Interaction between 2 extracellular loops influences the activity of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 390-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven D. Broadbent ◽  
Wuyang Wang ◽  
Paul Linsdell

Activity of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel is thought to be controlled by cytoplasmic factors. However, recent evidence has shown that overall channel activity is also influenced by extracellular anions that interact directly with the extracellular loops (ECLs) of the CFTR protein. Very little is known about the structure of the ECLs or how substances interacting with these ECLs might affect CFTR function. We used patch-clamp recording to investigate the accessibility of cysteine-reactive reagents to cysteines introduced throughout ECL1 and 2 key sites in ECL4. Furthermore, interactions between ECL1 and ECL4 were investigated by the formation of disulfide crosslinks between cysteines introduced into these 2 regions. Crosslinks could be formed between R899C (in ECL4) and a number of sites in ECL1 in a manner that was dependent on channel activity, suggesting that the relative orientation of these 2 loops changes on activation. Formation of these crosslinks inhibited channel function, suggesting that relative movement of these ECLs is important to normal channel function. Implications of these findings for the effects of mutations in the ECLs that are associated with cystic fibrosis and interactions with extracellular substances that influence channel activity are discussed.

2002 ◽  
Vol 277 (51) ◽  
pp. 49952-49957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krisztina Peter ◽  
Karoly Varga ◽  
Zsuzsa Bebok ◽  
Carmel M. McNicholas-Bevensee ◽  
Lisa Schwiebert ◽  
...  

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel that undergoes endocytosis through clathrin-coated pits. Previously, we demonstrated that Y1424A is important for CFTR endocytosis (Prince, L. S., Peter, K., Hatton, S. R., Zaliauskiene, L., Cotlin, L. F., Clancy, J. P., Marchase, R. B., and Collawn, J. F. (1999)J. Biol. Chem.274, 3602–3609). Here we show that a second substitution in the carboxyl-terminal tail of CFTR, I1427A, on Y1424A background more than doubles CFTR surface expression as monitored by surface biotinylation. Internalization assays indicate that enhanced surface expression of Y1424A,I1427A CFTR is caused by a 76% inhibition of endocytosis. Patch clamp recording of chloride channel activity revealed that there was a corresponding increase in chloride channel activity of Y1424A,I1427A CFTR, consistent with the elevated surface expression, and no change in CFTR channel properties. Y14124A showed an intermediate phenotype compared with the double mutation, both in terms of surface expression and chloride channel activity. Metabolic pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that the two mutations did not affect maturation efficiency or protein half-life. Taken together, our data show that there is an internalization signal in the COOH terminus of CFTR that consists of Tyr1424-X-X-Ile1427where both the tyrosine and the isoleucine are essential residues. This signal regulates CFTR surface expression but not CFTR biogenesis, degradation, or chloride channel function.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 923-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verena Ihrig ◽  
Wolfgang M. J. Obermann

Deletion of a single phenylalanine residue at position 508 of the protein CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator), a chloride channel in lung epithelium, is the most common cause for cystic fibrosis. As a consequence, folding of the CFTRΔF508 protein and delivery to the cell surface are compromised, resulting in degradation of the polypeptide. Accordingly, decreased surface presence of CFTRΔF508 causes impaired chloride ion conductivity and is associated with mucus accumulation, a hallmark of cystic fibrosis. Molecular chaperones such as Hsp90 and its co-chaperone partner Aha1 are thought to play a key role in targeting folding-deficient CFTRΔF508 for degradation. Thus, pharmacologic manipulation to inhibit Hsp90-Aha1 chaperone complex formation appears beneficial to inhibit proteolysis of CFTRΔF508 and rescue its residual chloride channel activity. Therefore, we have screened a collection of 14,400 druglike chemical compounds for inhibitors of the Hsp90-Aha1 complex by amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay (Alpha). We identified two druglike molecules that showed promising results when we tested their ability to restore chloride channel activity in culture cells expressing the mutant CFTRΔF508 protein. The two molecules were most effective in combination with the corrector VX-809 and may therefore serve as a lead compound that can be further developed into a drug to treat cystic fibrosis patients.


2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 490-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Linsdell

Chloride permeation through the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- channel is inhibited by a number of different classes of organic anions which are able to enter and block the channel pore from its cytoplasmic end. Here I show, using patch clamp recording from CFTR-transfected baby hamster kidney cell lines, that the cis-unsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid also inhibits CFTR Cl- currents when applied to the cytoplasmic face of excised membrane patches. This inhibition was of a relatively high affinity compared with other known CFTR inhibitors, with an apparent Kd of 6.5 ± 0.9 µM. However, in contrast with known CFTR pore blockers, inhibition by arachidonic acid was only very weakly voltage dependent, and was insensitive to the extracellular Cl- concentration. Arachidonic acid-mediated inhibition of CFTR Cl- currents was not abrogated by inhibitors of lipoxygenases, cyclooxygenases or cytochrome P450, suggesting that arachidonic acid itself, rather than some metabolite, directly affects CFTR. Similar inhibition of CFTR Cl- currents was seen with other fatty acids, with the rank order of potency linoleic [Formula: see text] arachidonic [Formula: see text] oleic > elaidic [Formula: see text] palmitic [Formula: see text] myristic. These results identify fatty acids as novel high affinity modulators of the CFTR Cl- channel.Key words: CFTR, chloride channel, fatty acid, channel block, cystic fibrosis.


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