Cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 18 is an essential Ca2+ channel in pollen tube tips for pollen tube guidance to ovules in Arabidopsis

In flowering plants, pollen tubes are guided into ovules by multiple attractants from female gametophytes to release paired sperm cells for double fertilization. It has been well-established that Ca²⁺ gradients in the pollen tube tips are essential for pollen tube guidance and that plasma membrane Ca²⁺ channels in pollen tube tips are core components that regulate Ca²⁺ gradients by mediating and regulating external Ca²⁺ influx. Therefore, Ca²⁺ channels are the core components for pollen tube guidance. However, there is still no genetic evidence for the identification of the putative Ca²⁺ channels essential for pollen tube guidance. Here, we report that the point mutations R491Q or R578K in cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 18 (CNGC18) resulted in abnormal Ca²⁺ gradients and strong pollen tube guidance defects by impairing the activation of CNGC18 in Arabidopsis. The pollen tube guidance defects of cngc18-17 (R491Q) and of the transfer DNA (T-DNA) insertion mutant cngc18-1 (+/−) were completely rescued by CNGC18. Furthermore, domain-swapping experiments showed that CNGC18’s transmembrane domains are indispensable for pollen tube guidance. Additionally, we found that, among eight Ca²⁺ channels (including six CNGCs and two glutamate receptor-like channels), CNGC18 was the only one essential for pollen tube guidance. Thus, CNGC18 is the long-sought essential Ca²⁺ channel for pollen tube guidance in Arabidopsis.Pollen tubes deliver paired sperm cells into ovules for double fertilization, and signaling communication between pollen tubes and female reproductive tissues is required to ensure the delivery of sperm cells into the ovules (1). Pollen tube guidance is governed by both female sporophytic and gametophytic tissues (2, 3) and can be separated into two categories: preovular guidance and ovular guidance (1). For preovular guidance, diverse signaling molecules from female sporophytic tissues have been identified, including the transmitting tissue-specific (TTS) glycoprotein in tobacco (4), γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) in Arabidopsis (5), and chemocyanin and the lipid transfer protein SCA in Lilium longiflorum (6, 7). For ovular pollen tube guidance, female gametophytes secrete small peptides as attractants, including LUREs in Torenia fournieri (8) and Arabidopsis (9) and ZmEA1 in maize (10, 11). Synergid cells, central cells, egg cells, and egg apparatus are all involved in pollen tube guidance, probably by secreting different attractants (9–15). Additionally, nitric oxide (NO) and phytosulfokine peptides have also been implicated in both preovular and ovular pollen tube guidance (16–18). Thus, pollen tubes could be guided by diverse attractants in a single plant species.Ca²⁺ gradients at pollen tube tips are essential for both tip growth and pollen tube guidance (19–27). Spatial modification of the Ca²⁺ gradients leads to the reorientation of pollen tube growth in vitro (28, 29). The Ca²⁺ gradients were significantly increased in pollen tubes attracted to the micropyles by synergid cells in vivo, compared with those not attracted by ovules (30). Therefore, the Ca²⁺ gradients in pollen tube tips are essential for pollen tube guidance. The Ca²⁺ gradients result from external Ca²⁺ influx, which is mainly mediated by plasma membrane Ca²⁺ channels in pollen tube tips. Thus, the Ca²⁺ channels are the key components for regulating the Ca²⁺ gradients and are consequently essential for pollen tube guidance. Using electrophysiological techniques, inward Ca²⁺ currents were observed in both pollen grain and pollen tube protoplasts (31–36), supporting the presence of plasma membrane Ca²⁺ channels in pollen tube tips. Recently, a number of candidate Ca²⁺ channels were identified in pollen tubes, including six cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) and two glutamate receptor-like channels (GLRs) in Arabidopsis (37–40). Three of these eight channels, namely CNGC18, GLR1.2, and GLR3.7, were characterized as Ca²⁺-permeable channels (40, 41) whereas the ion selectivity of the other five CNGCs has not been characterized. We hypothesized that the Ca²⁺ channel essential for pollen tube guidance could be among these eight channels.In this research, we first characterized the remaining five CNGCs as Ca²⁺ channels. We further found that CNGC18, out of the eight Ca²⁺ channels, was the only one essential for pollen tube guidance in Arabidopsis and that its transmembrane domains were indispensable for pollen tube guidance.     

Rapid stimulus-evoked astrocyte Ca2+ elevations and hemodynamic responses in mouse somatosensory cortex in vivo

Increased neuron and astrocyte activity triggers increased brain blood flow, but controversy exists over whether stimulation-induced changes in astrocyte activity are rapid and widespread enough to contribute to brain blood flow control. Here, we provide evidence for stimulus-evoked Ca²⁺ elevations with rapid onset and short duration in a large proportion of cortical astrocytes in the adult mouse somatosensory cortex. Our improved detection of the fast Ca²⁺ signals is due to a signal-enhancing analysis of the Ca²⁺ activity. The rapid stimulation-evoked Ca²⁺ increases identified in astrocyte somas, processes, and end-feet preceded local vasodilatation. Fast Ca²⁺ responses in both neurons and astrocytes correlated with synaptic activity, but only the astrocytic responses correlated with the hemodynamic shifts. These data establish that a large proportion of cortical astrocytes have brief Ca²⁺ responses with a rapid onset in vivo, fast enough to initiate hemodynamic responses or influence synaptic activity.Brain function emerges from signaling in and between neurons and associated astrocytes, which causes fluctuations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) (1–5). Astrocytes are ideally situated for controlling activity-dependent increases in CBF because they closely associate with synapses and contact blood vessels with their end-feet (1, 6). Whether or not astrocytic Ca²⁺ responses develop often or rapidly enough to account for vascular signals in vivo is still controversial (7–10). Ca²⁺ responses are of interest because intracellular Ca²⁺ is a key messenger in astrocytic communication and because enzymes that synthesize the vasoactive substances responsible for neurovascular coupling are Ca²⁺-dependent (1, 4). Neuronal activity releases glutamate at synapses and activates metabotropic glutamate receptors on astrocytes, and this activation can be monitored by imaging cytosolic Ca²⁺ changes (11). Astrocytic Ca²⁺ responses are often reported to evolve on a slow (seconds) time scale, which is too slow to account for activity-dependent increases in CBF (8, 10, 12, 13). Furthermore, uncaging of Ca²⁺ in astrocytes triggers vascular responses in brain slices through specific Ca²⁺-dependent pathways with a protracted time course (14, 15). More recently, stimulation of single presynaptic neurons in hippocampal slices was shown to evoke fast, brief, local Ca²⁺ elevations in astrocytic processes that were essential for local synaptic functioning in the adult brain (16, 17). This work prompted us to reexamine the characteristics of fast, brief astrocytic Ca²⁺ signals in vivo with special regard to neurovascular coupling, i.e., the association between local increases in neural activity and the concomitant rise in local blood flow, which constitutes the physiological basis for functional neuroimaging.Here, we describe how a previously undescribed method of analysis enabled us to provide evidence for fast Ca²⁺ responses in a main fraction of astrocytes in mouse whisker barrel cortical layers II/III in response to somatosensory stimulation. The astrocytic Ca²⁺ responses were brief enough to be a direct consequence of synaptic excitation and correlated with stimulation-induced hemodynamic responses. Fast Ca²⁺ responses in astrocyte end-feet preceded the onset of dilatation in adjacent vessels by hundreds of milliseconds. This finding might suggest that communication at the gliovascular interface contributes considerably to neurovascular coupling.     

Rab3-interacting molecules 2α and 2β promote the abundance of voltage-gated CaV1.3 Ca2+ channels at hair cell active zones

Ca²⁺ influx triggers the fusion of synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic active zone (AZ). Here we demonstrate a role of Ras-related in brain 3 (Rab3)–interacting molecules 2α and β (RIM2α and RIM2β) in clustering voltage-gated Ca_V1.3 Ca²⁺ channels at the AZs of sensory inner hair cells (IHCs). We show that IHCs of hearing mice express mainly RIM2α, but also RIM2β and RIM3γ, which all localize to the AZs, as shown by immunofluorescence microscopy. Immunohistochemistry, patch-clamp, fluctuation analysis, and confocal Ca²⁺ imaging demonstrate that AZs of RIM2α-deficient IHCs cluster fewer synaptic Ca_V1.3 Ca²⁺ channels, resulting in reduced synaptic Ca²⁺ influx. Using superresolution microscopy, we found that Ca²⁺ channels remained clustered in stripes underneath anchored ribbons. Electron tomography of high-pressure frozen synapses revealed a reduced fraction of membrane-tethered vesicles, whereas the total number of membrane-proximal vesicles was unaltered. Membrane capacitance measurements revealed a reduction of exocytosis largely in proportion with the Ca²⁺ current, whereas the apparent Ca²⁺ dependence of exocytosis was unchanged. Hair cell-specific deletion of all RIM2 isoforms caused a stronger reduction of Ca²⁺ influx and exocytosis and significantly impaired the encoding of sound onset in the postsynaptic spiral ganglion neurons. Auditory brainstem responses indicated a mild hearing impairment on hair cell-specific deletion of all RIM2 isoforms or global inactivation of RIM2α. We conclude that RIM2α and RIM2β promote a large complement of synaptic Ca²⁺ channels at IHC AZs and are required for normal hearing.Tens of Ca_V1.3 Ca²⁺ channels are thought to cluster within the active zone (AZ) membrane underneath the presynaptic density of inner hair cells (IHCs) (1–4). They make up the key signaling element, coupling the sound-driven receptor potential to vesicular glutamate release (5–7). The mechanisms governing the number of Ca²⁺ channels at the AZ as well as their spatial organization relative to membrane-tethered vesicles are not well understood. Disrupting the presynaptic scaffold protein Bassoon diminishes the numbers of Ca²⁺ channels and membrane-tethered vesicles at the AZ (2, 8). However, the loss of Bassoon is accompanied by the loss of the entire synaptic ribbon, which makes it challenging to distinguish the direct effects of gene disruption from secondary effects (9).Among the constituents of the cytomatrix of the AZ, RIM1 and RIM2 proteins are prime candidates for the regulation of Ca²⁺ channel clustering and function (10, 11). The family of RIM proteins has seven identified members (RIM1α, RIM1β, RIM2α, RIM2β, RIM2γ, RIM3γ, and RIM4γ) encoded by four genes (RIM1–RIM4). All isoforms contain a C-terminal C₂ domain but differ in the presence of additional domains. RIM1 and RIM2 interact with Ca²⁺ channels, most other proteins of the cytomatrix of the AZ, and synaptic vesicle proteins. They interact directly with the auxiliary β (Ca_Vβ) subunits (12, 13) and pore-forming Ca_Vα subunits (14, 15). In addition, RIMs are indirectly linked to Ca²⁺ channels via RIM-binding protein (14, 16, 17). A regulation of biophysical channel properties has been demonstrated in heterologous expression systems for RIM1 (12) and RIM2 (13).A role of RIM1 and RIM2 in clustering Ca²⁺ channels at the AZ was demonstrated by analysis of RIM1/2-deficient presynaptic terminals of cultured hippocampal neurons (14), auditory neurons in slices (18), and Drosophila neuromuscular junction (19). Because α-RIMs also bind the vesicle-associated protein Ras-related in brain 3 (Rab3) via the N-terminal zinc finger domain (20), they are also good candidates for molecular coupling of Ca²⁺ channels and vesicles (18, 21, 22). Finally, a role of RIMs in priming of vesicles for fusion is the subject of intense research (18, 21–27). RIMs likely contribute to priming via disinhibiting Munc13 (26) and regulating vesicle tethering (27). Here, we studied the expression and function of RIM in IHCs. We combined molecular, morphologic, and physiologic approaches for the analysis of RIM2α knockout mice [RIM2α SKO (28); see Methods] and of hair cell-specific RIM1/2 knockout mice (RIM1/2 cDKO). We demonstrate that RIM2α and RIM2β are present at IHC AZs of hearing mice, positively regulate the number of synaptic Ca_V1.3 Ca²⁺ channels, and are required for normal hearing.     

From the Cover: Ryanodine receptor fragmentation and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak after one session of high-intensity interval exercise

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient way of improving physical performance in healthy subjects and in patients with common chronic diseases, but less so in elite endurance athletes. The mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of HIIT are uncertain. Here, recreationally active human subjects performed highly demanding HIIT consisting of 30-s bouts of all-out cycling with 4-min rest in between bouts (≤3 min total exercise time). Skeletal muscle biopsies taken 24 h after the HIIT exercise showed an extensive fragmentation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ release channel, the ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1). The HIIT exercise also caused a prolonged force depression and triggered major changes in the expression of genes related to endurance exercise. Subsequent experiments on elite endurance athletes performing the same HIIT exercise showed no RyR1 fragmentation or prolonged changes in the expression of endurance-related genes. Finally, mechanistic experiments performed on isolated mouse muscles exposed to HIIT-mimicking stimulation showed reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS)-dependent RyR1 fragmentation, calpain activation, increased SR Ca²⁺ leak at rest, and depressed force production due to impaired SR Ca²⁺ release upon stimulation. In conclusion, HIIT exercise induces a ROS-dependent RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of recreationally active subjects, and the resulting changes in muscle fiber Ca²⁺-handling trigger muscular adaptations. However, the same HIIT exercise does not cause RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of elite endurance athletes, which may explain why HIIT is less effective in this group.It is increasingly clear that regular physical exercise plays a key role in the general well-being, disease prevention, and longevity of humans. Impaired muscle function manifesting as muscle weakness and premature fatigue development are major health problems associated with the normal aging process as well as with numerous common diseases (1). Physical exercise has a fundamental role in preventing and/or reversing these muscle problems, and training also improves the general health status in numerous diseases (2–4). On the other side of the spectrum, excessive muscle use can induce prolonged force depressions, which may set the limit on training tolerance and performance of top athletes (5, 6).Recent studies imply a key role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ release channel, the ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1), in the reduced muscle strength observed in numerous physiological conditions, such as after strenuous endurance training (6), in situations with prolonged stress (7), and in normal aging (8, 9). Defective RyR1 function is also implied in several pathological states, including generalized inflammatory disorders (10), heart failure (11), and inherited conditions such as malignant hyperthermia (12) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (13). In many of the above conditions, there is a link between the impaired RyR1 function and modifications induced by reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS) (6, 8, 10, 12, 13). Conversely, altered RyR1 function may also be beneficial by increasing the cytosolic free [Ca²⁺] ([Ca²⁺]_i) at rest, which can stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and thereby increase fatigue resistance (14–16). Intriguingly, effective antioxidant treatment hampers beneficial adaptations triggered by endurance training (17–19), and this effect might be due to antioxidants preventing ROS-induced modifications of RyR1 (20).A high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session typically consists of a series of brief bursts of vigorous physical exercise separated by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. A major asset of HIIT is that beneficial adaptations can be obtained with much shorter exercise duration than with traditional endurance training (21–25). HIIT has been shown to effectively stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle and increase endurance in untrained and recreationally active healthy subjects (22, 26), whereas positive effects in elite endurance athletes are less clear (21, 27, 28). Moreover, HIIT improves health and physical performance in various pathological conditions, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes (29, 30). Thus, short bouts of vigorous physical exercise trigger intracellular signaling of large enough magnitude and duration to induce extensive beneficial adaptations in skeletal muscle. The initial signaling that triggers these adaptations is not known.In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a single session of HIIT induces ROS-dependent RyR1 modifications. These modifications might cause prolonged force depression due to impaired SR Ca²⁺ release during contractions. Conversely, they may also initiate beneficial muscular adaptations due to increased SR Ca²⁺ leak at rest.     

The Two-pore channel (TPC) interactome unmasks isoform-specific roles for TPCs in endolysosomal morphology and cell pigmentation

The two-pore channels (TPC1 and TPC2) belong to an ancient family of intracellular ion channels expressed in the endolysosomal system. Little is known about how regulatory inputs converge to modulate TPC activity, and proposed activation mechanisms are controversial. Here, we compiled a proteomic characterization of the human TPC interactome, which revealed that TPCs complex with many proteins involved in Ca²⁺ homeostasis, trafficking, and membrane organization. Among these interactors, TPCs were resolved to scaffold Rab GTPases and regulate endomembrane dynamics in an isoform-specific manner. TPC2, but not TPC1, caused a proliferation of endolysosomal structures, dysregulating intracellular trafficking, and cellular pigmentation. These outcomes required both TPC2 and Rab activity, as well as their interactivity, because TPC2 mutants that were inactive, or rerouted away from their endogenous expression locale, or deficient in Rab binding, failed to replicate these outcomes. Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP)-evoked Ca²⁺ release was also impaired using either a Rab binding-defective TPC2 mutant or a Rab inhibitor. These data suggest a fundamental role for the ancient TPC complex in trafficking that holds relevance for lysosomal proliferative scenarios observed in disease.Two-pore channels (TPCs) are an ancient family of intracellular ion channels and a likely ancestral stepping stone in the evolution of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ channels (1). Architecturally, TPCs resemble a halved voltage-gated Ca²⁺/Na⁺ channel with cytosolic NH₂ and COOH termini, comprising two repeats of six transmembrane spanning helices with a putative pore-forming domain between the fifth and sixth membrane-spanning regions. Since their discovery in vertebrate systems, many studies have investigated the properties of these channels (2–7) that may support such a lengthy evolutionary pedigree.In this context, demonstration that (i) the two human TPC isoforms (TPC1 and TPC2) are uniquely distributed within the endolysosomal system (2, 3) and that (ii) TPC channel activity is activated by the Ca²⁺ mobilizing molecule nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) (4–6) generated considerable excitement that TPCs function as effectors of this mercurial second messenger long known to trigger Ca²⁺ release from “acidic stores.” The spectrum of physiological activities that have been linked to NAADP signaling over the last 25 years (8, 9) may therefore be realized through regulation of TPC activity. However, recent studies have questioned the idea that TPCs are NAADP targets (10, 11), demonstrating instead that TPCs act as Na⁺ channels regulated by the endolysosomal phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P₂. Such controversy (12, 13) underscores how little we know about TPC regulatory inputs and the dynamic composition of TPC complexes within cells.Here, to generate unbiased insight into the cell biology of the TPC complex, we report a proteomic analysis of human TPCs. The TPC interactome establishes a useful community resource as a “rosetta stone” for interrogating the cell biology of TPCs and their regulation. The dataset reveals a predomination of links between TPCs and effectors controlling membrane organization and trafficking, relevant for disease states involving lysosomal proliferation where TPC functionality may be altered (14).     

Loss of Miro1-directed mitochondrial movement results in a novel murine model for neuron disease

Defective mitochondrial distribution in neurons is proposed to cause ATP depletion and calcium-buffering deficiencies that compromise cell function. However, it is unclear whether aberrant mitochondrial motility and distribution alone are sufficient to cause neurological disease. Calcium-binding mitochondrial Rho (Miro) GTPases attach mitochondria to motor proteins for anterograde and retrograde transport in neurons. Using two new KO mouse models, we demonstrate that Miro1 is essential for development of cranial motor nuclei required for respiratory control and maintenance of upper motor neurons required for ambulation. Neuron-specific loss of Miro1 causes depletion of mitochondria from corticospinal tract axons and progressive neurological deficits mirroring human upper motor neuron disease. Although Miro1-deficient neurons exhibit defects in retrograde axonal mitochondrial transport, mitochondrial respiratory function continues. Moreover, Miro1 is not essential for calcium-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial movement or mitochondrial calcium buffering. Our findings indicate that defects in mitochondrial motility and distribution are sufficient to cause neurological disease.Motor neuron diseases (MNDs), including ALS and spastic paraplegia (SP), are characterized by the progressive, length-dependent degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis, and, in some cases, premature death. There are both inherited and sporadic forms of MNDs, which can affect upper motor neurons, lower motor neurons, or both. Although the molecular and cellular causes of most MNDs are unknown, many are associated with defects in axonal transport of cellular components required for neuron function and maintenance (1–6).A subset of MNDs is associated with impaired mitochondrial respiration and mitochondrial distribution. This observation has led to the hypothesis that neurodegeneration results from defects in mitochondrial motility and distribution, which, in turn, cause subcellular ATP depletion and interfere with mitochondrial calcium ([Ca²⁺]_m) buffering at sites of high synaptic activity (reviewed in ref. 7). It is not known, however, whether mitochondrial motility defects are a primary cause or a secondary consequence of MND progression. In addition, it has been difficult to isolate the primary effect of mitochondrial motility defects in MNDs because most mutations that impair mitochondrial motility in neurons also affect transport of other organelles and vesicles (1, 8–11).In mammals, the movement of neuronal mitochondria between the cell body and the synapse is controlled by adaptors called trafficking kinesin proteins (Trak1 and Trak2) and molecular motors (kinesin heavy chain and dynein), which transport the organelle in the anterograde or retrograde direction along axonal microtubule tracks (7, 12–24). Mitochondrial Rho (Miro) GTPase proteins are critical for transport because they are the only known surface receptors that attach mitochondria to these adaptors and motors (12–15, 18, 25, 26). Miro proteins are tail-anchored in the outer mitochondrial membrane with two GTPase domains and two predicted calcium-binding embryonic fibroblast (EF) hand motifs facing the cytoplasm (12, 13, 25, 27, 28). A recent Miro structure revealed two additional EF hands that were not predicted from the primary sequence (29). Studies in cultured cells suggest that Miro proteins also function as calcium sensors (via their EF hands) to regulate kinesin-mediated mitochondrial “stopping” in axons (15, 16, 26). Miro-mediated movement appears to be inhibited when cytoplasmic calcium is elevated in active synapses, effectively recruiting mitochondria to regions where calcium buffering and energy are needed. Despite this progress, the physiological relevance of these findings has not yet been tested in a mammalian animal model. In addition, mammals ubiquitously express two Miro orthologs, Miro1 and Miro2, which are 60% identical (12, 13). However, the individual roles of Miro1 and Miro2 in neuronal development, maintenance, and survival have no been evaluated.We describe two new mouse models that establish the importance of Miro1-mediated mitochondrial motility and distribution in mammalian neuronal function and maintenance. We show that Miro1 is essential for development/maintenance of specific cranial neurons, function of postmitotic motor neurons, and retrograde mitochondrial motility in axons. Loss of Miro1-directed retrograde mitochondrial transport is sufficient to cause MND phenotypes in mice without abrogating mitochondrial respiratory function. Furthermore, Miro1 is not essential for calcium-mediated inhibition of mitochondrial movement or [Ca²⁺]_m buffering. These findings have an impact on current models for Miro1 function and introduce a specific and rapidly progressing mouse model for MND.     

Aberrant calcium signaling by transglutaminase-mediated posttranslational modification of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors

The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP₃R) in the endoplasmic reticulum mediates calcium signaling that impinges on intracellular processes. IP₃Rs are allosteric proteins comprising four subunits that form an ion channel activated by binding of IP₃ at a distance. Defective allostery in IP₃R is considered crucial to cellular dysfunction, but the specific mechanism remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that a pleiotropic enzyme transglutaminase type 2 targets the allosteric coupling domain of IP₃R type 1 (IP₃R1) and negatively regulates IP₃R1-mediated calcium signaling and autophagy by locking the subunit configurations. The control point of this regulation is the covalent posttranslational modification of the Gln2746 residue that transglutaminase type 2 tethers to the adjacent subunit. Modification of Gln2746 and IP₃R1 function was observed in Huntington disease models, suggesting a pathological role of this modification in the neurodegenerative disease. Our study reveals that cellular signaling is regulated by a new mode of posttranslational modification that chronically and enzymatically blocks allosteric changes in the ligand-gated channels that relate to disease states.Ligand-gated ion channels function by allostery that is the regulation at a distance; the allosteric coupling of ligand binding with channel gating requires reversible changes in subunit configurations and conformations (1). Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP₃Rs) are ligand-gated ion channels that release calcium ions (Ca²⁺) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (2, 3). IP₃Rs are allosteric proteins comprising four subunits that assemble a calcium channel with fourfold symmetry about an axis perpendicular to the ER membrane. The subunits of three IP₃R isoforms (IP₃R1, IP₃R2, and IP₃R3) are structurally divided into three domains: the IP₃-binding domain (IBD), the regulatory domain, and the channel domain (3–6). Fitting of the IBD X-ray structures (7, 8) to a cryo-EM map (9) indicates that the IBD activates a remote Ca²⁺ channel by allostery (8); however, the current X-ray structure only spans 5% of each tetramer, such that the mechanism underlying allosteric coupling of the IBD to channel gating remains unknown.The IP₃R in the ER mediates intracellular calcium signaling that impinges on homeostatic control in various subsequent intracellular processes. Deletion of the genes encoding the type 1 IP₃R (IP₃R1) leads to perturbations in long-term potentiation/depression (3, 10, 11) and spinogenesis (12), and the human genetic disease spinocerebellar ataxia 15 is caused by haploinsufficiency of the IP₃R1 gene (13–15). Dysregulation of IP₃R1 is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington disease (HD) (16–18) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (19–22). IP₃Rs also control fundamental cellular processes—for example, mitochondrial energy production (23, 24), autophagy regulation (24–27), ER stress (28), hepatic gluconeogenesis (29), pancreatic exocytosis (30), and macrophage inflammasomes (31). On the other hand, excessive IP₃R function promotes cell death processes including apoptosis by activating mitochondrial or calpain pathways (2, 17). Considering these versatile roles of IP₃Rs, appropriate IP₃R structure and function are essential for living systems, and aberrant regulation of IP₃R closely relates to various diseases.Several factors such as cytosolic molecules, interacting proteins, and posttranslational modifications control the IP₃-induced Ca²⁺ release (IICR) through allosteric sites in IP₃Rs. Cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentrations strictly control IICR in a biphasic manner with activation at low concentrations and inhibition at higher concentrations. The critical Ca²⁺ sensor for activation is conserved among the three isoforms of IP₃ and ryanodine receptors, and this sensor is located in the regulatory domain outside the IBD and the channel domain (32). A putative ATP regulatory region is deleted in opisthotonos mice, and IICR is also regulated by this mutation in the regulatory domain (33). Various interacting proteins, such as cytochrome c, Bcl-2-family proteins, ataxin-3, huntingtin (Htt) protein, Htt-associated protein 1A (HAP1A), and G-protein–coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 1 (GIT1), target allosteric sites in the carboxyl-terminal tail (3–5). The regulatory domain and the carboxyl-terminal tail also undergo phosphorylation by the protein kinases A/G and B/Akt and contain the apoptotic cleavage sites for the protease caspase-3 (4, 5). These factors allosterically regulate IP₃R structure and function to control cellular fates; therefore, understanding the allosteric coupling of the IBD to channel gating will elucidate the regulatory mechanism of these factors.Transglutaminase (TG) catalyses protein cross-linking between a glutamine (Gln) residue and a lysine (Lys) residue via an N^ε-(γ-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bond (34, 35). TG type 2 (TG2) is a Ca²⁺-dependent enzyme with widespread distribution and is highly inducible by various stimulations such as oxidative stress, cytokines, growth factors, and retinoic acid (RA) (34, 35). TG2 is considered a significant disease-modifying factor in neurodegenerative diseases including HD, AD, and Parkinson’s diseases (PD) (34, 36–45) because TG2 might enzymatically stabilize aberrant aggregates of proteins implicated in these diseases—that is, mutant Htt, β-amyloid, and α-synuclein; however, the causal role of TG2 in Ca²⁺ signaling in brain pathogenesis has been unclear. Ablation of TG2 in HD mouse models is associated with increased lifespan and improved motor function (46, 47). However, TG2 knockout mice do not show impaired Htt aggregation, suggesting that TG2 may play a causal role in these disorders rather than TG2-dependent cross-links in aberrant protein aggregates (47, 48).In this study, we discovered a new mode of chronic and irreversible allosteric regulation in IP₃R1 in which covalent modification of the receptor at Gln2746 is catalyzed by TG2. We demonstrate that up-regulation of TG2 modifies IP₃R1 structure and function in HD models and propose an etiologic role of this modification in the reduction of neuronal signaling and subsequent processes during the prodromal state of the neurodegenerative disease.     

Network compensation of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase II knockout in the hippocampus by Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors

Gene knockout (KO) does not always result in phenotypic changes, possibly due to mechanisms of functional compensation. We have studied mice lacking cGMP-dependent kinase II (cGKII), which phosphorylates GluA1, a subunit of AMPA receptors (AMPARs), and promotes hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) through AMPAR trafficking. Acute cGKII inhibition significantly reduces LTP, whereas cGKII KO mice show no LTP impairment. Significantly, the closely related kinase, cGKI, does not compensate for cGKII KO. Here, we describe a previously unidentified pathway in the KO hippocampus that provides functional compensation for the LTP impairment observed when cGKII is acutely inhibited. We found that in cultured cGKII KO hippocampal neurons, cGKII-dependent phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors was decreased, reducing cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ signals. This led to a reduction of calcineurin activity, thereby stabilizing GluA1 phosphorylation and promoting synaptic expression of Ca²⁺-permeable AMPARs, which in turn induced a previously unidentified form of LTP as a compensatory response in the KO hippocampus. Calcineurin-dependent Ca²⁺-permeable AMPAR expression observed here is also used during activity-dependent homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Thus, a homeostatic mechanism used during activity reduction provides functional compensation for gene KO in the cGKII KO hippocampus.Some gene deletions yield no phenotypic changes because of functional compensation by closely related or duplicate genes (1). However, such duplicate gene activity may not be the main compensatory mechanism in mouse (2), although this possibility is still controversial (3). A second mechanism of compensation is provided by alternative metabolic pathways or regulatory networks (4). Although such compensatory mechanisms have been extensively studied, especially in yeast and nematode (1), the roles of metabolic and network compensatory pathways are not well understood in mouse.Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) are long-lasting forms of synaptic plasticity that are thought to be the cellular basis for learning and memory and proper formation of neural circuits during development (5). NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated synaptic plasticity is a generally agreed postsynaptic mechanism in the hippocampus (5). In particular, synaptic Ca²⁺ influx through NMDARs is critical for LTP and LTD through control of various protein kinases and phosphatases (6). LTP is in part dependent upon the activation of protein kinases, which phosphorylate target proteins (6). Several kinases are activated during the induction of LTP, including cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and cGMP-dependent protein kinases (cGKs) (6). In contrast, LTD results from activation of phosphatases that dephosphorylate target proteins (6), and calcineurin, a Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, is important for LTD expression (7). AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are postsynaptic glutamate receptors that mediate rapid excitatory transmission in the central nervous system (8). During LTP, activated kinases phosphorylate AMPARs, leading to synaptic trafficking of the receptors to increase synapse activity (5). For LTD, activation of postsynaptic phosphatases induces internalization of AMPARs from the synaptic membrane, thereby reducing synaptic strength (5). Therefore, both protein kinases and phosphatases control synaptic trafficking of AMPARs, underlying LTP and LTD.AMPARs are tetrameric ligand-gated ion channels that consist of a combinatorial assembly of four subunits (GluA1–4) (9). Studies of GluA1 knockout (KO) mice show that GluA1 is critical for LTP in the CA1 region of the hippocampus (10). GluA1 homomers, like all GluA2-lacking/GluA1-containing receptors, are sensitive to polyamine block and are Ca²⁺-permeable, whereas GluA2-containing AMPARs are Ca²⁺-impermeable (9). Moreover, GluA1 is the major subunit that is trafficked from recycling endosomes to the synaptic membrane in response to neuronal activity (11). Phosphorylation of GluA1 within its intracellular carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) can regulate AMPAR membrane trafficking (12). Several CTD phosphorylations regulate trafficking (6). In particular, PKA and cGKII both phosphorylate serine 845 of GluA1, increasing the level of extrasynaptic receptors (13, 14). Therefore, activation of PKA and cGKII during LTP induction increases GluA1 phosphorylation, which enhances AMPAR activity at synapses. On the other hand, calcineurin dephosphorylates serine 845 of GluA1, which enables GluA1-containing AMPARs to be endocytosed from the plasma membrane during LTD (15, 16). This removes synaptic AMPARs, leading to reduction of receptor function during LTD. Taken together, the activity-dependent trafficking of synaptic GluA1 is regulated by the status of phosphorylation in the CTD, which provides a critical mechanism underlying LTP and LTD.Several studies have shown that acute inhibition of cGKII impairs hippocampal LTP (13, 17, 18). However, cGKII KO animals show apparently normal LTP in the hippocampus (19), suggesting that a form of functional compensation takes place in the KO hippocampus. Here, we show that cGKII KO reduces Ca²⁺ signals by decreasing cGKII-dependent phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs), which in turn lowers calcineurin activity in hippocampal neurons, which stabilizes phosphorylation of GluA1 in homomeric, Ca²⁺-permeable AMPARs (CPARs). This elevates CPARs at the synapse as a previously unidentified compensatory mechanism for hippocampal LTP in cGKII-deficient animals that is alternative to the form of LTP expressed in WT.     

Overexpression of junctophilin-2 does not enhance baseline function but attenuates heart failure development after cardiac stress

Heart failure is accompanied by a loss of the orderly disposition of transverse (T)-tubules and a decrease of their associations with the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (jSR). Junctophilin-2 (JP2) is a structural protein responsible for jSR/T-tubule docking. Animal models of cardiac stresses demonstrate that down-regulation of JP2 contributes to T-tubule disorganization, loss of excitation-contraction coupling, and heart failure development. Our objective was to determine whether JP2 overexpression attenuates stress-induced T-tubule disorganization and protects against heart failure progression. We therefore generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific JP2 overexpression (JP2-OE). Baseline cardiac function and Ca²⁺ handling properties were similar between JP2-OE and control mice. However, JP2-OE mice displayed a significant increase in the junctional coupling area between T-tubules and the SR and an elevated expression of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, although other excitation-contraction coupling protein levels were not significantly changed. Despite similar cardiac function at baseline, overexpression of JP2 provided significantly protective benefits after pressure overload. This was accompanied by a decreased percentage of surviving mice that developed heart failure, as well as preservation of T-tubule network integrity in both the left and right ventricles. Taken together, these data suggest that strategies to maintain JP2 levels can prevent the progression from hypertrophy to heart failure.In working ventricular myocytes, normal excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling requires precise communication between voltage-gated L-type Ca²⁺ channels (Cav1.2) located in clusters within transverse (T)-tubules and, less frequently, on the plasmalemma, and Ca²⁺ release channels/ryanodine receptor channels (RyRs) that are also clustered on the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (jSR) membrane (1–4). In normal hearts, flat jSR cisternae containing a continuous row of polymerized calsequestrin (CsQ2) either wrap around a T-tubule segment or abut against the plasmalemma (5, 6) and are coupled to the surface membranes via apposed clusters of RyR2 and Cav1.2 (7). These junctional sites are called dyads. However, although the jSR cisternae constitute a single continuous compartment, the clusters of RyR2 do not occupy the whole jSR surface but are in smaller groups (8, 9). Hence, each dyad is composed of several smaller RyR2/Cav1.2 complexes, also called couplons. Functional interaction between Cav1.2 and RyR2 at these sites ensure synchronous SR Ca²⁺ release and coordinated contraction (1, 10, 11). There is evidence that impaired cardiac E-C coupling/Ca²⁺ handling is a key mediator of heart failure (12, 13). One underlying mechanism for the defective Ca²⁺ release is the progressive loss of T-tubule network organization and of the relationship between RyR2 and Cav1.2 (14–16). Therefore, preventing loss of jSR/T-tubule junctions and of T-tubule organization may represent a new strategy for therapeutic intervention in heart failure.In normal cardiomyocytes, the formation of dyads requires junctophilin 2 (JP2), a structural protein that provides a physical connection between the T-tubule and SR membranes (17). JP2’s eight N-terminal “membrane occupation and recognition nexus” domains bind to the plasmalemma (T-tubules), and its C-terminal transmembrane domain tethers the opposite end to the SR membrane (17). Decreased JP2 levels have been observed in human heart failure patients and in failing hearts from animal models of cardiac disease (16, 18–22). Knockdown of JP2 results in acute heart failure that is associated with the loss of junctional membrane complex, disrupted T-tubule organization, and Ca²⁺ handling dysfunction (23). In addition, embryonic myocytes with JP2 deficiency have defective cardiac dyads, including more SR segments with no T-tubule couplings as well as reduced intracellular Ca²⁺ transients (17). These data collectively suggest that loss of JP2 contributes to the functional defects in heart failure. Therefore, interesting questions are: Is the JP2 deficiency effect linked to the resultant disruption of jSR/T-tubule junctions and of T-tubule network integrity, as suggested by previous findings (16–18, 23)? Conversely, could exogenous overexpression of JP2 in cardiomyocytes improve Ca²⁺ handling and protect against the development of heart failure?To answer this question, we generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of JP2. Moderate overexpression of JP2 led to a significant increase in the junctional coupling area between T-tubule and SR membrane, but surprisingly, it did not enhance cardiac function or increase SR Ca²⁺ release at baseline. However, interestingly, JP2-overexpressing mice were resistant to left ventricular pressure overload-induced heart failure, demonstrating that JP2 overexpression is protective. These data suggest that preventing the loss of JP2 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for heart failure treatment.     

Conformational cycle and ion-coupling mechanism of the Na+/hydantoin transporter Mhp1

Ion-dependent transporters of the LeuT-fold couple the uptake of physiologically essential molecules to transmembrane ion gradients. Defined by a conserved 5-helix inverted repeat that encodes common principles of ion and substrate binding, the LeuT-fold has been captured in outward-facing, occluded, and inward-facing conformations. However, fundamental questions relating to the structural basis of alternating access and coupling to ion gradients remain unanswered. Here, we used distance measurements between pairs of spin labels to define the conformational cycle of the Na⁺-coupled hydantoin symporter Mhp1 from Microbacterium liquefaciens. Our results reveal that the inward-facing and outward-facing Mhp1 crystal structures represent sampled intermediate states in solution. Here, we provide a mechanistic context for these structures, mapping them into a model of transport based on ion- and substrate-dependent conformational equilibria. In contrast to the Na⁺/leucine transporter LeuT, our results suggest that Na⁺ binding at the conserved second Na⁺ binding site does not change the energetics of the inward- and outward-facing conformations of Mhp1. Comparative analysis of ligand-dependent alternating access in LeuT and Mhp1 lead us to propose that different coupling schemes to ion gradients may define distinct conformational mechanisms within the LeuT-fold class.Secondary active transporters harness the energy of ion gradients to power the uphill movement of solutes across membranes. Mitchell (1) and others (2, 3) proposed and elaborated “alternating access” mechanisms wherein the transporter transitions between two conformational states that alternately expose the substrate binding site to the two sides of the membrane. The LeuT class of ion-coupled symporters consists of functionally distinct transporters that share a conserved scaffold of two sets of five transmembrane helices related by twofold symmetry around an axis nearly parallel to the membrane (4). Ions and substrates are bound near the middle of the membrane stabilized by electrostatic interactions with unwound regions of transmembrane helix (TM) 1 and often TM6 (4). The recurrence of this fold in transporters that play critical roles in fundamental physiological processes (5, 6) has spurred intense interest in defining the principles of alternating access.Despite rapid progress in structure determination of ion-coupled LeuT-fold transporters (7–11), extrapolation of these static snapshots to a set of conformational steps underlying alternating access (4, 7, 9–12) remains incomplete, often hindered by uncertainties in the mechanistic identities of crystal structures. Typically, transporter crystal structures are classified as inward-facing, outward-facing, or occluded on the basis of the accessibility of the substrate binding site (7–11). In a recent spectroscopic analysis of LeuT, we demonstrated that detergent selection and mutations of conserved residues appeared to stabilize conformations that were not detected in the wild-type (WT) LeuT and concurrently inhibited movement of structural elements involved in ligand-dependent alternating access (13). Therefore, although crystal structures define the structural context and identify plausible pathways of substrate binding and release, development of transport models requires confirming or assigning the mechanistic identity of these structures and framing them into ligand-dependent equilibria (14).Mhp1, an Na⁺-coupled symporter of benzyl-hydantoin (BH) from Microbacterium liquefaciens, was the first LeuT-fold member to be characterized by crystal structures purported to represent outward-facing, inward-facing, and outward-facing/occluded conformations of an alternating access cycle (8, 15). In these structures, solvent access to ligand-binding sites is defined by the relative orientation between a 4-helix bundle motif and a 4-helix scaffold motif (8). In Mhp1, alternating access between inward- and outward-facing conformations, was predicted from a computational analysis based on the inverted repeat symmetry of the LeuT fold and is referred to as the rocking-bundle model (16). The conservation of the inverted symmetry prompted proposal of the rocking-bundle mechanism as a general model for LeuT-fold transporters (16). Subsequent crystal structures of other LeuT-fold transporters (7, 9, 10) tempered this prediction because the diversity of the structural rearrangements implicit in these structures is seemingly inconsistent with a conserved conformational cycle.Another outstanding question pertains to the ion-coupling mechanism and the driving force of conformational changes. The implied ion-to-substrate stoichiometry varies across LeuT-fold ion-coupled transporters. For instance, LeuT (17) and BetP (18) require two Na⁺ ions that bind at two distinct sites referred to as Na1 and Na2 whereas Mhp1 (15) and vSGLT (19) appear to possess only the conserved Na2 site. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (20, 21) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis (13, 22) of LeuT demonstrated that Na⁺ binding favors an outward-facing conformation although it is unclear which Na⁺ site (or both) is responsible for triggering this conformational transition. Similarly, a role for Na⁺ in conformational switching has been uncovered in putative human LeuT-fold transporters, including hSGLT (23). In Mhp1, the sole Na2 site has been shown to modulate substrate affinity (15); however, its proposed involvement in gating of the intracellular side (12, 21) lacks experimental validation.Here, we used site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) (24) and double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy (25) to elucidate the conformational changes underlying alternating access in Mhp1 and define the role of ion and substrate binding in driving transition between conformations. This methodology has been successfully applied to define coupled conformational cycles for a number of transporter classes (13, 26–32). We find that patterns of distance distributions between pairs of spin labels monitoring the intra- and extracellular sides of Mhp1 are consistent with isomerization between the crystallographic inward- and outward-facing conformations. A major finding is that this transition is driven by substrate but not Na⁺ binding. Although the amplitudes of the observed distance changes are in overall agreement with the rocking-bundle model deduced from the crystal structures of Mhp1 (8, 15) and predicted computationally (16), we present evidence that relative movement of bundle and scaffold deviate from strict rigid body. Comparative analysis of LeuT and Mhp1 alternating access reveal how the conserved LeuT fold harnesses the energy of the Na⁺ gradient through two distinct coupling mechanisms and supports divergent conformational cycles to effect substrate binding and release.     

Functional heterogeneity of the four voltage sensors of a human L-type calcium channel

Excitation-evoked Ca²⁺ influx is the fastest and most ubiquitous chemical trigger for cellular processes, including neurotransmitter release, muscle contraction, and gene expression. The voltage dependence and timing of Ca²⁺ entry are thought to be functions of voltage-gated calcium (Ca_V) channels composed of a central pore regulated by four nonidentical voltage-sensing domains (VSDs I–IV). Currently, the individual voltage dependence and the contribution to pore opening of each VSD remain largely unknown. Using an optical approach (voltage-clamp fluorometry) to track the movement of the individual voltage sensors, we discovered that the four VSDs of Ca_V1.2 channels undergo voltage-evoked conformational rearrangements, each exhibiting distinct voltage- and time-dependent properties over a wide range of potentials and kinetics. The voltage dependence and fast kinetic components in the activation of VSDs II and III were compatible with the ionic current properties, suggesting that these voltage sensors are involved in Ca_V1.2 activation. This view is supported by an obligatory model, in which activation of VSDs II and III is necessary to open the pore. When these data were interpreted in view of an allosteric model, where pore opening is intrinsically independent but biased by VSD activation, VSDs II and III were each found to supply ∼50 meV (∼2 kT), amounting to ∼85% of the total energy, toward stabilizing the open state, with a smaller contribution from VSD I (∼16 meV). VSD IV did not appear to participate in channel opening.Voltage-gated Ca²⁺ (Ca_V) channels respond to membrane depolarization by catalyzing Ca²⁺ influx. Ca_V-mediated elevation of intracellular [Ca²⁺] regulates such critical physiological functions as neurotransmitter and hormone release, axonal outgrowth, muscle contraction, and gene expression (1). Their relevance to human physiology is evident from the broad phenotypic consequences of Ca_V channelopathies (2). The voltage dependence of Ca_V-driven Ca²⁺ entry relies on the modular organization of the channel-forming α₁ subunit (Fig. 1), which consists of four repeated motifs (I–IV), each comprising six membrane-spanning helical segments (S1–S6) (Fig. 1A). Segments S1–S4 form a voltage-sensing domain (VSD), whereas segments S5 and S6 contribute to the Ca²⁺-conductive pore (1). The VSDs surround the central pore (Fig. 1B). VSDs are structurally and functionally conserved modules (3–5) capable of transducing a change in the cell membrane electrical potential into a change of ion-specific permeability or enzyme activity. VSDs sense depolarization by virtue of a signature motif of positively charged Arg or Lys at every third position of helix S4 (Fig. 1D), which rearranges in response to depolarization (4, 6–10). In contrast to voltage-gated K⁺ (K_V) channels but similar to pseudotetrameric voltage-gated Na⁺ (Na_V) channels, the amino acid sequences encoding each VSD have evolved independently (Fig. 1D). In addition to their distinct primary structure, the four Ca_V VSDs may also gain distinct functional properties from the asymmetrical association of auxiliary subunits, such as β, α₂δ, and calmodulin (1, 11–16) (Fig. 1C). The structural divergence among VSD-driven channels was foreseen by the classical Hodgkin–Huxley model (17), in which four independent “gating particles” control the opening of homotetrameric K_V channels and only three seem sufficient to open Na_V channels. An early study by Kostyuk et al. (18) suggested that only two gating particles are coupled to Ca_V channel opening. We recognize today that gating particles correspond to VSDs, and in Na_V channels, VSDs I–III control Na⁺ influx, whereas VSD IV is associated with fast inactivation (19–21).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Ca_V membrane topology, putative structure, and S4 helix homology. (A) Ca_V channel-forming α₁ subunits consist of four concatenated repeats, each encompassing one voltage sensor domain (VSD) and a quarter of the central pore domain (PD) (1). Stars indicate the positions of fluorophore labeling. (B) The atomic structure of an Na_V channel (Protein Data Bank ID code 4EKW; top view) (56) shown as a structural representation for the Ca_V α₁ subunit. (C) The α₁ subunit asymmetrically associates with auxiliary β, α₂δ, and calmodulin (CaM) subunits (11–16). (D) Sequence alignment of VSD helix S4 from each of four Ca_V1.2 repeats and the archetypal homotetrameric Shaker K⁺ channel. Conserved, positively charged Arg or Lys is in blue. Residues substituted by Cys for fluorescent labeling are marked: F231 (VSD I), L614 (VSD II), V994 (VSD II), and S1324 (VSD IV).In this study, we used fluorometry to probe the properties of four individual VSDs in a human L-type calcium channel Ca_V1.2, which is a widely expressed regulator of physiological processes, such as cardiac and smooth muscle contractility (22). Although the collective transition of the Ca_V VSDs and the pore has been investigated in studies measuring total charge displacement (gating currents) (23, 24), the activation properties and functional roles of each VSD are unknown. Evidence for the role of each VSD in L-type Ca_V channel operation has been presented from charge neutralization studies, but a clear picture has yet to emerge. Work on a chimeric L-type channel suggests that VSDs I and III drive channel opening (25), whereas other studies on Ca_V1.2 favored the involvement of VSD II over VSD I, with the roles of VSDs III and IV remaining unclear (26, 27).The individual optical reports of four Ca_V1.2 VSDs revealed that each operates with distinct biophysical parameters. We found that VSDs II and III exhibit voltage- and time-dependent characteristics compatible with channel opening and that they can be considered rate-limiting for activation. We compared the voltage and time dependence of the fluorescent signals and ionic currents with the predictions of thermodynamic models relevant to Ca_V domain organization. We found that Ca_V1.2 activation is compatible with a model of allosteric VSD–pore coupling, where VSDs II and III are the primary drivers of channel opening with a smaller contribution by VSD I. We discuss the mechanism of Ca_V1.2 voltage sensitivity, which exhibits similarities to but also clear differences from the related pseudotetrameric Na_V1.4 channels.     

Orai-STIM–mediated Ca2+ release from secretory granules revealed by a targeted Ca2+ and pH probe

Secretory granules (SGs) sequester significant calcium. Understanding roles for this calcium and potential mechanisms of release is hampered by the difficulty of measuring SG calcium directly in living cells. We adapted the Förster resonance energy transfer-based D1-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) probe to develop a unique probe (D1-SG) to measure calcium and pH in secretory granules. It significantly localizes to SGs and reports resting free Ca²⁺ of 69 ± 15 μM and a pH of 5.8. Application of extracellular ATP to activate P2Y receptors resulted in a slow monotonic decrease in SG Ca²⁺ temporally correlated with the occurrence of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). Further investigation revealed a unique receptor-mediated mechanism of calcium release from SGs that involves SG store-operated Orai channels activated by their regulator stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) on the ER. SG Ca²⁺ release is completely antagonized by a SOCE antagonist, by switching to Ca²⁺-free medium, and by overexpression of a dominant-negative Orai1(E106A). Overexpression of the CRAC activation domain (CAD) of STIM1 resulted in a decrease of resting SG Ca²⁺ by ∼75% and completely abolished the ATP-mediated release of Ca²⁺ from SGs. Overexpression of a dominant-negative CAD construct (CAD-A376K) induced no significant changes in SG Ca²⁺. Colocalization analysis suggests that, like the plasma membrane, SG membranes also possess Orai1 channels and that during SG Ca²⁺ release, colocalization between SGs and STIM1 increases. We propose Orai channel opening on SG membranes as a potential mode of calcium release from SGs that may serve to raise local cytoplasmic calcium concentrations and aid in refilling intracellular calcium stores of the ER and exocytosis.Here, we consider the Ca²⁺ dynamics of secretory compartments and describe a unique mechanism of Ca²⁺ release from them. Cells maintain cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ at nanomolar concentrations but elevate it locally in response to many signals. Elevated cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ modulates the functions of signaling cascades and enzymes, regulating many cellular responses (1). Two major sources feed most known cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ elevations: the extracellular space and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, we are interested in an additional intracellular source of Ca²⁺.Like the ER, secretory granules (SGs) contain a lot of Ca²⁺. They bud from the trans-Golgi network, and during subsequent maturation, they acquire an intraluminal pH of 5.5–5.9 (2), electron-dense cores (3), and matrices that bind Ca²⁺ and other ions (4). Their cargo is destined for release by regulated exocytosis, often triggered by Ca²⁺ signals. Only a small fraction of SGs undergo exocytosis after a given stimulus and are then typically recovered by endocytosis (5–7). Total Ca²⁺ in SGs is remarkably high, at 30–40 mM (8, 9). The free Ca²⁺ is significantly lower, with estimates ranging from 10 to 80 μM (10–14), which is still well above that in the cytoplasm. Roles for granular Ca²⁺ remain to be understood.There is no clear picture of SG Ca²⁺ dynamics. Ca²⁺ may be captured while SG Ca²⁺ buffers transit through the secretory pathway starting with the ER, and Ca²⁺could be imported continually into mature SGs. Several mechanisms for Ca²⁺ import have been proposed, including Ca²⁺-transporting ATPases, such as “secretory pathway Ca²⁺ ATPase,” cotransport using the proton gradient across the SG, and Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange secondarily driven by H⁺/Na⁺ exchange (11, 15, 16). Contributing to the uncertainties in this field has been the difficulty in measuring SG Ca²⁺ directly in living cells. Low-affinity chemical Ca²⁺ probes, such as mag-fura, can measure free Ca²⁺ at granular levels and at acidic pH (10) but are limited by the difficulty in ensuring that the signals originate from the compartment of interest. Genetically targeted granular Ca²⁺ probes based on the photoprotein aequorin have been developed that have the proper Ca²⁺ affinity, pH insensitivity, and subcellular localization (11, 12), but they are consumed after releasing one photon, such that thousands of cells must be measured in suspension to have sufficient signal and imaging is precluded.Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a process in which depletion of calcium stores in the ER induces calcium influx from the extracellular space (17). Stimulation of plasma membrane receptors coupled to G_q activates phospholipase C, generating inositol trisphosphate (IP₃); IP₃ releases Ca²⁺ from the ER and raises cytoplasmic Ca²⁺. Eventually, stromal interaction molecules (STIMs) in the ER membrane sense ER Ca²⁺ depletion, oligomerize, and become active. They aggregate in the ER membrane just under the plasma membrane, promoting clustering and activation of Orai1 channels on the plasma membrane, initiating SOCE in membrane patches (18–20). Local Ca²⁺ entry there raises the submembrane Ca²⁺ concentration, promoting an adaptive partial inactivation of SOCE (21) and loosening the STIM–Orai interaction (22, 23). Eventual refilling of the ER gradually reverses the activation of STIM1.We now describe the development and use of a cameleon probe for monitoring Ca²⁺ and pH in SGs. Like the aequorin-based probes, it is genetically targeted to SGs, and like other cameleons, it is based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and is usable for subcellular imaging with single cells. With this tool, we discovered a unique mechanism of Ca²⁺ release from SGs apparently involving Orai channels in the SG membrane. This mode of calcium release from SGs might elevate local Ca²⁺ concentrations and aid in the refilling of other cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ stores.     

From the Cover: 90Y-daclizumab,an anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody,provided responses in 50% of patients with relapsed Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Despite significant advances in the treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), a significant proportion of patients will not respond or will subsequently relapse. We identified CD25, the IL-2 receptor alpha subunit, as a favorable target for systemic radioimmunotherapy of HL. The scientific basis for the clinical trial was that, although most normal cells with exception of Treg cells do not express CD25, it is expressed by a minority of Reed–Sternberg cells and by most polyclonal T cells rosetting around Reed–Sternberg cells. Forty-six patients with refractory and relapsed HL were evaluated with up to seven i.v. infusions of the radiolabeled anti-CD25 antibody ⁹⁰Y-daclizumab. ⁹⁰Y provides strong β emissions that kill tumor cells at a distance by a crossfire effect. In 46 evaluable HL patients treated with ⁹⁰Y-daclizumab there were 14 complete responses and nine partial responses; 14 patients had stable disease, and nine progressed. Responses were observed both in patients whose Reed–Sternberg cells expressed CD25 and in those whose neoplastic cells were CD25⁻ provided that associated rosetting T cells expressed CD25. As assessed using phosphorylated H2AX (γ-H2AX) as a bioindicator of the effects of radiation exposure, predominantly nonmalignant cells in the tumor microenvironment manifested DNA damage, as reflected by increased expression of γ-H2AX. Toxicities were transient bone-marrow suppression and myelodysplastic syndrome in six patients who had not been evaluated with bone-marrow karyotype analyses before therapy. In conclusion, repeated ⁹⁰Y-daclizumab infusions directed predominantly toward nonmalignant T cells rosetting around Reed–Sternberg cells provided meaningful therapy for select HL patients.Treatment with combination chemotherapy, radiation, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has increased the disease-free survival in Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) from less than 5% in 1963 to more than 80% at present (1–6). Recently the US Food and Drug Administration approved brentuximab vedotin for the treatment of relapsed HL (7). Furthermore the anti-PD1 agent pembrolizumab has shown promising results in classic HL (8). Nevertheless, a significant fraction of patients do not respond to treatment or subsequently relapse. To date more than 30 different mAb preparations directed toward antigens expressed by malignant Reed–Sternberg cells have been studied (6). These include mAbs linked to drugs or toxins targeting CD25 or CD30 expressed on Reed–Sternberg cells (6–11). Brentuximab vedotin, an anti-CD30 antibody drug conjugate, has induced a significant number of responses in refractory HL (7, 11). Although other antibody immunotoxins have demonstrated some clinical efficacy, they have yielded few complete responses (CRs) (6, 9, 10). An alternative strategy has been to arm mAbs with radionuclides. Radioimmunotherapy using ⁹⁰Y–anti-ferritin and ¹³¹I–anti-CD30 antibodies has resulted in partial (PRs) and CRs in HL (12–15). Deficiencies with these approaches reflect the lack of tumor specificity of ferritin-targeted antibodies and the small number of CD30-expressing Reed–Sternberg cells in the tumor.As an alternative, we identified CD25, the IL-2 receptor alpha subunit (IL-2Rα), as a more favorable target for systemic radioimmunotherapy of HL (16–22). The scientific rationale is that, with the exception of Treg cells, CD25 is not expressed by normal resting lymphoid cells, but it is expressed on both a minority of Reed–Sternberg cells and, critically, on T cells rosetting around Reed–Sternberg cells in HL (6, 23, 24). ⁹⁰Y, an energetic β particle emitter with a mean tissue path length of 5 mm and a maximal path length of 11 mm, acts through “crossfire” throughout tumor masses, providing a strategy for killing tumor cells at a distance of several cell diameters, including Reed–Sternberg cells that lack CD25 expression provided that T cells in their vicinity express the target antigen (16, 23, 24). In the current phase II trial we treated 46 patients with recurrent or refractory HL with ⁹⁰Y-daclizumab every 6–10 wk for up to seven doses, depending on hematological recovery. The activity of ⁹⁰Y used in the present trial was determined on the basis of three previous phase I/II dose-escalation trials of ⁹⁰Y–anti-CD25 performed in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders (16).     

Allosteric interactions between agonists and antagonists within the adenosine A2A receptor-dopamine D2 receptor heterotetramer

Adenosine A_2A receptor (A_2AR)-dopamine D₂ receptor (D₂R) heteromers are key modulators of striatal neuronal function. It has been suggested that the psychostimulant effects of caffeine depend on its ability to block an allosteric modulation within the A_2AR-D₂R heteromer, by which adenosine decreases the affinity and intrinsic efficacy of dopamine at the D₂R. We describe novel unsuspected allosteric mechanisms within the heteromer by which not only A_2AR agonists, but also A_2AR antagonists, decrease the affinity and intrinsic efficacy of D₂R agonists and the affinity of D₂R antagonists. Strikingly, these allosteric modulations disappear on agonist and antagonist coadministration. This can be explained by a model that considers A_2AR-D₂R heteromers as heterotetramers, constituted by A_2AR and D₂R homodimers, as demonstrated by experiments with bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and bimolecular fluorescence and bioluminescence complementation. As predicted by the model, high concentrations of A_2AR antagonists behaved as A_2AR agonists and decreased D₂R function in the brain.Most evidence indicates that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) form homodimers and heteromers. Homodimers seem to be a predominant species, and oligomeric entities can be viewed as multiples of dimers (1). It has been proposed that GPCR heteromers are constituted mainly by heteromers of homodimers (1, 2). Allosteric mechanisms determine a multiplicity of unique pharmacologic properties of GPCR homodimers and heteromers (1, 3). First, binding of a ligand to one of the receptors in the heteromer can modify the affinity of ligands for the other receptor (1, 3, 4). The most widely reproduced allosteric modulation of ligand-binding properties in a GPCR heteromer is the ability of adenosine A_2A receptor (A_2AR) agonists to decrease the affinity of dopamine D₂ receptor (D₂R) agonists in the A_2AR-D₂R heteromer (5). A_2AR-D₂R heteromers have been revealed both in transfected cells (6, 7), striatal neurons in culture (6, 8) and in situ, in mammalian striatum (9, 10), where they play an important role in the modulation of GABAergic striatopallidal neuronal function (9, 11).In addition to ligand-binding properties, unique properties for each GPCR oligomer emerge in relation to the varying intrinsic efficacy of ligands for different signaling pathways (1–3). Intrinsic efficacy refers to the power of the agonist to induce a functional response, independent of its affinity for the receptor. Thus, allosteric modulation of an agonist can potentially involve changes in affinity and/or intrinsic efficacy (1, 3). This principle can be observed in the A_2AR-D₂R heteromer, where a decrease in D₂R agonist affinity cannot alone explain the ability of an A_2AR agonist to abolish the decreased excitability of GABAergic striatopallidal neurons induced by high concentration of a D₂R agonist (9), which should overcome the decrease in affinity. Furthermore, a differential effect of allosteric modulations of different agonist-mediated signaling responses (i.e., functional selectivity) can occur within GPCR heteromers (1, 2, 8). Again, the A_2AR-D₂R heteromer provides a valuable example. A recent study has shown that different levels of intracellular Ca²⁺ exert different modulations of A_2AR-D₂R heteromer signaling (8). This depends on the ability of low and high Ca²⁺ to promote a selective interaction of the heteromer with different Ca²⁺-binding proteins, which differentially modulate allosteric interactions in the heteromer (8).It has been hypothesized that the allosteric interactions between A_2AR and D₂R agonists within the A_2AR-D₂R heteromer provide a mechanism responsible not only for the depressant effects of A_2AR agonists, but also for the psychostimulant effects of adenosine A_2AR antagonists and the nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist caffeine (9, 11, 12), with implications for several neuropsychiatric disorders (13). In fact, the same mechanism has provided the rationale for the use of A_2AR antagonists in patients with Parkinson’s disease (13, 14). The initial aim of the present study was to study in detail the ability of caffeine to counteract allosteric modulations between A_2AR and D₂R agonists (affinity and intrinsic efficacy) within the A_2AR-D₂R heteromer. Unexpectedly, when performing control radioligand-binding experiments, not only an A_2AR agonist, but also caffeine, significantly decreased D₂R agonist binding. However, when coadministered, the A_2AR agonist and caffeine co-counteracted their ability to modulate D₂R agonist binding. By exploring the molecular mechanisms behind these apparent inconsistencies, the present study provides new insight into the quaternary structure and function of A_2AR-D₂R heteromers.     

Transmembrane tethering of synaptotagmin to synaptic vesicles controls multiple modes of neurotransmitter release

Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) is a synaptic vesicle integral membrane protein that regulates neurotransmitter release by activating fast synchronous fusion and suppressing slower asynchronous release. The cytoplasmic C2 domains of Syt1 interact with SNAREs and plasma membrane phospholipids in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner and can substitute for full-length Syt1 in in vitro membrane fusion assays. To determine whether synaptic vesicle tethering of Syt1 is required for normal fusion in vivo, we performed a structure-function study with tethering mutants at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction. Transgenic animals expressing only the cytoplasmic C2 domains or full-length Syt1 tethered to the plasma membrane failed to restore synchronous synaptic vesicle fusion, and also failed to clamp spontaneous vesicle release. In addition, transgenic animals with shorter, but not those with longer, linker regions separating the C2 domains from the transmembrane segment abolished Syt1’s ability to activate synchronous vesicle fusion. Similar defects were observed when C2 domain alignment was altered to C2B-C2A from the normal C2A-C2B orientation, leaving the tether itself intact. Although cytoplasmic and plasma membrane-tethered Syt1 variants could not restore synchronous release in syt1 null mutants, they were very effective in promoting fusion through the slower asynchronous pathway. As such, the subcellular localization of Syt1 within synaptic terminals is important for the temporal dynamics that underlie synchronous and asynchronous neurotransmitter release.Neurotransmitter release requires temporal and spatial coupling of action potential-triggered Ca²⁺ influx to synaptic vesicle fusion (1). The core fusion machine contains SNARE proteins found on the synaptic vesicle (v-SNAREs) and plasma membrane (t-SNAREs) that assemble into a four-helix bundle to bring the two bilayers into close apposition (2, 3). Besides SNAREs, Ca²⁺-binding proteins act to trigger release through fast synchronous and slow asynchronous pathways. Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) is a synaptic vesicle protein that binds Ca²⁺ and triggers synchronous vesicle fusion (4–9). Syt1 contains an intravesicular N-terminal tail, a single transmembrane segment, and a ∼60- residue linker that connects to two cytoplasmic Ca²⁺-binding C2 domains (10–13).Numerous Syt1 studies have focused on its cytoplasmic C2 domains, which interact with phospholipids and the SNARE complex in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner and are proposed to be the essential domains that trigger fusion (12, 14–21). In contrast, the significance of other structural elements of Syt1 remains poorly understood. Syt1 is predicted to facilitate synaptic vesicle fusion through a trans interaction with plasma membrane lipids (22–27). Tethering of Syt1 to synaptic vesicles through its transmembrane domain has been postulated to position the protein to properly target lipids and SNAREs, or to be required to generate force for pulling the membranes together. Although anchoring through the transmembrane tether is unlikely to generate the intramembrane proximity required for the final steps in fusion owing to the distance involved, binding of individual C2 domains simultaneously to both membranes might, because such binding can aggregate lipid bilayers in vitro (27–29).Despite these models, however, the role of vesicular tethering of Syt1 in vivo remains unclear. Injection of a cytoplasmic domain of rat Syt1 into crayfish motor axons facilitates exocytosis (30), implying that the cytoplasmic region alone may act as a fusion trigger. In contrast, in vitro studies indicate that the linker domain that connects the transmembrane region to the C2 domains may regulate docking, fusion pore opening, Syt1 multimerization, and intramolecular C2 domain interactions (31–34). The requirement of C2 domain order (C2A, then C2B) has been suggested to be dispensable for synaptic vesicle endocytosis in vitro (35), but the functional consequences of altered C2 domain order on Syt1’s role in triggering exocytosis in vivo remain unclear.Here we assayed the requirements of these Syt1 regions for neurotransmitter release in vivo. We generated transgenic animals expressing modified Syt1 proteins in the synaptotagmin 1 null mutant background and examined their function at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a well-established model glutamatergic synapse. Our results indicate that synaptic vesicle tethering, optimal linker length, and specific C2 domain alignment are important for Syt1 to regulate vesicle fusion. In addition, synaptic vesicle-tethered and cytoplasmic Syt1 proteins differentially regulate synchronous vs. asynchronous release kinetics, indicating that synaptic vesicle localization of Syt1 is critical for regulating neurotransmitter release.     

Cannabinoid CB2 receptors modulate midbrain dopamine neuronal activity and dopamine-related behavior in mice

Cannabinoid CB₂ receptors (CB₂Rs) have been recently reported to modulate brain dopamine (DA)-related behaviors; however, the cellular mechanisms underlying these actions are unclear. Here we report that CB₂Rs are expressed in ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons and functionally modulate DA neuronal excitability and DA-related behavior. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical assays detected CB₂ mRNA and CB₂R immunostaining in VTA DA neurons. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated that activation of CB₂Rs by JWH133 or other CB₂R agonists inhibited VTA DA neuronal firing in vivo and ex vivo, whereas microinjections of JWH133 into the VTA inhibited cocaine self-administration. Importantly, all of the above findings observed in WT or CB₁^−/− mice are blocked by CB₂R antagonist and absent in CB₂^−/− mice. These data suggest that CB₂R-mediated reduction of VTA DA neuronal activity may underlie JWH133''s modulation of DA-regulated behaviors.The presence of functional cannabinoid CB₂ receptors (CB₂Rs) in the brain has been controversial. When CB₂Rs were first cloned, in situ hybridization (ISH) failed to detect CB₂ mRNA in brain (1). Similarly, Northern blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays failed to detect CB₂ mRNA in brain (2–5). Therefore, CB₂Rs were considered “peripheral cannabinoid receptors” (1, 6).In contrast, other studies using ISH and radioligand binding assays detected CB₂ mRNA and receptor binding in rat retina (7), mouse cerebral cortex (8), and hippocampus and striatum of nonhuman primates (9). More recent studies using RT-PCR also detected CB₂ mRNA in the cortex, striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, and brainstem (9–14). Immunoblot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays detected CB₂R immunoreactivity or immunostaining in various brain regions (13, 15–20). The specificities of the detected CB₂R protein and CB₂-mRNA remain questionable, however, owing to a lack of controls using CB₁^−/− and CB₂^−/− mice in most previous studies (21). A currently accepted view is that brain CB₂Rs are expressed predominantly in activated microglia during neuroinflammation, whereas brain neurons, except for a very small number in the brainstem, lack CB₂R expression (21).On the other hand, we recently reported that brain CB₂Rs modulate cocaine self-administration and cocaine-induced increases in locomotion and extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens in mice (22). This finding is supported by recent studies demonstrating that systemic administration of the CB₂R agonist O-1966 inhibited cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in WT mice, but not in CB₂^−/− mice (23), and that increased CB₂R expression in mouse brain attenuates cocaine self-administration and cocaine-enhanced locomotion (19). In addition, brain CB₂Rs may be involved in several DA-related CNS disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (24), schizophrenia (25), anxiety (26), and depression (27). The cellular mechanisms underlying CB₂R modulation of DA-related behaviors and diseases are unclear, however. Given that midbrain DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play an important role in mediating the reinforcing and addictive effects of drugs of abuse (28, 29), we hypothesized that brain CB₂Rs, similar to other G protein-coupled receptors, are expressed in VTA DA neurons, where they modulate DA neuronal function and DA-related behaviors.In the present study, we tested this hypothesis using multiple approaches. We first assayed for CB₂ mRNA and protein expression in brain and in VTA DA neurons using quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), ISH, and double-label IHC techniques. We then examined the effects of the selective CB₂R agonist JWH133 and several other CB₂R agonists on VTA DA neuronal firing in both ex vivo and in vivo preparations using electrophysiological methods. Finally, we observed the effects of microinjections of JWH133 into the VTA on intravenous cocaine self-administration to study whether activation of VTA CB₂Rs modulates DA-dependent behavior. This multidisciplinary approach has provided evidence of functional CB₂Rs in VTA DA neurons. Importantly, all findings observed in WT or CB₁^−/− mice were blocked by a CB₂R antagonist and/or absent in CB₂^−/− mice, suggesting that CB₂Rs expressed in VTA DA neurons play an important role in modulating DA neuronal activity and DA-related functions.     

Ion-binding properties of a K+ channel selectivity filter in different conformations

K⁺ channels are membrane proteins that selectively conduct K⁺ ions across lipid bilayers. Many voltage-gated K⁺ (K_V) channels contain two gates, one at the bundle crossing on the intracellular side of the membrane and another in the selectivity filter. The gate at the bundle crossing is responsible for channel opening in response to a voltage stimulus, whereas the gate at the selectivity filter is responsible for C-type inactivation. Together, these regions determine when the channel conducts ions. The K⁺ channel from Streptomyces lividians (KcsA) undergoes an inactivation process that is functionally similar to K_V channels, which has led to its use as a practical system to study inactivation. Crystal structures of KcsA channels with an open intracellular gate revealed a selectivity filter in a constricted conformation similar to the structure observed in closed KcsA containing only Na⁺ or low [K⁺]. However, recent work using a semisynthetic channel that is unable to adopt a constricted filter but inactivates like WT channels challenges this idea. In this study, we measured the equilibrium ion-binding properties of channels with conductive, inactivated, and constricted filters using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). EPR spectroscopy was used to determine the state of the intracellular gate of the channel, which we found can depend on the presence or absence of a lipid bilayer. Overall, we discovered that K⁺ ion binding to channels with an inactivated or conductive selectivity filter is different from K⁺ ion binding to channels with a constricted filter, suggesting that the structures of these channels are different.K⁺ channels are found in all three domains of life, where they selectively conduct K⁺ ions across cell membranes. Specific stimuli trigger the activation of K⁺ channels, which results in a hinged movement of the inner helix bundle (1–7). This opening on the intracellular side of the membrane initiates ion conduction across the membrane by allowing ions to enter into the channel. After a period, many channels spontaneously inactivate to attenuate the response (8–17). The inactivation process is a timer that terminates the flow of ions in the presence of an activator to help shape the response of the system. Two dominant types of inactivation have been characterized in voltage-dependent channels: N-type and C-type (18). N-type inactivation is fast and involves an N-terminal positively charged “ball” physically plugging the pore of the channel when the membrane is depolarized. C-type inactivation, on the other hand, is a slower process involving a conformational change in the selectivity filter that is initiated by a functional link between the intracellular gate and the selectivity filter (10, 19).Several experimental observations indicate a role for the selectivity filter in C-type inactivation. First, mutations in and around the selectivity filter can alter the kinetics of inactivation (20–23). Second, increasing concentrations of extracellular K⁺ ions decrease the rate of inactivation, as if the ions are stabilizing the conductive conformation of the channel to prevent a conformational change in the selectivity filter (14, 16, 17, 22). Finally, a loss of selectivity of K⁺ over Na⁺ has been observed during the inactivation process in Shaker channels, suggesting a role for the selectivity filter (24, 25). Together, these data indicate that channels in their inactivated and conductive conformations interact with K⁺ ions differently, and suggest that C-type inactivation involves a conformational change in the selectivity filter. Although several structures of K⁺ channels in their conductive state have been solved using X-ray crystallography, there is at present no universally accepted model for the C-type inactivated channel (1, 3–5, 9, 19, 26–28) (Fig. 1B).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.Macroscopic recordings and structural models of KcsA K⁺ channel. (A) Macroscopic currents of WT KcsA obtained by a pH jump from pH 8 to pH 4 reveal channel inactivation. Two models representing the conformation of the channel are shown below. (B) Conductive [Left, Protein Data Bank (PDB) ID code 1K4C] and constricted (Right, PDB ID code 1K4D) conformations of the selectivity filter are shown as sticks, and the ion-binding sites are indicated with green spheres. The thermodynamic properties of the conductive, constricted, and inactivated (Middle) conformations are the subject of this study.Inactivation in the K⁺ channel from Streptomyces lividians (KcsA) has many of the same functional properties of C-type inactivation, which has made it a model to understand its structural features (20). KcsA channels transition from their closed to open gate upon changing the intracellular pH from high to low (Fig. 1A). The rapid flux of ions through the channel is then attenuated by channel inactivation, where most open WT channels are not conducting, suggesting that crystal structures of open KcsA channels would reveal the inactivated channel. In some crystal structures of truncated WT KcsA solved with an open gate, the selectivity filter appears in the constricted conformation, similar to the conformation observed in structures of the KcsA channel determined in the presence of only Na⁺ ions or low concentrations of K⁺ ions (3, 10, 29, 30) (Fig. 1B). Solid-state and solution NMR also indicate that the selectivity filter of the KcsA channel is in the constricted conformation when the cytoplasmic gate is open (31–33).However, a recently published study shows that even when the constricted conformation of KcsA’s selectivity filter is prevented by a nonnatural amino acid substitution, the channel inactivates like WT channels, suggesting the constricted filter does not correspond to the functionally observed inactivation in KcsA (28). In this study, we use isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to quantify the ion-binding properties of WT and mutant KcsA K⁺ channels with their selectivity filters in different conformations and EPR spectroscopy to determine the conformation of the channels’ intracellular gates. A comparison of these ion-binding properties leads us to conclude that the conductive and inactivated filters are energetically more similar to each other than the constricted and inactivated filters.     

Junctophilin-4, a component of the endoplasmic reticulum–plasma membrane junctions,regulates Ca2+ dynamics in T cells

Orai1 and stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) mediate store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) in immune cells. STIM1, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca²⁺ sensor, detects store depletion and interacts with plasma membrane (PM)-resident Orai1 channels at the ER–PM junctions. However, the molecular composition of these junctions in T cells remains poorly understood. Here, we show that junctophilin-4 (JP4), a member of junctional proteins in excitable cells, is expressed in T cells and localized at the ER–PM junctions to regulate Ca²⁺ signaling. Silencing or genetic manipulation of JP4 decreased ER Ca²⁺ content and SOCE in T cells, impaired activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and extracellular signaling-related kinase (ERK) signaling pathways, and diminished expression of activation markers and cytokines. Mechanistically, JP4 directly interacted with STIM1 via its cytoplasmic domain and facilitated its recruitment into the junctions. Accordingly, expression of this cytoplasmic fragment of JP4 inhibited SOCE. Furthermore, JP4 also formed a complex with junctate, a Ca²⁺-sensing ER-resident protein, previously shown to mediate STIM1 recruitment into the junctions. We propose that the junctate–JP4 complex located at the junctions cooperatively interacts with STIM1 to maintain ER Ca²⁺ homeostasis and mediate SOCE in T cells.The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–plasma membrane (PM) junctions are ubiquitous structures essential for intermembrane communications (1–3). These junctions play an important role in lipid transfer and regulation of Ca²⁺ dynamics, including ER Ca²⁺ homeostasis and Ca²⁺ entry after receptor stimulation (1, 4). Four major categories of components of the ER–PM junctions have been identified so far: (i) dyad/triad junctional proteins in the heart and skeletal muscle (e.g., junctophilins and junctin), (ii) ER-resident vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated proteins (VAPs) that form the lipid transfer machinery by interacting with phospholipid-binding proteins, (iii) extended synaptogamin-like proteins (E-Syts) that tether membranes, and (iv) the Orai1–stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) complex that forms the primary Ca²⁺ channel in T cells, the Ca²⁺ release-activated Ca²⁺ (CRAC) channels. Among these proteins, the dyad/triad junctional proteins and the Orai1–STIM1 complex are known to play a crucial role in Ca²⁺ dynamics, including excitation–contraction coupling in muscle and store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) in immune cells, respectively (2, 5).Stimulation of T-cell receptors (TCRs) triggers activation of SOCE primarily mediated by the PM-resident Orai1 channels and ER-resident STIM1 protein that senses ER Ca²⁺ concentration (6–11). Upon store depletion, STIM1 translocates and interacts with Orai1 at the preformed ER–PM junctions (12, 13). STIM1 uses two major mechanisms to translocate into the ER–PM junctions: by interactions with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) in the PM via its C-terminal polybasic residues and by interaction with Orai1 or the ER-resident junctate proteins (14, 15). Recently, septin filaments were shown to play a role in PIP₂ enrichment at the ER–PM junctions before STIM1 recruitment (16). Subsequently, membrane-tethering VAP and E-Syt proteins were shown to be important for PIP₂ replenishment after store depletion (17). The importance of protein interaction in STIM1 recruitment was demonstrated by a STIM1ΔK mutant truncated in its C-terminal polybasic domain. Interaction with Orai1 or junctate facilitated recruitment of this PIP₂ binding-deficient mutant into the junctions (15, 18, 19). It was thought that the roles of dyad/triad junctional proteins are limited to muscle cells. However, identification of junctate as a STIM1-interacting partner implied that some components (or homologs) of ER–PM junctions in excitable cells may be shared in immune cells.The junctophilin family consists of four genes (JP1, JP2, JP3, and JP4) that are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and are known to form ER–PM junctions in excitable cells (20, 21). Junctophilins contain eight repeats of the membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) motifs that bind to phospholipids in the N terminus and a C-terminal ER membrane-spanning transmembrane segment (20, 22). In this study, we observed expression of JP4 in both human and mouse T cells, which was further enhanced by TCR stimulation. Depletion or deficiency of JP4 reduced ER Ca²⁺ content, SOCE, and activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Mechanistically, JP4 depletion reduced accumulation of STIM1 at the junctions without affecting the number and length of the ER–PM junctions. We observed a direct interaction between the cytoplasmic regions of JP4 and STIM1, and, correspondingly, overexpression of the STIM1-interacting JP4 fragment had a dominant negative effect on SOCE. Finally, we identified a protein complex consisting of JP4 and junctate at the ER–PM junctions, which may have a synergistic effect in recruiting STIM1 to the junctions. Therefore, our studies identify a PIP₂-independent, but protein interaction-mediated, mechanism by which the junctate–JP4 complex recruits STIM1 into the ER–PM junctions to maintain ER Ca²⁺ homeostasis and activate SOCE in T cells.