scholarly journals Role of S3 and S4 Transmembrane Domain Charged Amino Acids in Channel Biogenesis and Gating of KCa2.3 and KCa3.1

2008 ◽  
Vol 283 (14) ◽  
pp. 9049-9059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajuan Gao ◽  
Cavita K. Chotoo ◽  
Corina M. Balut ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Mark A. Bailey ◽  
...  
2008 ◽  
Vol 132 (6) ◽  
pp. 681-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinghuan Xiao ◽  
Andrew Prussia ◽  
Kuai Yu ◽  
Yuan-yuan Cui ◽  
H. Criss Hartzell

Human bestrophin-1 (hBest1), which is genetically linked to several kinds of retinopathy and macular degeneration in both humans and dogs, is the founding member of a family of Cl− ion channels that are activated by intracellular Ca2+. At present, the structures and mechanisms responsible for Ca2+ sensing remain unknown. Here, we have used a combination of molecular modeling, density functional–binding energy calculations, mutagenesis, and patch clamp to identify the regions of hBest1 involved in Ca2+ sensing. We identified a cluster of a five contiguous acidic amino acids in the C terminus immediately after the last transmembrane domain, followed by an EF hand and another regulatory domain that are essential for Ca2+ sensing by hBest1. The cluster of five amino acids (293–308) is crucial for normal channel gating by Ca2+ because all but two of the 35 mutations we made in this region rendered the channel incapable of being activated by Ca2+. Using homology models built on the crystal structure of calmodulin (CaM), an EF hand (EF1) was identified in hBest1. EF1 was predicted to bind Ca2+ with a slightly higher affinity than the third EF hand of CaM and lower affinity than the second EF hand of troponin C. As predicted by the model, the D312G mutation in the putative Ca2+-binding loop (312–323) reduced the apparent Ca2+ affinity by 20-fold. In addition, the D312G and D323N mutations abolished Ca2+-dependent rundown of the current. Furthermore, analysis of truncation mutants of hBest1 identified a domain adjacent to EF1 that is rich in acidic amino acids (350–390) that is required for Ca2+ activation and plays a role in current rundown. These experiments identify a region of hBest1 (312–323) that is involved in the gating of hBest1 by Ca2+ and suggest a model in which Ca2+ binding to EF1 activates the channel in a process that requires the acidic domain (293–308) and another regulatory domain (350–390). Many of the ∼100 disease-causing mutations in hBest1 are located in this region that we have implicated in Ca2+ sensing, suggesting that these mutations disrupt hBest1 channel gating by Ca2+.


1995 ◽  
Vol 270 (7) ◽  
pp. 3115-3122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazunori Yamada ◽  
Jean-Louis Carpentier ◽  
Bentley Cheatham ◽  
Edison Goncalves ◽  
Steven E. Shoelson ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 369 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Y. LIU ◽  
Teah L. WITT ◽  
Larry H. MATHERLY

The reduced folate carrier (RFC; SLC19A1) is closely related to the thiamine transporter, SLC19A2 (ThTr1). Hydropathy models for these homologous transporters predict up to 12 transmembrane domains (TMDs), with internally oriented N- and C-termini and a large central loop between TMDs 6 and 7. The homologies are localized mostly in the TMDs. However, there is little similarity in their N- and C-terminal domains and the central peptide linkers connecting putative TMDs 1—6 and TMDs 7—12. To explore the functional role of the 61-amino acid central linker in the human RFC (hRFC), we introduced deletions of 49 and 60 amino acids into this region, differing by the presence of a stretch of 11 highly conserved amino acids between the human and rodent RFCs (positions 204—214). An additional hRFC construct was prepared in which only the 11 conserved amino acids were deleted. The resulting hRFCD215—R263Δ, hRFCK204—R263Δ and hRFCK204—R214Δ proteins were transfected into transport-impaired K562 cells. The deletion constructs were all expressed in plasma membranes; however, they were completely inactive for methotrexate and (6S)5-formyl tetrahydrofolate transport. Insertion of non-homologous 73- and 84-amino acid fragments from the structurally analogous ThTr1 linker region into position 204 of hRFCK204—R263Δ restored low levels of transport (16—21% of the wild type). Insertion of the ThTr1 linkers into hRFCD215—R263Δ at position 215 restored 60—80% of wild-type levels of transport. Collectively, our results suggest that the role of the hRFC linker peptide is to provide the proper spatial orientation between the two halves of the hRFC protein for optimal function, and that this is largely independent of amino acid sequence. Our results also demonstrate a critical transport role for the stretch of 11 conserved amino acids starting at position 204 of hRFC.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 5258-5269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subrata Barman ◽  
Lopa Adhikary ◽  
Alok K. Chakrabarti ◽  
Carl Bernas ◽  
Yoshihiro Kawaoka ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA), a type II transmembrane glycoprotein, possesses receptor-destroying activity and thereby facilitates virus release from the cell surface. Among the influenza A viruses, both the cytoplasmic tail (CT) and transmembrane domain (TMD) amino acid sequences of NA are highly conserved, yet their function(s) in virus biology remains unknown. To investigate the role of amino acid sequences of the CT and TMD on the virus life cycle, we systematically mutagenized the entire CT and TMD of NA by converting two to five contiguous amino acids to alanine. In addition, we also made two chimeric NA by replacing the CT proximal one-third amino acids of the NA TMD [NA(1T2N)NA] and the entire NA TMD (NATRNA) with that of human transferrin receptor (TR) (a type II transmembrane glycoprotein). We rescued transfectant mutant viruses by reverse genetics and examined their phenotypes. Our results show that all mutated and chimeric NAs could be rescued into transfectant viruses. Different mutants showed pleiotropic effects on virus growth and replication. Some mutants (NA2A5, NA3A7, and NA4A10) had little effect on virus growth while others (NA3A2, NA5A27, and NA5A31) produced about 50- to 100-fold-less infectious virus and still some others (NA5A14, NA4A19, and NA4A23) exhibited an intermediate phenotype. In general, mutations towards the ectodomain-proximal sequences of TMD progressively caused reduction in NA enzyme activity, affected lipid raft association, and attenuated virus growth. Electron microscopic analysis showed that these mutant viruses remained aggregated and bound to infected cell surfaces and could be released from the infected cells by bacterial NA treatment. Moreover, viruses containing mutations in the extreme N terminus of the CT (NA3A2) as well as chimeric NA containing the TMD replaced partially [NA(1T2N)NA] or fully (NATRNA) with TR TMD caused reduction in virus growth and exhibited the morphological phenotype of elongated particles. These results show that although the sequences of NA CT and TMD per se are not absolutely essential for the virus life cycle, specific amino acid sequences play a critical role in providing structural stability, enzyme activity, and lipid raft association of NA. In addition, aberrant morphogenesis including elongated particle formation of some mutant viruses indicates the involvement of NA in virus morphogenesis and budding.


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