scholarly journals Statistical analysis of modal gating in ion channels

2014 ◽  
Vol 470 (2166) ◽  
pp. 20140030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivo Siekmann ◽  
James Sneyd ◽  
Edmund J. Crampin
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor ◽  
Statistical Framework ◽  
Modal Gating ◽  
Opening And Closing ◽  
Trisphosphate Receptor ◽  
Different Levels

Ion channels regulate the concentrations of ions within cells. By stochastically opening and closing its pore, they enable or prevent ions from crossing the cell membrane. However, rather than opening with a constant probability, many ion channels switch between several different levels of activity even if the experimental conditions are unchanged. This phenomenon is known as modal gating: instead of directly adapting its activity, the channel seems to mix sojourns in active and inactive modes in order to exhibit intermediate open probabilities. Evidence is accumulating that modal gating rather than modulation of opening and closing at a faster time scale is the primary regulatory mechanism of ion channels. However, currently, no method is available for reliably calculating sojourns in different modes. In order to address this challenge, we develop a statistical framework for segmenting single-channel datasets into segments that are characteristic for particular modes. The algorithm finds the number of mode changes, detects their locations and infers the open probabilities of the modes. We apply our approach to data from the inositol-trisphosphate receptor. Based upon these results, we propose that mode changes originate from alternative conformational states of the channel protein that determine a certain level of channel activity.

scholarly journals TOK Homologue in Neurospora crassa: First Cloning and Functional Characterization of an Ion Channel in a Filamentous Fungus

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen K. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Ion Channel ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Filamentous Fungus ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Biophysical Properties ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique

ABSTRACT In contrast to animal and plant cells, very little is known of ion channel function in fungal physiology. The life cycle of most fungi depends on the “filamentous” polarized growth of hyphal cells; however, no ion channels have been cloned from filamentous fungi and comparatively few preliminary recordings of ion channel activity have been made. In an attempt to gain an insight into the role of ion channels in fungal hyphal physiology, a homolog of the yeast K+ channel (ScTOK1) was cloned from the filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa. The patch clamp technique was used to investigate the biophysical properties of the N. crassa K+ channel (NcTOKA) after heterologous expression of NcTOKA in yeast. NcTOKA mediated mainly time-dependent outward whole-cell currents, and the reversal potential of these currents indicated that it conducted K+ efflux. NcTOKA channel gating was sensitive to extracellular K+ such that channel activation was dependent on the reversal potential for K+. However, expression of NcTOKA was able to overcome the K+ auxotrophy of a yeast mutant missing the K+ uptake transporters TRK1 and TRK2, suggesting that NcTOKA also mediated K+ influx. Consistent with this, close inspection of NcTOKA-mediated currents revealed small inward K+ currents at potentials negative of EK. NcTOKA single-channel activity was characterized by rapid flickering between the open and closed states with a unitary conductance of 16 pS. NcTOKA was effectively blocked by extracellular Ca2+, verapamil, quinine, and TEA+ but was insensitive to Cs+, 4-aminopyridine, and glibenclamide. The physiological significance of NcTOKA is discussed in the context of its biophysical properties.

Superposition properties of independent ion channels

1989 ◽  
Vol 238 (1291) ◽  
pp. 155-170 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Sojourn Time ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Stochastic Modelling ◽  
Multiple Channels ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Channel System ◽  
Distributional Properties ◽  
Multichannel Systems ◽  
Selection Of

Membrane patches usually contain several ion channels of a given type. However, most of the stochastic modelling on which data analysis (in particular, estimation of kinetic constants) is currently based, relates to a single channel rather than to multiple channels. Attempts to circumvent this problem experimentally by recording under conditions where channel activity is low are restrictive and can introduce bias; moreover, possibly important information on how multichannel systems behave will be missed. We have extended existing theory to multichannel systems by applying results from point process theory to derive some distributional properties of the various types of sojourn time that occur when a given number of channels are open in a system containing a specified number of independent channels in equilibrium. Separate development of properties of a single channel and the superposition of several such independent channels simplifies the presentation of known results and extensions. To illustrate the general theory, particular attention is given to the types of sojourn time that occur in a two channel system; detailed expressions are presented for a selection of models, both Markov and non-Markov.

scholarly journals Ion channel activity in lobster skeletal muscle membrane

1993 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-130
Author(s):  
M. K. Worden ◽  
R. Rahamimoff ◽  
E. A. Kravitz
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channel ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Muscle Fibers ◽  
Muscle Membrane ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Sarcolemmal Membrane ◽  
Excised Patches ◽  
Current Flows

Ion channel activity in the sarcolemmal membrane of muscle fibers is critical for regulating the excitability, and therefore the contractility, of muscle. To begin the characterization of the biophysical properties of the sarcolemmal membrane of lobster exoskeletal muscle fibers, recordings were made from excised patches of membrane from enzymatically induced muscle fiber blebs. Blebs formed as evaginations of the muscle sarcolemmal membrane and were sufficiently free of extracellular debris to allow the formation of gigaohm seals. Under simple experimental conditions using bi-ionic symmetrical recording solutions and maintained holding potentials, a variety of single channel types with conductances in the range 32–380 pS were detected. Two of these ion channel species are described in detail, both are cation channels selective for potassium. They can be distinguished from each other on the basis of their single-channel conductance and gating properties. The results suggest that current flows through a large number of ion channels that open spontaneously in bleb membranes in the absence of exogenous metabolites or hormones.

scholarly journals Catalyst-like modulation of transition states for CFTR channel opening and closing: New stimulation strategy exploits nonequilibrium gating

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
László Csanády ◽  
Beáta Töröcsik
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Ion Channels ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Transition States ◽  
Chloride Ion ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Gating Mechanism ◽  
Channel Opening ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Opening And Closing

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is the chloride ion channel mutated in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It is an ATP-binding cassette protein, and its resulting cyclic nonequilibrium gating mechanism sets it apart from most other ion channels. The most common CF mutation (ΔF508) impairs folding of CFTR but also channel gating, reducing open probability (Po). This gating defect must be addressed to effectively treat CF. Combining single-channel and macroscopic current measurements in inside-out patches, we show here that the two effects of 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoate (NPPB) on CFTR, pore block and gating stimulation, are independent, suggesting action at distinct sites. Furthermore, detailed kinetic analysis revealed that NPPB potently increases Po, also of ΔF508 CFTR, by affecting the stability of gating transition states. This finding is unexpected, because for most ion channels, which gate at equilibrium, altering transition-state stabilities has no effect on Po; rather, agonists usually stimulate by stabilizing open states. Our results highlight how for CFTR, because of its unique cyclic mechanism, gating transition states determine Po and offer strategic targets for potentiator compounds to achieve maximal efficacy.

A calcium -activated cation-selective channel in rat cultured Schwann cells

1984 ◽  
Vol 222 (1228) ◽  
pp. 349-355 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Schwann Cells ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Outward Current ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Cultured Schwann Cells ◽  
Selective Channel ◽  
Inside Out ◽  
Cation Selective Channel ◽  
Sodium And Potassium

Calcium -activated channels, in the plasm a membrane of rat cultured Schwann cells were studied in isolated ‘inside-out’ membrane patches. With identical (150 mM NaCl) solutions on either side of the membrane, a single channel conductance of 32 pS was calculated for inward current; the conductance was somewhat less for outward current. The channel is about equally permeable to sodium and potassium ions, bu t is not detectably permeable to either chloride or calcium. Under our experimental conditions the channel is activated by high (more than 10 -4 m) concentrations of calcium and is sensitive to voltage, channel activity increasing with membrane depolarization.

scholarly journals Mode Switching Is the Major Mechanism of Ligand Regulation of InsP3 Receptor Calcium Release Channels

2007 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucian Ionescu ◽  
Carl White ◽  
King-Ho Cheung ◽  
Jianwei Shuai ◽  
Ian Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Release ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Mode Switching ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Major Mechanism ◽  
Modal Gating ◽  
Opening And Closing ◽  
Insp3 Receptor

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptor (InsP3R) plays a critical role in generation of complex Ca2+ signals in many cell types. In patch clamp recordings of isolated nuclei from insect Sf9 cells, InsP3R channels were consistently detected with regulation by cytoplasmic InsP3 and free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) very similar to that observed for vertebrate InsP3R. Long channel activity durations of the Sf9-InsP3R have now enabled identification of a novel aspect of InsP3R gating: modal gating. Using a novel algorithm to analyze channel modal gating kinetics, InsP3R gating can be separated into three distinct modes: a low activity mode, a fast kinetic mode, and a burst mode with channel open probability (Po) within each mode of 0.007 ± 0.002, 0.24 ± 0.03, and 0.85 ± 0.02, respectively. Channels reside in each mode for long periods (tens of opening and closing events), and transitions between modes can be discerned with high resolution (within two channel opening and closing events). Remarkably, regulation of channel gating by [Ca2+]i and [InsP3] does not substantially alter channel Po within a mode. Instead, [Ca2+]i and [InsP3] affect overall channel Po primarily by changing the relative probability of the channel being in each mode, especially the high and low Po modes. This novel observation therefore reveals modal switching as the major mechanism of physiological regulation of InsP3R channel activity, with implications for the kinetics of Ca2+ release events in cells.

scholarly journals The effects of free [Ca2+] on the cytosolic face of the inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptor at the single channel level

1998 ◽  
Vol 330 (1) ◽  
pp. 559-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Edwin THROWER ◽  
J. A. Edward LEA ◽  
P. Alan DAWSON
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Planar Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Channel Current ◽  
Single Channel Current ◽  
Inositol 1,4,5 Trisphosphate ◽  
Trisphosphate Receptor ◽  
Artificial Bilayers

Cytosolic free Ca2+ has been shown to have both activating and inhibitory effects upon the inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) during intracellular Ca2+ release. The effects of cytosolic free Ca2+ on the InsP3R have already been monitored using cerebellar microsomes (containing InsP3R) incorporated into planar lipid bilayers [Bezprozvanny, Watras and Ehrlich (1991) Nature (London) 351, 751-754]. In these experiments the open probability of the channel exhibited a ‘bell-shaped Ca2+ dependence’. However, this has only been seen when the receptor is in the presence of its native membrane (e.g. microsomal vesicles). Using solubilized, purified InsP3R incorporated into planar lipid bilayers using the ‘tip-dip’ technique, investigations were carried out to see if the same effect was seen in the absence of the native membrane. Channel activity was observed in the presence of 4 μM InsP3 and 200 nM free Ca2+. Mean single channel current was 2.69 pA and more than one population of lifetimes was observed. Two populations had mean open times of approx. 9 and 97 ms. Upon increasing the free [Ca2+] to 2 μM, the mean single channel current decreased slightly to 2.39 pA, and the lifetimes increased to 30 and 230 ms. Elevation of free [Ca2+] to 4 μM resulted in a further decrease in mean single channel current to 1.97 pA as well as a decrease in lifetime to approx. 8 and 194 ms. At 10 μM free [Ca2+] no channel activity was observed. Thus, with purified receptor in artificial bilayers, free [Ca2+] on the cytosolic face of the receptor has major effects on channel behaviour, particularly on channel closure, although inhibition of channel activity is not seen until very high free [Ca2+] is reached.

scholarly journals Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Ca2+ Release Channels

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 593-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kevin Foskett ◽  
Carl White ◽  
King-Ho Cheung ◽  
Don-On Daniel Mak
Keyword(s):  
Single Channel ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor ◽  
Channel Regulation ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
Numerous Cell ◽  
Trisphosphate Receptor ◽  
Channel Properties ◽  
Structural Aspects

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptors (InsP3Rs) are a family of Ca2+ release channels localized predominately in the endoplasmic reticulum of all cell types. They function to release Ca2+ into the cytoplasm in response to InsP3 produced by diverse stimuli, generating complex local and global Ca2+ signals that regulate numerous cell physiological processes ranging from gene transcription to secretion to learning and memory. The InsP3R is a calcium-selective cation channel whose gating is regulated not only by InsP3, but by other ligands as well, in particular cytoplasmic Ca2+. Over the last decade, detailed quantitative studies of InsP3R channel function and its regulation by ligands and interacting proteins have provided new insights into a remarkable richness of channel regulation and of the structural aspects that underlie signal transduction and permeation. Here, we focus on these developments and review and synthesize the literature regarding the structure and single-channel properties of the InsP3R.

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