scholarly journals Mapping the membrane topography of the TH6–TH7 segment of the diphtheria toxin T-domain channel

2015 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul K. Kienker ◽  
Zhengyan Wu ◽  
Alan Finkelstein
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Diphtheria Toxin ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Cysteine Residue ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Substituted Cysteine Accessibility ◽  
T Domain

Low pH triggers the translocation domain of diphtheria toxin (T-domain), which contains 10 α helices, to insert into a planar lipid bilayer membrane, form a transmembrane channel, and translocate the attached catalytic domain across the membrane. Three T-domain helices, corresponding to TH5, TH8, and TH9 in the aqueous crystal structure, form transmembrane segments in the open-channel state; the amino-terminal region, TH1–TH4, translocates across the membrane to the trans side. Residues near either end of the TH6–TH7 segment are not translocated, remaining on the cis side of the membrane; because the intervening 25-residue sequence is too short to form a transmembrane α-helical hairpin, it was concluded that the TH6–TH7 segment resides at the cis interface. Now we have examined this segment further, using the substituted-cysteine accessibility method. We constructed a series of 18 mutant T-domains with single cysteine residues at positions in TH6–TH7, monitored their channel formation in planar lipid bilayers, and probed for an effect of thiol-specific reagents on the channel conductance. For 10 of the mutants, the reagent caused a change in the single-channel conductance, indicating that the introduced cysteine residue was exposed within the channel lumen. For several of these mutants, we verified that the reactions occurred primarily in the open state, rather than in the flicker-closed state. We also established that blocking of the channel by an amino-terminal hexahistidine tag could protect mutants from reaction. Finally, we compared the reaction rates of reagent added to the cis and trans sides to quantify the residue’s accessibility from either side. This analysis revealed abrupt changes in cis- versus trans-side accessibility, suggesting that the TH6–TH7 segment forms a constriction that occupies a small portion of the total channel length. We also determined that this constriction is located near the middle of the TH8 helix.

scholarly journals Topography of Diphtheria Toxin's T Domain in the Open Channel State

2000 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Senzel ◽  
Michael Gordon ◽  
Robert O. Blaustein ◽  
K. Joon Oh ◽  
R. John Collier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diphtheria Toxin ◽  
Open Channel ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Crystallographic Structure ◽  
Channel State ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
T Domain ◽  
Membrane Spanning

When diphtheria toxin encounters a low pH environment, the channel-forming T domain undergoes a poorly understood conformational change that allows for both its own membrane insertion and the translocation of the toxin's catalytic domain across the membrane. From the crystallographic structure of the water-soluble form of diphtheria toxin, a “double dagger” model was proposed in which two transmembrane helical hairpins, TH5-7 and TH8-9, anchor the T domain in the membrane. In this paper, we report the topography of the T domain in the open channel state. This topography was derived from experiments in which either a hexahistidine (H6) tag or biotin moiety was attached at residues that were mutated to cysteines. From the sign of the voltage gating induced by the H6 tag and the accessibility of the biotinylated residues to streptavidin added to the cis or trans side of the membrane, we determined which segments of the T domain are on the cis or trans side of the membrane and, consequently, which segments span the membrane. We find that there are three membrane-spanning segments. Two of them are in the channel-forming piece of the T domain, near its carboxy terminal end, and correspond to one of the proposed “daggers,” TH8-9. The other membrane-spanning segment roughly corresponds to only TH5 of the TH5-7 dagger, with the rest of that region lying on or near the cis surface. We also find that, in association with channel formation, the amino terminal third of the T domain, a hydrophilic stretch of ∼70 residues, is translocated across the membrane to the trans side.

scholarly journals The Number of Subunits Comprising the Channel Formed by the T Domain of Diphtheria Toxin

2001 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gordon ◽  
Alan Finkelstein
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Diphtheria Toxin ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Voltage Gating ◽  
Single Channels ◽  
Planar Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Transmembrane Segments ◽  
T Domain ◽  
Single Subunit

In the presence of a low pH environment, the channel-forming T domain of diphtheria toxin undergoes a conformational change that allows for both its own insertion into planar lipid bilayers and the translocation of the toxin's catalytic domain across them. Given that the T domain contributes only three transmembrane segments, and the channel is permeable to ions as large as glucosamine+ and NAD−, it would appear that the channel must be a multimer. Yet, there is substantial circumstantial evidence that the channel may be formed from a single subunit. To test the hypothesis that the channel formed by the T domain of diphtheria toxin is monomeric, we made mixtures of two T domain constructs whose voltage-gating characteristics differ, and then observed the gating behavior of the mixture's single channels in planar lipid bilayers. One of these constructs contained an NH2-terminal hexahistidine (H6) tag that blocks the channel at negative voltages; the other contained a COOH-terminal H6 tag that blocks the channel at positive voltages. If the channel is constructed from multiple T domain subunits, one expects to see a population of single channels from this mixture that are blocked at both positive and negative voltages. The observed single channels were blocked at either negative or positive voltages, but never both. Therefore, we conclude that the T domain channel is monomeric.

scholarly journals Probing the Structure of the Diphtheria Toxin Channel

1997 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Huynh ◽  
Can Cui ◽  
Hangjun Zhan ◽  
Kyoung Joon Oh ◽  
R. John Collier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diphtheria Toxin ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Sudden Change ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Single Channel Conductance ◽  
Conducting Pathway ◽  
Ion Conducting ◽  
T Domain

Previous work has established that the 61 amino acid stretch from residue 322 to 382 in the T-domain of diphtheria toxin forms channels indistinguishable in ion-conducting properties from those formed by the entire T-domain. In the crystal structure of the toxin's water-soluble form, the bulk of this stretch is an α-helical hairpin, designated TH8-9. The present study was directed at determining which residues in TH8-9 line the ion-conducting pathway of the channel; i.e., its lumen or entrances. To this end, we singly mutated 49 of TH8-9's 51 residues (328–376) to cysteines, formed channels with the mutant T-domain proteins in planar lipid bilayers, and then determined whether they reacted with small, charged, lipid-insoluble, sulfhydryl-specific methanethiosulfonate (MTS) derivatives added to the bathing solutions. The indication of a reaction, and that the residue lined the ion-conducting pathway, was a sudden change in single-channel conductance and/or flickering behavior. The results of this study were surprising in two respects. First, of the 49 cysteine-substituted residues in TH8-9 tested, 23 reacted with MTS derivatives in a most unusual pattern consisting of two segments: one extending from 329 to 341 (11 of 13 reacted), and the other from 347 to 359 (12 of 13 reacted); none of the residues outside of these two segments appeared to react. Second, in every cysteine mutant channel manifesting an MTS effect, only one transition in single-channel conductance (or flickering behavior) occurred, not the several expected for a multimeric channel. Our results are not consistent with an α-helical or β-strand model for the channel, but instead suggest an open, flexible structure. Moreover, contrary to common sense, they indicate that the channel is not multimeric but is formed from only one TH8-9 unit of the T-domain.

Cation channels from Tetrahymena cilia incorporated into planar lipid bilayers

1985 ◽  
Vol 249 (1) ◽  
pp. C177-C179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Oosawa ◽  
M. Sokabe
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Cation Channel ◽  
Cation Channels ◽  
Planar Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Single Channel Conductance ◽  
Ciliary Membrane ◽  
Voltage Dependent

A single cation channel from Tetrahymena cilia was incorporated into planar lipid bilayers. This channel selected for K+, Na+, and Li+ over Cl- and gluconate-, and its single channel conductance (at +25 mV) was 211 +/- 8 pS (mean +/- SE) in 100 mM K+-gluconate. The channel was not voltage dependent and may contribute to the resting K+ conductance of ciliary membrane.

scholarly journals Connexin 46 and connexin 50 gap junction channel open stability and unitary conductance are shaped by structural and dynamic features of their N-terminal domains

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benny Yue ◽  
Bassam G. Haddad ◽  
Umair Khan ◽  
Honghong Chen ◽  
Mena Atalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Md Simulation ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Dynamical Behavior ◽  
The Body ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Single Channel Conductance ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Gap Junction Channel ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Channel Properties

AbstractThe connexins form intercellular communication channels, known as gap junctions (GJs), that facilitate diverse physiological roles in vertebrate species, ranging from electrical coupling and long-range chemical signaling, to coordinating development and nutrient exchange. GJs formed by different connexins are expressed throughout the body and harbor unique channel properties that have not been fully defined mechanistically. Recent structural studies have implicated the amino-terminal (NT) domain as contributing to isoform-specific functional differences that exist between the lens connexins, Cx50 and Cx46. To better understand the structural and functional differences in the two closely related, yet functionally distinct GJs, we constructed models corresponding to CryoEM-based structures of the wildtype Cx50 and Cx46 GJs, NT domain swapped chimeras (Cx46-50NT and Cx50-46NT), and point variants at the 9th residue (Cx46-R9N and Cx50-N9R) for comparative MD simulation and electrophysiology studies. All of these constructs formed functional GJ channels, except Cx46-50NT, which correlated with increased dynamical behavior (instability) of the NT domain observed by MD simulation. Single channel conductance (γj) also correlated well with free-energy landscapes predicted by MD, where γj of Cx46-R9N was increased from Cx46 and the γjs of Cx50-46NT and Cx50-N9R was decreased from Cx50, but to a surprisingly greater degree. Additionally, we observed significant effects on transjunctional voltage-dependent gating (Vj-gating) and open-state dwell times induced by the designed NT domain variants. Together, these studies indicate that the NT domains of Cx46 and Cx50 play an important role in defining channel properties related to open-state stability and single channel conductance.

scholarly journals Interaction between the Pore and a Fast Gate of the Cardiac Sodium Channel

1999 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Townsend ◽  
Richard Horn
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Modification ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Cysteine Residue ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Cardiac Sodium Channel ◽  
Fast Gating ◽  
Ion Conducting ◽  
Cardiac Sodium Channels ◽  
Gating Process

Permeant ions affect a fast gating process observed in human cardiac sodium channels (Townsend, C., H.A. Hartmann, and R. Horn. 1997. J. Gen. Physiol. 110:11–21). Removal of extracellular permeant ions causes a reduction of open probability at positive membrane potentials. These results suggest an intimate relationship between the ion-conducting pore and the gates of the channel. We tested this hypothesis by three sets of manipulations designed to affect the binding of cations within the pore: application of intracellular pore blockers, mutagenesis of residues known to contribute to permeation, and chemical modification of a native cysteine residue (C373) near the extracellular mouth of the pore. The coupling between extracellular permeant ions and this fast gating process is abolished both by pore blockers and by a mutation that severely affects selectivity. A more superficial pore mutation or chemical modification of C373 reduces single channel conductance while preserving both selectivity of the pore and the modulatory effects of extracellular cations. Our results demonstrate a modulatory gating role for a region deep within the pore and suggest that the structure of the permeation pathway is largely preserved when a channel is closed.

scholarly journals Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin: The Toxin Forms Highly Cation-Selective Channels in Lipid Bilayers

Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Benz ◽  
Michel Popoff
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Propidium Iodide ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Lipid Bilayer Membranes ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Single Channel Conductance ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens Enterotoxin ◽  
Cation Selectivity

One of the numerous toxins produced by Clostridium perfringens is Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), a polypeptide with a molecular mass of 35.5 kDa exhibiting three different domains. Domain one is responsible for receptor binding, domain two is involved in hexamer formation and domain three has to do with channel formation in membranes. CPE is the major virulence factor of this bacterium and acts on the claudin-receptor containing tight junctions between epithelial cells resulting in various gastrointestinal diseases. The activity of CPE on Vero cells was demonstrated by the entry of propidium iodide (PI) in the cells. The entry of propidium iodide caused by CPE was well correlated with the loss of cell viability monitored by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. CPE formed ion-permeable channels in artificial lipid bilayer membranes with a single-channel conductance of 620 pS in 1 M KCl. The single-channel conductance was not a linear function of the bulk aqueous salt concentration indicating that point-negative charges at the CPE channel controlled ion transport. This resulted in the high cation selectivity of the CPE channels, which suggested that anions are presumably not permeable through the CPE channels. The possible role of cation transport by CPE channels in disease caused by C. perfringens is discussed.

scholarly journals Veratridine modification of the purified sodium channel alpha-polypeptide from eel electroplax.

1989 ◽  
Vol 94 (5) ◽  
pp. 813-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
D S Duch ◽  
E Recio-Pinto ◽  
C Frenkel ◽  
S R Levinson ◽  
B W Urban
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Channel Structure ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Single Channel Conductance ◽  
Protein Subunit

In the interest of continuing structure-function studies, highly purified sodium channel preparations from the eel electroplax were incorporated into planar lipid bilayers in the presence of veratridine. This lipoglycoprotein originates from muscle-derived tissue and consists of a single polypeptide. In this study it is shown to have properties analogous to sodium channels from another muscle tissue (Garber, S. S., and C. Miller. 1987. Journal of General Physiology. 89:459-480), which have an additional protein subunit. However, significant qualitative and quantitative differences were noted. Comparison of veratridine-modified with batrachotoxin-modified eel sodium channels revealed common properties. Tetrodotoxin blocked the channels in a voltage-dependent manner indistinguishable from that found for batrachotoxin-modified channels. Veratridine-modified channels exhibited a range of single-channel conductance and subconductance states. The selectivity of the veratridine-modified sodium channels for sodium vs. potassium ranged from 6-8 in reversal potential measurements, while conductance ratios ranged from 12-15. This is similar to BTX-modified eel channels, though the latter show a predominant single-channel conductance twice as large. In contrast to batrachotoxin-modified channels, the fractional open times of these channels had a shallow voltage dependence which, however, was similar to that of the slow interaction between veratridine and sodium channels in voltage-clamped biological membranes. Implications for sodium channel structure are discussed.

scholarly journals Alkaloid-modified sodium channels from lobster walking leg nerves in planar lipid bilayers.

1992 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Castillo ◽  
R Villegas ◽  
E Recio-Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Slow Process ◽  
Channel Conductance ◽  
Single Channel Conductance ◽  
Fast Process ◽  
Midpoint Potential ◽  
Gating Charge

Alkaloid-modified, voltage-dependent sodium channels from lobster walking leg nerves were studied in planar neutral lipid bilayers. In symmetrical 0.5 M NaCl the single channel conductance of veratridine (VTD) (10 pS) was less than that of batrachotoxin (BTX) (16 pS) modified channels. At positive potentials, VTD- but not BTX-modified channels remained open at a flickery substate. VTD-modified channels underwent closures on the order of milliseconds (fast process), seconds (slow process), and minutes. The channel fractional open time (f(o)) due to the fast process, the slow process, and all channel closures (overall f(o)) increased with depolarization. The fast process had a midpoint potential (V(a)) of -122 mV and an apparent gating charge (z(a)) of 2.9, and the slow process had a V(a) of -95 mV and a z(a) of 1.6. The overall f(o) was predominantly determined by closures on the order of minutes, and had a V(a) of about -24 mV and a shallow voltage dependence (z(a) approximately 0.7). Augmenting the VTD concentration increased the overall f(o) without changing the number of detectable channels. However, the occurrence of closures on the order of minutes persisted even at super-saturating concentrations of VTD. The occurrence of these long closures was nonrandom and the level of nonrandomness was usually unaffected by the number of channels, suggesting that channel behavior was nonindependent. BTX-modified channels also underwent closures on the order of milliseconds, seconds, and minutes. Their characterization, however, was complicated by the apparent low BTX binding affinity and by an apparent high binding reversibility (channel disappearance) of BTX to these channels. VTD- but not BTX-modified channels inactivated slowly at high positive potentials (greater than +30 mV). Single channel conductance versus NaCl concentrations saturated at high NaCl concentrations and was non-Langmuirian at low NaCl concentrations. At all NaCl concentrations the conductance of VTD-modified channels was lower than that of BTX-modified channels. However, this difference in conductance decreased as NaCl concentrations neared zero, approaching the same limiting value. The permeability ratio of sodium over potassium obtained under mixed ionic conditions was similar for VTD (2.46)- and BTX (2.48)-modified channels, whereas that obtained under bi-ionic conditions was lower for VTD (1.83)- than for BTX (2.70)-modified channels. Tetrodotoxin blocked these alkaloid-modified channels with an apparent binding affinity in the nanomolar range.

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