scholarly journals Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are differentially modulated by anions dependent on their subunit composition

2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (1) ◽  
pp. C89-C101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuyoshi Kusama ◽  
Mamta Gautam ◽  
Anne Marie S. Harding ◽  
Peter M. Snyder ◽  
Christopher J. Benson

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are sodium channels gated by extracellular protons. ASIC1a channels possess intersubunit Cl−-binding sites in the extracellular domain, which are highly conserved between ASIC subunits. We previously found that anions modulate ASIC1a gating via these sites. Here we investigated the effect of anion substitution on native ASICs in rat sensory neurons and heterologously expressed ASIC2a and ASIC3 channels by whole cell patch clamp. Similar to ASIC1a, anions modulated the kinetics of desensitization of other ASIC channels. However, unlike ASIC1a, anions also modulated the pH dependence of activation. Moreover, the order of efficacy of different anions to modulate ASIC2a and -3 was very different from that of ASIC1a. More surprising, mutations of conserved residues that form an intersubunit Cl−-binding site in ASIC1a only partially abrogated the effects of anion modulation of ASIC2a and had no effect on anion modulation of ASIC3. The effects of anions on native ASICs in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons mimicked those in heterologously expressed ASIC1a/3 heteromeric channels. Our data show that anions modulate a variety of ASIC properties and are dependent on the subunit composition, and the mechanism of modulation for ASIC2a and -3 is distinct from that of ASIC1a. We speculate that modulation of ASIC gating by Cl− is a novel mechanism to sense shifts in extracellular fluid composition.

2014 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Ting Liu ◽  
Zu-Wei Qu ◽  
Chun-Yu Qiu ◽  
Fang Qiu ◽  
Cuixia Ren ◽  
...  

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiulin Zhang ◽  
Birgit T Priest ◽  
Inna Belfer ◽  
Michael S Gold

Available evidence indicates voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) in peripheral sensory neurons are essential for the pain and hypersensitivity associated with tissue injury. However, our understanding of the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the channels in sensory neurons is largely based on the study of heterologous systems or rodent tissue, despite evidence that both expression systems and species differences influence these properties. Therefore, we sought to determine the extent to which the biophysical and pharmacological properties of VGSCs were comparable in rat and human sensory neurons. Whole cell patch clamp techniques were used to study Na+ currents in acutely dissociated neurons from human and rat. Our results indicate that while the two major current types, generally referred to as tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive and TTX-resistant were qualitatively similar in neurons from rats and humans, there were several differences that have important implications for drug development as well as our understanding of pain mechanisms.


2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 1093-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua G. Jackson ◽  
Stanley A. Thayer

Ca2+-induced Ca2+-release (CICR) from ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ stores provides a mechanism to amplify and propagate a transient increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). A subset of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture exhibited regenerative CICR when sensitized by caffeine. [Ca2+]i oscillated in the maintained presence of 5 mM caffeine and 25 mM K+. Here, CICR oscillations were used to study the complex interplay between Ca2+ regulatory mechanisms at the cellular level. Oscillations depended on Ca2+ uptake and release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane because cyclopiazonic acid, ryanodine, and removal of extracellular Ca2+ terminated oscillations. Increasing caffeine concentration decreased the threshold for action potential-evoked CICR and increased oscillation frequency. Mitochondria regulated CICR by providing ATP and buffering [Ca2+]i. Treatment with the ATP synthase inhibitor, oligomycin B, decreased oscillation frequency. When ATP concentration was held constant by recording in the whole cell patch-clamp configuration, oligomycin no longer affected oscillation frequency. Aerobically derived ATP modulated CICR by regulating the rate of Ca2+ sequestration by the ER Ca2+ pump. Neither CICR threshold nor Ca2+ clearance by the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump were affected by inhibition of aerobic metabolism. Uncoupling electron transport with carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl-hydrazone or inhibiting mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchange with CGP37157 revealed that mitochondrial buffering of [Ca2+]i slowed oscillation frequency, decreased spike amplitude, and increased spike width. These findings illustrate the interdependence of energy metabolism and Ca2+ signaling that results from the complex interaction between the mitochondrion and the ER in sensory neurons.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas S. McDowell

Background Neuraxial opioids produce analgesia in part by decreasing excitatory neurotransmitter release from primary nociceptive neurons, an effect that may be due to inhibition of presynaptic voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. The purpose of this study was to determine whether opioids decrease Ca2+ currents (I Ca ) in primary nociceptive neurons, identified by their response to the algogenic agent capsaicin. Methods I was recorded from acutely isolated rat dorsal root ganglion neurons using the whole cell patch clamp technique before, during, and after application of the micro -opioid agonist fentanyl (0.01-1 micro m). Capsaicin was applied to each cell at the end of the experiment. Results Fentanyl reduced I Ca in a greater proportion of capsaicin-responsive cells (62 of 106, 58%) than capsaicin-unresponsive cells (2 of 15, 13%; P < 0.05). Among capsaicin-responsive cells, the decrease in I Ca was 38 +/- 3% (n = 36, 1 micro m) in fentanyl-sensitive cells just 7 +/- 1% (n = 15, 1 micro m; P < 0.05) in fentanyl-insensitive cells. Among capsaicin-responsive cells, I Ca inactivated more rapidly in fentanyl-sensitive cells (tau, 52 +/- 4 ms, n = 22) than in fentanyl-insensitive cells (93 +/- 14 ms, n = 24; P < 0.05). This was not due to differences in the types of Ca2+ channels expressed as the magnitudes of omega-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive (N-type), nifedipine-sensitive (L-type), and GVIA/nifedipine-resistant (primarily P-/Q-type) components of I Ca were similar. Conclusions The results show that opioid-sensitive Ca2+ channels are expressed by very few capsaicin-unresponsive neurons but by more than half of capsaicin-responsive neurons. The identity of the remaining capsaicin-responsive (and therefore presumed nociceptive) neurons that express opioid-insensitive Ca2+ channels is unknown but may represent a potential target of future non-opioid-based therapies for acute pain.


1998 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1647-1652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yona Bouskila ◽  
Hugh Bostock

Bouskila, Yona and Hugh Bostock. Modulation of voltage-activated calcium currents by mechanical stimulation in rat sensory neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1647–1652, 1998. We examined the effects of mechanical stress, induced by a stream of bath solution, on evoked action potentials, electrical excitability, and Ca2+ currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture with the use of the whole cell patch-clamp technique. Action-potential duration was altered reversibly by flow in 39% of the 51 neurons tested, but membrane potential and excitability were unaffected. The flow-induced increases and decreases in action-potential duration were consistent with the different effects of flow on two types of Ca2+ channel, determined by voltage-clamp recordings of Ba2+ currents. Current through ω-conotoxin–sensitive (N-type) Ca2+ channels increased by an estimated 74% with flow, corresponding to 23% increase in the total high voltage–activated current, whereas current through low-threshold voltage-activated (T-type) channels decreased by 14%. We conclude that modulation of voltage-activated Ca2+ currents constitutes a route by which mechanical events can regulate Ca2+ influx in sensory neurons.


2008 ◽  
pp. 797-800
Author(s):  
J-A Yan ◽  
L Ge ◽  
W Huang ◽  
B Song ◽  
X-W Chen ◽  
...  

Orexins (orexin A and B) are initially known to be a hypothalamic peptide critical for feeding and normal wakefulness. In addition, emerging evidence from behavioral tests suggests that orexins are also involved in the regulation of nociceptive processing, suggesting a novel potential therapeutic approach for pain treatment. Both spinal and supraspinal mechanisms appear to contribute to the role of orexin in nociception. In the spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are primary afferent neurons that transmit peripheral stimuli to the pain-processing areas. Morphological results show that both orexin A and orexin1 receptor are distributed in DRG neurons. Moreover, by using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and calcium imaging measurements we found that orexin A induced excitability and intracellular calcium concentration elevation in the isolated rat DRG neurons, which was mainly dependent on the activation of spinal orexin-1 receptor. Based on these findings, we propose a hypothesis that the direct effect of orexin A on DRG neurons would represent a possible mechanism for the orexinergic modulation of spinal nociceptive transmission.


Acta Naturae ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. I. Nagaeva ◽  
N. N. Potapieva ◽  
D. B. Tikhonov

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are widely distributed in both the central and peripheral nervous systems of vertebrates. The pharmacology of these receptors remains poorly investigated, while the search for new ASIC modulators is very important. Recently, we found that some monoamines, which are blockers of NMDA receptors, inhibit and/or potentiate acid-sensing ion channels, depending on the subunit composition of the channels. The effect of 9-aminoacridine, IEM-1921, IEM-2117, and memantine both on native receptors and on recombinant ASIC1a, ASIC2a, and ASIC3 homomers was studied. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of these four compounds on homomeric ASIC1b channels. Experiments were performed on recombinant receptors expressed in CHO cells using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Only two compounds, 9-aminoacridine and memantine, inhibited ASIC1b channels. IEM-1921 and IEM-2117 were inactive even at a 1000 M concentration. In most aspects, the effect of the compounds on ASIC1b was similar to their effect on ASIC1a. The distinguishing feature of homomeric ASIC1b channels is a steep activation-dependence, indicating cooperative activation by protons. In our experiments, the curve of the concentration dependence of ASIC1b inhibition by 9-aminoacridine also had a slope (Hill coefficient) of 3.8, unlike ASIC1a homomers, for which the Hill coefficient was close to 1. This finding indicates that the inhibitory effect of 9-aminoacridine is associated with changes in the activation properties of acid-sensing ion channels.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hernández ◽  
Konno ◽  
Salceda ◽  
Vega ◽  
Zaharenko ◽  
...  

In this work, we evaluate the effect of two peptides Sa12b (EDVDHVFLRF) and Sh5b (DVDHVFLRF-NH2) on Acid-Sensing Ion Channels (ASIC). These peptides were purified from the venom of solitary wasps Sphex argentatus argentatus and Isodontia harmandi, respectively. Voltage clamp recordings of ASIC currents were performed in whole cell configuration in primary culture of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from (P7-P10) CII Long-Evans rats. The peptides were applied by preincubation for 25 s (20 s in pH 7.4 solution and 5 s in pH 6.1 solution) or by co-application (5 s in pH 6.1 solution). Sa12b inhibits ASIC current with an IC50 of 81 nM, in a concentration-dependent manner when preincubation application was used. While Sh5b did not show consistent results having both excitatory and inhibitory effects on the maximum ASIC currents, its complex effect suggests that it presents a selective action on some ASIC subunits. Despite the similarity in their sequences, the action of these peptides differs significantly. Sa12b is the first discovered wasp peptide with a significant ASIC inhibitory effect.


2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 2459-2465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinghui Xie ◽  
Margaret P. Price ◽  
John A. Wemmie ◽  
Candice C. Askwith ◽  
Michael J. Welsh

The acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) form cation channels that are transiently activated by extracellular protons. They are expressed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and in the periphery where they play a function in nociception and mechanosensation. Previous studies showed that FMRFamide and related peptides potentiate H+-gated currents. To better understand this potentiation, we examined the effect of FMRFamide-related peptides on DRG neurons from wild-type mice and animals missing individual ASIC subunits. We found that FMRFamide and FRRFamide potentiated H+-gated currents of wild-type DRG in a dose-dependent manner. They increased current amplitude and slowed desensitization following a proton stimulus. Deletion of ASIC3 attenuated the response to FMRFamide-related peptides, whereas the loss of ASIC1 increased the response. The loss of ASIC2 had no effect on FMRFamide-dependent enhancement of H+-gated currents. These data suggest that FMRFamide-related peptides modulate DRG H+-gated currents through an effect on both ASIC1 and ASIC3 and that ASIC3 plays the major role. The recent discovery of RFamide-related peptides (RFRP) in mammals suggested that they might also modulate H+-gated current. We found that RFRP-1 slowed desensitization of H+-gated DRG currents, whereas RFRP-2 increased the peak amplitude. COS-7 cells heterologously expressing ASIC1 or ASIC3 showed similar effects. These results suggest that FMRFamide-related peptides, including the newly identified RFRPs, modulate H+-gated DRG currents through ASIC1 and ASIC3. The presence of several ASIC subunits, the diversity of FMRFamide-related peptides, and the distinct effects on H+-gated currents suggest the possibility of substantial complexity in modulation of current in DRG sensory neurons.


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