scholarly journals Proximal clustering between BK and CaV1.3 channels promotes functional coupling and BK channel activation at low voltage

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Vivas ◽  
Claudia M Moreno ◽  
Luis F Santana ◽  
Bertil Hille
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Calcium Influx ◽  
Sympathetic Neurons ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Channel Activation

CaV-channel dependent activation of BK channels is critical for feedback control of both calcium influx and cell excitability. Here we addressed the functional and spatial interaction between BK and CaV1.3 channels, unique CaV1 channels that activate at low voltages. We found that when BK and CaV1.3 channels were co-expressed in the same cell, BK channels started activating near −50 mV, ~30 mV more negative than for activation of co-expressed BK and high-voltage activated CaV2.2 channels. In addition, single-molecule localization microscopy revealed striking clusters of CaV1.3 channels surrounding clusters of BK channels and forming a multi-channel complex both in a heterologous system and in rat hippocampal and sympathetic neurons. We propose that this spatial arrangement allows tight tracking between local BK channel activation and the gating of CaV1.3 channels at quite negative membrane potentials, facilitating the regulation of neuronal excitability at voltages close to the threshold to fire action potentials.

BK channel activation by L-type Ca2+ channels CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 during the subthreshold phase of an action potential

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber E Plante ◽  
Joshua P Whitt ◽  
Andrea L. Meredith
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Action Potential ◽  
Firing Rate ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Action Potential Firing ◽  
Channel Activation ◽  
Potential Firing ◽  
Current Activation

Mammalian circadian (24-hour) rhythms are timed by the pattern of spontaneous action potential firing in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This oscillation in firing is produced through circadian regulation of several membrane currents, including large-conductance Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ (BK) and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents. During the day, steady-state BK currents depend mostly on LTCCs for activation, while at night, they depend predominantly on RyRs. However, the contribution of these Ca2+ channels to BK channel activation during action potential firing has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we used a pharmacological approach to determine that both LTCCs and RyRs contribute to the baseline membrane potential of SCN action potential waveforms, as well as action potential-evoked BK current, during the day and night, respectively. Since the baseline membrane potential is a major determinant of circadian firing rate, we focused on the LTCCs contributing to low voltage activation of BK channels during the subthreshold phase. For these experiments, two LTCC subtypes found in SCN (CaV1.2 and CaV1.3) were co-expressed with BK channels in heterologous cells, where their differential contributions could be separately measured. CaV1.3 channels produced currents that were shifted to more hyperpolarized potentials compared to CaV1.2, resulting in increased subthreshold Ca2+ and BK currents during an action potential command. These results show that while multiple Ca2+ sources in SCN can contribute to the activation of BK current during an action potential, specific BK-CaV1.3 partnerships may optimize the subthreshold BK current activation that is critical for firing rate regulation.

scholarly journals Glutamate-activated BK channel complexes formed with NMDA receptors

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (38) ◽  
pp. E9006-E9014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyuan Zhang ◽  
Xin Guan ◽  
Qin Li ◽  
Andrea L. Meredith ◽  
Hui-Lin Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Formation ◽  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Dentate Gyrus ◽  
Nmda Receptors ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Patch Clamp Recording ◽  
Channel Activation

The large-conductance calcium- and voltage-activated K+ (BK) channel has a requirement of high intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations for its activation in neurons under physiological conditions. The Ca2+ sources for BK channel activation are not well understood. In this study, we showed by coimmunopurification and colocalization analyses that BK channels form complexes with NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in both rodent brains and a heterologous expression system. The BK–NMDAR complexes are broadly present in different brain regions. The complex formation occurs between the obligatory BKα and GluN1 subunits likely via a direct physical interaction of the former’s intracellular S0–S1 loop with the latter’s cytosolic regions. By patch-clamp recording on mouse brain slices, we observed BK channel activation by NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ influx in dentate gyrus granule cells. BK channels modulate excitatory synaptic transmission via functional coupling with NMDARs at postsynaptic sites of medial perforant path-dentate gyrus granule cell synapses. A synthesized peptide of the BKα S0–S1 loop region, when loaded intracellularly via recording pipette, abolished the NMDAR-mediated BK channel activation and effect on synaptic transmission. These findings reveal the broad expression of the BK–NMDAR complexes in brain, the potential mechanism underlying the complex formation, and the NMDAR-mediated activation and function of postsynaptic BK channels in neurons.

scholarly journals Knockout of the BK β4-subunit promotes a functional coupling of BK channels and ryanodine receptors that mediate a fAHP-induced increase in excitability

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 456-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Wang ◽  
Vladislav Bugay ◽  
Ling Ling ◽  
Hui-Hsui Chuang ◽  
David B. Jaffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Potential ◽  
Dentate Gyrus ◽  
Ryanodine Receptor ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Current Clamp ◽  
Channel Activation ◽  
Repolarization Phase

BK channels are large-conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channels with diverse properties. Knockout of the accessory BK β4-subunit in hippocampus dentate gyrus granule neurons causes BK channels to change properties from slow-gated type II channels to fast-gated type I channels that sharpen the action potential, increase the fast afterhyperpolarization (fAHP) amplitude, and increase spike frequency. Here we studied the calcium channels that contribute to fast-gated BK channel activation and increased excitability of β4 knockout neurons. By using pharmacological blockers during current-clamp recording, we find that BK channel activation during the fAHP is dependent on ryanodine receptor activation. In contrast, L-type calcium channel blocker (nifedipine) affects the BK channel-dependent repolarization phase of the action potential but has no effect on the fAHP. Reducing BK channel activation during the repolarization phase with nifedipine, or during the fAHP with ryanodine, indicated that it is the BK-mediated increase of the fAHP that confers proexcitatory effects. The proexcitatory role of the fAHP was corroborated using dynamic current clamp. Increase or decrease of the fAHP amplitude during spiking revealed an inverse relationship between fAHP amplitude and interspike interval. Finally, we show that the seizure-prone ryanodine receptor gain-of-function (R2474S) knockin mice have an unaltered repolarization phase but larger fAHP and increased AP frequency compared with their control littermates. In summary, these results indicate that an important role of the β4-subunit is to reduce ryanodine receptor-BK channel functional coupling during the fAHP component of the action potential, thereby decreasing excitability of dentate gyrus neurons.

scholarly journals The single transmembrane segment determines the modulatory function of the BK channel auxiliary γ subunit

2016 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Li ◽  
Xin Guan ◽  
Karen Yen ◽  
Jiyuan Zhang ◽  
Jiusheng Yan
Keyword(s):  
Cell Types ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Channel Activation ◽  
Charged Cluster ◽  
Molecular Determinant ◽  
Function Relationship ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Positively Charged

The large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels consist of the pore-forming, voltage- and Ca2+-sensing α subunits (BKα) and the tissue-specific auxiliary β and γ subunits. The BK channel γ1 subunit is a leucine-rich repeat (LRR)–containing membrane protein that potently facilitates BK channel activation in many tissues and cell types through a vast shift in the voltage dependence of channel activation by ∼140 mV in the hyperpolarizing direction. In this study, we found that the single transmembrane (TM) segment together with its flanking charged residues is sufficient to fully modulate BK channels upon its transplantation into the structurally unrelated β1 subunit. We identified Phe273 and its neighboring residues in the middle of the TM segment and a minimum of three intracellular juxtamembrane Arg residues as important for the γ1 subunit’s modulatory function and observed functional coupling between residues of these two locations. We concluded that the TM segment is a key molecular determinant for channel association and modulation and that the intracellular positively charged cluster is involved mainly in channel association, likely through its TM-anchoring effect. Our findings provide insights into the structure–function relationship of the γ1 subunit in understanding its potent modulatory effects on BK channels.

scholarly journals BK Channel Gating Mechanisms: Progresses Toward a Better Understanding of Variants Linked Neurological Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianmin Cui
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Channel Activation ◽  
Gating Mechanisms ◽  
Intracellular Ca ◽  
Atomistic Structure

The large conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) channel is activated by both membrane potential depolarization and intracellular Ca2+ with distinct mechanisms. Neural physiology is sensitive to the function of BK channels, which is shown by the discoveries of neurological disorders that are associated with BK channel mutations. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of BK channel activation in response to voltage and Ca2+ binding, including the recent progress since the publication of the atomistic structure of the whole BK channel protein, and the neurological disorders associated with BK channel mutations. These results demonstrate the unique mechanisms of BK channel activation and that these mechanisms are important factors in linking BK channel mutations to neurological disorders.

scholarly journals Molecular mechanism of BK channel activation by the smooth muscle relaxant NS11021

2020 ◽  
Vol 152 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Rockman ◽  
Alexandre G. Vouga ◽  
Brad S. Rothberg
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Muscle Relaxant ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Channel Activation ◽  
Voltage Sensors ◽  
Smooth Muscle Relaxant

Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BK channels) are activated by cytosolic calcium and depolarized membrane potential under physiological conditions. Thus, these channels control electrical excitability in neurons and smooth muscle by gating K+ efflux and hyperpolarizing the membrane in response to Ca2+ signaling. Altered BK channel function has been linked to epilepsy, dyskinesia, and other neurological deficits in humans, making these channels a key target for drug therapies. To gain insight into mechanisms underlying pharmacological modulation of BK channel gating, here we studied mechanisms underlying activation of BK channels by the biarylthiourea derivative, NS11021, which acts as a smooth muscle relaxant. We observe that increasing NS11021 shifts the half-maximal activation voltage for BK channels toward more hyperpolarized voltages, in both the presence and nominal absence of Ca2+, suggesting that NS11021 facilitates BK channel activation primarily by a mechanism that is distinct from Ca2+ activation. 30 µM NS11021 slows the time course of BK channel deactivation at −200 mV by ∼10-fold compared with 0 µM NS11021, while having little effect on the time course of activation. This action is most pronounced at negative voltages, at which the BK channel voltage sensors are at rest. Single-channel kinetic analysis further shows that 30 µM NS11021 increases open probability by 62-fold and increases mean open time from 0.15 to 0.52 ms in the nominal absence of Ca2+ at voltages less than −60 mV, conditions in which BK voltage sensors are largely in the resting state. We could therefore account for the major activating effects of NS11021 by a scheme in which the drug primarily shifts the pore-gate equilibrium toward the open state.

scholarly journals Spontaneous Transient Outward Currents Arise from Microdomains Where BK Channels Are Exposed to a Mean Ca2+ Concentration on the Order of 10 μM during a Ca2+ Spark

2002 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronghua ZhuGe ◽  
Kevin E. Fogarty ◽  
Richard A. Tuft ◽  
John V. Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Ryanodine Receptors ◽  
Bk Channels ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Channel Activation ◽  
Membrane Area ◽  
Outward Currents ◽  
Cell Recording ◽  
Excised Patches ◽  
Spontaneous Transient Outward Currents

Ca2+ sparks are small, localized cytosolic Ca2+ transients due to Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum through ryanodine receptors. In smooth muscle, Ca2+ sparks activate large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BK channels) in the spark microdomain, thus generating spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs). The purpose of the present study is to determine experimentally the level of Ca2+ to which the BK channels are exposed during a spark. Using tight seal, whole-cell recording, we have analyzed the voltage-dependence of the STOC conductance (g(STOC)), and compared it to the voltage-dependence of BK channel activation in excised patches in the presence of different [Ca2+]s. The Ca2+ sparks did not change in amplitude over the range of potentials of interest. In contrast, the magnitude of g(STOC) remained roughly constant from 20 to −40 mV and then declined steeply at more negative potentials. From this and the voltage dependence of BK channel activation, we conclude that the BK channels underlying STOCs are exposed to a mean [Ca2+] on the order of 10 μM during a Ca2+ spark. The membrane area over which a concentration ≥10 μM is reached has an estimated radius of 150–300 nm, corresponding to an area which is a fraction of one square micron. Moreover, given the constraints imposed by the estimated channel density and the Ca2+ current during a spark, the BK channels do not appear to be uniformly distributed over the membrane but instead are found at higher density at the spark site.

scholarly journals Nickel suppresses the PACAP-induced increase in guinea pig cardiac neuron excitability

2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (11) ◽  
pp. C857-C866 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Tompkins ◽  
Laura A. Merriam ◽  
Beatrice M. Girard ◽  
Victor May ◽  
Rodney L. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Calcium Influx ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Intercellular Signaling ◽  
Neuron Excitability ◽  
Unique System ◽  
Cell Recording ◽  
Recording Conditions

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a potent intercellular signaling molecule involved in multiple homeostatic functions. PACAP/PAC1 receptor signaling increases excitability of neurons within the guinea pig cardiac ganglia, making them a unique system to establish mechanisms underlying PACAP modulation of neuronal function. Calcium influx is required for the PACAP-increased cardiac neuron excitability, although the pathway is unknown. This study tested whether PACAP enhancement of calcium influx through either T-type or R-type channels contributed to the modulation of excitability. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated transcripts for Cav3.1, Cav3.2, and Cav3.3 T-type isoforms and R-type Cav2.3 in cardiac neurons. These neurons often exhibit a hyperpolarization-induced rebound depolarization that remains when cesium is present to block hyperpolarization-activated nonselective cationic currents ( Ih). The T-type calcium channel inhibitors, nickel (Ni2+) or mibefradil, suppressed the rebound depolarization, and treatment with both drugs hyperpolarized cardiac neurons by 2–4 mV. Together, these results are consistent with the presence of functional T-type channels, potentially along with R-type channels, in these cardiac neurons. Fifty micromolar Ni2+, a concentration that suppresses currents in both T-type and R-type channels, blunted the PACAP-initiated increase in excitability. Ni2+ also blunted PACAP enhancement of the hyperpolarization-induced rebound depolarization and reversed the PACAP-mediated increase in excitability, after being initiated, in a subset of cells. Lastly, low voltage-activated currents, measured under perforated patch whole cell recording conditions and potentially flowing through T-type or R-type channels, were enhanced by PACAP. Together, our results suggest that a PACAP-enhanced, Ni2+-sensitive current contributes to PACAP-induced modulation of neuronal excitability.

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