scholarly journals Molecular Choreography and Structure of Ca2+ Release-Activated Ca2+ (CRAC) and KCa2+ Channels and Their Relevance in Disease with Special Focus on Cancer

Membranes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Adéla Tiffner ◽  
Isabella Derler

Ca2+ ions play a variety of roles in the human body as well as within a single cell. Cellular Ca2+ signal transduction processes are governed by Ca2+ sensing and Ca2+ transporting proteins. In this review, we discuss the Ca2+ and the Ca2+-sensing ion channels with particular focus on the structure-function relationship of the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) ion channel, the Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa2+) ion channels, and their modulation via other cellular components. Moreover, we highlight their roles in healthy signaling processes as well as in disease with a special focus on cancer. As KCa2+ channels are activated via elevations of intracellular Ca2+ levels, we summarize the current knowledge on the action mechanisms of the interplay of CRAC and KCa2+ ion channels and their role in cancer cell development.

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Jinsung Kim ◽  
Juyeon Ko ◽  
Chansik Hong ◽  
Insuk So

The study of the structure–function relationship of ion channels has been one of the most challenging goals in contemporary physiology. Revelation of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of ion channels has facilitated our understanding of many of the submolecular mechanisms inside ion channels, such as selective permeability, voltage dependency, agonist binding, and inter-subunit multimerization. Identifying the structure–function relationship of the ion channels is clinically important as well since only such knowledge can imbue potential therapeutics with practical possibilities. In a sense, recent advances in the understanding of the structure–relationship of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels look promising since human TRPC channels are calcium-permeable, non-selective cation channels expressed in many tissues such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, kidney, heart, vasculature, and brain. TRPC channels are known to regulate GI contractility and motility, pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, podocyte injury, seizure, fear, anxiety-like behavior, and many others. In this article, we tried to elaborate recent findings of Cryo-EM (cryogenic-electron microscopy) based structural information of TRPC 4 and 5 channels and domain-specific functions of the channel, such as G-protein mediated activation mechanism, extracellular modification of the channel, homo/hetero-tetramerization, and pharmacological gating mechanisms.


Physiology ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
CV Rojas

Ion channels have lately received much attention by geneticists and molecular biologists owing to the discovery of several inherited human "ion channels disorders". Important contributions to the understanding not only of pathogenesis, but also of the structure-function relationship of ion channels, have come from the functional analysis of these natually occurring mutant channels.


2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao Yang ◽  
Zhi-Li Huang ◽  
Ya-Xiong Tao

The melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) is a member of the family A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The MC3R remains the most enigmatic of the melanocortin receptors with regard to its physiological functions, especially its role in energy homeostasis. The N/DPxxY motif and the eighth helix (helix 8) in the carboxyl terminus of GPCRs have been identified to be important for receptor expression, ligand binding, signal transduction and internalization. To gain a better understanding of the structure-function relationship of MC3R, we performed a systematic study of all 20 residues in this domain using alanine-scanning mutagenesis. We showed that although all mutants were expressed normally on the cell surface, eleven residues were important for ligand binding and one was indispensable for downstream cAMP generation. F347A showed constitutive activity in cAMP signaling while all the other mutants had normal basal activities. We studied the signaling capacity of nine mutants in the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. All of these mutants showed normal basal ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels. The pERK1/2 levels of six binding- or signaling-defective mutants were enhanced upon agonist stimulation. The unbalanced cAMP and pERK1/2 signaling pathways suggested the existence of biased signaling in MC3R mutants. In summary, we showed that the DPLIY motif and helix 8 was important for MC3R activation and signal transduction. Our data led to a better understanding of the structure-function relationship of MC3R.


Biochemistry ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 2592-2600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yee Hsiung Chen ◽  
Jang Chyi Tai ◽  
Wan Jen Huang ◽  
Ming Zong Lai ◽  
Mien Chie Hung ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Gil L. ◽  
Pedro A. Valiente ◽  
Pedro G. Pascutti ◽  
Tirso Pons

The development of efficient and selective antimalariais remains a challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. The aspartic proteases plasmepsins, whose inhibition leads to parasite death, are classified as targets for the design of potent drugs. Combinatorial synthesis is currently being used to generate inhibitor libraries for these enzymes, and together with computational methodologies have been demonstrated capable for the selection of lead compounds. The high structural flexibility of plasmepsins, revealed by their X-ray structures and molecular dynamics simulations, made even more complicated the prediction of putative binding modes, and therefore, the use of common computational tools, like docking and free-energy calculations. In this review, we revised the computational strategies utilized so far, for the structure-function relationship studies concerning the plasmepsin family, with special focus on the recent advances in the improvement of the linear interaction estimation (LIE) method, which is one of the most successful methodologies in the evaluation of plasmepsin-inhibitor binding affinity.


1987 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 219-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Fiers ◽  
Rudi Beyaert ◽  
Peter Brouckaert ◽  
Bart Everaerdt ◽  
Guy Haegeman ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Huang ◽  
Ya-Xiong Tao

The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a critical regulator of energy homeostasis and has emerged as a premier target for obesity treatment. Numerous mutations in transmembrane domain 6 (TM6) of MC4R resulting in functional alterations have been identified in obese patients. Several mutagenesis studies also provided some data suggesting the importance of this domain in receptor function. To gain a better understanding of the structure–function relationship of the receptor, we performed alanine-scanning mutagenesis in TM6 to determine the functions of side chains. Of the 31 residues, two were important for cell surface expression, five were indispensable for α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and β-MSH binding, and six were important for signaling in the Gs–cAMP–PKA pathway. H264A, targeted normally to the plasma membrane, was undetectable by competitive binding assay and severely defective in basal and stimulated cAMP production and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Nine mutants had decreased basal cAMP signaling. Seven mutants were constitutively active in cAMP signaling and their basal activities could be inhibited by two MC4R inverse agonists, Ipsen 5i and ML00253764. Five mutants were also constitutively active in the MAPK pathway with enhanced basal ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In summary, our study provided comprehensive data on the structure–function relationship of the TM6 of MC4R. We identified residues that are important for cell surface expression, ligand binding, cAMP generation, and residues for maintaining the WT receptor in active conformation. We also reported constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway and biased signaling. These data will be useful for rationally designing MC4R agonists and antagonists for treatment of eating disorders.


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