scholarly journals Helix breaking transition in the S4 of HCN channel is critical for hyperpolarization-dependent gating

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina A Kasimova ◽  
Debanjan Tewari ◽  
John B Cowgill ◽  
Willy Carrasquel Ursuleaz ◽  
Jenna L Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
Inward Rectification ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Gating Charge ◽  
Helical Turn ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

In contrast to most voltage-gated ion channels, hyperpolarization- and cAMP gated (HCN) ion channels open on hyperpolarization. Structure-function studies show that the voltage-sensor of HCN channels are unique but the mechanisms that determine gating polarity remain poorly understood. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations (~20 μs) of HCN1 channel under hyperpolarization reveals an initial downward movement of the S4 voltage-sensor but following the transfer of last gating charge, the S4 breaks into two sub-helices with the lower sub-helix becoming parallel to the membrane. Functional studies on bipolar channels show that the gating polarity strongly correlates with helical turn propensity of the substituents at the breakpoint. Remarkably, in a proto-HCN background, the replacement of breakpoint serine with a bulky hydrophobic amino acid is sufficient to completely flip the gating polarity from inward to outward-rectifying. Our studies reveal an unexpected mechanism of inward rectification involving a linker sub-helix emerging from HCN S4 during hyperpolarization.

scholarly journals Intermediate state trapping of a voltage sensor

2012 ◽  
Vol 140 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérôme J. Lacroix ◽  
Stephan A. Pless ◽  
Luca Maragliano ◽  
Fabiana V. Campos ◽  
Jason D. Galpin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Intermediate State ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
Functional Coupling ◽  
Kv Channel ◽  
New Information ◽  
Helical Turn ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels

Voltage sensor domains (VSDs) regulate ion channels and enzymes by undergoing conformational changes depending on membrane electrical signals. The molecular mechanisms underlying the VSD transitions are not fully understood. Here, we show that some mutations of I241 in the S1 segment of the Shaker Kv channel positively shift the voltage dependence of the VSD movement and alter the functional coupling between VSD and pore domains. Among the I241 mutants, I241W immobilized the VSD movement during activation and deactivation, approximately halfway between the resting and active states, and drastically shifted the voltage activation of the ionic conductance. This phenotype, which is consistent with a stabilization of an intermediate VSD conformation by the I241W mutation, was diminished by the charge-conserving R2K mutation but not by the charge-neutralizing R2Q mutation. Interestingly, most of these effects were reproduced by the F244W mutation located one helical turn above I241. Electrophysiology recordings using nonnatural indole derivatives ruled out the involvement of cation-Π interactions for the effects of the Trp inserted at positions I241 and F244 on the channel’s conductance, but showed that the indole nitrogen was important for the I241W phenotype. Insight into the molecular mechanisms responsible for the stabilization of the intermediate state were investigated by creating in silico the mutations I241W, I241W/R2K, and F244W in intermediate conformations obtained from a computational VSD transition pathway determined using the string method. The experimental results and computational analysis suggest that the phenotype of I241W may originate in the formation of a hydrogen bond between the indole nitrogen atom and the backbone carbonyl of R2. This work provides new information on intermediate states in voltage-gated ion channels with an approach that produces minimum chemical perturbation.

scholarly journals The HCN Channel Voltage Sensor Undergoes A Large Downward Motion During Hyperpolarization

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gucan Dai ◽  
Teresa K. Aman ◽  
Frank DiMaio ◽  
William N. Zagotta
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Metal Ion ◽  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
The Body ◽  
Resting Membrane Potential ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Open Probability ◽  
Membrane Hyperpolarization ◽  
Transmembrane Voltage

Voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) underlie almost all electrical signaling in the body1. They change their open probability in response to changes in transmembrane voltage, allowing permeant ions to flow across the cell membrane. Ion flow through VGICs underlies numerous physiological processes in excitable cells1. In particular, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, which operate at the threshold of excitability, are essential for pacemaking activity, resting membrane potential, and synaptic integration2. VGICs contain a series of positively-charged residues that are displaced in response to changes in transmembrane voltage, resulting in a conformational change that opens the pore3–6. These voltage-sensing charges, which reside in the S4 transmembrane helix of the voltage-sensor domain (VSD)3 and within the membrane’s electric field, are thought to move towards the inside of the cell (downwards) during membrane hyperpolarization7. HCN channels are unique among VGICs because their open probability is increased by membrane hyperpolarization rather than depolarization8–10. The mechanism underlying this “reverse gating” is still unclear. Moreover, although many X-ray crystal and cryo-EM structures have been solved for the depolarized state of the VSD, including that of HCN channels11, no structures have been solved at hyperpolarized voltages. Here we measure the precise movement of the charged S4 helix of an HCN channel using transition metal ion fluorescence resonance energy transfer (tmFRET). We show that the S4 undergoes a significant (~10 Å) downward movement in response to membrane hyperpolarization. Furthermore, by applying constraints determined from tmFRET experiments to Rosetta modeling, we reveal that the carboxyl-terminal part of the S4 helix exhibits an unexpected tilting motion during hyperpolarization activation. These data provide a long-sought glimpse of the hyperpolarized state of a functioning VSD and also a framework for understanding the dynamics of reverse gating in HCN channels. Our methods can be broadly applied to probe short-distance rearrangements in other ion channels and membrane proteins.

scholarly journals Bipolar Switching by HCN Voltage Sensor Underlies Hyperpolarization Activation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cowgill ◽  
Vadim A. Klenchin ◽  
Claudia Alvarez-Baron ◽  
Debanjan Tewari ◽  
Alexander Blair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Sensor Interface ◽  
Bipolar Switching ◽  
Full Complement ◽  
Common Principle ◽  
Pore Opening ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels ◽  
Common Architecture

SUMMARYDespite sharing a common architecture with archetypal voltage-gated ion channels (VGIC), the hyperpolarization- and cyclic AMP-activated ion (HCN) channels open upon hyperpolarization rather than depolarization. The basic motions of voltage sensor and pore gates are conserved implying that these domains are inversely coupled in HCN channels. Using structure-guided protein engineering, we systematically assembled an array of mosaic channels that display the full complement of voltage-activation phenotypes observed in the VGIC superfamily. Our studies reveal that the voltage-sensing S3b-S4 transmembrane segment of the HCN channel has an intrinsic ability to drive pore opening in either direction. Specific contacts at the pore-voltage sensor interface and unique interactions near the pore gate forces the HCN channel into a hERG-like inactivated state, thereby obscuring their opening upon depolarization. Our findings reveal an unexpected common principle underpinning voltage gating in the VGIC superfamily and identify the essential determinants of gating polarity.

scholarly journals Bipolar switching by HCN voltage sensor underlies hyperpolarization activation

2018 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 670-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cowgill ◽  
Vadim A. Klenchin ◽  
Claudia Alvarez-Baron ◽  
Debanjan Tewari ◽  
Alexander Blair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Structural Element ◽  
Bipolar Switching ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Full Complement ◽  
Common Principle ◽  
Pore Opening ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels ◽  
Common Architecture

Despite sharing a common architecture with archetypal voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), hyperpolarization- and cAMP-activated ion (HCN) channels open upon hyperpolarization rather than depolarization. The basic motions of the voltage sensor and pore gates are conserved, implying that these domains are inversely coupled in HCN channels. Using structure-guided protein engineering, we systematically assembled an array of mosaic channels that display the full complement of voltage-activation phenotypes observed in the VGIC superfamily. Our studies reveal that the voltage sensor of the HCN channel has an intrinsic ability to drive pore opening in either direction and that the extra length of the HCN S4 is not the primary determinant for hyperpolarization activation. Tight interactions at the HCN voltage sensor–pore interface drive the channel into an hERG-like inactivated state, thereby obscuring its opening upon depolarization. This structural element in synergy with the HCN cyclic nucleotide-binding domain and specific interactions near the pore gate biases the channel toward hyperpolarization-dependent opening. Our findings reveal an unexpected common principle underpinning voltage gating in the VGIC superfamily and identify the essential determinants of gating polarity.

scholarly journals In-Silico Electrophysiology: On the Activation of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 107a ◽  
Author(s):  
Mounir Tarek ◽  
Lucie Delemotte ◽  
Marina Kasimova ◽  
Michael L. Klein ◽  
Vincenzo Carnevale
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Ion Channels ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Gated Ion Channels

Gating charge displacement in voltage-gated ion channels involves limited transmembrane movement

Nature ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 436 (7052) ◽  
pp. 852-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baron Chanda ◽  
Osei Kwame Asamoah ◽  
Rikard Blunck ◽  
Benoît Roux ◽  
Francisco Bezanilla
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Gating Charge ◽  
Charge Displacement ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels ◽  
Gated Ion Channels

scholarly journals S4 Movement in a Mammalian HCN Channel

2003 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sriharsha Vemana ◽  
Shilpi Pandey ◽  
H. Peter Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
K Channel ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Voltage Range ◽  
Kv Channels ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Hcn1 Channels

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide–gated ion channels (HCN) mediate an inward cation current that contributes to spontaneous rhythmic firing activity in the heart and the brain. HCN channels share sequence homology with depolarization-activated Kv channels, including six transmembrane domains and a positively charged S4 segment. S4 has been shown to function as the voltage sensor and to undergo a voltage-dependent movement in the Shaker K+ channel (a Kv channel) and in the spHCN channel (an HCN channel from sea urchin). However, it is still unknown whether S4 undergoes a similar movement in mammalian HCN channels. In this study, we used cysteine accessibility to determine whether there is voltage-dependent S4 movement in a mammalian HCN1 channel. Six cysteine mutations (R247C, T249C, I251C, S253C, L254C, and S261C) were used to assess S4 movement of the heterologously expressed HCN1 channel in Xenopus oocytes. We found a state-dependent accessibility for four S4 residues: T249C and S253C from the extracellular solution, and L254C and S261C from the internal solution. We conclude that S4 moves in a voltage-dependent manner in HCN1 channels, similar to its movement in the spHCN channel. This S4 movement suggests that the role of S4 as a voltage sensor is conserved in HCN channels. In addition, to determine the reason for the different cAMP modulation and the different voltage range of activation in spHCN channels compared with HCN1 channels, we constructed a COOH-terminal–deleted spHCN. This channel appeared to be similar to a COOH-terminal–deleted HCN1 channel, suggesting that the main functional differences between spHCN and HCN1 channels are due to differences in their COOH termini or in the interaction between the COOH terminus and the rest of the channel protein in spHCN channels compared with HCN1 channels.

scholarly journals Cryo-EM structure of the KvAP channel reveals a non-domain-swapped voltage sensor topology

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Tao ◽  
Roderick MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Ion Channels ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Voltage Sensor ◽  
Structural Domains ◽  
Structural Class ◽  
Voltage Sensors ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Voltage Gated Ion Channels ◽  
Gated Ion Channels

Conductance in voltage-gated ion channels is regulated by membrane voltage through structural domains known as voltage sensors. A single structural class of voltage sensor domain exists, but two different modes of voltage sensor attachment to the pore occur in nature: domain-swapped and non-domain-swapped. Since the more thoroughly studied Kv1-7, Nav and Cav channels have domain-swapped voltage sensors, much less is known about non-domain-swapped voltage-gated ion channels. In this paper, using cryo-EM, we show that KvAP from Aeropyrum pernix has non-domain-swapped voltage sensors as well as other unusual features. The new structure, together with previous functional data, suggests that KvAP and the Shaker channel, to which KvAP is most often compared, probably undergo rather different voltage-dependent conformational changes when they open.

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