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R W Aldrich

Publications and source records attributed to R W Aldrich.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

A mutation in S6 of Shaker potassium channels decreases the K+ affinity of an ion binding site revealing ion-ion interactions in the pore.

Under physiological conditions, potassium channels are extraordinarily selective for potassium over other ions. However, in the absence of potassium, certain potassium channels can conduct sodium. Sodium flux is blocked by the addition of low concentrations of potassium. Potassium affinity, and therefore the ability to block sodium current, varies among potassium channel subtypes (Korn, S.J., and S.R. Ikeda. 1995. Science. 269:410-412; Starkus, J.G., L. Kuschel, M.D. Rayner, and S.H. Heinemann. 1997. J. Gen. Physiol. 110:539-550). The Shaker potassium channel conducts sodium poorly in the presence of very low (micromolar) potassium due to its high potassium affinity (Starkus, J.G., L. Kuschel, M.D. Rayner, and S.H. Heinemann. 1997. J. Gen. Physiol. 110:539-550; Ogielska, E.M., and R. W. Aldrich. 1997. Biophys. J. 72:A233 [Abstr.]). We show that changing a single residue in S6, A463C, decreases the apparent internal potassium affinity of the Shaker channel pore from the micromolar to the millimolar range, as determined from the ability of potassium to block the sodium currents. Independent evidence that A463C decreases the apparent affinity of a binding site in the pore comes from a study of barium block of potassium currents. The A463C mutation decreases the internal barium affinity of the channel, as expected if barium blocks current by binding to a potassium site in the pore. The decrease in the apparent potassium affinity in A463C channels allows further study of possible ion interactions in the pore. Our results indicate that sodium and potassium can occupy the pore simultaneously and that multiple occupancy results in interactions between ions in the channel pore.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Voltage-dependent gating of single wild-type and S4 mutant KAT1 inward rectifier potassium channels.

The voltage-dependent gating mechanism of KAT1 inward rectifier potassium channels was studied using single channel current recordings from Xenopus oocytes injected with KAT1 mRNA. The inward rectification properties of KAT1 result from an intrinsic gating mechanism in the KAT1 channel protein, not from pore block by an extrinsic cation species. KAT1 channels activate with hyperpolarizing potentials from -110 through -190 mV with a slow voltage-dependent time course. Transitions before first opening are voltage dependent and account for much of the voltage dependence of activation, while transitions after first opening are only slightly voltage dependent. Using burst analysis, transitions near the open state were analyzed in detail. A kinetic model with multiple closed states before first opening, a single open state, a single closed state after first opening, and a closed-state inactivation pathway accurately describes the single channel and macroscopic data. Two mutations neutralizing charged residues in the S4 region (R177Q and R176L) were introduced, and their effects on single channel gating properties were examined. Both mutations resulted in depolarizing shifts in the steady state conductance-voltage relationship, shortened first latencies to opening, decreased probability of terminating bursts, and increased burst durations. These effects on gating were well described by changes in the rate constants in the kinetic model describing KAT1 channel gating. All transitions before the open state were affected by the mutations, while the transitions after the open state were unaffected, implying that the S4 region contributes to the early steps in gating for KAT1 channels.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Preferential interaction of omega-conotoxins with inactivated N-type Ca2+ channels.

The selective block of N-type Ca2+ channels by omega-conotoxins has been a hallmark of these channels, critical in delineating their biological roles and molecular characteristics. Here we report that the omega-conotoxin-channel interaction depends strongly on channel gating. N-type channels (alpha1B, alpha2, and beta1) expressed in Xenopus oocytes were blocked with a variety of omega-conotoxins, including omega-CTx-GVIA, omega-CTx-MVIIA, and SNX-331, a derivative of omega-CTx-MVIIC. Changes in holding potential (HP) markedly altered the severity of toxin block and the kinetics of its onset and removal. Notably, strong hyperpolarization renders omega-conotoxin block completely reversible. These effects could be accounted for by a modulated receptor model, in which toxin dissociation from the inactivated state is approximately 60-fold slower than from the resting state. Because omega-conotoxins act exclusively outside cells, our results suggest that voltage-dependent inactivation of Ca2+ channels must be associated with an externally detectable conformational change.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Separation of gating properties from permeation and block in mslo large conductance Ca-activated K+ channels.

In this and the following paper we have examined the kinetic and steady-state properties of macroscopic mslo Ca-activated K+ currents in order to interpret these currents in terms of the gating behavior of the mslo channel. To do so, however, it was necessary to first find conditions by which we could separate the effects that changes in Ca2+ concentration or membrane voltage have on channel permeation from the effects these stimuli have on channel gating. In this study we investigate three phenomena which are unrelated to gating but are manifest in macroscopic current records: a saturation of single channel current at high voltage, a rapid voltage-dependent Ca2+ block, and a slow voltage-dependent Ba2+ block. Where possible methods are described by which these phenomena can be separated from the effects that changes in Ca2+ concentration and membrane voltage have on channel gating. Where this is not possible, some assessment of the impact these effects have on gating parameters determined from macroscopic current measurements is provided. We have also found that without considering the effects of Ca2+ and voltage on channel permeation and block, macroscopic current measurements suggest that mslo channels do not reach the same maximum open probability at all Ca2+ concentrations. Taking into account permeation and blocking effects, however, we find that this is not the case. The maximum open probability of the mslo channel is the same or very similar over a Ca2+ concentration range spanning three orders of magnitude indicating that over this range the internal Ca2+ concentration does not limit the ability of the channel to be activated by voltage.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Intrinsic voltage dependence and Ca2+ regulation of mslo large conductance Ca-activated K+ channels.

The kinetic and steady-state properties of macroscopic mslo Ca-activated K+ currents were studied in excised patches from Xenopus oocytes. In response to voltage steps, the timecourse of both activation and deactivation, but for a brief delay in activation, could be approximated by a single exponential function over a wide range of voltages and internal Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca]i). Activation rates increased with voltage and with [Ca]i, and approached saturation at high [Ca]i. Deactivation rates generally decreased with [Ca]i and voltage, and approached saturation at high [Ca]i. Plots of the macroscopic conductance as a function of voltage (G-V) and the time constant of activation and deactivation shifted leftward along the voltage axis with increasing [Ca]i. G-V relations could be approximated by a Boltzmann function with an equivalent gating charge which ranged between 1.1 and 1.8 e as [Ca]i varied between 0.84 and 1,000 microM. Hill analysis indicates that at least three Ca2+ binding sites can contribute to channel activation. Three lines of evidence indicate that there is at least one voltage-dependent unimolecular conformational change associated with mslo gating that is separate from Ca2+ binding. (a) The position of the mslo G-V relation does not vary logarithmically with [Ca]i. (b) The macroscopic rate constant of activation approaches saturation at high [Ca]i but remains voltage dependent. (c) With strong depolarizations mslo currents can be nearly maximally activated without binding Ca2+. These results can be understood in terms of a channel which must undergo a central voltage-dependent rate limiting conformational change in order to move from closed to open, with rapid Ca2+ binding to both open and closed states modulating this central step.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Allosteric gating of a large conductance Ca-activated K+ channel.

Large-conductance Ca-activated potassium channels (BK channels) are uniquely sensitive to both membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+. Recent work has demonstrated that in the gating of these channels there are voltage-sensitive steps that are separate from Ca2+ binding steps. Based on this result and the macroscopic steady state and kinetic properties of the cloned BK channel mslo, we have recently proposed a general kinetic scheme to describe the interaction between voltage and Ca2+ in the gating of the mslo channel (Cui, J., D.H. Cox, and R.W. Aldrich. 1997. J. Gen. Physiol. In press.). This scheme supposes that the channel exists in two main conformations, closed and open. The conformational change between closed and open is voltage dependent. Ca2+ binds to both the closed and open conformations, but on average binds more tightly to the open conformation and thereby promotes channel opening. Here we describe the basic properties of models of this form and test their ability to mimic mslo macroscopic steady state and kinetic behavior. The simplest form of this scheme corresponds to a voltage-dependent version of the Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) model of allosteric proteins. The success of voltage-dependent MWC models in describing many aspects of mslo gating suggests that these channels may share a common molecular mechanism with other allosteric proteins whose behaviors have been modeled using the MWC formalism. We also demonstrate how this scheme can arise as a simplification of a more complex scheme that is based on the premise that the channel is a homotetramer with a single Ca2+ binding site and a single voltage sensor in each subunit. Aspects of the mslo data not well fitted by the simplified scheme will likely be better accounted for by this more general scheme. The kinetic schemes discussed in this paper may be useful in interpreting the effects of BK channel modifications or mutations.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Conversion of a delayed rectifier K+ channel to a voltage-gated inward rectifier K+ channel by three amino acid substitutions.

Single, double, and triple mutations progressively shift Shaker activation to more hyperpolarized potentials, resulting in an increase in the fraction of inactivated channels at negative resting voltages. The most negatively shifted mutation, the triple mutant, behaves like an inward rectifier. What is usually considered activation of an inward rectifier is, for the triple mutant, recovery from inactivation, and what is usually considered deactivation is inactivation. This conversion from outward rectifier to inward rectifier does not rely on a difference in sign or direction of charge movement of the voltage sensor, since activation of the Shaker outward rectifier is due to a different gate than activation of the triple mutant inward rectifier. Other voltage-dependent inward rectifiers in the Shaker family may work by a similar mechanism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Multiple structural elements in voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels support their inhibition by G proteins.

Molecular determinants of Ca2+ channel responsiveness to inhibition by receptor-coupled G proteins were investigated in Xenopus oocytes. The inhibitory response of alpha1B (N-type) channels was much larger than alpha1A (P/Q-type) channels, while alpha1C (L-type) channels were unresponsive. Differences in both degree and speed of inhibition were accounted for by variations in inhibitor off-rate. We tested proposals that inhibitory G protein and Ca2+ channel beta subunits compete specifically at the I-II loop. G protein-mediated inhibition remained unaltered in alpha1B subunits containing a point mutation in the I-II loop segment critical for Ca2+ channel beta subunit binding, and in chimeras where the I-II loop of alpha1B was replaced with counterparts from alpha1A or alpha1c. Full interconversion between modulatory behaviors of alpha1B and alpha1A was achieved only by swapping both motif I and the C-terminus in combination. Thus, essential structural elements for G protein modulation reside in multiple Ca2+ channel domains.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Cooperative subunit interactions in C-type inactivation of K channels.

C-type inactivation of potassium channels is distinct from N-terminal mediated (N-type) inactivation and involves a closing of the outer mouth of the channel. We have investigated the role of the individual subunits of the tetrameric channel in the C-type inactivation conformational change by comparing the inactivation rates of channels constructed from different combinations of subunits. The relationship between the inactivation rate and the number of fast subunits is exponential, as would be predicted by a cooperative mechanism where the C-type conformational change involves all four subunits, and rules out a mechanism where a conformational change in any of the individual subunits is sufficient for inactivation. Subunit interactions in C-type inactivation are further supported by an interaction between separate mutations affecting C-type inactivation when in either the same or separate subunits.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Molecular determinants of voltage-dependent inactivation in calcium channels.

Voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels respond to membrane depolarization by conformational changes that control channel opening and eventual closing by inactivation. The kinetics of inactivation differ considerably between types of Ca2+ channels and are important in determining the amount of Ca2+ entry during electrical activity and its resulting impact on diverse cellular events. The most intensively characterized forms of inactivation in potassium and sodium channels involve pore block by a tethered plug. In contrast, little is known about the molecular basis of Ca(2+)-channel inactivation. We studied the molecular mechanism of inactivation of voltage-gated calcium channels by making chimaeras from channels with different inactivation rates. We report here that the amino acids responsible for the kinetic differences are localized to membrane-spanning segment S6 of the first repeat of the alpha 1 subunit (IS6), and to putative extracellular and cytoplasmic domains flanking IS6. Involvement of this region in Ca(2+)-channel inactivation was unexpected and raises interesting comparisons with Na+ channels, where the III-IV loop is a critical structural determinant. Ca(2+)-channel inactivation has some features that resemble C-type inactivation of potassium channels.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Regulation of Shaker K+ channel inactivation gating by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

In response to depolarization of the membrane potential, Shaker K+ channels undergo a series of voltage-dependent conformational changes, from resting to open conformations followed by a rapid transition into a long-lived closed conformation, the N-type inactivated state. Application of phosphatases to the cytoplasmic side of Shaker channels in excised inside-out patches slows N-type inactivation gating. Subsequent application of the purified catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and ATP reverses the effect, accelerating N-type inactivation back to its initial rapid rate. Macroscopic and single-channel experiments indicate that N-type inactivation is selectively modulated. There was little or no effect on the voltage dependence and kinetics of activation. Comparison of site-directed mutant channels shows that a C-terminal consensus site for PKA phosphorylation is responsible for the modulation. Since a cell's integrative characteristics can be determined by the rate of inactivation of its voltage-dependent channels, modulation of these rates by phosphorylation is likely to have functional consequences.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1994

Shaker potassium channel gating. I: Transitions near the open state.

Kinetics of single voltage-dependent Shaker potassium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes were studied in the absence of fast N-type inactivation. Comparison of the single-channel first latency distribution and the time course of the ensemble average current showed that the activation time course and its voltage dependence are largely determined by the transitions before first opening. The open dwell time data are consistent with a single kinetically distinguishable open state. Once the channel opens, it can enter at least two closed states which are not traversed frequently during the activation process. The rate constants for the transitions among these closed states and the open state are nearly voltage-independent at depolarized voltages (> -30 mV). During the deactivation process at more negative voltages, the channel can close directly to a closed state in the activation pathway in a voltage-dependent fashion.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Shaker potassium channel gating. II: Transitions in the activation pathway.

Voltage-dependent gating behavior of Shaker potassium channels without N-type inactivation (ShB delta 6-46) expressed in Xenopus oocytes was studied. The voltage dependence of the steady-state open probability indicated that the activation process involves the movement of the equivalent of 12-16 electronic charges across the membrane. The sigmoidal kinetics of the activation process, which is maintained at depolarized voltages up to at least +100 mV indicate the presence of at least five sequential conformational changes before opening. The voltage dependence of the gating charge movement suggested that each elementary transition involves 3.5 electronic charges. The voltage dependence of the forward opening rate, as estimated by the single-channel first latency distribution, the final phase of the macroscopic ionic current activation, the ionic current reactivation and the ON gating current time course, showed movement of the equivalent of 0.3 to 0.5 electronic charges were associated with a large number of the activation transitions. The equivalent charge movement of 1.1 electronic charges was associated with the closing conformational change. The results were generally consistent with models involving a number of independent and identical transitions with a major exception that the first closing transition is slower than expected as indicated by tail current and OFF gating charge measurements.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Shaker potassium channel gating. III: Evaluation of kinetic models for activation.

Predictions of different classes of gating models involving identical conformational changes in each of four subunits were compared to the gating behavior of Shaker potassium channels without N-type inactivation. Each model was tested to see if it could simulate the voltage dependence of the steady state open probability, and the kinetics of the single-channel currents, macroscopic ionic currents and macroscopic gating currents using a single set of parameters. Activation schemes based upon four identical single-step activation processes were found to be incompatible with the experimental results, as were those involving a concerted, opening transition. A model where the opening of the channel requires two conformational changes in each of the four subunits can adequately account for the steady state and kinetic behavior of the channel. In this model, the gating in each subunit is independent except for a stabilization of the open state when all four subunits are activated, and an unstable closed conformation that the channel enters after opening. A small amount of negative cooperativity between the subunits must be added to account quantitatively for the dependence of the activation time course on holding voltage.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Functional stoichiometry of Shaker potassium channel inactivation.

Shaker potassium channels from Drosophila are composed of four identical subunits. The contribution of a single subunit to the inactivation gating transition was investigated. Channels carrying a specific mutation in a single subunit can be labeled in a heterogeneous population and studied quantitatively with scorpion toxin sensitivity as a selection tag. Linkage within a single subunit of a mutation that removes the inactivation gate to a second mutation that affects scorpion toxin sensitivity demonstrates that only a single gate is necessary to produce inactivation. The inactivation rate constant for channels with a single gate was one-fourth that of channels with four gates. In contrast, the rate of recovery from inactivation was independent of the number of gates. It appears that each of the four open inactivation gates in a Shaker potassium channel is independent, but only one of the four gates closes in a mutually exclusive manner.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Interactions of amino terminal domains of Shaker K channels with a pore blocking site studied with synthetic peptides.

Synthetic peptides of the five alternative NH2-terminal sequences of Shaker when applied to the cytoplasmic side of ShB channels that have an NH2-terminal deletion (ShB delta 6-46) block the channel with potencies correlated with the rate of inactivation in the corresponding variant. These peptides share no sequence similarity and yet three out of the five have apparent dissociation constants between 2 and 15 microM, suggesting that the specificity requirements for binding are low. To identify the primary structural determinants required for effective block of ShB delta 6-46, we examined the effects of substitutions made to the 20 residue ShB peptide on association and dissociation rates. Nonpolar residues within the peptide appear to be important in stabilizing the binding through hydrophobic interactions. Substitutions to leucine-7 showed there was a clear correlation between hydrophobicity and the dissociation rate constant (koff) with little effect on the association rate constant (kon). Substituting charged residues for hydrophobic residues within the region 4-8 disrupted binding. Within the COOH-terminal half of the peptide, substitutions that increased the net positive charge increased kon with relatively small changes in koff, suggesting the involvement of long-range electrostatic interactions in increasing the effective concentration of the peptide. Neutralizing charged residues produced small changes in koff. Charges within the region 12-20 act equivalently; alterations which conserved net charge produced little effect on either kon or koff. The results are consistent with this region of the peptide having an extended conformation and suggest that when bound this region makes few contacts with the channel protein and remains relatively unconstrained. Analogous mutations within the NH2-terminal domain of the intact ShB channel produced qualitatively similar effects on blocking and unblocking rates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Energetics of Shaker K channels block by inactivation peptides.

A synthetic peptide of the NH2-terminal inactivation domain of the ShB channel blocks Shaker channels which have an NH2-terminal deletion and mimics many of the characteristics of the intramolecular inactivation reaction. To investigate the role of electrostatic interactions in both peptide block and the inactivation process we measured the kinetics of block of macroscopic currents recorded from the intact ShB channel, and from ShB delta 6-46 channels in the presence of peptides, at different ionic strengths. The rate of inactivation and the association rate constants (k(on)) for the ShB peptides decreased with increasing ionic strength. k(on) for a more positively charged peptide was more steeply dependent on ionic strength consistent with a simple electrostatic mechanism of enhanced diffusion. This suggests that a rate limiting step in the inactivation process is the diffusion of the NH2-terminal domain towards the pore. The dissociation rates (k(off)) were insensitive to ionic strength. The temperature dependence of k(on) for the ShB peptide was very high, (Q10 = 5.0 +/- 0.58), whereas k(off) was relatively temperature insensitive (Q10 approximately 1.1). The results suggest that at higher temperatures the proportion of time either the peptide or channel spends in the correct conformation for binding is increased. There were two components to the time course of recovery from block by the ShB peptide, indicating two distinct blocked states, one of which has similar kinetics and dependence on external K+ concentration as the inactivated state of ShB. The other is voltage-dependent and at -120 mV is very unstable. Increasing the net charge on the peptide did not increase sensitivity to knock-off by external K+. We propose that the free peptide, having fewer constraints than the tethered NH2-terminal domain binds to a similar site on the channel in at least two different conformations.

Animals↗