scholarly journals Synergistic Activation of G Protein–Gated Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channels by the βγ Subunits of G Proteins and Na+ and Mg2+ Ions

1999 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 673-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérôme Petit-Jacques ◽  
Jin Liang Sui ◽  
Diomedes E. Logothetis

Native and recombinant G protein–gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels are directly activated by the βγ subunits of GTP-binding (G) proteins. The presence of phosphatidylinositol-bis-phosphate (PIP2) is required for G protein activation. Formation (via hydrolysis of ATP) of endogenous PIP2 or application of exogenous PIP2 increases the mean open time of GIRK channels and sensitizes them to gating by internal Na+ ions. In the present study, we show that the activity of ATP- or PIP2-modified channels could also be stimulated by intracellular Mg2+ ions. In addition, Mg2+ ions reduced the single-channel conductance of GIRK channels, independently of their gating ability. Both Na+ and Mg2+ ions exert their gating effects independently of each other or of the activation by the Gβγ subunits. At high levels of PIP2, synergistic interactions among Na+, Mg2+, and Gβγ subunits resulted in severalfold stimulated levels of channel activity. Changes in ionic concentrations and/or G protein subunits in the local environment of these K+ channels could provide a rapid amplification mechanism for generation of graded activity, thereby adjusting the level of excitability of the cells.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Shan Chen ◽  
Jodene Eldstrom ◽  
David Fedida ◽  
Yoshihiro Kubo

G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK; Kir3.x) channels play important physiological roles in various organs. Some of the disease-associated mutations of GIRK channels are known to induce loss of K+ selectivity but their structural changes remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the abnormal ion selectivity of inherited GIRK mutants. By the two-electrode voltage-clamp analysis of GIRK mutants heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes, we observed that Kir3.2 G156S permeates Li+ better than Rb+, while T154del or L173R of Kir3.2 and T158A of Kir3.4 permeate Rb+ better than Li+, suggesting a unique conformational change in the G156S mutant. Applications of blockers of the selectivity filter (SF) pathway, Ba2+ or Tertiapin-Q (TPN-Q), remarkably increased the Li+-selectivity of Kir3.2 G156S but did not alter those of the other mutants. In single-channel recordings of Kir3.2 G156S expressed in mouse fibroblasts, two types of events were observed, one attributable to a TPN-Q sensitive K+ current and the second a TPN-Q resistant Li+ current. The results show that a novel Li+ permeable and blocker-resistant pathway exists in G156S in addition to the SF pathway. Mutations in the pore helix (PH), S148F and T151A, also induced high Li+ permeation. Our results demonstrate that the mechanism underlying the loss of K+ selectivity of Kir3.2 G156S involves formation of a novel ion permeation pathway besides the SF pathway, which allows permeation of various species of cations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pál Gyombolai ◽  
András D Tóth ◽  
Dániel Tímár ◽  
Gábor Turu ◽  
László Hunyady

The role of the highly conserved ‘DRY’ motif in the signaling of the CB1cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) was investigated by inducing single-, double-, and triple-alanine mutations into this site of the receptor. We found that the CB1R-R3.50A mutant displays a partial decrease in its ability to activate heterotrimeric Goproteins (∼80% of WT CB1R (CB1R-WT)). Moreover, this mutant showed an enhanced basal β-arrestin2 (β-arr2) recruitment. More strikingly, the double-mutant CB1R-D3.49A/R3.50A was biased toward β-arrs, as it gained a robustly increased β-arr1 and β-arr2 recruitment ability compared with the WT receptor, while its G-protein activation was decreased. In contrast, the double-mutant CB1R-R3.50A/Y3.51A proved to be G-protein-biased, as it was practically unable to recruit β-arrs in response to agonist stimulus, while still activating G-proteins, although at a reduced level (∼70% of CB1R-WT). Agonist-induced ERK1/2 activation of the CB1R mutants showed a good correlation with their β-arr recruitment ability but not with their G-protein activation or inhibition of cAMP accumulation. Our results suggest that G-protein activation and β-arr binding of the CB1R are mediated by distinct receptor conformations, and the conserved ‘DRY’ motif plays different roles in the stabilization of these conformations, thus mediating both G-protein- and β-arr-mediated functions of CB1R.


Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-654
Author(s):  
X. Shi ◽  
S. Amindari ◽  
K. Paruchuru ◽  
D. Skalla ◽  
H. Burkin ◽  
...  

ZP3 is a protein in the mammalian egg coat (zona pellucida) that binds sperm and stimulates acrosomal exocytosis, enabling sperm to penetrate the zona pellucida. The nature of the ZP3 receptor/s on sperm is a matter of considerable debate, but most evidence suggests that ZP3 binds to beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase-I (GalTase) on the sperm surface. It has been suggested that ZP3 induces the acrosome reaction by crosslinking GalTase, activating a heterotrimeric G protein. In this regard, acrosomal exocytosis is sensitive to pertussis toxin and the GalTase cytoplasmic domain can precipitate G(i) from sperm lysates. Sperm from mice that overexpress GalTase bind more soluble ZP3 and show accelerated G protein activation, whereas sperm from mice with a targeted deletion in GalTase have markedly less ability to bind soluble ZP3, undergo the ZP3-induced acrosome reaction, and penetrate the zona pellucida. We have examined the ability of GalTase to function as a ZP3 receptor and to activate heterotrimeric G proteins using Xenopus laevis oocytes as a heterologous expression system. Oocytes that express GalTase bound ZP3 but did not bind other zona pellucida glycoproteins. After oocyte maturation, ZP3 or GalTase antibodies were able to trigger cortical granule exocytosis and activation of GalTase-expressing eggs. Pertussis toxin inhibited GalTase-induced egg activation. Consistent with G protein activation, both ZP3 and anti-GalTase antibodies increased GTP-gamma[(35)S] binding as well as GTPase activity in membranes from eggs expressing GalTase. Finally, mutagenesis of a putative G protein activation motif within the GalTase cytoplasmic domain eliminated G protein activation in response to ZP3 or anti-GalTase antibodies. These results demonstrate directly that GalTase functions as a ZP3 receptor and following aggregation, is capable of activating pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins leading to exocytosis.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (2) ◽  
pp. C533-C536 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Davis ◽  
E. M. Hogan ◽  
W. F. Boron

Many cells respond to shrinkage by stimulating specific ion transport processes (e.g., Na-H exchange). However, it is not known how the cell senses this volume change, nor how this signal is transduced to an ion transporter. We have studied the activation of Na-H exchange in internally dialyzed barnacle muscle fibers, measuring intracellular pH (pHi) with glass microelectrodes. When cells are dialyzed to a pHi of approximately 7.2, Na-H exchange is active only in shrunken cells. We found that the shrinkage-induced stimulation of Na-H exchange, elicited by increasing medium osmolality from 975 to 1,600 mosmol/kgH2O, is inhibited approximately 72% by including in the dialysis fluid 1 mM guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate). The latter is an antagonist of G protein activation. Even in unshrunken cells, Na-H exchange is activated by dialyzing the cell with 1 mM guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), which causes the prolonged activation of G proteins. Activation of Na-H exchange is also elicited in unshrunken cells by injecting cholera toxin, which activates certain G proteins. Neither exposing cells to 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate nor dialyzing them with a solution containing 20 microM adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) (or 50 microM dibutyryl cAMP) plus 0.5 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine substantially stimulates the exchanger. Thus our data suggest that a G protein plays a key role in the transduction of the shrinkage signal to the Na-H exchanger via a pathway that involves neither protein kinase C nor cAMP.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (33) ◽  
pp. 16394-16403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Kalogriopoulos ◽  
Steven D. Rees ◽  
Tony Ngo ◽  
Noah J. Kopcho ◽  
Andrey V. Ilatovskiy ◽  
...  

Heterotrimeric G proteins are key molecular switches that control cell behavior. The canonical activation of G proteins by agonist-occupied G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has recently been elucidated from the structural perspective. In contrast, the structural basis for GPCR-independent G protein activation by a novel family of guanine-nucleotide exchange modulators (GEMs) remains unknown. Here, we present a 2.0-Å crystal structure of Gαi in complex with the GEM motif of GIV/Girdin. Nucleotide exchange assays, molecular dynamics simulations, and hydrogen–deuterium exchange experiments demonstrate that GEM binding to the conformational switch II causes structural changes that allosterically propagate to the hydrophobic core of the Gαi GTPase domain. Rearrangement of the hydrophobic core appears to be a common mechanism by which GPCRs and GEMs activate G proteins, although with different efficiency. Atomic-level insights presented here will aid structure-based efforts to selectively target the noncanonical G protein activation.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (1) ◽  
pp. F129-F135 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Arthur ◽  
G. P. Collinsworth ◽  
T. W. Gettys ◽  
L. D. Quarles ◽  
J. R. Raymond

Extracellular cations such as Ca2+ stimulate a G protein-coupled, cation-sensing receptor (CaR). We used microphysiometry to determine whether an extracellular cation-sensing mechanism exists in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. The CaR agonists Ca2+ and Gd3+ caused cellular activation in a concentration-dependent manner. mRNA for the CaR was identified by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using nested CaR-specific primers, identification of an appropriately located restriction site, and sequencing of the subcloned fragment obtained by PCR. G protein activation was evaluated using the GTP photoaffinity label [alpha-32P]GTP azidoanalide (AA-GTP). After stimulation with Gd3+ and cross-linking, plasma membranes were solubilized and immunoprecipitated with antisera specific for Gq/11 alpha and Gi alpha family members. Gd3+ increased incorporation of AA-GTP into Gq/11 alpha precipitates by 146 +/- 48% and into G alpha i-2 and G alpha i-3 to a lesser extent but not into G alpha i-1. Direct effects of Gd3+ on the G proteins were ruled out using partially purified mammalian G proteins expressed in Escherichia coli or Sf9 cells. We conclude that MDCK cells possess a cell-surface CaR that activates Gq/11 alpha, G alpha i-2, and G alpha i-3 but not G alpha i-1.


1995 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
C A Doupnik ◽  
N F Lim ◽  
P Kofuji ◽  
N Davidson ◽  
H A Lester

The voltage-, time-, and K(+)-dependent properties of a G protein-activated inwardly rectifying K+ channel (GIRK1/KGA/Kir3.1) cloned from rat atrium were studied in Xenopus oocytes under two-electrode voltage clamp. During maintained G protein activation and in the presence of high external K+ (VK = 0 mV), voltage jumps from VK to negative membrane potentials activated inward GIRK1 K+ currents with three distinct time-resolved current components. GIRK1 current activation consisted of an instantaneous component that was followed by two components with time constants tau f approximately 50 ms and tau s approximately 400 ms. These activation time constants were weakly voltage dependent, increasing approximately twofold with maximal hyperpolarization from VK. Voltage-dependent GIRK1 availability, revealed by tail currents at -80 mV after long prepulses, was greatest at potentials negative to VK and declined to a plateau of approximately half the maximal level at positive voltages. Voltage-dependent GIRK1 availability shifted with VK and was half maximal at VK -20 mV; the equivalent gating charge was approximately 1.6 e-. The voltage-dependent gating parameters of GIRK1 did not significantly differ for G protein activation by three heterologously expressed signaling pathways: m2 muscarinic receptors, serotonin 1A receptors, or G protein beta 1 gamma 2 subunits. Voltage dependence was also unaffected by agonist concentration. These results indicate that the voltage-dependent gating properties of GIRK1 are not due to extrinsic factors such as agonist-receptor interactions and G protein-channel coupling, but instead are analogous to the intrinsic gating behaviors of other inwardly rectifying K+ channels.


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