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Direct neurotransmitter activation of voltage-gated potassium channels.

ABSTRACT: Voltage-gated potassium channels KCNQ2-5 generate the M-current, which controls neuronal excitability. KCNQ2-5 subunits each harbor a high-affinity anticonvulsant drug-binding pocket containing an essential tryptophan (W265 in human KCNQ3) conserved for >500 million years, yet lacking a known physiological function. Here, phylogenetic analysis, electrostatic potential mapping, in silico docking, electrophysiology, and radioligand binding assays reveal that the anticonvulsant binding pocket evolved to accommodate endogenous neurotransmitters including ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which directly activates KCNQ5 and KCNQ3 via W265. GABA, and endogenous metabolites ?-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) and ?-amino-?-hydroxybutyric acid (GABOB), competitively and differentially shift the voltage dependence of KCNQ3 activation. Our results uncover a novel paradigm: direct neurotransmitter activation of voltage-gated ion channels, enabling chemosensing of the neurotransmitter/metabolite landscape to regulate channel activity and cellular excitability.

SUBMITTER: Manville RW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5945843 | biostudies-other | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Direct neurotransmitter activation of voltage-gated potassium channels.

Manville Rían W RW Papanikolaou Maria M Abbott Geoffrey W GW

Nature communications 20180510 1

Voltage-gated potassium channels KCNQ2-5 generate the M-current, which controls neuronal excitability. KCNQ2-5 subunits each harbor a high-affinity anticonvulsant drug-binding pocket containing an essential tryptophan (W265 in human KCNQ3) conserved for >500 million years, yet lacking a known physiological function. Here, phylogenetic analysis, electrostatic potential mapping, in silico docking, electrophysiology, and radioligand binding assays reveal that the anticonvulsant binding pocket evolv ...[more]

PMID: 29748663

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Project description:Voltage-gated ion channels play a central role in the generation of action potentials in the nervous system. They are selective for one type of ion - sodium, calcium, or potassium. Voltage-gated ion channels are composed of a central pore that allows ions to pass through the membrane and four peripheral voltage sensing domains that respond to changes in the membrane potential. Upon depolarization, voltage sensors in voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) undergo conformational changes driven by positive charges in the S4 segment and aided by pairwise electrostatic interactions with the surrounding voltage sensor. Structure-function relations of Kv channels have been investigated in detail, and the resulting models on the movement of the voltage sensors now converge to a consensus; the S4 segment undergoes a combined movement of rotation, tilt, and vertical displacement in order to bring 3-4e(+) each through the electric field focused in this region. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which the voltage sensor movement leads to pore opening, the electromechanical coupling, is still not fully understood. Thus, recently, electromechanical coupling in different Kv channels has been investigated with a multitude of techniques including electrophysiology, 3D crystal structures, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. Evidently, the S4-S5 linker, the covalent link between the voltage sensor and pore, plays a crucial role. The linker transfers the energy from the voltage sensor movement to the pore domain via an interaction with the S6 C-termini, which are pulled open during gating. In addition, other contact regions have been proposed. This review aims to provide (i) an in-depth comparison of the molecular mechanisms of electromechanical coupling in different Kv channels; (ii) insight as to how the voltage sensor and pore domain influence one another; and (iii) theoretical predictions on the movement of the cytosolic face of the Kv channels during gating.

Project description:Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P(2)) regulates activities of numerous ion channels including inwardly rectifying potassium (K(ir)) channels, KCNQ, TRP, and voltage-gated calcium channels. Several studies suggest that voltage-gated potassium (K(V)) channels might be regulated by PI(4,5)P(2). Wide expression of K(V) channels in different cells suggests that such regulation could have broad physiological consequences. To study regulation of K(V) channels by PI(4,5)P(2), we have coexpressed several of them in tsA-201 cells with a G protein-coupled receptor (M(1)R), a voltage-sensitive lipid 5-phosphatase (Dr-VSP), or an engineered fusion protein carrying both lipid 4-phosphatase and 5-phosphatase activity (pseudojanin). These tools deplete PI(4,5)P(2) with application of muscarinic agonists, depolarization, or rapamycin, respectively. PI(4,5)P(2) at the plasma membrane was monitored by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from PH probes of PLCδ1 simultaneously with whole-cell recordings. Activation of Dr-VSP or recruitment of pseudojanin inhibited K(V)7.1, K(V)7.2/7.3, and K(ir)2.1 channel current by 90-95%. Activation of M(1)R inhibited K(V)7.2/7.3 current similarly. With these tools, we tested for potential PI(4,5)P(2) regulation of activity of K(V)1.1/K(V)β1.1, K(V)1.3, K(V)1.4, and K(V)1.5/K(V)β1.3, K(V)2.1, K(V)3.4, K(V)4.2, K(V)4.3 (with different KChIPs and DPP6-s), and hERG/KCNE2. Interestingly, we found a substantial removal of inactivation for K(V)1.1/K(V)β1.1 and K(V)3.4, resulting in up-regulation of current density upon activation of M(1)R but no changes in activity upon activating only VSP or pseudojanin. The other channels tested except possibly hERG showed no alteration in activity in any of the assays we used. In conclusion, a depletion of PI(4,5)P(2) at the plasma membrane by enzymes does not seem to influence activity of most tested K(V) channels, whereas it does strongly inhibit members of the K(V)7 and K(ir) families.

Project description:BackgroundStudies of the structure-function relationship in proteins for which no 3D structure is available are often based on inspection of multiple sequence alignments. Many functionally important residues of proteins can be identified because they are conserved during evolution. However, residues that vary can also be critically important if their variation is responsible for diversity of protein function and improved phenotypes. If too few sequences are studied, the support for hypotheses on the role of a given residue will be weak, but analysis of large multiple alignments is too complex for simple inspection. When a large body of sequence and functional data are available for a protein family, mature data mining tools, such as machine learning, can be applied to extract information more easily, sensitively and reliably. We have undertaken such an analysis of voltage-gated potassium channels, a transmembrane protein family whose members play indispensable roles in electrically excitable cells.ResultsWe applied different learning algorithms, combined in various implementations, to obtain a model that predicts the half activation voltage of a voltage-gated potassium channel based on its amino acid sequence. The best result was obtained with a k-nearest neighbor classifier combined with a wrapper algorithm for feature selection, producing a mean absolute error of prediction of 7.0 mV. The predictor was validated by permutation test and evaluation of independent experimental data. Feature selection identified a number of residues that are predicted to be involved in the voltage sensitive conformation changes; these residues are good target candidates for mutagenesis analysis.ConclusionMachine learning analysis can identify new testable hypotheses about the structure/function relationship in the voltage-gated potassium channel family. This approach should be applicable to any protein family if the number of training examples and the sequence diversity of the training set that are necessary for robust prediction are empirically validated. The predictor and datasets can be found at the VKCDB web site.

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Direct neurotransmitter activation of voltage-gated potassium channels.

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Direct neurotransmitter activation of voltage-gated potassium channels.

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