scholarly journals Atomistic basis of opening and conduction in mammalian inward rectifier potassium (Kir2.2) channels

2019 ◽  
pp. jgp.201912422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Zangerl-Plessl ◽  
Sun-Joo Lee ◽  
Grigory Maksaev ◽  
Harald Bernsteiner ◽  
Feifei Ren ◽  
...  

Potassium ion conduction through open potassium channels is essential to control of membrane potentials in all cells. To elucidate the open conformation and hence the mechanism of K+ ion conduction in the classic inward rectifier Kir2.2, we introduced a negative charge (G178D) at the crossing point of the inner helix bundle, the location of ligand-dependent gating. This “forced open” mutation generated channels that were active even in the complete absence of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), an otherwise essential ligand for Kir channel opening. Crystal structures were obtained at a resolution of 3.6 Å without PIP2 bound, or 2.8 Å in complex with PIP2. The latter revealed a slight widening at the helix bundle crossing (HBC) through backbone movement. MD simulations showed that subsequent spontaneous wetting of the pore through the HBC gate region allowed K+ ion movement across the HBC and conduction through the channel. Further simulations reveal atomistic details of the opening process and highlight the role of pore-lining acidic residues in K+ conduction through Kir2 channels.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Zangerl-Plessl ◽  
Sun-Joo Lee ◽  
Grigory Maksaev ◽  
Harald Bernsteiner ◽  
Feifei Ren ◽  
...  

Potassium ion conduction through open potassium channels is essential to control of membrane potentials in all cells. To elucidate the open conformation and hence the mechanism of K+ ion conduction in the classical inward rectifier Kir2.2, we introduced a negative charge (G178D) at the crossing point of the inner helix bundle (HBC), the location of ligand-dependent gating. This ‘forced open’ mutation generated channels that were active even in the complete absence of phosphoinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), an otherwise essential ligand for Kir channel opening. Crystal structures were obtained at a resolution of 3.6 Å without PIP2 bound, or 2.8 Å in complex with PIP2. The latter revealed a slight widening at the HBC, through backbone movement. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that subsequent spontaneous wetting of the pore through the HBC gate region allowed K+ ion movement across the HBC and conduction through the channel. Further simulations reveal atomistic details of the opening process and highlight the role of pore lining acidic residues in K+ conduction through Kir2 channels.


2002 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Cukras ◽  
I. Jeliazkova ◽  
C.G. Nichols

Approximately half of the NH2 terminus of inward rectifier (Kir) channels can be deleted without significant change in channel function, but activity is lost when more than ∼30 conserved residues before the first membrane spanning domain (M1) are removed. Systematic replacement of the positive charges in the NH2 terminus of Kir6.2 with alanine reveals several residues that affect channel function when neutralized. Certain mutations (R4A, R5A, R16A, R27A, R39A, K47A, R50A, R54A, K67A) change open probability, whereas an overlapping set of mutants (R16A, R27A, K39A, K47A, R50A, R54A, K67A) change ATP sensitivity. Further analysis of the latter set differentiates mutations that alter ATP sensitivity as a consequence of altered open state stability (R16A, K39A, K67A) from those that may affect ATP binding directly (K47A, R50A, R54A). The data help to define the structural determinants of Kir channel function, and suggest possible structural motifs within the NH2 terminus, as well as the relationship of the NH2 terminus with the extended cytoplasmic COOH terminus of the channel.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bella Grigorenko ◽  
Igor Polyakov ◽  
Alexander Nemukhin

<p>We report a mechanism of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) conversion by the mammalian type V adenylyl cyclase revealed in molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations. We characterize a set of computationally derived enzyme-substrate (ES) structures showing an important role of coordination shells of magnesium ions in the solvent accessible active site. Several stable six-fold coordination shells of Mg<sub>A</sub><sup>2+ </sup>are observed in MD simulations of ES complexes. In the lowest energy ES conformation, the coordination shell of Mg<sub>A</sub><sup>2+ </sup>does not include the O<sub>δ1</sub> atom of the conserved Asp440 residue. Starting from this conformation, a one-step reaction mechanism is characterized which includes proton transfer from the ribose O<sup>3'</sup>H<sup>3' </sup>group in ATP to Asp440 via a shuttling water molecule and P<sup>A</sup>-O<sup>3A</sup> bond cleavage and O<sup>3'</sup>-P<sup>A</sup> bond formation. The energy profile of this route is consistent with the observed reaction kinetics. In a higher energy ES conformation, Mg<sub>A</sub><sup>2+</sup> is bound to the O<sub>δ1</sub>(Asp440) atom as suggested in the relevant crystal structure of the protein with a substrate analog. The computed energy profile initiated by this ES is characterized by higher energy expenses to complete the reaction. Consistently with experimental data, we show that the Asp440Ala mutant of the enzyme should exhibit a reduced but retained activity. All considered reaction pathways include proton wires from the O<sup>3'</sup>H<sup>3' </sup>group via shuttling water molecules. </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sensen Zhang ◽  
Baolei Yuan ◽  
Jordy Homing Lam ◽  
Jun Zhou ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
...  

AbstractPannexin1 (PANX1) is a large-pore ATP efflux channel with a broad distribution, which allows the exchange of molecules and ions smaller than 1 kDa between the cytoplasm and extracellular space. In this study, we show that in human macrophages PANX1 expression is upregulated by diverse stimuli that promote pyroptosis, which is reminiscent of the previously reported lipopolysaccharide-induced upregulation of PANX1 during inflammasome activation. To further elucidate the function of PANX1, we propose the full-length human Pannexin1 (hPANX1) model through cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies, establishing hPANX1 as a homo-heptamer and revealing that both the N-termini and C-termini protrude deeply into the channel pore funnel. MD simulations also elucidate key energetic features governing the channel that lay a foundation to understand the channel gating mechanism. Structural analyses, functional characterizations, and computational studies support the current hPANX1-MD model, suggesting the potential role of hPANX1 in pyroptosis during immune responses.


Function ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Weir ◽  
Thomas A Longden

Abstract A Perspective on "Traumatic Brain Injury Impairs Systemic Vascular Function Through Disruption of Inward-Rectifier Potassium Channels"


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Dang ◽  
Yifan Li ◽  
Jianxing Song

AbstractTDP-43 and hnRNPA1 contain tandemly-tethered RNA-recognition-motif (RRM) domains, which not only functionally bind an array of nucleic acids, but also participate in aggregation/fibrillation, a pathological hallmark of various human diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), alzheimer's disease (AD) and Multisystem proteinopathy (MSP). Here, by DSF, NMR and MD simulations we systematically characterized stability, ATP-binding and conformational dynamics of TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 RRM domains in both tethered and isolated forms. The results reveal three key findings: (1) upon tethering TDP-43 RRM domains become dramatically coupled and destabilized with Tm reduced to only 49 °C. (2) ATP specifically binds TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 RRM domains, in which ATP occupies the similar pockets within the conserved nucleic-acid-binding surfaces, with the affinity slightly higher to the tethered than isolated forms. (3) MD simulations indicate that the tethered RRM domains of TDP-43 and hnRNPA1 have higher conformational dynamics than the isolated forms. Two RRM domains become coupled as shown by NMR characterization and analysis of inter-domain correlation motions. The study explains the long-standing puzzle that the tethered TDP-43 RRM1–RRM2 is particularly prone to aggregation/fibrillation, and underscores the general role of ATP in inhibiting aggregation/fibrillation of RRM-containing proteins. The results also rationalize the observation that the risk of aggregation-causing diseases increases with aging.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 1019-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Rasmussen

Mechanosensitive (MS) channels provide protection against hypo-osmotic shock in bacteria whereas eukaryotic MS channels fulfil a multitude of important functions beside osmoregulation. Interactions with the membrane lipids are responsible for the sensing of mechanical force for most known MS channels. It emerged recently that not only prokaryotic, but also eukaryotic, MS channels are able to directly sense the tension in the membrane bilayer without any additional cofactor. If the membrane is solely viewed as a continuous medium with specific anisotropic physical properties, the sensitivity towards tension changes can be explained as result of the hydrophobic coupling between membrane and transmembrane (TM) regions of the channel. The increased cross-sectional area of the MS channel in the active conformation and elastic deformations of the membrane close to the channel have been described as important factors. However, recent studies suggest that molecular interactions of lipids with the channels could play an important role in mechanosensation. Pockets in between TM helices were identified in the MS channel of small conductance (MscS) and YnaI that are filled with lipids. Less lipids are present in the open state of MscS than the closed according to MD simulations. Thus it was suggested that exclusion of lipid fatty acyl chains from these pockets, as a consequence of increased tension, would trigger gating. Similarly, in the eukaryotic MS channel TRAAK it was found that a lipid chain blocks the conducting path in the closed state. The role of these specific lipid interactions in mechanosensation are highlighted in this review.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 178-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Zhang ◽  
Xinkai Ding ◽  
Weixiang Peng ◽  
Hongliang Zhang ◽  
Bingjie Wu ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Maggie Huang ◽  
Chaithra Prasad ◽  
Fiona C. Britton ◽  
Linda L. Ye ◽  
William J. Hatton ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 148 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun-Joo Lee ◽  
Feifei Ren ◽  
Eva-Maria Zangerl-Plessl ◽  
Sarah Heyman ◽  
Anna Stary-Weinzinger ◽  
...  

Inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channel activity is controlled by plasma membrane lipids. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) binding to a primary site is required for opening of classic inward rectifier Kir2.1 and Kir2.2 channels, but interaction of bulk anionic phospholipid (PL−) with a distinct second site is required for high PIP2 sensitivity. Here we show that introduction of a lipid-partitioning tryptophan at the second site (K62W) generates high PIP2 sensitivity, even in the absence of PL−. Furthermore, high-resolution x-ray crystal structures of Kir2.2[K62W], with or without added PIP2 (2.8- and 2.0-Å resolution, respectively), reveal tight tethering of the C-terminal domain (CTD) to the transmembrane domain (TMD) in each condition. Our results suggest a refined model for phospholipid gating in which PL− binding at the second site pulls the CTD toward the membrane, inducing the formation of the high-affinity primary PIP2 site and explaining the positive allostery between PL− binding and PIP2 sensitivity.


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