The glycine-tyrosine-glycine (GYG) sequence in the p-loop of K+ channel subunits lines a narrow pore through which K+ ions pass in single file intercalated by water molecules. Mutation of the motif can give rise to non-selective channels, but it is clear that other structural features are also required for selectivity because, for instance, a recently identified class of cyclic nucleotide-gated pacemaker channels has the GYG motif but are poorly K+ selective. We show that mutation of charged glutamate and arginine residues behind the selectivity filter in the Kir3.1/Kir3.4 K+ channel reduces or abolishes K+ selectivity, comparable with previously reported effects in the Kir2.1 K+ channel. It has been suggested that a salt bridge exists between the glutamate-arginine residue pair. Molecular modeling indicates that the salt bridge does exist, and that it acts as a "bowstring" to maintain the rigid bow-like structure of the selectivity filter and restrict selectivity to K+. The modeling shows that relaxation of the bowstring by mutation of the residue pair leads to enhanced flexibility of the p-loop, allowing permeation of other cations, including polyamines. In experiments, mutation of the residue pair can also abolish polyamine-induced inward rectification. The latter effect occurs because polyamines now permeate rather than block the channel, to the remarkable extent that large polyamine currents can be measured.

Human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) channel gating is associated with slow activation, yet the mechanistic basis for this is unclear. Here, we examine the effects of mutation of a unique glycine residue (G546) in the S4-S5 linker on voltage sensor movement and its coupling to pore gating. Substitution of G546 with residues possessing different physicochemical properties shifted activation gating by ∼-50 mV (with the exception of G546C). With the activation shift taken into account, the time constant of activation was also accelerated, suggesting a stabilization of the closed state by ∼1.6-4.3 kcal/mol (the energy equivalent of one to two hydrogen bonds). Predictions of the α-helical content of the S4-S5 linker suggest that the presence of G546 in wild-type hERG provides flexibility to the helix. Deactivation gating was affected differentially by the G546 substitutions. G546V induced a pronounced slow component of closing that was voltage-independent. Fluorescence measurements of voltage sensor movement in G546V revealed a slow component of voltage sensor return that was uncoupled from charge movement, suggesting a direct effect of the mutation on voltage sensor movement. These data suggest that G546 plays a critical role in channel gating and that hERG channel closing involves at least two independently modifiable reconfigurations of the voltage sensor.

The effect of Ca 2ϩ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) on voltage-gated ion channels is widely studied through the use of specific CaMK II blockers such as 2-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)]-N-(4-methoxybenzenesulfonyl)]amino-N-(4-chlorocinnamyl)-N-methylbenzylamine (KN-93). The present study demonstrates that KN-93 is a direct extracellular blocker of a wide range of cloned Kv channels from a number of different subfamilies. In all channels tested, the effect of 1 M KN-93 was independent of CaMK II because 1 M 2-[N-(4-methoxybenzenesulfonyl)]amino-N-(4-chlorocinnamyl)-N-methylbenzylamine, phosphate (KN-92), an inactive analog of KN-93, caused similar inhibition of currents. In addition, dialysis of cells with 10 M CaMK II inhibitory peptide fragment 281-301 (CIP) had no effect on current kinetics and did not prevent the inhibitory effect of KN-93. The IC 50 for block of the Kv1.5 channel (used as an example to determine the nature of KN-93 block) was 307 Ϯ 12 nM. KN-93 blocked open channels with little voltage dependence that did not alter the V 1/2 of channel activation. Removal of P/C-type inactivation by mutation of arginine 487 to valine in the outer pore region of Kv1.5 (R487V) greatly reduced KN-93 block, whereas enhancement of inactivation induced by mutation of threonine 462 to cysteine (T462C) increased the potency of KN-93 by 4-fold. This suggested that KN-93 acted through promotion and stabilization of C-type inactivation. Importantly, KN-93 was ineffective as a blocker when applied intracellularly, suggesting that CaMK II-independent effects of KN-93 on Kv channels can be circumvented by intracellular application of KN-93.Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels, which are activated by changes in the transmembrane potential, play an important role in the control of excitability. There are a number of structurally related subfamilies of Kv channels (Chandy, 1991) that are expressed in a wide range of tissues, such as heart [e.g., Kv1, Kv2, Kv4, and human ether a-go-go-

No abstract

Low pH depolarizes the voltage dependence of voltage-gated sodium (Na(V)) channel activation and fast inactivation. A complete description of Na(V) channel proton modulation, however, has not been reported. The majority of Na(V) channel proton modulation studies have been completed in intact tissue. Additionally, several Na(V) channel isoforms are expressed in cardiac tissue. Characterizing the proton modulation of the cardiac Na(V) channel, Na(V)1.5, will thus help define its contribution to ischemic arrhythmogenesis, where extracellular pH drops from pH 7.4 to as low as pH 6.0 within ~10 min of its onset. We expressed the human variant of Na(V)1.5 with and without the modulating β(1) subunit in Xenopus oocytes. Lowering extracellular pH from 7.4 to 6.0 affected a range of biophysical gating properties heretofore unreported. Specifically, acidic pH destabilized the fast-inactivated and slow-inactivated states, and elevated persistent I(Na). These data were incorporated into a ventricular action potential model that displayed a reduced maximum rate of depolarization as well as disparate increases in epicardial, mid-myocardial, and endocardial action potential durations, indicative of an increased heterogeneity of repolarization. Portions of these data were previously reported in abstract form.