GABAA receptors.

Interactions between the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABAA receptor ion channels play an important role in the central nervous system. A statistical mechanics model is proposed for the interaction between GABA and GABAA receptors. The model provides good fits to the electrophysiology data as well as an estimation of receptor activation energies, and predicts the temperature dependence consistent with measurements. In addition, the model provides insights into single channel conductance measurements. This model is also applicable to other ligand-gated ion channels with similar pentameric structures.

Biophysical Phenomena↗
PubMed1998

Arachidonic acid elicits a substrate-gated proton current associated with the glutamate transporter EAAT4.

Arachidonic acid modulates both electrical and biochemical properties of membrane proteins involved in cellular signaling. In Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing the excitatory amino acid transporter EAAT4, physiologically relevant concentrations of arachidonic acid increase the amplitude of the substrate-activated current by roughly twofold at -60 mV. This stimulation is not attributable to the modulation of either substrate/ion cotransport or the ligand-gated chloride current, the major conductance associated with this carrier. Ion-substitution experiments reveal that arachidonic acid stimulates a proton-selective conductance. The effect does not require metabolism of arachidonic acid and is not blocked by inhibitors of endogenous oocyte ion-exchangers. This proton conductance expands the complex repertoire of the ligand-gated channel properties associated with EAAT4.

Amino Acid Transport System X-AG↗
PubMed2002

Modeling hair cell tuning by expression gradients of potassium channel beta subunits.

The receptor potential of sensory hair cells arises from the gating of mechanosensitive cation channels, but its amplitude and time course also depend on the number and kinetics of voltage-gated ion channels in each cell. Prominent among these are "BK" potassium channels encoded by the slo gene that support electrical tuning in some hair cells. Hair cells tuned to low frequencies have slowly gating BK channels, whereas those of higher-frequency hair cells gate more rapidly. Alternative splicing of the slo gene mRNA that encodes the pore-forming alpha subunit can alter BK channel kinetics, and gating is dramatically slowed by coexpression with modulatory beta subunits. The effect of the beta subunit is consistent with low-frequency tuning, and beta mRNA is expressed at highest levels in the low frequency apex of the bird's auditory epithelium. How might an expression gradient of beta subunits contribute to hair cell tuning? The present work uses a computational model of hair cell-tuning based on the functional properties of BK channels expressed from hair cell alpha and beta slo cDNA. The model reveals that a limited tonotopic gradient could be achieved simply by altering the fraction of BK channels in each hair cell that are combined with beta subunits. However, complete coverage of the tuning spectrum requires kinetic variants in addition to those modeled here.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed1996

In vivo functional role of the Drosophila hyperkinetic beta subunit in gating and inactivation of Shaker K+ channels.

The physiological roles of the beta, or auxiliary, subunits of voltage-gated ion channels, including Na+, Ca2+, and K+ channels, have not been demonstrated directly in vivo. Drosophila Hyperkinetic (Hk) mutations alter a gene encoding a homolog of the mammalian K+ channel beta subunit, providing a unique opportunity to delineate the in vivo function of auxiliary subunits in K+ channels. We found that the Hk beta subunit modulates a wide range of the Shaker (Sh) K+ current properties, including its amplitude, activation and inactivation, temperature dependence, and drug sensitivity. Characterizations of the existing mutants in identified muscle cells enabled an analysis of potential mechanisms of subunit interactions and their functional consequences. The results are consistent with the idea that via hydrophobic interaction, Hk beta subunits modulate Sh channel conformation in the cytoplasmic pore region. The modulatory effects of the Hk beta subunit appeared to be specific to the Sh alpha subunit because other voltage- and Ca(2+)-activated K+ currents were not affected by Hk mutations. The mutant effects were especially pronounced near the voltage threshold of IA activation, which can disrupt the maintenance of the quiescent state and lead to the striking neuromuscular and behavioral hyperexcitability previously reported.

4-Aminopyridine↗
PubMed2006

Voltage-dependent hydration and conduction properties of the hydrophobic pore of the mechanosensitive channel of small conductance.

A detailed picture of water and ion properties in small pores is important for understanding the behavior of biological ion channels. Several recent modeling studies have shown that small, hydrophobic pores exclude water and ions even if they are physically large enough to accommodate them, a mechanism called hydrophobic gating. This mechanism has been implicated in the gating of several channels, including the mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS). Although the pore in the crystal structure of MscS is wide and was initially hypothesized to be open, it is lined by hydrophobic residues and may represent a nonconducting state. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on MscS to determine whether or not the structure can conduct ions. Unlike previous simulations of hydrophobic nanopores, electric fields were applied to this system to model the transmembrane potential, which proved to be important. Although simulations without a potential resulted in a dehydrated, occluded pore, the application of a potential increased the hydration of the pore and resulted in current flow through the channel. The calculated channel conductance was in good agreement with experiment. Therefore, it is likely that the MscS crystal structure is closer to a conducting than a nonconducting state.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1994

Interaction of calmodulin with the cyclic GMP-gated channel of rod photoreceptor cells. Modulation of activity, affinity purification, and localization.

The cGMP-gated cation channel of rod photoreceptor cells plays a central role in the phototransduction process by controlling the influx of cations into the rod outer segment in response to changes in cGMP levels. Previous studies have shown that the cGMP-gated channel in native rod outer segment membrane vesicles is modulated by calmodulin in a calcium-dependent manner. In this study we report that the immunoaffinity-purified channel consisting of the 63-kDa alpha-subunit and a 240-kDa protein is also modulated by calmodulin when reconstituted into lipid vesicles. In the absence of calmodulin, the purified channel had an apparent Km of 33 microM and a Hill coefficient of 3.3 for cGMP-dependent efflux of Ca2+ from reconstituted lipid vesicles. In the presence of calmodulin, the Km increased to 44 microM without affecting the Hill coefficient or maximum velocity of ion efflux. Calmodulin modulation of the channel is inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist, mastoparan. In the absence of mastoparan, the half-maximum inhibition of channel activity (IC50) occurred at 1.85 +/- 0.25 nM calmodulin at a cGMP concentration of 12.5 microM; in the presence of mastoparan, the IC50 value increased to 20.3 +/- 3.8 nM calmodulin. Based on the strong, selective interaction of calmodulin with the channel, an efficient, general method has been developed to isolate functionally active cGMP-gated channels from mammalian and amphibian photoreceptor membranes. Calmodulin extraction studies, Western blotting, and channel activity measurements indicate that endogenous rod outer segment calmodulin modulates the activity of the channel through its binding to the 240-kDa protein. From these studies we conclude that the 240-kDa protein of the cGMP-gated channel is a major calmodulin target protein of rod outer segment membranes.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Contribution of calcium ions to P2X channel responses.

Ca2+ entry through transmitter-gated cation channels, including ATP-gated P2X channels, contributes to an array of physiological processes in excitable and non-excitable cells, but the absolute amount of Ca2+ flowing through P2X channels is unknown. Here we address the issue of precisely how much Ca2+ flows through P2X channels and report the finding that the ATP-gated P2X channel family has remarkably high Ca2+ flux compared with other channels gated by the transmitters ACh, serotonin, protons, and glutamate. Several homomeric and heteromeric P2X channels display fractional Ca2+ currents equivalent to NMDA channels, which hitherto have been thought of as the largest source of transmitter-activated Ca2+ flux. We further suggest that NMDA and P2X channels may use different mechanisms to promote Ca2+ flux across membranes. We find that mutating three critical polar amino acids decreases the Ca2+ flux of P2X2 receptors, suggesting that these residues cluster to form a novel type of Ca2+ selectivity region within the pore. Overall, our data identify P2X channels as a large source of transmitter-activated Ca2+ influx at resting membrane potentials and support the hypothesis that polar amino acids contribute to Ca2+ selection in an ATP-gated ion channel.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Asymmetry of orientation and voltage gating of the Acidovorax delafieldii porin Omp34 in lipid bilayers.

The functional properties of the major outer-membrane protein of Acidovorax delafieldii, the anion-selective porin Omp34, were investigated in artificial membranes. Detergent-solubilized porin incorporates into the membrane in a undirectional orientation solely determined by protein features. This enabled us to characterize the vectorial properties of the porin channels. Omp34 is electrostatically asymmetric regarding both the ion conductivity of a single trimer and the macroscopic ion conductance of multiple porin molecules. Voltage-dependent closing occurred at negative potentials; 50% of the channels were already closed at -10 mV (switching voltage). Our experimental results suggest that protein charges situated on flexible parts inside the channel are involved in the gating mechanism. A simple model is proposed illustrating the mechanism of voltage-dependent opening and closing of the porin channels. This model explains the functional characteristics of Omp34 and the dependence of the switching voltage on the electrolyte concentration in particular. Further factors influencing voltage gating include the buffer concentration as well as the technique used for membrane formation. Altogether these factors may explain the relatively high voltages needed to obtain voltage gating with other porins.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed2000

Complex voltage-dependent behavior of single unliganded calcium-sensitive potassium channels.

study and characterization of unliganded openings is of central significance for the elucidation of gating mechanisms for allosteric ligand-gated ion channels. Unliganded openings have been reported for many channel types, but their low open probability can make it difficult to study their kinetics in detail. Because the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel mSlo is sensitive to both intracellular calcium and to membrane potential, we have been able to obtain stable unliganded single-channel recordings of mSlo with relatively high opening probability. We have found that the single-channel gating behavior of mSlo is complex, with multiple open and closed states, even when no ligand is present. Our results rule out a Monod-Wyman-Changeux allosteric mechanism with a central voltage-dependent concerted step, and they support the existence of quaternary states with less than the full number of voltage sensors activated, as has been suggested by previous work involving measurements of gating currents.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The structure and function of Na+ channels.

The past year has seen major advances in our understanding of voltage-gated ion channels through a powerful combination of patch-clamp and molecular biological techniques. These approaches have identified regions (in some cases single amino acid residues) that are essential for voltage-dependent activation and inactivation, lining of the pore, and regulation of channel function.

Animals↗