scholarly journals Voltage Gated Sodium Channel Genes in Epilepsy: Mutations, Functional Studies, and Treatment Dimensions

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibitayo Abigail Ademuwagun ◽  
Solomon Oladapo Rotimi ◽  
Steffen Syrbe ◽  
Yvonne Ukamaka Ajamma ◽  
Ezekiel Adebiyi
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channel ◽  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
The Brain

Genetic epilepsy occurs as a result of mutations in either a single gene or an interplay of different genes. These mutations have been detected in ion channel and non-ion channel genes. A noteworthy class of ion channel genes are the voltage gated sodium channels (VGSCs) that play key roles in the depolarization phase of action potentials in neurons. Of huge significance are SCN1A, SCN1B, SCN2A, SCN3A, and SCN8A genes that are highly expressed in the brain. Genomic studies have revealed inherited and de novo mutations in sodium channels that are linked to different forms of epilepsies. Due to the high frequency of sodium channel mutations in epilepsy, this review discusses the pathogenic mutations in the sodium channel genes that lead to epilepsy. In addition, it explores the functional studies on some known mutations and the clinical significance of VGSC mutations in the medical management of epilepsy. The understanding of these channel mutations may serve as a strong guide in making effective treatment decisions in patient management.

scholarly journals A gating charge interaction required for late slow inactivation of the bacterial sodium channel NavAb

2013 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamer M. Gamal El-Din ◽  
Gilbert Q. Martinez ◽  
Jian Payandeh ◽  
Todd Scheuer ◽  
William A. Catterall
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Membrane Potentials ◽  
Charge Movement ◽  
Slow Inactivation ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
Gating Charge ◽  
Charge Interaction

Voltage-gated sodium channels undergo slow inactivation during repetitive depolarizations, which controls the frequency and duration of bursts of action potentials and prevents excitotoxic cell death. Although homotetrameric bacterial sodium channels lack the intracellular linker-connecting homologous domains III and IV that causes fast inactivation of eukaryotic sodium channels, they retain the molecular mechanism for slow inactivation. Here, we examine the functional properties and slow inactivation of the bacterial sodium channel NavAb expressed in insect cells under conditions used for structural studies. NavAb activates at very negative membrane potentials (V1/2 of approximately −98 mV), and it has both an early phase of slow inactivation that arises during single depolarizations and reverses rapidly, and a late use-dependent phase of slow inactivation that reverses very slowly. Mutation of Asn49 to Lys in the S2 segment in the extracellular negative cluster of the voltage sensor shifts the activation curve ∼75 mV to more positive potentials and abolishes the late phase of slow inactivation. The gating charge R3 interacts with Asn49 in the crystal structure of NavAb, and mutation of this residue to Cys causes a similar positive shift in the voltage dependence of activation and block of the late phase of slow inactivation as mutation N49K. Prolonged depolarizations that induce slow inactivation also cause hysteresis of gating charge movement, which results in a requirement for very negative membrane potentials to return gating charges to their resting state. Unexpectedly, the mutation N49K does not alter hysteresis of gating charge movement, even though it prevents the late phase of slow inactivation. Our results reveal an important molecular interaction between R3 in S4 and Asn49 in S2 that is crucial for voltage-dependent activation and for late slow inactivation of NavAb, and they introduce a NavAb mutant that enables detailed functional studies in parallel with structural analysis.

scholarly journals Sodium Channel Nav1.3 Is Expressed by Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils during Mouse Heart and Kidney Ischemia InVivo and Regulates Adhesion, Transmigration, and Chemotaxis of Human and Mouse Neutrophils In Vitro

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1151-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit Poffers ◽  
Nathalie Bühne ◽  
Christine Herzog ◽  
Anja Thorenz ◽  
Rongjun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils ◽  
Human Neutrophils ◽  
Mouse Heart ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels

Abstract Background Voltage-gated sodium channels generate action potentials in excitable cells, but they have also been attributed noncanonical roles in nonexcitable cells. We hypothesize that voltage-gated sodium channels play a functional role during extravasation of neutrophils. Methods Expression of voltage-gated sodium channels was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. Distribution of Nav1.3 was determined by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry in mouse models of ischemic heart and kidney injury. Adhesion, transmigration, and chemotaxis of neutrophils to endothelial cells and collagen were investigated with voltage-gated sodium channel inhibitors and lidocaine in vitro. Sodium currents were examined with a whole cell patch clamp. Results Mouse and human neutrophils express multiple voltage-gated sodium channels. Only Nav1.3 was detected in neutrophils recruited to ischemic mouse heart (25 ± 7%, n = 14) and kidney (19 ± 2%, n = 6) in vivo. Endothelial adhesion of mouse neutrophils was reduced by tetrodotoxin (56 ± 9%, unselective Nav-inhibitor), ICA121431 (53 ± 10%), and Pterinotoxin-2 (55 ± 9%; preferential inhibitors of Nav1.3, n = 10). Tetrodotoxin (56 ± 19%), ICA121431 (62 ± 22%), and Pterinotoxin-2 (59 ± 22%) reduced transmigration of human neutrophils through endothelial cells, and also prevented chemotactic migration (n = 60, 3 × 20 cells). Lidocaine reduced neutrophil adhesion to 60 ± 9% (n = 10) and transmigration to 54 ± 8% (n = 9). The effect of lidocaine was not increased by ICA121431 or Pterinotoxin-2. Conclusions Nav1.3 is expressed in neutrophils in vivo; regulates attachment, transmigration, and chemotaxis in vitro; and may serve as a relevant target for antiinflammatory effects of lidocaine.

scholarly journals Axons provide the secretory machinery for trafficking of voltage-gated sodium channels in peripheral nerve

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 1823-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina González ◽  
José Cánovas ◽  
Javiera Fresno ◽  
Eduardo Couve ◽  
Felipe A. Court ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Neural Function ◽  
Axonal Membrane ◽  
Local Synthesis ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels

The regulation of the axonal proteome is key to generate and maintain neural function. Fast and slow axoplasmic waves have been known for decades, but alternative mechanisms to control the abundance of axonal proteins based on local synthesis have also been identified. The presence of the endoplasmic reticulum has been documented in peripheral axons, but it is still unknown whether this localized organelle participates in the delivery of axonal membrane proteins. Voltage-gated sodium channels are responsible for action potentials and are mostly concentrated in the axon initial segment and nodes of Ranvier. Despite their fundamental role, little is known about the intracellular trafficking mechanisms that govern their availability in mature axons. Here we describe the secretory machinery in axons and its contribution to plasma membrane delivery of sodium channels. The distribution of axonal secretory components was evaluated in axons of the sciatic nerve and in spinal nerve axons after in vivo electroporation. Intracellular protein trafficking was pharmacologically blocked in vivo and in vitro. Axonal voltage-gated sodium channel mRNA and local trafficking were examined by RT-PCR and a retention-release methodology. We demonstrate that mature axons contain components of the endoplasmic reticulum and other biosynthetic organelles. Axonal organelles and sodium channel localization are sensitive to local blockade of the endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi transport. More importantly, secretory organelles are capable of delivering sodium channels to the plasma membrane in isolated axons, demonstrating an intrinsic capacity of the axonal biosynthetic route in regulating the axonal proteome in mammalian axons.

scholarly journals Tracking S4 movement by gating pore currents in the bacterial sodium channel NaChBac

2014 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamer M. Gamal El-Din ◽  
Todd Scheuer ◽  
William A. Catterall
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Periodic Paralysis ◽  
Membrane Potentials ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
Gating Charges

Voltage-gated sodium channels mediate the initiation and propagation of action potentials in excitable cells. Transmembrane segment S4 of voltage-gated sodium channels resides in a gating pore where it senses the membrane potential and controls channel gating. Substitution of individual S4 arginine gating charges (R1–R3) with smaller amino acids allows ionic currents to flow through the mutant gating pore, and these gating pore currents are pathogenic in some skeletal muscle periodic paralysis syndromes. The voltage dependence of gating pore currents provides information about the transmembrane position of the gating charges as S4 moves in response to membrane potential. Here we studied gating pore current in mutants of the homotetrameric bacterial sodium channel NaChBac in which individual arginine gating charges were replaced by cysteine. Gating pore current was observed for each mutant channel, but with different voltage-dependent properties. Mutating the first (R1C) or second (R2C) arginine to cysteine resulted in gating pore current at hyperpolarized membrane potentials, where the channels are in resting states, but not at depolarized potentials, where the channels are activated. Conversely, the R3C gating pore is closed at hyperpolarized membrane potentials and opens with channel activation. Negative conditioning pulses revealed time-dependent deactivation of the R3C gating pore at the most hyperpolarized potentials. Our results show sequential voltage dependence of activation of gating pore current from R1 to R3 and support stepwise outward movement of the substituted cysteines through the narrow portion of the gating pore that is sealed by the arginine side chains in the wild-type channel. This pattern of voltage dependence of gating pore current is consistent with a sliding movement of the S4 helix through the gating pore. Through comparison with high-resolution models of the voltage sensor of bacterial sodium channels, these results shed light on the structural basis for pathogenic gating pore currents in periodic paralysis syndromes.

scholarly journals Differential Effects of Modified Batrachotoxins on Voltage-gated Sodium Channel Fast and Slow Inactivation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim M. G. MacKenzie ◽  
Fayal Abderemane-Ali ◽  
Catherine E. Garrison ◽  
Daniel L. Minor Jr. ◽  
Justin Du Bois
Keyword(s):  
De Novo ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Ion Selectivity ◽  
Allosteric Modulators ◽  
Slow Inactivation ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
Initiation And Propagation

Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na<sub>V</sub>s), large transmembrane protein complexes responsible for the initiation and propagation of action potentials, are targets for a number of acute poisons. Many of these agents act as allosteric modulators of channel activity and serve as powerful chemical tools for understanding channel function. Batrachotoxin (BTX) is a steroidal amine derivative most commonly associated with poison dart frogs and is unique as a Na<sub>V</sub> ligand in that it alters every property of the channel, including threshold potential of activation, inactivation, ion selectivity, and ion conduction. Structure-function studies with BTX are limited, however, by the inability to access preparative quantities of this compound from natural sources. We have addressed this problem through <i>de novo</i> synthesis of BTX, which gives access to modified toxin structures. In this report, we detail electrophysiology studies of three BTX C20-ester derivatives against recombinant Na<sub>V</sub> subtypes (rat Na<sub>V</sub>1.4 and human Na<sub>V</sub>1.5). Two of these compounds, BTX-B and BTX-<sup>c</sup>Hx, are functionally equivalent to BTX, hyperpolarizing channel activation and blocking both fast and slow inactivation. BTX-yne—a C20-<i>n</i>-heptynoate ester—is a conspicuous outlier, eliminating fast but not slow inactivation. This unique property qualifies BTX-yne as the first reported Na<sub>V</sub> modulator that separates inactivation processes. These findings are supported by functional studies with bacterial Na<sub>V</sub>s (BacNa<sub>V</sub>s) that lack a fast inactivation gate. The availability of BTX-yne should advance future efforts aimed at understanding Na<sub>V</sub> gating mechanisms and designing allosteric regulators of Na<sub>V</sub> activity.

Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel β1 Gene: An Overview

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Hisham Al-Ward ◽  
Chun-Yang Liu ◽  
Ning Liu ◽  
Fahmi Shaher ◽  
Murad Al-Nusaif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Brugada Syndrome ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Sodium Ion ◽  
Dravet Syndrome ◽  
Β Subunit ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Voltage-gated sodium channels are protein complexes composed of 2 subunits, namely, pore-forming α- and regulatory β-subunits. A β-subunit consists of 5 proteins encoded by 4 genes (i.e., <i>SCN1B–SCN4B</i>). <b><i>Summary:</i></b> β<sub>1</sub>-Subunits regulate sodium ion channel functions, including gating properties, subcellular localization, and kinetics. <b><i>Key Message:</i></b> Sodium channel β<sub>1</sub>- and its variant β<sub>1B</sub>-subunits are encoded by <i>SCN1B</i>. These variants are associated with many human diseases, such as epilepsy, Brugada syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and cancers. On the basis of previous research, we aimed to provide an overview of the structure, expression, and involvement of <i>SCN1B</i> in physiological processes and focused on its role in diseases.

scholarly journals The periodic axon membrane skeleton leads to high-density sodium nanodomains but does not impact action potentials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaojie Chai ◽  
Anastasios V. Tzingonunis ◽  
George Lykotrafitis
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
High Density ◽  
Homogeneous Distribution ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Periodic Distribution ◽  
Voltage Gated Sodium Channels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Periodic Arrangement

ABSTRACTRecent work has established that axons have a periodic skeleton structure comprising of azimuthal actin rings connected via longitudinal spectrin tetramer filaments. This structure endows the axon with structural integrity and mechanical stability. Additionally, voltage-gated sodium channels follow the periodicity of the active-spectrin arrangement, spaced ∼190 nm segments apart. The impact of this periodic sodium channel arrangement on the generation and propagation of action potentials is unknown. To address this question, we simulated an action potential using the Hodgkin-Huxley formalism in a cylindrical compartment but instead of using a homogeneous distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels in the membrane, we applied the experimentally determined periodic arrangement. We found that the periodic distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels does not significantly affect the generation or propagation of action potentials, but instead leads to high-density sodium channel nanodomains. This work provides a foundation for future studies investigating the role of the voltage-gated sodium channel periodic arrangement in the axon.

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