The ionic basis of excitability requires identification and characterisation of expressed channels and their specific roles in native neurons. We have exploited principal neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) as a model system for examining voltage-gated K + channels, because of their known function and simple morphology. Here we show that channels of the ether-à-go-go-related gene family (ERG, Kv11; encoded by kcnh) complement Kv1 channels in regulating neuronal excitability around threshold voltages. Using whole-cell patch clamp from brainstem slices, the selective ERG antagonist E-4031 reduced action potential (AP) threshold and increased firing on depolarisation. In P12 mice, under voltage-clamp with elevated [K + ] o (20 mm), a slowly deactivating current was blocked by E-4031 or terfenadine (V 0.5,act = −58.4 ± 0.9 mV, V 0.5,inact = −76.1 ± 3.6 mV). Deactivation followed a double exponential time course (τ slow = 113.8 ± 6.9 ms, τ fast = 33.2 ± 3.8 ms at −110 mV, τ fast 46% peak amplitude). In P25 mice, deactivation was best fitted by a single exponential (τ fast = 46.8 ± 5.8 ms at −110 mV). Quantitative RT-PCR showed that ERG1 and ERG3 were the predominant mRNAs and immunohistochemistry showed expression as somatic plasma membrane puncta on principal neurons. We conclude that ERG currents complement Kv1 currents in limiting AP firing at around threshold; ERG may have a particular role during periods of high activity when [K + ] o is elevated. These ERG currents suggest a potential link between auditory hyperexcitability and acoustic startle triggering of cardiac events in familial LQT2. Abbreviations AP, action potential; AHP, after hyperpolarisation; DTx-I, dendrotoxin-I; ERG, ether-à-go-go-related gene; I H , hyperpolarisation activated non-specific cation current; I Kr , cardiac delayed rectifier K + current; Kv, voltage-gated K + channel; LSO, lateral superior olive; MNTB, medial nucleus of the trapezoid body; MSO, medial superior olive; NaV, voltage-gated Na + channel; QRT-PCR, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction; V 0.5,act , membrane potential at half-maximal activation; V 0.5,inact , membrane potential at half-maximal inactivation; V m , test potential.
The opening of ion channels is proposed to arise from bending of the pore inner helices that enables them to pivot away from the central axis creating a cytosolic opening for ion diffusion. The flexibility of the inner helices is suggested to occur either at a conserved glycine located adjacent to the selectivity filter (glycine gating hinge) and/or at a second site occupied by glycine or proline containing motifs. Sequence alignment with other K ؉ channels shows that hERG possesses glycine residues (Gly 648 and Gly 657 ) at each of these putative hinge sites. In apparent contrast to the hinge hypotheses, substitution of both glycine residues for alanine causes little effect on either the volt- channels. Our findings indicate that the hERG inner helix glycine residues are required for the tight packing of the channel helices and that the flexibility afforded by glycine or proline residues is not universally required for activation gating.Potassium (K ϩ ) channels are integral membrane proteins that form a pore for conduction of K ϩ ions through the lipid bilayer membrane. They have evolved to perform a wide range of physiological processes and share a similar overall structure consisting of four subunits, which co-assemble to form a central pore coupled to additional regulatory domains that detect a huge variety of different signals. hERG (human ether-à-go-gorelated gene) belongs to the voltage gated family of potassium (K v ) 2 channels. It is widely expressed in the heart and nervous system. It may also be ectopically expressed in certain types of cancer (reviewed in Ref. 1). The physiological importance of hERG is illustrated by the discovery that block of the pore by medications or loss of channel function due to inherited mutations carries an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (2). Therefore, there is considerable interest in gaining further insight into the structural basis of hERG gating and drug binding (3, 4).In recent years, crystal structures have provided tremendous insight into how K ϩ channels function. The KcsA and KirBac1.1 structures correspond to channels in the closed conformation (5, 6). The inner helices of the pore that extend across the membrane and line the inner cavity are straight and come together to form a right-handed helical bundle constricting the channel at the intracellular entrance to the inner cavity, thus presenting a barrier to K ϩ movement. In contrast, MthK (7, 8), K v AP (9), and K v 1.2 (10) have all been crystallized in the open state. All these channels display a bend in the inner helices, which splays the C-terminal (intracellular) end of the inner helix away from the central axis of the pore to create a large aperture at the intracellular mouth of the channel.The inner helices appear to bend at a position, which is highly conserved as a glycine in K ϩ channels (Fig. 1). This led to the proposal that the glycine residue forms a kink or gating hinge that is required for the opening of the activation gate (7). An important feature of glycine is its ability to intro...
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