Allosteric modulation of a neuronal K+ channel by 1-alkanols is linked to a key residue in the activation gate

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (4) ◽  
pp. C788-C796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thanawath Harris ◽  
Andrew R. Graber ◽  
Manuel Covarrubias

The selective inhibition of neuronal Shaw2 K+ channels by 1-alkanols is conferred by the internal S4-S5 loop, a region that also contributes to the gating of voltage-gated K+ channels. Here, we applied alanine scanning mutagenesis to examine the contribution of the S5 and S6 segments to the allosteric modulation of Shaw2 K+ channels by 1-alkanols. The internal section of S6 is the main activation gate of K+ channels. While several mutations in S5 and S6 modulated the inhibition of the channels by 1-butanol and others had no effect, a single mutation at a key site in S6 (P410A) converted this inhibition into a dramatic dose-dependent potentiation (∼2-fold at 15 mM and ∼6-fold at 50 mM). P410 is the second proline in the highly conserved PVP motif that may cause a significant α-helix kink. The P410A currents in the presence of 1-butanol also exhibited novel kinetics (faster activation and slow inactivation). Internal application of 15 mM 1-butanol to inside-out patches expressing P410A did not significantly affect the mean unitary currents (∼2 pA at 0 mV) or the mean open time (5-6 ms) but clearly increased the opening frequency and open probability (∼2- to 4-fold). All effects displayed a fast onset and were fully reversible upon washout. The results suggest that the allosteric modulation of the Shaw2 K+ channel by 1-alkanols depends on a critical link between the PVP motif and activation gating. This study establishes the Shaw2 K+ channel as a robust model to investigate the mechanisms of alcohol intoxication and general anesthesia.

1992 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 841-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Markwardt ◽  
G Isenberg

Currents through maxi K+ channels were recorded in inside-out macro-patches. Using a liquid filament switch (Franke, C., H. Hatt, and J. Dudel. 1987. Neurosci, Lett. 77:199-204) the Ca2+ concentration at the tip of the patch electrode ([Ca2+]i) was changed in less than 1 ms. Elevation of [Ca2+]i from less than 10 nM to 3, 6, 20, 50, 320, or 1,000 microM activated several maxi K+ channels in the patch, whereas return to less than 10 nM deactivated them. The time course of Ca(2+)-dependent activation and deactivation was evaluated from the mean of 10-50 sweeps. The mean currents started a approximately 10-ms delay that was attributed to diffusion of Ca2+ from the tip to the K+ channel protein. The activation and deactivation time courses were fitted with the third power of exponential terms. The rate of activation increased with higher [Ca2+]i and with more positive potentials. The rate of deactivation was independent of preceding [Ca2+]i and was reduced at more positive potentials. The rate of deactivation was measured at five temperatures between 16 and 37 degrees C; fitting the results with the Arrhenius equation yielded an energy barrier of 16 kcal/mol for the Ca2+ dissociation at 0 mV. After 200 ms, the time-dependent processes were in a steady state, i.e., there was no sign of inactivation. In the steady state (200 ms), the dependence of channel openness, N.P(o), on [Ca2+]i yielded a Hill coefficient of approximately 3. The apparent dissociation constant, KD, decreased from 13 microM at -50 mV to 0.5 microM at +70 mV. The dependence of N.P(o) on voltage followed a Boltzmann distribution with a maximal P(o) of 0.8 and a slope factor of approximately 39 mV. The results were summarized by a model describing Ca2+- and voltage-dependent activation and deactivation, as well as steady-state open probability by the binding of Ca2+ to three equal and independent sites within the electrical field of the membrane at an electrical distance of 0.31 from the cytoplasmic side.


1998 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatyana T. Ivanova-Nikolova ◽  
Emil N. Nikolov ◽  
Carl Hansen ◽  
Janet D. Robishaw

The membrane-delimited activation of muscarinic K+ channels by G protein βγ subunits plays a prominent role in the inhibitory synaptic transmission in the heart. These channels are thought to be heterotetramers comprised of two homologous subunits, GIRK1 and CIR, both members of the family of inwardly rectifying K+ channels. Here, we demonstrate that muscarinic K+ channels in neonatal rat atrial myocytes exhibit four distinct gating modes. In intact myocytes, after muscarinic receptor activation, the different gating modes were distinguished by differences in both the frequency of channel opening and the mean open time of the channel, which accounted for a 76-fold increase in channel open probability from mode 1 to mode 4. Because of the tetrameric architecture of the channel, the hypothesis that each of the four gating modes reflects binding of a different number of Gβγ subunits to the channel was tested, using recombinant Gβ1γ5. Gβ1γ5 was able to control the equilibrium between the four gating modes of the channel in a manner consistent with binding of Gβγ to four equivalent and independent sites in the protein complex. Surprisingly, however, Gβ1γ5 lacked the ability to stabilize the long open state of the channel that is responsible for the augmentation of the mean open time in modes 3 and 4 after muscarinic receptor stimulation. The modal regulation of muscarinic K+ channel gating by Gβγ provides the atrial cells with at least two major advantages: the ability to filter out small inputs from multiple membrane receptors and yet the ability to create the gradients of information necessary to control the heart rate with great precision.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (4) ◽  
pp. C1107-C1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. S. Walters ◽  
M. Covarrubias ◽  
J. S. Ellingson

We investigated the effects of clinically relevant ethanol concentrations (5–20 mM) on the single-channel kinetics of bovine aortic smooth muscle maxi-K channels reconstituted in lipid bilayers (1:1 palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine: palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine). Ethanol at 10 and 20 mM decreased the channel open probability ( P o) by 75 ± 20.3% mainly by increasing the mean closed time (+82 to +960%, n = 7). In some instances, ethanol also decreased the mean open time (−40.8 ± 22.5%). The P o-voltage relation in the presence of 20 mM ethanol exhibited a rightward shift in the midpoint of voltage activation (Δ V ½ ≅ 17 mV), a slightly steeper relationship (change in slope factor, Δ k, ≅ −2.5 mV), and a decreased maximum P o (from ∼0.82 to ∼0.47). Interestingly, channels inhibited by ethanol at low Ca2+ concentrations (2.5 μM) were very resistant to ethanol in the presence of increased Ca2+ (≥ 20 μM). Alcohol consumption in clinically relevant amounts may alter the contribution of maxi-K channels to the regulation of arterial tone.


2002 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Gotow ◽  
Takako Nishi

Light-dependent K+ channels underlying a hyperpolarizing response of one extraocular (simple) photoreceptor, Ip-2 cell, in the marine mollusc Onchidium ganglion were examined using cell-attached and inside-out patch-clamp techniques. A previous report (Gotow, T., T. Nishi, and H. Kijima. 1994. Brain Res. 662:268–272) showed that a depolarizing response of the other simple photoreceptor, A-P-1 cell, results from closing of the light-dependent K+ channels that are activated by cGMP. In the cell-attached patch recordings of Ip-2 cells, external artificial seawater (ASW) was replaced with a modified ASW containing 150 mM K+ and 200 mM Mg2+ to suppress any synaptic input and to maintain the membrane potential constant. When Ip-2 cells were equilibrated with this modified ASW, the internal K+ concentration was estimated to be 260 mM. Light-dependent single-channels in the cell-attached patch on these cells were opened by light but scarcely by voltage. After confirming the light-dependent channel activity in the cell-attached patches, an application of cGMP to the excised inside-out patches newly activated a channel that disappeared on removal of cGMP. Open and closed time distributions of this cGMP-activated channel could be described by the sum of two exponents with time constants τo1, τo2 and τc1, τc2, respectively, similar to those of the light-dependent channel. In both the channels, τo1 and τo2 in ms ranges were similar to each other, although τc2 over tens of millisecond ranges was different. τo1, τo2, and the mean open time τo were both independent of light intensity, cGMP concentration, and voltage. In both channels, the open probability increased as the membrane was depolarized, without changing any of τo2 or τo. In both, the reversal potentials using 200- and 450-mM K+-filled pipettes were close to the K+ equilibrium potentials, suggesting that both the channels are primarily K+ selective. Both the mean values of the channel conductance were estimated to be the same at 62 and 91 pS in 200- and 450-mM K+ pipettes at nearly 0 mV, respectively. Combining these findings with those in the above former report, it is concluded that cGMP is a second messenger which opens the light-dependent K+ channel of Ip-2 to cause hyperpolarization, and that the channel is the same as that of A-P-1 closed by light.


1991 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 1025-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Laurido ◽  
S Candia ◽  
D Wolff ◽  
R Latorre

The effect of pH on the activation of a Ca-activated K+ [K(Ca)] channel from rat skeletal muscle incorporated into planar lipid bilayers was studied. Experiments were done at different intracellular Ca2+ and proton concentrations. Changes in pH modified channel kinetics only from the Ca-sensitive face of the channel. At constant Ca2+ concentration, intracellular acidification induced a decrease in the open probability (Po) and a shift of the channel activation curves toward the right along the voltage axis. The displacement was 23.5 mV per pH unit. This displacement was due to a change in the half saturation voltage (Vo) and not to a change in channel voltage dependence. The shifts in Vo induced by protons appeared to be independent of Ca2+ concentration. The slope of the Hill plot of the open-closed equilibrium vs. pH was close to one, suggesting that a minimum of one proton is involved in the proton-driven channel closing reaction. The change in Po with variations in pH was due to both a decrease in the mean open time (To) and an increase in the mean closed time (Tc). At constant voltage, the mean open time of the channel was a linear function of [Ca2+] and the mean closed time was a linear function of 1/[Ca2+]2. Changes in the internal pH modified the slope, but not the intercept of the linear relations To vs. [Ca2+] and Tc vs. 1/[Ca2+]2. On the basis of these results an economical kinetic model of the effect of pH on this channel is proposed. It is concluded that protons do not affect the open-closed reaction, but rather weaken Ca2+ binding to all the conformational states of the channel. Moreover, competitive models in which Ca2+ and H+ cannot bind to the same open or closed state are inconsistent with the data.


1999 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Fan ◽  
Jonathan C. Makielski

Anionic phospholipids modulate the activity of inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Fan, Z., and J.C. Makielski. 1997. J. Biol. Chem. 272:5388–5395). The effect of phosphoinositides on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) inhibition of ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) currents was investigated using the inside-out patch clamp technique in cardiac myocytes and in COS-1 cells in which the cardiac isoform of the sulfonylurea receptor, SUR2, was coexpressed with the inwardly rectifying channel Kir6.2. Phosphoinositides (1 mg/ml) increased the open probability of KATP in low [ATP] (1 μM) within 30 s. Phosphoinositides desensitized ATP inhibition with a longer onset period (>3 min), activating channels inhibited by ATP (1 mM). Phosphoinositides treatment for 10 min shifted the half-inhibitory [ATP] (Ki) from 35 μM to 16 mM. At the single-channel level, increased [ATP] caused a shorter mean open time and a longer mean closed time. Phosphoinositides prolonged the mean open time, shortened the mean closed time, and weakened the [ATP] dependence of these parameters resulting in a higher open probability at any given [ATP]. The apparent rate constants for ATP binding were estimated to be 0.8 and 0.02 mM−1 ms−1 before and after 5-min treatment with phosphoinositides, which corresponds to a Ki of 35 μM and 5.8 mM, respectively. Phosphoinositides failed to desensitize adenosine inhibition of KATP. In the presence of SUR2, phosphoinositides attenuated MgATP antagonism of ATP inhibition. Kir6.2ΔC35, a truncated Kir6.2 that functions without SUR2, also exhibited phosphoinositide desensitization of ATP inhibition. These data suggest that (a) phosphoinositides strongly compete with ATP at a binding site residing on Kir6.2; (b) electrostatic interaction is a characteristic property of this competition; and (c) in conjunction with SUR2, phosphoinositides render additional, complex effects on ATP inhibition. We propose a model of the ATP binding site involving positively charged residues on the COOH-terminus of Kir6.2, with which phosphoinositides interact to desensitize ATP inhibition.


2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (5) ◽  
pp. C460-C470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiril L. Hristov ◽  
Amy C. Smith ◽  
Shankar P. Parajuli ◽  
John Malysz ◽  
Georgi V. Petkov

Large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels are critical regulators of detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) excitability and contractility. PKC modulates the contraction of DSM and BK channel activity in non-DSM cells; however, the cellular mechanism regulating the PKC-BK channel interaction in DSM remains unknown. We provide a novel mechanistic insight into BK channel regulation by PKC in DSM. We used patch-clamp electrophysiology, live-cell Ca2+ imaging, and functional studies of DSM contractility to elucidate BK channel regulation by PKC at cellular and tissue levels. Voltage-clamp experiments showed that pharmacological activation of PKC with PMA inhibited the spontaneous transient BK currents in native freshly isolated guinea pig DSM cells. Current-clamp recordings revealed that PMA significantly depolarized DSM membrane potential and inhibited the spontaneous transient hyperpolarizations in DSM cells. The PMA inhibitory effects on DSM membrane potential were completely abolished by the selective BK channel inhibitor paxilline. Activation of PKC with PMA did not affect the amplitude of the voltage-step-induced whole cell steady-state BK current or the single BK channel open probability (recorded in cell-attached mode) upon inhibition of all major Ca2+ sources for BK channel activation with thapsigargin, ryanodine, and nifedipine. PKC activation with PMA elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels in DSM cells and increased spontaneous phasic and nerve-evoked contractions of DSM isolated strips. Our results support the concept that PKC activation leads to a reduction of BK channel activity in DSM via a Ca2+-dependent mechanism, thus increasing DSM contractility.


2006 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Thompson ◽  
Ted Begenisich

The complexity of mammalian physiology requires a diverse array of ion channel proteins. This diversity extends even to a single family of channels. For example, the family of Ca2+-activated K channels contains three structural subfamilies characterized by small, intermediate, and large single channel conductances. Many cells and tissues, including neurons, vascular smooth muscle, endothelial cells, macrophages, and salivary glands express more than a single class of these channels, raising questions about their specific physiological roles. We demonstrate here a novel interaction between two types of Ca2+-activated K channels: maxi-K channels, encoded by the KCa1.1 gene, and IK1 channels (KCa3.1). In both native parotid acinar cells and in a heterologous expression system, activation of IK1 channels inhibits maxi-K activity. This interaction was independent of the mode of activation of the IK1 channels: direct application of Ca2+, muscarinic receptor stimulation, or by direct chemical activation of the IK1 channels. The IK1-induced inhibition of maxi-K activity occurred in small, cell-free membrane patches and was due to a reduction in the maxi-K channel open probability and not to a change in the single channel current level. These data suggest that IK1 channels inhibit maxi-K channel activity via a direct, membrane-delimited interaction between the channel proteins. A quantitative analysis indicates that each maxi-K channel may be surrounded by four IK1 channels and will be inhibited if any one of these IK1 channels opens. This novel, regulated inhibition of maxi-K channels by activation of IK1 adds to the complexity of the properties of these Ca2+-activated K channels and likely contributes to the diversity of their functional roles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 2175
Author(s):  
Adonis Z. Wu ◽  
Tzu-Lun Ohn ◽  
Ren-Jay Shei ◽  
Huei-Fang Wu ◽  
Yong-Cyuan Chen ◽  
...  

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), is a signaling sphingolipid which acts as a bioactive lipid mediator. We assessed whether S1P had multiplex effects in regulating the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel (BKCa) in catecholamine-secreting chromaffin cells. Using multiple patch-clamp modes, Ca2+ imaging, and computational modeling, we evaluated the effects of S1P on the Ca2+-activated K+ currents (IK(Ca)) in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells and in a pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12). In outside-out patches, the open probability of BKCa channel was reduced with a mean-closed time increment, but without a conductance change in response to a low-concentration S1P (1 µM). The intracellular Ca2+ concentration (Cai) was elevated in response to a high-dose (10 µM) but not low-dose of S1P. The single-channel activity of BKCa was also enhanced by S1P (10 µM) in the cell-attached recording of chromaffin cells. In the whole-cell voltage-clamp, a low-dose S1P (1 µM) suppressed IK(Ca), whereas a high-dose S1P (10 µM) produced a biphasic response in the amplitude of IK(Ca), i.e., an initial decrease followed by a sustained increase. The S1P-induced IK(Ca) enhancement was abolished by BAPTA. Current-clamp studies showed that S1P (1 µM) increased the action potential (AP) firing. Simulation data revealed that the decreased BKCa conductance leads to increased AP firings in a modeling chromaffin cell. Over a similar dosage range, S1P (1 µM) inhibited IK(Ca) and the permissive role of S1P on the BKCa activity was also effectively observed in the PC12 cell system. The S1P-mediated IK(Ca) stimulation may result from the elevated Cai, whereas the inhibition of BKCa activity by S1P appears to be direct. By the differentiated tailoring BKCa channel function, S1P can modulate stimulus-secretion coupling in chromaffin cells.


1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (2) ◽  
pp. C389-C401 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Chepilko ◽  
H. Zhou ◽  
H. Sackin ◽  
L. G. Palmer

The renal K+ channel (ROMK2) was expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and the patch-clamp technique was used to assess its conducting and gating properties. In cell-attached patches with 110 mM K+ in the bath and pipette, the reversal potential was near zero and the inward conductance (36 pS) was larger than the outward conductance (17 pS). In excised inside-out patches the channels showed rectification in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+ on the cytoplasmic side but not in Mg(2+)-free solution. Inward currents were also observed when K+ was replaced in the pipette by Rb+, NH4+, or thallium (Tl+). The reversal potentials under these conditions yielded a selectivity sequence of Tl+ > K+ > Rb+ > NH4+. On the other hand, the slope conductances for inward current gave a selectivity sequence of K+ = NH4+ > Tl+ > Rb+. The differences in the two sequences can be explained by the presence of cation binding sites within the channel, which interact with Rb+ and Tl+ more strongly and with NH4+ less strongly than with K+. Two other ions, Ba2+ and Cs+, blocked the channel from the outside. The effect of Ba2+ (1 mM) was to reduce the open probability of the channels, whereas Cs+ (10 mM) reduced the apparent single-channel current. The effects of both blockers are enhanced by membrane hyperpolarization. The kinetics of the channel were also studied in cell-attached patches. With K+ in the pipette the distribution of open times could be described by a single exponential (tau 0 = 25 ms), whereas two exponentials (tau 1 = 1 ms, tau 2 = 30 ms) were required to describe the closed-time distribution. Hyperpolarization of the oocyte membrane decreased the open probability and tau 0, and increased tau 1, tau 2, and the number of long closures. The presence of Tl+ in the pipette significantly altered the kinetics, reducing tau 0 and eliminating the long-lived closures. These results suggest that the gating of the channel may depend on the nature of the ion in the pore.


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