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Sodium channel beta4, a new disulfide-linked auxiliary subunit with similarity to beta2.

ABSTRACT: The principal alpha subunit of voltage-gated sodium channels is associated with auxiliary beta subunits that modify channel function and mediate protein-protein interactions. We have identified a new beta subunit termed beta4. Like the beta1-beta3 subunits, beta4 contains a cleaved signal sequence, an extracellular Ig-like fold, a transmembrane segment, and a short intracellular C-terminal tail. Using TaqMan reverse transcription-PCR analysis, in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry, we show that beta4 is widely distributed in neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and some sensory neurons.beta4 is most similar to the beta2 subunit (35% identity), and, like the beta2 subunit, the Ig-like fold of beta4 contains an unpaired cysteine that may interact with the alpha subunit. Under nonreducing conditions, beta4 has a molecular mass exceeding 250 kDa because of its covalent linkage to Nav1.2a, whereas on reduction, it migrates with a molecular mass of 38 kDa, similar to the mature glycosylated forms of the other beta subunits. Coexpression of beta4 with brain Nav1.2a and skeletal muscle Nav1.4 alpha subunits in tsA-201 cells resulted in a negative shift in the voltage dependence of channel activation, which overrode the opposite effects of beta1 and beta3 subunits when they were present. This novel, disulfide-linked beta subunit is likely to affect both protein-protein interactions and physiological function of multiple sodium channel alpha subunits.

SUBMITTER: Yu FH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6740763 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sodium channel beta4, a new disulfide-linked auxiliary subunit with similarity to beta2.

Yu Frank H FH Westenbroek Ruth E RE Silos-Santiago Inmaculada I McCormick Kimberly A KA Lawson Deborah D Ge Pei P Ferriera Holly H Lilly Jeremiah J DiStefano Peter S PS Catterall William A WA Scheuer Todd T Curtis Rory R

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 20030801 20

The principal alpha subunit of voltage-gated sodium channels is associated with auxiliary beta subunits that modify channel function and mediate protein-protein interactions. We have identified a new beta subunit termed beta4. Like the beta1-beta3 subunits, beta4 contains a cleaved signal sequence, an extracellular Ig-like fold, a transmembrane segment, and a short intracellular C-terminal tail. Using TaqMan reverse transcription-PCR analysis, in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry, we s ...[more]

PMID: 12930796

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Project description:P/Q-type channels are the principal presynaptic calcium channels in brain functioning in neurotransmitter release. They are composed of the pore-forming CaV2.1 ?1 subunit and the auxiliary ?2?-2 and ?4 subunits. ?4 is encoded by CACNB4, and its multiple splice variants serve isoform-specific functions as channel subunits and transcriptional regulators in the nucleus. In two siblings with intellectual disability, psychomotor retardation, blindness, epilepsy, movement disorder and cerebellar atrophy we identified rare homozygous variants in the genes LTBP1, EMILIN1, CACNB4, MINAR1, DHX38 and MYO15 by whole-exome sequencing. In silico tools, animal model, clinical, and genetic data suggest the p.(Leu126Pro) CACNB4 variant to be likely pathogenic. To investigate the functional consequences of the CACNB4 variant, we introduced the corresponding mutation L125P into rat ?4b cDNA. Heterologously expressed wild-type ?4b associated with GFP-CaV1.2 and accumulated in presynaptic boutons of cultured hippocampal neurons. In contrast, the ?4b-L125P mutant failed to incorporate into calcium channel complexes and to cluster presynaptically. When co-expressed with CaV2.1 in tsA201 cells, ?4b and ?4b-L125P augmented the calcium current amplitudes, however, ?4b-L125P failed to stably complex with ?1 subunits. These results indicate that p.Leu125Pro disrupts the stable association of ?4b with native calcium channel complexes, whereas membrane incorporation, modulation of current density and activation properties of heterologously expressed channels remained intact. Wildtype ?4b was specifically targeted to the nuclei of quiescent excitatory cells. Importantly, the p.Leu125Pro mutation abolished nuclear targeting of ?4b in cultured myotubes and hippocampal neurons. While binding of ?4b to the known interaction partner PPP2R5D (B56?) was not affected by the mutation, complex formation between ?4b-L125P and the neuronal TRAF2 and NCK interacting kinase (TNIK) seemed to be disturbed. In summary, our data suggest that the homozygous CACNB4 p.(Leu126Pro) variant underlies the severe neurological phenotype in the two siblings, most likely by impairing both channel and non-channel functions of ?4b.

Project description:BackgroundCardiomyocyte contraction is initiated by influx of extracellular calcium through voltage-gated calcium channels. These oligomeric channels utilize auxiliary beta subunits to chaperone the pore-forming alpha subunit to the plasma membrane, and to modulate channel electrophysiology 1. Several beta subunit family members are detected by RT-PCR in the embryonic heart. Null mutations in mouse beta2, but not in the other three beta family members, are embryonic lethal at E10.5 due to defects in cardiac contractility 2. However, a drawback of the mouse model is that embryonic heart rhythm is difficult to study in live embryos due to their intra-uterine development. Moreover, phenotypes may be obscured by secondary effects of hypoxia. As a first step towards developing a model for contributions of beta subunits to the onset of embryonic heart rhythm, we characterized the structure and expression of beta2 subunits in zebrafish and other teleosts.ResultsCloning of two zebrafish beta2 subunit genes (beta2.1 and beta2.2) indicated they are membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK)-family genes. Zebrafish beta2 genes show high conservation with mammals within the SH3 and guanylate kinase domains that comprise the "core" of MAGUK proteins, but beta2.2 is much more divergent in sequence than beta2.1. Alternative splicing occurs at the N-terminus and within the internal HOOK domain. In both beta2 genes, alternative short ATG-containing first exons are separated by some of the largest introns in the genome, suggesting that individual transcript variants could be subject to independent cis-regulatory control. In the Tetraodon nigrovidis and Fugu rubripes genomes, we identified single beta2 subunit gene loci. Comparative analysis of the teleost and human beta2 loci indicates that the short 5' exon sequences are highly conserved. A subset of 5' exons appear to be unique to teleost genomes, while others are shared with mammals. Alternative splicing is temporally and spatially regulated in embryo and adult. Moreover, a different subset of spliced beta2 transcript variants is detected in the embryonic heart compared to the adult.ConclusionThese studies refine our understanding of beta2 subunit diversity arising from alternative splicing, and provide the groundwork for functional analysis of beta2 subunit diversity in the embryonic heart.

Dataset Information

Sodium channel beta4, a new disulfide-linked auxiliary subunit with similarity to beta2.

Publications

Sodium channel beta4, a new disulfide-linked auxiliary subunit with similarity to beta2.

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