Blockade of current through single calcium channels by Cd2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. Voltage and concentration dependence of calcium entry into the pore

We studied the blocking actions of external Ca2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and other multivalent ions on single Ca channel currents in cell-attached patch recordings from guinea pig ventricular cells. External Cd or Mg ions chopped long-lasting unitary Ba currents promoted by the Ca agonist Bay K 8644 into bursts of brief openings. The bursts appear to arise from discrete blocking and unblocking transitions. A simple reaction between a blocking ion and an open channel was suggested by the kinetics of the bursts: open and closed times within a burst were exponentially distributed, the blocking rate varied linearly with the concentration of blocking ion, and the unblocking rate was more or less independent of the blocker concentration. Other kinetic features suggested that both Cd2+ and Mg2+ lodge within the pore. The unblocking rate was speeded by membrane hyperpolarization or by raising the Ba concentration, as if blocking ions were swept into the myoplasm by the applied electric field or by repulsive interaction with Ba2+. Ca ions reduced the amplitude of unitary Ba currents (50% inhibition at approximately 10 mM [Ca]o with 50 mM [Ba]o) without detectable flicker, presumably because Ca ions exit the pore very rapidly following Ba entry. However, Ca2+ entry and exit rates could be resolved when micromolar Ca blocked unitary Li+ fluxes through the Ca channel. The blocking rate was essentially voltage independent, but varied linearly with Ca concentration (rate coefficient, 4.5 X 10(8) M-1s-1); evidently, the initial Ca2+-pore interaction is outside the membrane field and much faster than the overall process of Ca ion transfer. The unblocking rate did not vary with [Ca]o, but increased steeply with membrane hyperpolarization, as if blocking Ca ions were driven into the cell. We suggest that Ca is both an effective permeator and a potent blocker because it dehydrates rapidly (unlike Mg2+) and binds to the pore with appropriate affinity (unlike Cd2+). There appears to be no sharp dichotomy between "permeators" and "blockers," only quantitative differences in how quickly ions enter and leave the pore.     

Open channel block by gadolinium ion of the stretch-inactivated ion channel in mdx myotubes.

Currents flowing through single stretch-inactivated ion channels were recorded from cell-attached patches on myotubes from mdx mice. Adding micromolar concentrations of gadolinium to patch electrodes containing normal saline produced rapid transitions in the single-channel current between the fully open and closed states. The kinetics of the current fluctuations followed the predictions of a simple model of open channel block in which the transitions in the current arise from the entry and exit of Gd from the channel pore: histograms of the open and closed times were well fit with single exponentials, the blocking rate depended linearly on the concentration of gadolinium in the patch electrode, and the unblocking rate was independent of the concentration of gadolinium. Hyperpolarizing the patch increased the rate of unblocking (approximately e-fold per 85 mV), suggesting the charged blocking particle can exit the channel into the cell under the influence of the applied membrane field. The rate of blocking was rapid and was independent of the patch potential, consistent with the rate of ion entry into the pore being determined by its rate of diffusion in solution. When channel open probability was reduced by applying suction to the electrode, the blocking kinetics were independent of the extent of inactivation, suggesting that mechanosensitive gating does not modify the structure of the channel pore.     

Subconductance block of single mechanosensitive ion channels in skeletal muscle fibers by aminoglycoside antibiotics

The activity of single mechanosensitive channels was recorded from cell- attached patches on acutely isolated skeletal muscle fibers from the mouse. The experiments were designed to investigate the mechanism of channel block produced by externally applied aminoglycoside antibiotics. Neomycin and other aminoglycosides reduced the amplitude of the single-channel current at negative membrane potentials. The block was concentration-dependent, with a half-maximal concentration of approximately 200 microM. At high drug concentrations, however, block was incomplete with roughly one third of the current remaining unblocked. Neomycin also caused the channel to fluctuate between the open state and a subconductance level that was also roughly one third the amplitude of the fully open level. An analysis of the kinetics of the subconductance fluctuations was consistent with a bimolecular reaction between an aminoglycoside molecule and the open channel (kon = approximately 1 x 10(6) M-1s-1 and koff = approximately 400 s-1 at -60 mV). Increasing the external pH reduced both the rapid block of the open channel and the frequency of the subconductance fluctuations, as if both blocking actions were produced by a single active drug species with a pKa = approximately 7.5. The results are interpreted in terms of a mechanism in which an aminoglycoside molecule partially occludes ion flow through the channel pore.     

Multi-ion occupancy alters gating in high-conductance, Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels

In this study, single-channel recordings of high-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels from rat skeletal muscle inserted into planar lipid bilayer were used to analyze the effects of two ionic blockers, Ba2+ and Na+, on the channel's gating reactions. The gating equilibrium of the Ba(2+)-blocked channel was investigated through the kinetics of the discrete blockade induced by Ba2+ ions. Gating properties of Na(+)-blocked channels could be directly characterized due to the very high rates of Na+ blocking/unblocking reactions. While in the presence of K+ (5 mM) in the external solution Ba2+ is known to stabilize the open state of the blocked channel (Miller, C., R. Latorre, and I. Reisin. 1987. J. Gen. Physiol. 90:427-449), we show that the divalent blocker stabilizes the closed-blocked state if permeant ions are removed from the external solution (K+ less than 10 microM). Ionic substitutions in the outer solution induce changes in the gating equilibrium of the Ba(2+)-blocked channel that are tightly correlated to the inhibition of Ba2+ dissociation by external monovalent cations. In permeant ion-free external solutions, blockade of the channel by internal Na+ induces a shift (around 15 mV) in the open probability--voltage curve toward more depolarized potentials, indicating that Na+ induces a stabilization of the closed-blocked state, as does Ba2+ under the same conditions. A kinetic analysis of the Na(+)-blocked channel indicates that the closed-blocked state is favored mainly by a decrease in opening rate. Addition of 1 mM external K+ completely inhibits the shift in the activation curve without affecting the Na(+)-induced reduction in the apparent single-channel amplitude. The results suggest that in the absence of external permeant ions internal blockers regulate the permeant ion occupancy of a site near the outer end of the channel. Occupancy of this site appears to modulate gating primarily by speeding the rate of channel opening.     

Tuning the voltage dependence of tetraethylammonium block with permeant ions in an inward-rectifier K+ channel.

To understand the role of permeating ions in determining blocking ion-induced rectification, we examined block of the ROMK1 inward-rectifier K+ channel by intracellular tetraethylammonium in the presence of various alkali metal ions in both the extra- and intracellular solutions. We found that the channel exhibits different degrees of rectification when different alkali metal ions (all at 100 mM) are present in the extra- and intracellular solution. A quantitative analysis shows that an external ion site in the ROMK1 pore binds various alkali metal ions (Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+) with different affinities, which can in turn be altered by the binding of different permeating ions at an internal site through a nonelectrostatic mechanism. Consequently, the external site is saturated to a different level under the various ionic conditions. Since rectification is determined by the movement of all energetically coupled ions in the transmembrane electrical field along the pore, different degrees of rectification are observed in various combinations of extra- and intracellular permeant ions. Furthermore, the external and internal ion-binding sites in the ROMK1 pore appear to have different ion selectivity: the external site selects strongly against the smaller Na+, but only modestly among the three larger ions, whereas the internal site interacts quite differently with the larger K+ and Rb+ ions.     

Mechanism of charybdotoxin block of the high-conductance, Ca2+- activated K+ channel

The mechanism of charybdotoxin (CTX) block of single Ca2+-activated K+ channels from rat muscle was studied in planar lipid bilayers. CTX blocks the channel from the external solution, and K+ in the internal solution specifically relieves toxin block. The effect of K+ is due solely to an enhancement of the CTX dissociation rate. As internal K+ is raised, the CTX dissociation rate increases in a rectangular hyperbolic fashion from a minimum value at low K+ of 0.01 s-1 to a maximum value of approximately 0.2 s-1. As the membrane is depolarized, internal K+ more effectively accelerates CTX dissociation. As the membrane is hyperpolarized, the toxin dissociation rate approaches 0.01 s-1, regardless of the K+ concentration. When internal K+ is replaced by Na+, CTX dissociation is no longer voltage dependent. The permeant ion Rb also accelerates toxin dissociation from the internal solution, while the impermeant ions Li, Na, Cs, and arginine do not. These results argue that K ions can enter the CTX-blocked channel from the internal solution to reach a site located nearly all the way through the conduction pathway; when K+ occupies this site, CTX is destabilized on its blocking site by approximately 1.8 kcal/mol. The most natural way to accommodate these conclusions is to assume that CTX physically plugs the channel's externally facing mouth.     

Effects of pipette geometry on the time course of solution change in patch clamp experiments.

The time course of change in current through KATP channels in inside-out membrane patches, after step change of permeant ion (K+) concentration, was measured. A simple model of the patch as a membrane disc at the base of a cone with the apex removed, was able to describe the time course of channel activity after step change of [K+]. By measuring pipette geometry and using jumps of [permeant ion], it was then possible to estimate the time course of concentration at the membrane for jumps of any other ion or gating ligand. A simple channel block mechanism was used to simulate experiments with concentration jumps of a blocking ligand. The rate constants for ligand-channel interaction were extracted by least-squares fitting of computed mass action responses to those observed in simulated experiments. The simulations showed that even with diffusion delays of hundreds of milliseconds (as may occur in inside-out patch experiments), ligand association and dissociation rates of up to 1,000 s-1 could be accurately extracted by this approach. The approach should be generally applicable to the analysis of ligand concentration jump experiments on any ion channel whose activity is modulated by intracellular ligand.     

Gating of acid-sensitive ion channel-1: release of Ca2+ block vs. allosteric mechanism

The acid-sensitive ion channels (ASICs) are a family of voltage-insensitive sodium channels activated by external protons. A previous study proposed that the mechanism underlying activation of ASIC consists of the removal of a Ca2+ ion from the channel pore (Immke and McCleskey, 2003). In this work we have revisited this issue by examining single channel recordings of ASIC1 from toadfish (fASIC1). We demonstrate that increases in the concentration of external protons or decreases in the concentration of external Ca2+ activate fASIC1 by progressively opening more channels and by increasing the rate of channel opening. Both maneuvers produced similar effects in channel kinetics, consistent with the former notion that protons displace a Ca2+ ion from a high-affinity binding site. However, we did not observe any of the predictions expected from the release of an open-channel blocker: decrease in the amplitude of the unitary currents, shortening of the mean open time, or a constant delay for the first opening when the concentration of external Ca2+ was decreased. Together, the results favor changes in allosteric conformations rather than unblocking of the pore as the mechanism gating fASIC1. At high concentrations, Ca2+ has an additional effect that consists of voltage-dependent decrease in the amplitude of unitary currents (EC50 of 10 mM at -60 mV and pH 6.0). This phenomenon is consistent with voltage-dependent block of the pore but it occurs at concentrations much higher than those required for gating.     

Probing an open CFTR pore with organic anion blockers

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an ion channel that conducts Cl- current. We explored the CFTR pore by studying voltage-dependent blockade of the channel by two organic anions: glibenclamide and isethionate. To simplify the kinetic analysis, a CFTR mutant, K1250A-CFTR, was used because this mutant channel, once opened, can remain open for minutes. Dose-response relationships of both blockers follow a simple Michaelis-Menten function with K(d) values that differ by three orders of magnitude. Glibenclamide blocks CFTR from the intracellular side of the membrane with slow kinetics. Both the on and off rates of glibenclamide block are voltage dependent. Removing external Cl- increases affinity of glibenclamide due to a decrease of the off rate and an increase of the on rate, suggesting the presence of a Cl- binding site external to the glibenclamide binding site. Isethionate blocks the channel from the cytoplasmic side with fast kinetics, but has no measurable effect when applied extracellularly. Increasing the internal Cl- concentration reduces isethionate block without affecting its voltage dependence, suggesting that Cl- and isethionate compete for a binding site in the pore. The voltage dependence and external Cl- concentration dependence of isethionate block are nearly identical to those of glibenclamide block, suggesting that these two blockers may bind to a common binding site, an idea further supported by kinetic studies of blocking with glibenclamide/isethionate mixtures. By comparing the physical and chemical natures of these two blockers, we propose that CFTR channel has an asymmetric pore with a wide internal entrance and a deeply embedded blocker binding site where local charges as well as hydrophobic components determine the affinity of the blockers.     

Potassium channels as multi-ion single-file pores

A literature review reveals many lines of evidence that both delayed rectifier and inward rectifier potassium channels are multi-ion pores. These include unidirectional flux ratios given by the 2--2.5 power of the electrochemical activity ratio, very steeply voltage-dependent block with monovalent blocking ions, relief of block by permeant ions added to the side opposite from the blocking ion, rectification depending on E--EK, and a minimum in the reversal potential or conductance as external K+ ions are replaced by an equivalent concentration of T1+ ions. We consider a channel with a linear sequence of energy barriers and binding sites. The channel can be occupied by more than one ion at a time, and ions hop in single file into vacant sites with rate constants that depend on barrier heights, membrane potential, and interionic repulsion. Such multi-ion models reproduce qualitatively the special flux properties of potassium channels when the barriers for hopping out of the pore are larger than for hopping between sites within the pore and when there is repulsion between ions. These conditions also produce multiple maxima in the conductance-ion activity relationship. In agreement with Armstrong's hypothesis (1969. J. Gen. Physiol. 54:553--575), inward rectification may be understood in terms of block by an internal blocking cation. Potassium channels must have at least three sites and often contain at least two ions at a time.     

Interactions of permeant cations with sodium channels of squid axon membranes.

To determine how the permeant cations interact with the sodium channel, the instantaneous current-voltage (I-V) relationship, conductance-ion concentration relationship, and cation selectivity of sodium channels were studied with internally perfused, voltage clamped squid giant axons in the presence of different permeant cations in the external solution. In Na-containing media, the instantaneous I-V curve was almost linear between +60 and -20 mV, but deviated from the linearity in the direction to decrease the current at more negative potentials. The linearity of instantaneous I-V curve extended to more negative potentials with lowering the external Ca concentration. The I-V curve in Li solution was almost the same as that in Na solution. The linearity of the I-V curve improved in NH4 solution exhibiting only saturation at -100 mV with no sign of further decrease in current at more negative potentials. Guanidine and formamidine further linearized the instantaneous I-V curve. The conductance of the sodium channels as measured from the tail current saturated at high concentrations of permeant cations. The apparent dissociation constants determined from the conductance-ion concentration curve at -60 mV were as follows: Na, 378 mM; Li, 247 mM; NH4, 174 mM; guanidine, 111 mM; formamidine, 103 mM. The ratio of the test cation permeability to the sodium permeability as measured from the reversal potentials of tail currents varied with the test cation concentration and/or the membrane potential. These observations are incompatible with the independence principle, and can be explained on the basis of the Eyring's rate theory. It is suggested that the slope of the instantaneous I-V curve is determined by the relative affinity of permeant cations and blocking ions (Ca) for the binding site in the sodium channel. The ionic selectivity of the channel depends on the energy barrier profile of the channel.     

Nucleotides provide a voltage-sensitive gate for the rapid anion channel of arabidopsis hypocotyl cells

The rapid anion channel of Arabidopsis hypocotyl cells is highly voltage-dependent. At hyperpolarized potentials, the channel is closed, and membrane depolarization is required for channel activation. We have previously shown that channel gating is regulated by intracellular nucleotides. In the present study, we further analyze the channel gating, and we propose a mechanism to explain its regulation by voltage. In the absence of intracellular nucleotides, closure at hyperpolarized voltages is abolished. Structure-function studies of adenyl nucleotides show that the apparent gating charge of the current increases with the negative charge carried by nucleotides. We propose that the fast anion channel is gated by the voltage-dependent entry of free nucleotides into the pore, leading to a voltage-dependent block at hyperpolarized potentials. In agreement with this mechanism in which intracellular nucleotides need to be recruited to the channel pore, kinetic analyses of whole-cell and single-channel currents show that the rate of closure is faster when intracellular nucleotide concentration is increased, whereas the rate of channel activation is unchanged. Furthermore, decreasing the concentration of extracellular chloride enhances the intracellular nucleotide block. This result supports the hypothesis of a mechanism in which blocking nucleotides and permeant anions interact within the channel pore.     

Evidence for a direct interaction between internal tetra-alkylammonium cations and the inactivation gate of cardiac sodium channels

The effects of internal tetrabutylammonium (TBA) and tetrapentylammonium (TPeA) were studied on human cardiac sodium channels (hH1) expressed in a mammalian tsA201 cell line. Outward currents were measured at positive voltages using a reversed Na gradient. TBA and TPeA cause a concentration-dependent increase in the apparent rate of macroscopic Na current inactivation in response to step depolarizations. At TPeA concentrations < 50 microM the current decay is well fit by a single exponential over a wide voltage range. At higher concentrations a second exponential component is observed, with the fast component being dominant. The blocking and unblocking rate constants of TPeA were estimated from these data, using a three-state kinetic model, and were found to be voltage dependent. The apparent inhibition constant at 0 mV is 9.8 microM, and the blocking site is located 41 +/- 3% of the way into the membrane field from the cytoplasmic side of the channel. Raising the external Na concentration from 10 to 100 mM reduces the TPeA-modified inactivation rates, consistent with a mechanism in which external Na ions displace TPeA from its binding site within the pore. TBA (500 microM) and TPeA (20 microM) induce a use-dependent block of Na channels characterized by a progressive, reversible, decrease in current amplitude in response to trains of depolarizing pulses delivered at 1-s intervals. Tetrapropylammonium (TPrA), a related symmetrical tetra-alkylammonium (TAA), blocks Na currents but does not alter inactivation (O'Leary, M. E., and R. Horn. 1994. Journal of General Physiology. 104:507-522.) or show use dependence. Internal TPrA antagonizes both the TPeA-induced increase in the apparent inactivation rate and the use dependence, suggesting that all TAA compounds share a common binding site in the pore. A channel blocked by TBA or TPeA inactivates at nearly the normal rate, but recovers slowly from inactivation, suggesting that TBA or TPeA in the blocking site can interact directly with a cytoplasmic inactivation gate.     

Dependence of mu-conotoxin block of sodium channels on ionic strength but not on the permeating [Na+]: implications for the distinctive mechanistic interactions between Na+ and K+ channel pore-blocking toxins and their molecular targets

Mu-conotoxins (mu-CTXs) are Na+ channel-blocking, 22-amino acid peptides produced by the sea snail Conus geographus. Although K+ channel pore-blocking toxins show specific interactions with permeant ions and strong dependence on the ionic strength (mu), no such dependence has been reported for mu-CTX and Na+ channels. Such properties would offer insight into the binding and blocking mechanism of mu-CTX as well as functional and structural properties of the Na+ channel pore. Here we studied the effects of mu and permeant ion concentration ([Na+]) on mu-CTX block of rat skeletal muscle (mu1, Nav1.4) Na+ channels. Mu-CTX sensitivity of wild-type and E758Q channels increased significantly (by approximately 20-fold) when mu was lowered by substituting external Na+ with equimolar sucrose (from 140 to 35 mm Na+); however, toxin block was unaltered (p > 0.05) when mu was maintained by replacement of [Na+] with N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMG+), suggesting that the enhanced sensitivity at low mu was not due to reduction in [Na+]. Single-channel recordings identified the association rate constant, k(on), as the primary determinant of the changes in affinity (k(on) increased 40- and 333-fold for mu-CTX D2N/R13Q and D12N/R13Q, respectively, when symmetric 200 mm Na+ was reduced to 50 mm). In contrast, dissociation rates changed <2-fold for the same derivatives under the same conditions. Experiments with additional mu-CTX derivatives identified toxin residues Arg-1, Arg-13, and Lys-16 as important contributors to the sensitivity to external mu. Taken together, our findings indicate that mu-CTX block of Na+ channels depends critically on mu but not specifically on [Na+], contrasting with the known behavior of pore-blocking K+ channel toxins. These findings suggest that different degrees of ion interaction, underlying the fundamental conduction mechanisms of Na+ and K+ channels, are mirrored in ion interactions with pore-blocking toxins.     

Transcainide causes two modes of open-channel block with different voltage sensitivities in batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels.

Transcainide, a complex derivative of lidocaine, blocks the open state of BTX-activated sodium channels from bovine heart and rat skeletal muscle in two distinct ways. When applied to either side of the membrane, transcainide caused discrete blocking events a few hundred milliseconds in duration (slow block), and a concomitant reduction in apparent single-channel amplitude, presumably because of rapid block beyond the temporal resolution of our recordings (fast block). We quantitatively analyzed block from the cytoplasmic side. Both modes of block occurred via binding of the drug to the open channel, approximately followed 1:1 stoichiometry, and were similar for both channel subtypes. For slow block, the blocking rate increased, and the unblocking rate decreased with depolarization, yielding an overall enhancement of block at positive potentials, and suggesting a blocking site at an apparent electrical distance about 45% of the way from the cytoplasmic end of the channel (z delta approximately 0.45). In contrast, the fast blocking mode was only slightly enhanced by depolarization (z delta approximately 0.15). Phenomenologically, the bulky and complex transcainide molecule combines the almost voltage-insensitive blocking action of phenylhydrazine (Zamponi and French, 1994a (companion paper)) with a slow open-channel blocking action that shows a voltage dependence typical of simpler amines. Only the slower blocking mode was sensitive to the removal of external sodium ions, suggesting that the two types of block occur at distinct sites. Dose-response relations were also consistent with independent binding of transcainide to two separate sites on the channel.     

Interaction of permeant and blocking ions in cloned inward-rectifier K+ channels.

Blocking cloned inward-rectifier potassium (Kir) channels from the cytoplasmic side was analyzed with a rapid application system exchanging the intracellular solution on giant inside-out patches from Xenopus oocytes in <2 ms. Dependence of the pore-block on interaction of the blocking molecule with permeant and impermeant ions on either side of the membrane was investigated in Kir1.1 (ROMK1) channels blocked by ammonium derivatives and in Kir4.1 (BIR10) channels blocked by spermine. The blocking reaction in both systems showed first-order kinetics and allowed separate determination of on- and off-rates. The off-rates of block were strongly dependent on the concentration of internal and external bulk ions, but almost independent of the ion species at the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. With K+ as the only cation on both sides of the membrane, off-rates exhibited strong coupling to the K+ reversal potential (E(K)) and increased and decreased with reduction in intra and extracellular K+ concentration, respectively. The on-rates showed significant dependence on concentration and species of internal bulk ions. This control of rate-constants by interaction of permeant and impermeant internal and external ions governs the steady-state current-voltage relation (I-V) of Kir channels and determines their physiological function under various conditions.     

Block of current through single calcium channels by Fe, Co, and Ni. Location of the transition metal binding site in the pore

The blocking actions of Fe2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ on unitary currents carried by Ba2+ through single dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels were recorded from cell-attached patches on myotubes from the mouse C2 cell line. Adding millimolar concentrations of blocker to patch electrodes containing 110 mM BaCl2 produced discrete excursions to the closed channel level. The kinetics of blocking and unblocking were well described with a simple model of open channel block. Hyperpolarization speeded the exit of all of the blockers from the channel, as expected if the blocking site resides within the pore. The block by Ni2+ differs from that produced by Fe2+ and Co2+ because Ni2+ enters the channel approximately 20 times more slowly and exits approximately 50 times more slowly. Ni2+ also differs from the other transition metals because at millimolar concentrations it reduces the amplitude of the unitary current in a concentration-dependent manner. The results are consistent with the idea that the rate-limiting step for ion entry into the channel is water loss at its inner coordination sphere; unblocking, on the other hand, cannot be explained in terms of simple coulombic interactions arising from differences in ion size.     

On the origin of asymmetric interactions between permeant anions and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel pore

Single channel and macroscopic current recording was used to investigate block of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channel pore by the permeant anion Au(CN)2(-). Block was 1-2 orders of magnitude stronger when Au(CN)2(-) was added to the intracellular versus the extracellular solution, depending on membrane potential. A point mutation within the pore, T-338A, strongly decreased the asymmetry of block, by weakening block by intracellular Au(CN)2(-) and at the same time strengthening block by external Au(CN)2(-). Block of T-338A, but not wild-type, was strongest at the current reversal potential and weakened by either depolarization or hyperpolarization. In contrast to these effects, the T-338A mutation had no impact on block by the impermeant Pt(NO2)4(2-) ion. We suggest that the CFTR pore has at least two anion binding sites at which Au(CN)2(-) and Pt(NO2)4(2-) block Cl- permeation. The T-338A mutation decreases a barrier for Au(CN)2(-) movement between different sites, leading to significant changes in its blocking action. Our finding that apparent blocker binding affinity can be altered by mutagenesis of a residue which does not contribute to a blocker binding site has important implications for interpreting the effects of mutagenesis on channel blocker effects.     

Block of tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ channel pore by multivalent cations: gating modification and Na+ flow dependence

Tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) Na(+) channels are much less susceptible to external TTX but more susceptible to external Cd(2+) block than tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) Na(+) channels. Both TTX and Cd(2+) seem to block the channel near the "DEKA" ring, which is probably part of a multi-ion single-file region adjacent to the external pore mouth and is involved in the selectivity filter of the channel. In this study we demonstrate that other multivalent transitional metal ions such as La(3+), Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Co(2+), and Mn(2+) also block the TTX-R channels in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Just like Cd(2+), the blocking effect has little intrinsic voltage dependence, but is profoundly influenced by Na(+) flow. The apparent dissociation constants of the blocking ions are always significantly smaller in inward Na(+) currents than those in outward Na(+) current, signaling exit of the blocker along with the Na(+) flow and a high internal energy barrier for "permeation" of these multivalent blocking ions through the pore. Most interestingly, the activation and especially the inactivation kinetics are slowed by the blocking ions. Moreover, the gating changes induced by the same concentration of a blocking ion are evidently different in different directions of Na(+) current flow, but can always be correlated with the extent of pore block. Further quantitative analyses indicate that the apparent slowing of channel activation is chiefly ascribable to Na(+) flow-dependent unblocking of the bound La(3+) from the open Na(+) channel, whereas channel inactivation cannot happen with any discernible speed in the La(3+)-blocked channel. Thus, the selectivity filter of Na(+) channel is probably contiguous to a single-file multi-ion region at the external pore mouth, a region itself being nonselective in terms of significant binding of different multivalent cations. This region is "open" to the external solution even if the channel is "closed" ("deactivated"), but undergoes imperative conformational changes during the gating (especially the inactivation) process of the channel.