Molecular basis for pore blockade of human Na+ channel Nav1.2 by the μ-conotoxin KIIIA

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 363 (6433) ◽  
pp. 1309-1313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Pan ◽  
Zhangqiang Li ◽  
Xiaoshuang Huang ◽  
Gaoxingyu Huang ◽  
Shuai Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Na Channel ◽  
Auxiliary Subunit ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Initiation And Propagation ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Immunoglobulin Domain ◽  
Pore Domain ◽  
Pore Blocker

The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2 is responsible for the initiation and propagation of action potentials in the central nervous system. We report the cryo–electron microscopy structure of human Nav1.2 bound to a peptidic pore blocker, the μ-conotoxin KIIIA, in the presence of an auxiliary subunit, β2, to an overall resolution of 3.0 angstroms. The immunoglobulin domain of β2 interacts with the shoulder of the pore domain through a disulfide bond. The 16-residue KIIIA interacts with the extracellular segments in repeats I to III, placing Lys7 at the entrance to the selectivity filter. Many interacting residues are specific to Nav1.2, revealing a molecular basis for KIIIA specificity. The structure establishes a framework for the rational design of subtype-specific blockers for Nav channels.

scholarly journals Molecular basis of selectivity and activity for the antimicrobial peptide Lynronne‐1 informs rational design of peptide with improved activity

ChemBioChem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor S. Jayawant ◽  
Jack Hutchinson ◽  
Dorota Gasparíková ◽  
Christine Lockey ◽  
Lidόn Pruñonosa Lara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptide ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Rational Design

scholarly journals Cryo-EM structure of mycobacterial cytochrome bd reveals two oxygen access channels

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiwei Wang ◽  
Yan Gao ◽  
Yanting Tang ◽  
Xiaoting Zhou ◽  
Yuezheng Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rational Design ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Structural Topology ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cytochrome Bd ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Functional Mechanisms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Potential Oxygen

AbstractCytochromes bd are ubiquitous amongst prokaryotes including many human-pathogenic bacteria. Such complexes are targets for the development of antimicrobial drugs. However, an understanding of the relationship between the structure and functional mechanisms of these oxidases is incomplete. Here, we have determined the 2.8 Å structure of Mycobacterium smegmatis cytochrome bd by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. This bd oxidase consists of two subunits CydA and CydB, that adopt a pseudo two-fold symmetrical arrangement. The structural topology of its Q-loop domain, whose function is to bind the substrate, quinol, is significantly different compared to the C-terminal region reported for cytochromes bd from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans (G. th) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). In addition, we have identified two potential oxygen access channels in the structure and shown that similar tunnels also exist in G. th and E. coli cytochromes bd. This study provides insights to develop a framework for the rational design of antituberculosis compounds that block the oxygen access channels of this oxidase.

Examining the structure of the mature amyloid fibril

2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. S. Makin ◽  
L. C. Serpell
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Amyloid Fibrils ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Fibre Diffraction ◽  
Complementary Techniques ◽  
Mature Fibril

The pathogenesis of the group of diseases known collectively as the amyloidoses is characterized by the deposition of insoluble amyloid fibrils. These are straight, unbranching structures about 70–120 å (1 å = 0.1 nm) in diameter and of indeterminate length formed by the self-assembly of a diverse group of normally soluble proteins. Knowledge of the structure of these fibrils is necessary for the understanding of their abnormal assembly and deposition, possibly leading to the rational design of therapeutic agents for their prevention or disaggregation. Structural elucidation is impeded by fibril insolubility and inability to crystallize, thus preventing the use of X-ray crystallography and solution NMR. CD, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and light scattering have been used in the study of the mechanism of fibril formation. This review concentrates on the structural information about the final, mature fibril and in particular the complementary techniques of cryo-electron microscopy, solid-state NMR and X-ray fibre diffraction.

scholarly journals An Inactivation Stabilizer of the Na+ Channel Acts as an Opportunistic Pore Blocker Modulated by External Na+

2005 ◽  
Vol 125 (5) ◽  
pp. 465-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Chin Yang ◽  
Chung-Chin Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Dissociation Constants ◽  
Channel Gating ◽  
Structural Motif ◽  
Na Channel ◽  
Channel Pore ◽  
Conduction Pathway ◽  
Gating Process ◽  
Pore Blocker

The Na+ channel is the primary target of anticonvulsants carbamazepine, phenytoin, and lamotrigine. These drugs modify Na+ channel gating as they have much higher binding affinity to the inactivated state than to the resting state of the channel. It has been proposed that these drugs bind to the Na+ channel pore with a common diphenyl structural motif. Diclofenac is a widely prescribed anti-inflammatory agent that has a similar diphenyl motif in its structure. In this study, we found that diclofenac modifies Na+ channel gating in a way similar to the foregoing anticonvulsants. The dissociation constants of diclofenac binding to the resting, activated, and inactivated Na+ channels are ∼880 μM, ∼88 μM, and ∼7 μM, respectively. The changing affinity well depicts the gradual shaping of a use-dependent receptor along the gating process. Most interestingly, diclofenac does not show the pore-blocking effect of carbamazepine on the Na+ channel when the external solution contains 150 mM Na+, but is turned into an effective Na+ channel pore blocker if the extracellular solution contains no Na+. In contrast, internal Na+ has only negligible effect on the functional consequences of diclofenac binding. Diclofenac thus acts as an “opportunistic” pore blocker modulated by external but not internal Na+, indicating that the diclofenac binding site is located at the junction of a widened part and an acutely narrowed part of the ion conduction pathway, and faces the extracellular rather than the intracellular solution. The diclofenac binding site thus is most likely located at the external pore mouth, and undergoes delicate conformational changes modulated by external Na+ along the gating process of the Na+ channel.

scholarly journals Gaseous neurotransmitter nitric oxide: Its role in experimental models of epilepsy

2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 1207-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Hrncic ◽  
Aleksandra Rasic-Markovic ◽  
Jelica Bjekic-Macut ◽  
Veselinka Susic ◽  
D. Mladenovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Initiation And Propagation ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Animal Models Of Epilepsy ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Gaseous Neurotransmitter ◽  
Models Of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the leading neurological disorders and affects 1-2% of the world?s population. Generally, it is a result of an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory phenomena in the central nervous system (CNS), but the mechanisms of its initiation and propagation still require further investigations. Experimental models represent one of the most powerful tools to better understand the mechanisms of epileptogenesis. Nitric oxide (NO) is gaseous molecule with pleiotropic physiological and pathological effects in almost all organ systems and intriguing biological relevance, especially in the CNS where it acts as a gaseous neurotransmitter. The role of NO in the generation of epilepsy is highly contradictory, since there is evidence of its anticonvulsive, as well as proconvulsive properties. Therefore, we will discuss in this review the involvement of NO-mediated signaling pathways in the mechanisms of epileptogenesis, taking into account the findings revealed in experimental studies on animal models of epilepsy.

Structure of the human voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.4 in complex with β1

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 362 (6412) ◽  
pp. eaau2486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Pan ◽  
Zhangqiang Li ◽  
Qiang Zhou ◽  
Huaizong Shen ◽  
Kun Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
Fast Inactivation ◽  
Potential Generation ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Disease Mutations ◽  
Mechanistic Investigation ◽  
Pore Domain ◽  
Blocking Mechanism ◽  
Insight Into

Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels, which are responsible for action potential generation, are implicated in many human diseases. Despite decades of rigorous characterization, the lack of a structure of any human Nav channel has hampered mechanistic understanding. Here, we report the cryo–electron microscopy structure of the human Nav1.4-β1 complex at 3.2-Å resolution. Accurate model building was made for the pore domain, the voltage-sensing domains, and the β1 subunit, providing insight into the molecular basis for Na+ permeation and kinetic asymmetry of the four repeats. Structural analysis of reported functional residues and disease mutations corroborates an allosteric blocking mechanism for fast inactivation of Nav channels. The structure provides a path toward mechanistic investigation of Nav channels and drug discovery for Nav channelopathies.

scholarly journals Molecular basis of Na channel dysfunction of Brugada syndrome

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Naomasa Makita ◽  
Nobumasa Shirai ◽  
Morio Kanno ◽  
Akira Kitabatake
Keyword(s):  
Brugada Syndrome ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Na Channel

scholarly journals Rational design, synthesis, and evaluation of uncharged, “smart” bis-oxime antidotes of organophosphate-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (13) ◽  
pp. 4079-4092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Gorecki ◽  
Oksana Gerlits ◽  
Xiaotian Kong ◽  
Xiaolin Cheng ◽  
Donald K. Blumenthal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Center ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Design Synthesis ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Pyridinium Cation ◽  
Pesticide Exposures ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Organophosphate (OP) intoxications from nerve agent and OP pesticide exposures are managed with pyridinium aldoxime–based therapies whose success rates are currently limited. The pyridinium cation hampers uptake of OPs into the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, it frequently binds to aromatic residues of OP-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in orientations that are nonproductive for AChE reactivation, and the structural diversity of OPs impedes efficient reactivation. Improvements of OP antidotes need to include much better access of AChE reactivators to the CNS and optimized orientation of the antidotes' nucleophile within the AChE active-center gorge. On the basis of X-ray structures of a CNS-penetrating reactivator, monoxime RS194B, reversibly bound to native and venomous agent X (VX)–inhibited human AChE, here we created seven uncharged acetamido bis-oximes as candidate antidotes. Both oxime groups in these bis-oximes were attached to the same central, saturated heterocyclic core. Diverse protonation of the heterocyclic amines and oxime groups of the bis-oximes resulted in equilibration among up to 16 distinct ionization forms, including uncharged forms capable of diffusing into the CNS and multiple zwitterionic forms optimal for reactivation reactions. Conformationally diverse zwitterions that could act as structural antidote variants significantly improved in vitro reactivation of diverse OP-human AChE conjugates. Oxime group reorientation of one of the bis-oximes, forcing it to point into the active center for reactivation, was confirmed by X-ray structural analysis. Our findings provide detailed structure-activity properties of several CNS-directed, uncharged aliphatic bis-oximes holding promise for use as protonation-dependent, conformationally adaptive, “smart” accelerated antidotes against OP toxicity.

scholarly journals Episodic Ultradian Events—Ultradian Rhythms

Biology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Goh ◽  
Shane Maloney ◽  
Peter Mark ◽  
Dominique Blache
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Ultradian Rhythms ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Modern Biology ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Unicellular Organisms ◽  
Fast Lane

In the fast lane of chronobiology, ultradian events are short-term rhythms that have been observed since the beginning of modern biology and were quantified about a century ago. They are ubiquitous in all biological systems and found in all organisms, from unicellular organisms to mammals, and from single cells to complex biological functions in multicellular animals. Since these events are aperiodic and last for a few minutes to a few hours, they are better classified as episodic ultradian events (EUEs). Their origin is unclear. However, they could have a molecular basis and could be controlled by hormonal inputs—in vertebrates, they originate from the activity of the central nervous system. EUEs are receiving increasing attention but their aperiodic nature requires specific sampling and analytic tools. While longer scale rhythms are adaptations to predictable changes in the environment, in theory, EUEs could contribute to adaptation by preparing organisms and biological functions for unpredictability.

scholarly journals Cryo-electron Microscopy Structure and Transport Mechanism of a Wall Teichoic Acid ABC Transporter

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Chen ◽  
Wen-Tao Hou ◽  
Tao Fan ◽  
Banghui Liu ◽  
Ting Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abc Transporter ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Abc Transporters ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Teichoic Acid ◽  
Inhibitory Mechanism ◽  
Wall Teichoic Acid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design And Optimization ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy

ABSTRACT The wall teichoic acid (WTA) is a major cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a common cause of fatal clinical infections in humans. Thus, the indispensable ABC transporter TarGH, which flips WTA from cytoplasm to extracellular space, becomes a promising target of anti-MRSA drugs. Here, we report the 3.9-Å cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of a 50% sequence-identical homolog of TarGH from Alicyclobacillus herbarius at an ATP-free and inward-facing conformation. Structural analysis combined with activity assays enables us to clearly decode the binding site and inhibitory mechanism of the anti-MRSA inhibitor Targocil, which targets TarGH. Moreover, we propose a “crankshaft conrod” mechanism utilized by TarGH, which can be applied to similar ABC transporters that translocate a rather big substrate through relatively subtle conformational changes. These findings provide a structural basis for the rational design and optimization of antibiotics against MRSA. IMPORTANCE The wall teichoic acid (WTA) is a major component of cell wall and a pathogenic factor in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The ABC transporter TarGH is indispensable for flipping WTA precursor from cytoplasm to the extracellular space, thus making it a promising drug target for anti-MRSA agents. The 3.9-Å cryo-EM structure of a TarGH homolog helps us to decode the binding site and inhibitory mechanism of a recently reported inhibitor, Targocil, and provides a structural platform for rational design and optimization of potential antibiotics. Moreover, we propose a “crankshaft conrod” mechanism to explain how a big substrate is translocated through subtle conformational changes of type II exporters. These findings advance our understanding of anti-MRSA drug design and ABC transporters.

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