A second S4 movement opens hyperpolarization-activated HCN channels

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (37) ◽  
pp. e2102036118
Author(s):  
Xiaoan Wu ◽  
Rosamary Ramentol ◽  
Marta E. Perez ◽  
Sergei Yu Noskov ◽  
H. Peter Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Sea Urchin ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Molecular Models ◽  
Transmembrane Segment ◽  
Pacemaker Cells ◽  
Gate Opening ◽  
Channel Opening

Rhythmic activity in pacemaker cells, as in the sino-atrial node in the heart, depends on the activation of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. As in depolarization-activated K+ channels, the fourth transmembrane segment S4 functions as the voltage sensor in hyperpolarization-activated HCN channels. But how the inward movement of S4 in HCN channels at hyperpolarized voltages couples to channel opening is not understood. Using voltage clamp fluorometry, we found here that S4 in HCN channels moves in two steps in response to hyperpolarizations and that the second S4 step correlates with gate opening. We found a mutation in sea urchin HCN channels that separate the two S4 steps in voltage dependence. The E356A mutation in S4 shifts the main S4 movement to positive voltages, but channel opening remains at negative voltages. In addition, E356A reveals a second S4 movement at negative voltages that correlates with gate opening. Cysteine accessibility and molecular models suggest that the second S4 movement opens up an intracellular crevice between S4 and S5 that would allow radial movement of the intracellular ends of S5 and S6 to open HCN channels.

scholarly journals CryoEM structure of a prokaryotic cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (17) ◽  
pp. 4430-4435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary M. James ◽  
Andrew J. Borst ◽  
Yoni Haitin ◽  
Brandon Frenz ◽  
Frank DiMaio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Nucleotide Binding ◽  
Cardiac Pace ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide Binding ◽  
Channel Opening ◽  
Cng Channel ◽  
Linker Domain

Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-regulated (HCN) ion channels play crucial physiological roles in phototransduction, olfaction, and cardiac pace making. These channels are characterized by the presence of a carboxyl-terminal cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) that connects to the channel pore via a C-linker domain. Although cyclic nucleotide binding has been shown to promote CNG and HCN channel opening, the precise mechanism underlying gating remains poorly understood. Here we used cryoEM to determine the structure of the intact LliK CNG channel isolated from Leptospira licerasiae—which shares sequence similarity to eukaryotic CNG and HCN channels—in the presence of a saturating concentration of cAMP. A short S4–S5 linker connects nearby voltage-sensing and pore domains to produce a non–domain-swapped transmembrane architecture, which appears to be a hallmark of this channel family. We also observe major conformational changes of the LliK C-linkers and CNBDs relative to the crystal structures of isolated C-linker/CNBD fragments and the cryoEM structures of related CNG, HCN, and KCNH channels. The conformation of our LliK structure may represent a functional state of this channel family not captured in previous studies.

scholarly journals Hysteresis in the Voltage Dependence of HCN Channels

2005 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roope Männikkö ◽  
Shilpi Pandey ◽  
H. Peter Larsson ◽  
Fredrik Elinder
Keyword(s):  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Ionic Currents ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Molecular Conformations ◽  
Gating Charge ◽  
Voltage Curve ◽  
Current Change ◽  
Voltage Hysteresis ◽  
Hcn1 Channels

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels are important for rhythmic activity in the brain and in the heart. In this study, using ionic and gating current measurements, we show that cloned spHCN channels undergo a hysteresis in their voltage dependence during normal gating. For example, both the gating charge versus voltage curve, Q(V), and the conductance versus voltage curve, G(V), are shifted by about +60 mV when measured from a hyperpolarized holding potential compared with a depolarized holding potential. In addition, the kinetics of the tail current and the activation current change in parallel to the voltage shifts of the Q(V) and G(V) curves. Mammalian HCN1 channels display similar effects in their ionic currents, suggesting that the mammalian HCN channels also undergo voltage hysteresis. We propose a model in which HCN channels transit between two modes. The voltage dependence in the two modes is shifted relative to each other, and the occupancy of the two modes depends on the previous activation of the channel. The shifts in the voltage dependence are fast (τ ≈ 100 ms) and are not accompanied by any apparent inactivation. In HCN1 channels, the shift in voltage dependence is slower in a 100 mM K extracellular solution compared with a 1 mM K solution. Based on these findings, we suggest that molecular conformations similar to slow (C-type) inactivation of K channels underlie voltage hysteresis in HCN channels. The voltage hysteresis results in HCN channels displaying different voltage dependences during different phases in the pacemaker cycle. Computer simulations suggest that voltage hysteresis in HCN channels decreases the risk of arrhythmia in pacemaker cells.

scholarly journals HCN domain is required for HCN channel expression and couples voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating mechanisms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ze-Jun Wang ◽  
Ismary Blanco ◽  
Sebastien Hayoz ◽  
Tinatin I. Brelidze
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Structural Element ◽  
Functional Link ◽  
Membrane Hyperpolarization ◽  
Membrane Spanning

ABSTRACTHyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are major regulators of synaptic plasticity, and rhythmic activity in the heart and brain. Opening of HCN channels requires membrane hyperpolarization and is further facilitated by intracellular cyclic nucleotides (cNMPs). In HCN channels, membrane hyperpolarization is sensed by the membrane-spanning voltage sensor domain (VSD) and the cNMP-dependent gating is mediated by the intracellular cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) connected to the pore-forming S6 transmembrane domain via the C-linker. Previous functional analysis of HCN channels suggested a direct or allosteric coupling between the voltage- and cNMP-dependent activation mechanisms. However, the specifics of the coupling were unclear. The first cryo-EM structure of an HCN1 channel revealed that a novel structural element, dubbed HCN domain (HCND), forms a direct structural link between the VSD and C-linker/CNBD. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of the HCND. Deletion of the HCND prevented surface expression of HCN2 channels. Based on the HCN1 structure analysis, we identified R237 and G239 residues on the S2 of the VSD that form direct interactions with I135 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions abolished HCN2 currents. We then identified three residues on the C-linker/CNBD (E478, Q382 and H559) that form direct interactions with residues R154 and S158 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions affected both voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating of HCN2 channels. These findings indicate that the HCND is necessary for the surface expression of HCN channels, and provides a functional link between the voltage- and cAMP-dependent mechanisms of HCN channel gating.

scholarly journals Salt Bridges and Gating in the COOH-terminal Region of HCN2 and CNGA1 Channels

2004 ◽  
Vol 124 (6) ◽  
pp. 663-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley B. Craven ◽  
William N. Zagotta
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Terminal Region ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Salt Bridges ◽  
Linker Region ◽  
Channel Opening ◽  
Intersubunit Interactions ◽  
Cnga1 Channels

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channels and cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are activated by the direct binding of cyclic nucleotides. The intracellular COOH-terminal regions exhibit high sequence similarity in all HCN and CNG channels. This region contains the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) and the C-linker region, which connects the CNBD to the pore. Recently, the structure of the HCN2 COOH-terminal region was solved and shown to contain intersubunit interactions between C-linker regions. To explore the role of these intersubunit interactions in intact channels, we studied two salt bridges in the C-linker region: an intersubunit interaction between C-linkers of neighboring subunits, and an intrasubunit interaction between the C-linker and its CNBD. We show that breaking these salt bridges in both HCN2 and CNGA1 channels through mutation causes an increase in the favorability of channel opening. The wild-type behavior of both HCN2 and CNGA1 channels is rescued by switching the position of the positive and negative residues, thus restoring the salt bridges. These results suggest that the salt bridges seen in the HCN2 COOH-terminal crystal structure are also present in the intact HCN2 channel. Furthermore, the similar effects of the mutations on HCN2 and CNGA1 channels suggest that these salt bridge interactions are also present in the intact CNGA1 channel. As disrupting the interactions leads to channels with more favorable opening transitions, the salt bridges appear to stabilize a closed conformation in both the HCN2 and CNGA1 channels. These results suggest that the HCN2 COOH-terminal crystal structure contains the C-linker regions in the resting configuration even though the CNBD is ligand bound, and channel opening involves a rearrangement of the C-linkers and, thus, disruption of the salt bridges. Discovering that one portion of the COOH terminus, the CNBD, can be in the activated configuration while the other portion, the C-linker, is not activated has lead us to suggest a novel modular gating scheme for HCN and CNG channels.

scholarly journals Minimal molecular determinants of isoform-specific differences in efficacy in the HCN channel family

2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (8) ◽  
pp. 1203-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia P. Alvarez-Baron ◽  
Vadim A. Klenchin ◽  
Baron Chanda
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Nucleotide Binding Domain ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Molecular Determinants ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Hcn1 Channels

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide–gated (HCN) channels generate rhythmic activity in the heart and brain. Isoform-specific functional differences reflect the specializations required for the various roles that they play. Despite a high sequence and structural similarity, HCN isoforms differ greatly in their response to cyclic nucleotides. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) enhances the activity of HCN2 and HCN4 isoforms by shifting the voltage dependence of activation to more depolarized potentials, whereas HCN1 and HCN3 isoforms are practically insensitive to this ligand. Here, to determine the molecular basis for increased cAMP efficacy in HCN2 channels, we progressively mutate residues in the C-linker and cyclic nucleotide–binding domain (CNBD) of the mouse HCN2 to their equivalents in HCN1. We identify two clusters of mutations that determine the differences in voltage-dependent activation between these two isoforms. One maps to the C-linker region, whereas the other is in proximity to the cAMP-binding site in the CNBD. A mutant channel containing just five mutations (M485I, G497D, S514T, V562A, and S563G) switches cAMP sensitivity of full-length HCN2 to that of HCN1 channels. These findings, combined with a detailed analysis of various allosteric models for voltage- and ligand-dependent gating, indicate that these residues alter the ability of the C-linker to transduce signals from the CNBD to the pore gates of the HCN channel.

scholarly journals The HCN domain is required for HCN channel cell-surface expression and couples voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating mechanisms

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (24) ◽  
pp. 8164-8173
Author(s):  
Ze-Jun Wang ◽  
Ismary Blanco ◽  
Sebastien Hayoz ◽  
Tinatin I. Brelidze
Keyword(s):  
Cell Surface ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Cell Surface Expression ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Hcn Channel ◽  
Structural Element ◽  
Functional Link ◽  
Membrane Hyperpolarization

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are major regulators of synaptic plasticity and rhythmic activity in the heart and brain. Opening of HCN channels requires membrane hyperpolarization and is further facilitated by intracellular cyclic nucleotides (cNMPs). In HCN channels, membrane hyperpolarization is sensed by the membrane-spanning voltage sensor domain (VSD), and the cNMP-dependent gating is mediated by the intracellular cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) connected to the pore-forming S6 transmembrane segment via the C-linker. Previous functional analysis of HCN channels has suggested a direct or allosteric coupling between the voltage- and cNMP-dependent activation mechanisms. However, the specifics of this coupling remain unclear. The first cryo-EM structure of an HCN1 channel revealed that a novel structural element, dubbed the HCN domain (HCND), forms a direct structural link between the VSD and C-linker–CNBD. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of the HCND. Deletion of the HCND prevented surface expression of HCN2 channels. Based on the HCN1 structure analysis, we identified Arg237 and Gly239 residues on the S2 of the VSD that form direct interactions with Ile135 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions abolished HCN2 currents. We also identified three residues on the C-linker–CNBD (Glu478, Gln482, and His559) that form direct interactions with residues Arg154 and Ser158 on the HCND. Disrupting these interactions affected both voltage- and cAMP-dependent gating of HCN2 channels. These findings indicate that the HCND is necessary for the cell-surface expression of HCN channels and provides a functional link between voltage- and cAMP-dependent mechanisms of HCN channel gating.

scholarly journals Binding and structural asymmetry governs ligand sensitivity in a cyclic nucleotide–gated ion channel

2019 ◽  
Vol 151 (10) ◽  
pp. 1190-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo C.T. Ng ◽  
Meiying Zhuang ◽  
Filip Van Petegem ◽  
Yue Xian Li ◽  
Eric A. Accili
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Titration Calorimetry ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Negative Cooperativity ◽  
Response Data ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Channel Opening ◽  
Ligand Sensitivity

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels open more easily when cAMP or cGMP bind to a domain in the intracellular C-terminus in each of four identical subunits. How sensitivity of the channels to these ligands is determined is not well understood. Here, we apply a mathematical model, which incorporates negative cooperativity, to gating and mutagenesis data available in the literature and combine the results with binding data collected using isothermal titration calorimetry. This model recapitulates the concentration–response data for the effects of cAMP and cGMP on wild-type HCN2 channel opening and, remarkably, predicts the concentration–response data for a subset of mutants with single-point amino acid substitutions in the binding site. Our results suggest that ligand sensitivity is determined by negative cooperativity and asymmetric effects on structure and channel opening, which are tuned by ligand-specific interactions and residues within the binding site.

scholarly journals Cellular context and multiple channel domains determine cAMP sensitivity of HCN4 channels: Ligand-independent relief of autoinhibition in HCN4

2012 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhandi Liao ◽  
Dean Lockhead ◽  
Joshua R. St. Clair ◽  
Eric D. Larson ◽  
Courtney E. Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cho Cells ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Chinese Hamster ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Multiple Channel ◽  
Hek Cells ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Cellular Context

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide–sensitive (HCN) channels produce the If and Ih currents, which are critical for cardiac pacemaking and neuronal excitability, respectively. HCN channels are modulated by cyclic AMP (cAMP), which binds to a conserved cyclic nucleotide–binding domain (CNBD) in the C terminus. The unliganded CNBD has been shown to inhibit voltage-dependent gating of HCNs, and cAMP binding relieves this “autoinhibition,” causing a depolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of activation. Here we report that relief of autoinhibition can occur in the absence of cAMP in a cellular context- and isoform-dependent manner: when the HCN4 isoform was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, the basal voltage dependence was already shifted to more depolarized potentials and cAMP had no further effect on channel activation. This “pre-relief” of autoinhibition was specific both to HCN4 and to CHO cells; cAMP shifted the voltage dependence of HCN2 in CHO cells and of HCN4 in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. The pre-relief phenotype did not result from different concentrations of soluble intracellular factors in CHO and HEK cells, as it persisted in excised cell-free patches. Likewise, it did not arise from a failure of cAMP to bind to the CNBD of HCN4 in CHOs, as indicated by cAMP-dependent slowing of deactivation. Instead, a unique ∼300–amino acid region of the distal C terminus of HCN4 (residues 719–1012, downstream of the CNBD) was found to be necessary, but not sufficient, for the depolarized basal voltage dependence and cAMP insensitivity of HCN4 in CHO cells. Collectively, these data suggest a model in which multiple HCN4 channel domains conspire with membrane-associated intracellular factors in CHO cells to relieve autoinhibition in HCN4 channels in the absence of cAMP. These findings raise the possibility that such ligand-independent regulation could tune the activity of HCN channels and other CNBD-containing proteins in many physiological systems.

scholarly journals Isoform-specific regulation of HCN4 channels by a family of endoplasmic reticulum proteins

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin H. Peters ◽  
Mallory E. Myers ◽  
Julie Juchno ◽  
Charlie Haimbaugh ◽  
Hicham Bichraoui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Ion Channels ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Cardiac Pacemaker ◽  
Pacemaker Cells ◽  
Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor ◽  
Kinase Substrate ◽  
Trisphosphate Receptor

AbstractIon channels in excitable cells function in macromolecular complexes in which auxiliary proteins modulate the biophysical properties of the pore-forming subunits. Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-sensitive HCN4 channels are critical determinants of membrane excitability in cells throughout the body, including thalamocortical neurons and cardiac pacemaker cells. We previously showed that the properties of HCN4 channels differ dramatically in different cell types, possibly due to the endogenous expression of auxiliary proteins. Here, we report the discovery of a family of endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane proteins that interact with and modulate HCN4. Lymphoid-restricted membrane protein (LRMP, Jaw1) and inositol trisphosphate receptor-associated guanylate kinase substrate (IRAG, Mrvi1, Jaw1L) are homologous proteins with small ER luminal domains and large cytoplasmic domains. Despite their homology, LRMP and IRAG have distinct effects on HCN4. LRMP is a loss-of-function modulator that inhibits the canonical depolarizing shift in the voltage-dependence of HCN4 activation in response to binding of cAMP. In contrast, IRAG causes a gain of HCN4 function by depolarizing the basal voltage-dependence of activation in the absence of cAMP. The mechanisms of action of LRMP and IRAG are novel; they are independent of trafficking and cAMP binding, and they are specific to the HCN4 isoform. We also found that IRAG is highly expressed in the mouse sinoatrial node where computer modeling predicts that its presence increases HCN4 availability. Our results suggest important roles for LRMP and IRAG in regulation of cellular excitability and as tools for advancing mechanistic understanding of HCN4 channel function.Significance statementThe pore-forming subunits of ion channels are regulated by auxiliary interacting proteins. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-sensitive isoform 4 (HCN4) channels are critical determinants of electrical excitability in many types of cells including neurons and cardiac pacemaker cells. Here we report the discovery of two novel HCN4 regulatory proteins. Despite their homology, the two proteins — lymphoid-restricted membrane protein (LRMP) and inositol trisphosphate receptor-associated guanylate kinase substrate (IRAG) — have opposing effects on HCN4, causing loss- and gain-of-function, respectively. LRMP and IRAG are expected to play critical roles in regulation of physiological processes ranging from wakefulness to heart rate through their modulation of HCN4 channel function.

scholarly journals The HCN domain couples voltage gating and cAMP response in hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Porro ◽  
Andrea Saponaro ◽  
Federica Gasparri ◽  
Daniel Bauer ◽  
Christine Gross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Nucleotide ◽  
Channel Gating ◽  
Hcn Channels ◽  
Structural Mechanism ◽  
Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channels ◽  
Channel Opening ◽  
Mode Of Operation ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Upward Displacement ◽  
Voltage Sensing Domain

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels control spontaneous electrical activity in heart and brain. Binding of cAMP to the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) facilitates channel opening by relieving a tonic inhibition exerted by the CNBD. Despite high resolution structures of the HCN1 channel in the cAMP bound and unbound states, the structural mechanism coupling ligand binding to channel gating is unknown. Here we show that the recently identified helical HCN-domain (HCND) mechanically couples the CNBD and channel voltage sensing domain (VSD), possibly acting as a sliding crank that converts the planar rotational movement of the CNBD into a rotational upward displacement of the VSD. This mode of operation and its impact on channel gating are confirmed by computational and experimental data showing that disruption of critical contacts between the three domains affects cAMP- and voltage-dependent gating in three HCN isoforms.

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