Properties of the interaction of the sodium channel with permeant monovalent cations

The use of sea anemone toxin, veratridine and scorpion toxin which specifically interact with the gating system of the sodium channel and maintain the channel in an open conformation has permitted a study of the mechanism of transport of monovalent cations through the selectivity filter of this channel. The initial rate of 22Na+ influx through the tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channels of excitable cells is dependent upon the external concentrations of Na+ and Na+-substitutes with the following properties. (a) It is saturable at high Na+ concentrations and increases with the external Na+ concentration in a cooperative manner (nH = 1.6). (b) At low external Na+ concentrations (1 mM), it is activated and then inhibited by increasing external concentrations of monovalent cations such as Li+, guanidinium, hydrazinium, hydroxylamine and K+. The activating effect of these cations disappears at higher external Na+ concentrations (10 mM). The experimental data are consistent with a model involving at least two allosteric cation-binding sites per Na+ channel. The binding of monovalent cations to Na+ sites is characterized by a high positive homotropic cooperativity. Most of the work describes the properties of the Na+ channel in neuroblastoma cells. The mechanism has also been shown to be valid for excitable cells of other types and origins.     

Biochemical identification of two types of phenamil binding sites associated with amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels

The existence of distinct forms of the epithelium Na+ channel that differ in their sensitivity to amiloride has been repeatedly suggested by physiological data. The biochemical basis for these differences was analyzed by using phenamil, the most potent inhibitor known so far for the epithelium Na+ channel. [3H]Phenamil of high radioactive specific activity (30 Ci/mmol) was prepared and used to titrate [3H]phenamil binding sites in pig kidney membranes. Kinetic experiments, equilibrium binding studies, and competition experiments indicated the presence in crude membrane preparations of two classes of independent binding sites. A first binding site was characterized by a high affinity for phenamil (Kd1 = 0.4 nM) and for amiloride (Kd1 = 0.1 microM). A second binding site recognized phenamil and amiloride with lower affinities [Kd2(phenamil) = 28 nM, Kd2(amiloride) = 4 microM]. The ratio of the respective amounts of low- and high-affinity binding sites was 14 +/- 2 in different membrane preparations (range: 6-22). The two types of binding sites for [3H]phenamil copurified and were still observed after purification of the epithelium Na+ channel to homogeneity. These results indicate that at least two types of pharmacologically distinguishable Na+ channels exist in the kidney. They correspond either to two isoforms of the apical Na+ channel or to one single type of channel under two different states of covalent regulation.     

Na+ channels with high and low affinity tetrodotoxin binding sites in the mammalian skeletal muscle cell. Difference in functional properties and sequential appearance during rat skeletal myogenesis

High and low affinity binding sites for tetrodotoxin have been found in rat skeletal muscle cells in vitro using a radiolabeled tetrodotoxin derivative and 22Na+ flux studies. High affinity binding sites for tetrodotoxin (KD(tetrodotoxin) = 1.6 nM) cannot be detected at the myoblast stage. They appear and increase in density as myoblasts fuse into myotubes to reach a maximum binding capacity of 50 fmol/mg of proteins. Na+ channel structures with a high affinity for tetrodotoxin cannot be activated by neurotoxins specific for the Na+ channel such as veratridine and sea anemone toxinII. They are not expressed in the action potential. Na+ channels with a low affinity for tetrodotoxin (IC50(tetrodotoxin) = 1 microM) are functional since they can be activated by veratridine and sea anemone toxinII. They are already expressed in myoblasts and their density is not modified during the fusion of myoblasts into myotubes; they remain functional throughout the differentiation process. It is suggested that neuronal factors are not required for the synthesis of structures with high affinity binding sites for tetrodotoxin in the rat muscle and that they are only involved for the maturation of these structures from a nonfunctional to a functional form.     

Modification of cardiac Na+ channels by batrachotoxin: effects on gating, kinetics, and local anesthetic binding.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the characteristics of Na+ channel modification by batrachotoxin (BTX) in cardiac cells, including changes in channel gating and kinetics as well as susceptibility to block by local anesthetic agents. We used the whole cell configuration of the patch clamp technique to measure Na+ current in guinea pig myocytes. Extracellular Na+ concentration and temperature were lowered (5-10 mM, 17 degrees C) in order to maintain good voltage control. Our results demonstrated that 1) BTX modifies cardiac INa, causing a substantial steady-state (noninactivating) component of INa, 2) modification of cardiac Na+ channels by BTX shifts activation to more negative potentials and reduces both maximal gNa and selectivity for Na+; 3) binding of BTX to its receptor in the cardiac Na+ channel reduces the affinity of local anesthetics for their binding site; and 4) BTX-modified channels show use-dependent block by local anesthetics. The reduced blocking potency of local anesthetics for BTX-modified Na+ channels probably results from an allosteric interaction between BTX and local anesthetics for their respective binding sites in the Na+ channel. Our observations that use-dependent block by local anesthetics persists in BTX-modified Na+ channels suggest that this form of extra block can occur in the virtual absence of the inactivated state. Thus, the development of use-dependent block appears to rely primarily on local anesthetic binding to activated Na+ channels under these conditions.     

Characterization of high affinity binding sites for charybdotoxin in human T lymphocytes. Evidence for association with the voltage-gated K+ channel.

Charybdotoxin (ChTX) inhibits with high affinity a voltage-gated K+ channel that is present in human T lymphocytes. In this system, 125I-ChTX binds specifically and reversibly to a single class of sites which display a Kd of 8-14 pM, as measured by either equilibrium or kinetic binding protocols. The maximum density of sites, 542 sites/cell, correlates well with the density of K+ channel as determined by electrophysiological experiments. Binding of 125I-ChTX is modulated by the ionic strength of the incubation media and by Ca2+. Increasing concentrations of either K+, Na+, or Ca2+ cause inhibition of toxin binding. Inhibition of binding by Ca2+ is due, primarily, to an effect on toxin dissociation rates. Increasing the pH of the external media from 6.8 to 8.5 enhances toxin binding, due to an increase in affinity with no significant effect on the maximum density of receptor sites. Different agents that block the voltage-gated K+ channel in human T lymphocytes, inhibit toxin binding. Mitogen-stimulated T cells display 2.5-3-fold increase in toxin binding as compared with unstimulated control cells. These data, taken together, suggest that 125I-ChTX binding sites identified in this study, represent the predominant voltage-gated K+ channel present in peripheral human T lymphocytes. Therefore, 125I-ChTX is a useful probe for elucidating the physiological role of this type of K+ channel.     

Temperature dependence of ion permeation at the endplate channel

The dependence of acetylcholine receptor mean single-channel conductance on temperature was studied at garter snake twitch-muscle endplates using fluctuation analysis. In normal saline under conditions where most of the endplate current was carried by Na+, the channel conductance increased continuously from near 0 degrees C to approximately 23 degrees C with a Q10 of 1.97 +/- 0.14 (mean +/- SD). When 50% of the bath Na+ was replaced by either Li+, Rb+, or Cs+, the Q10 did not change significantly; however, at any temperature the channel conductance was greatest in Cs-saline and decreased with the ion sequence Cs greater than Rb greater than Na greater than Li. The results were fit by an Eyring-type model consisting of one free-energy well on the extracellular side of a single energy barrier. Ion selectivity appeared to result from ion-specific differences in the well and not in the barrier of this model. With a constant barrier enthalpy for different ions, well free-energy depth was greatest for Cs+ and graded identical to the permeability sequence. The correlation between increased well depth (i.e., ion binding) and increased channel conductance can be accounted for by the Boltzmann distribution of thermal energy.     

Interactions of amiloride and small monovalent cations with the epithelial sodium channel. Inferences about the nature of the channel pore.

The voltage dependence of amiloride-induced inhibition of current flow through apical membrane sodium channels in toad urinary bladder was studied at different ionic conditions. The "inert" salt N-methyl-D-glucamine HCl (NMDG HCl) affected neither the apparent inhibition constant (Kl) for the amiloride-induced current inhibition nor the apparent fraction of the transmembrane voltage that falls between the mucosal solution and the amiloride-binding site (delta). When NMDG+ was replaced with Na+, Kl increased, reflecting amiloride-Na+ competition, whereas delta was unchanged. Similar results were obtained with another permeant cation, Li+. When NMDG+ was replaced by K+, an impermeant but channel-blocking cation, Kl increased whereas delta decreased. Similar results were obtained using another impermeant, channel-blocking cation guanidinium. The results are interpreted on the premise that Na+ and K+ compete with amiloride by binding to cation binding sites within the channel lumen such that ion occupancy of these sites vary with voltage. Occupancy by K+, which cannot traverse the channel, will increase as the mucosal solution becomes positive, relative to the serosal solution. Occupancy by Na+, which can traverse the channel, is comparatively voltage independent. Ion movement through the channels was simulated using discrete-state kinetic models. Two types of models could describe the shape of the current-voltage relationship and the voltage dependence of the amiloride-induced channel block. One model had a single ion-binding site with a broad energy barrier at the inner (cytoplasmic) side of the site. The other model had two binding sites separated from each other and from the aqueous solutions by sharp energy barriers.     

Probabilistic secretion of quanta and the synaptosecretosome hypothesis: evoked release at active zones of varicosities, boutons, and endplates.

A quantum of transmitter may be released upon the arrival of a nerve impulse if the influx of calcium ions through a nearby voltage-dependent calcium channel is sufficient to activate the vesicle-associated calcium sensor protein that triggers exocytosis. A synaptic vesicle, together with its calcium sensor protein, is often found complexed with the calcium channel in active zones to form what will be called a "synaptosecretosome." In the present work, a stochastic analysis is given of the conditions under which a quantum is released from the synaptosecretosome by a nerve impulse. The theoretical treatment considers the rise of calcium at the synaptosecretosome after the stochastic opening of a calcium channel at some time during the impulse, followed by the stochastic binding of calcium to the vesicle-associated protein and the probability of this leading to exocytosis. This allows determination of the probabilities that an impulse will release 0, 1, 2,... quanta from an active zone, whether this is in a varicosity, a bouton, or a motor endplate. A number of experimental observations of the release of transmitter at the active zones of sympathetic varicosities and boutons as well as somatic motor endplates are described by this analysis. These include the likelihood of the secretion of only one quantum at an active zone of endplates and of more than one quantum at an active zone of a sympathetic varicosity. The fourth-power relationship between the probability of transmitter release at the active zones of sympathetic varicosities and motor endplates and the external calcium concentration is also explained by this approach. So, too, is the fact that the time course of the increased rate of quantal secretion from a somatic active zone after an impulse is invariant with changes in the amount of calcium that enters through its calcium channel, whether due to changes consequent on the actions of autoreceptor agents such as adenosine or to facilitation. The increased probability of quantal release that occurs during F1 facilitation at the active zones of motor endplates and sympathetic boutons is predicted by the residual binding of calcium to a high-affinity site on the vesicle-associated protein. The concept of the stochastic operation of a synaptosecretosome can accommodate most phenomena involving the release of transmitter quanta at these synapses.     

Characterization, solubilization, affinity labeling and purification of the cardiac Na+ channel using Tityus toxin gamma

Saturable, high-affinity binding of iodinated toxin gamma from Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom (TiTx gamma) to Na+ channel receptor was identified in sarcolemma membrane of chick heart. A binding capacity of 450-600 fmol/mg of protein was found similar to that of tetrodotoxin-binding component. The enrichment of these membrane-bound toxin binding sites follows that of other sarcolemma markers. Kinetic data and displacement of 125I-TiTx gamma from its binding sites by unlabeled TiTx gamma gave an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 1-3 pM. The gating component and the selectivity filter of the voltage-sensitive Na+ channel, identified as binding sites of TiTx gamma and of tetrodotoxin respectively, have been efficiently solubilized with Nonidet P-40. Purification was achieved by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25, affinity chromatography on wheat-germ-agglutinin-Sepharose and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. An enrichment of 1400-fold from the original detergent extract was measured for both toxin binding sites (1120-1230 pmol/mg of protein). Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis reveals a single large polypeptide component of Mr230000-270000. The purified material exhibits an apparent sedimentation coefficient of 8.8S. Covalent cross-linking of 125I-TiTx gamma to its membrane-embedded cardiac receptor shows that the cross-linked material, solubilized and purified by the same procedure comprises a single polypeptide chain of the same Mr of 230000-270000. Furthermore, as seen for Electrophorus electricus electroplax and rat brain, the tetrodotoxin-binding component and the TiTx gamma-binding component are carried by the same polypeptide chain. The functional Na+ channel might be an oligomer of this subunit of Mr23000-270000.     

Block of endplate channels by permeant cations in frog skeletal muscle

Motor endplates of frog semitendinosus muscles were studied under voltage clamp. Current fluctuations induced by iontophoretic application of acetylcholine were analyzed to give the elementary conductance, gamma , and mean open time, tau , of endplate channels. Total replacement of the external Na+ ion by several other metal ions and by many permeant organic cations changed both gamma and tau . Except with NH4+ ions, the gamma values with foreign test ions were all smaller than expected from the independence relation and their previously measured permeability ratios. The more hydrophobic ions gave the smallest gamma values. Foreign permeant cations also depress gamma when mixed with Na+ ions. These effects could be interpreted in terms of binding of ions to a saturable site within the endplate channel as they pass through. The site for organic ions would have a hydrophobic component. Similar evidence is given for a metal ion binding site on the cytoplasmic end of the channel accessible to internal ions. Most foreign cations also shortened tau when applied externally. The changes of gating did not seem to be correlated with changes in gamma . Thus there is no evidence for control of tau by ions bound within the pore.     

Regional differentiation of the sea urchin sperm plasma membrane

In order to study the molecular basis for the functional localization and behavioral control of sperm, we have partially characterized plasma membranes prepared from isolated head and tail fractions. These membranes have similar amounts of the Na+ pump (as reflected by (Na+,K+)-ATPase activity), whereas they differ in protein composition, binding sites for Ca2+ channel antagonists, and in the localization of enzymes of cyclic nucleotide metabolism. The Ca2+ channel antagonist D600 (and related phenylalkylamines) binds to plasma membrane preparations from sperm heads and tails with much higher affinity than do the dihydropyridine antagonists. This binding is inhibited greatly by certain monovalent (but not divalent) ions, especially Na+, Tris+, glycine ethyl ester+, and methylamine+.K+,Li+, and choline+ are less effective. In media of ionic composition resembling seawater, sperm tail membranes exhibit 6.5-fold more binding sites for D600 than do membranes from sperm head. cGMP phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase are also enriched in plasma membranes from the tail. Thus, the highly polarized sperm cell exhibits a regional differentiation of plasma membrane proteins implicated in behavioral control.     

An inactivation stabilizer of the Na+ channel acts as an opportunistic pore blocker modulated by external Na+

The Na+ channel is the primary target of anticonvulsants carbamazepine, phenytoin, and lamotrigine. These drugs modify Na+ channel gating as they have much higher binding affinity to the inactivated state than to the resting state of the channel. It has been proposed that these drugs bind to the Na+ channel pore with a common diphenyl structural motif. Diclofenac is a widely prescribed anti-inflammatory agent that has a similar diphenyl motif in its structure. In this study, we found that diclofenac modifies Na+ channel gating in a way similar to the foregoing anticonvulsants. The dissociation constants of diclofenac binding to the resting, activated, and inactivated Na+ channels are approximately 880 microM, approximately 88 microM, and approximately 7 microM, respectively. The changing affinity well depicts the gradual shaping of a use-dependent receptor along the gating process. Most interestingly, diclofenac does not show the pore-blocking effect of carbamazepine on the Na+ channel when the external solution contains 150 mM Na+, but is turned into an effective Na+ channel pore blocker if the extracellular solution contains no Na+. In contrast, internal Na+ has only negligible effect on the functional consequences of diclofenac binding. Diclofenac thus acts as an "opportunistic" pore blocker modulated by external but not internal Na+, indicating that the diclofenac binding site is located at the junction of a widened part and an acutely narrowed part of the ion conduction pathway, and faces the extracellular rather than the intracellular solution. The diclofenac binding site thus is most likely located at the external pore mouth, and undergoes delicate conformational changes modulated by external Na+ along the gating process of the Na+ channel.     

Tuning ion coordination architectures to enable selective partitioning

K+ ions seemingly permeate K-channels rapidly because channel binding sites mimic coordination of K+ ions in water. Highly selective ion discrimination should occur when binding sites form rigid cavities that match K+, but not the smaller Na+, ion size or when binding sites are composed of specific chemical groups. Although conceptually attractive, these views cannot account for critical observations: 1), K+ hydration structures differ markedly from channel binding sites; 2), channel thermal fluctuations can obscure sub-Angstr?m differences in ion sizes; and 3), chemically identical binding sites can exhibit diverse ion selectivities. Our quantum mechanical studies lead to a novel paradigm that reconciles these observations. We find that K-channels utilize a "phase-activated" mechanism where the local environment around the binding sites is tuned to sustain high coordination numbers (>6) around K+ ions, which otherwise are rarely observed in liquid water. When combined with the field strength of carbonyl ligands, such high coordinations create the electrical scenario necessary for rapid and selective K+ partitioning. Specific perturbations to the local binding site environment with respect to strongly selective K-channels result in altered K+/Na+ selectivities.     

Sodium binding sites of gramicidin A: sodium-23 nuclear magnetic resonance study.

In ethanol-water mixtures (90:10), the gramicidin dimer binds Na+ cations at well-defined sites, with a binding constant K = 4 M-1. Partial desolvation of Na+ occurs upon binding, as judged from the magnitude of the quadrupolar coupling constant (1.7 MHz) for bound sodium. The binding sites are identified with the outer sites flanking the channel entrances. The rate constants for binding and release are k+ less than or equal to 2.2 X 10(9) M-1 s-1 and k- less than or equal to 5.5 X 10(8) s-1, respectively.     

Differential subcellular localization of the RI and RII Na+ channel subtypes in central neurons

Immunocytochemical localization of Na+ channel subtypes RI and RII showed that RI immunoreactivity is relatively low and homogeneous along the rostral-caudal extent of sagittal brain sections, whereas RII staining is heterogeneous and relatively dense in the forebrain, substantia nigra, hippocampus, and cerebellum. The somata of the dentate granule cells, hippocampal pyramidal cells, cerebellar Purkinje cells, and spinal motor neurons are immunoreactive for RI but not RII. In contrast, areas rich in unmyelinated nerve fibers, such as the mossy fibers of the dentate granule cells, the stratum radiatum and stratum oriens of the hippocampus, and the molecular layer of the cerebellum, are strongly immunoreactive for RII but not RI. Differential regulation of expression of RI and RII genes may allow differential modulation of Na+ channel density in somata and axons. The sites of RI localization correlate closely with sites where sustained Na+ currents have been recorded.     

Competitive binding interaction between Zn2+ and saxitoxin in cardiac Na+ channels. Evidence for a sulfhydryl group in the Zn2+/saxitoxin binding site.

Mammalian heart Na+ channels exhibit approximately 100-fold higher affinity for block by external Zn2+ than other Na+ channel subtypes. With batrachotoxin-modified Na+ channels from dog or calf heart, micromolar concentrations of external Zn2+ result in a flickering block to a substate level with a conductance of approximately 12% of the open channel at -50 mV. We examined the hypothesis that, in this blocking mode, Zn2+ binds to a subsite of the saxitoxin (STX) binding site of heart Na+ channels by single-channel analysis of the interaction between Zn2+ and STX and also by chemical modification experiments on single heart Na+ channels incorporated into planar lipid bilayers in the presence of batrachotoxin. We found that external Zn2+ relieved block by STX in a strictly competitive fashion. Kinetic analysis of this phenomenon was consistent with a scheme involving direct binding competition between Zn2+ and STX at a single site with intrinsic equilibrium dissociation constants of 30 nM for STX and 30 microM for Zn2+. Because high-affinity Zn2(+)-binding sites often include sulfhydryl groups as coordinating ligands of this metal ion, we tested the effect of a sulfhydryl-specific alkylating reagent, iodoacetamide (IAA), on Zn2+ and STX block. For six calf heart Na+ channels, we observed that exposure to 5 mM IAA completely abolished Zn2+ block and concomitantly modified STX binding with at least 20-fold reduction in affinity. These results lead us to propose a model in which Zn2+ binds to a subsite within or near the STX binding site of heart Na+ channels. This site is also presumed to contain one or more cysteine sulfhydryl groups.     

Sodium flux ratio through the amiloride-sensitive entry pathway in frog skin

The sodium flux ratio of the amiloride-sensitive Na+ channel in the apical membrane of in vitro Rana catesbeiana skin has been evaluated at different sodium concentrations and membrane potentials in sulfate Ringer solution. Amiloride-sensitive unidirectional influxes and effluxes were determined as the difference between bidirectional 22Na and 24Na fluxes simultaneously measured in the absence and presence of 10(-4) M amiloride in the external bathing solution. Amiloride- sensitive Na+ effluxes were induced by incorporation of cation- selective ionophores (amphotericin B or nystatin) into the normally Na+- impermeable basolateral membrane. Apical membrane potentials (Va) were measured with intracellular microelectrodes. We conclude that since the flux ratio exponent, n', is very close to 1, sodium movement through this channel can be explained by a free-diffusion model in which ions move independently. This result, however, does not necessarily preclude the possibility that this transport channel may contain one or more ion binding sites.     

Mode of interaction of the single a subunit with the multimeric c subunits during the translocation of the coupling ions by F1F0 ATPases.

We have recently isolated a mutant (aK220R, aV264E, aI278N) of the Na+-translocating Escherichia coli/Propionigenium modestum ATPase hybrid with a Na+-inhibited growth phenotype on succinate. ATP hydrolysis by the reconstituted mutant ATPase was inhibited by external (N side) NaCl but not by internal (P side) NaCl. In contrast, LiCl activated the ATPase from the N side and inhibited it from the P side. A similar pattern of activation and inhibition was observed with NaCl and the ATPase from the parent strain PEF42. We conclude from these results that the binding sites for the coupling ions on the c subunits are freely accessible from the N side. Upon occupation of these sites, the ATPase becomes more active, provided that the ions can be further translocated to the P side through a channel of the a subunit. If by mutation of the a subunit this channel becomes impermeable for Na+, N side Na+ ions specifically inhibit the ATPase activity. These conclusions were corroborated by the observation that proton transport into proteoliposomes containing the mutant ATPase was abolished by N side but not by P side Na+ ions. In contrast, LiCl affected proton translocation from either side, similar to the sidedness effect of Na+ ions on H+ transport by the parent hybrid ATPase. If the ATPase carrying the mutated a subunit was incubated with 22NaCl and ATP, 1 mol 22Na+/mol enzyme was occluded. With the parent hybrid ATPase, 22Na+ occlusion was not observed. The occluded 22Na+ could be removed from its tight binding site by 20 mM LiCl, while incubation with 20 mM NaCl was without effect. Li+ but not Na+ is therefore apparently able to pass through the mutated a subunit and make the entrapped Na+ ions accessible again to the aqueous environment. These results suggest an ion translocation mechanism through F0 that in the ATP hydrolysis mode involves binding of the coupling ions from the cytoplasm to the multiple c subunits, ATP-driven rotation to bring a Na+, Li+, or H+-loaded c subunit into a contact site with the a subunit and release of the coupling ions through the a subunit channel to the periplasmic surface of the membrane.     

Reconstitution of the voltage-sensitive sodium channel of rat brain from solubilized components

The voltage-sensitive sodium channel of rat brain synaptosomes was solubilized with sodium cholate. The solubilized sodium channel migrated on a sucrose density gradient with an apparent S20,w of approximately 12 S, retained [3H]saxitoxin ([3H]STX) binding activity that was labile at 36 degrees C but no longer bound 125I-labeled scorpion toxin (125I-ScTX). Following reconstitution into phosphatidylcholine vesicles, the channel regained 125I-ScTX binding and thermal stability of [3H]STX binding. Approximately 50% of the [3H]STX binding activity and 58% of 125I-ScTX binding activity were recovered after reconstitution. The reconstituted sodium channel bound STX and ScTX with KD values of 5 and 10 nM, respectively. Under depolarized conditions, veratridine enhanced the binding of 125I-ScTX with a K0.5 of 20 microM. These KD and K0.5 values are similar to those of the native synaptosome sodium channel. 125I-ScTX binding to the reconstituted sodium channel, as with the native channel, was voltage dependent. The KD for 125I-ScTX increased with depolarization. This voltage dependence was used to demonstrate that the reconstituted channel transports Na+. Activation of sodium channels by veratridine under conditions expected to cause hyperpolarization of the reconstituted vesicles increased 125I-ScTX binding 3-fold. This increased binding was blocked by STX with K0.5 = 5 nM. These data indicate that reconstituted sodium channels can transport Na+ and hyperpolarize the reconstituted vesicles. Thus, incorporation of solubilized synaptosomal sodium channels into phosphatidylcholine vesicles results in recovery of toxin binding and action at each of the three neurotoxin receptor sites and restoration of Na+ transport by the reconstituted channels.     

Ion binding to KcsA: implications in ion selectivity and channel gating

Binding of K+ and Na+ to the potassium channel KcsA has been characterized from the stabilization observed in the heat-induced denaturation of the protein as the ion concentration is increased. KcsA thermal denaturation is known to include (i) dissociation of the homotetrameric channel into its constituent subunits and (ii) protein unfolding. The ion concentration-dependent changes in the thermal stability of the protein, evaluated as the Tm value for thermal-induced denaturation of the protein, may suggest the existence of both high- and low-affinity K+ binding sites of KcsA, which lend support to the tenet that channel gating may be governed by K+ concentration-dependent transitions between different affinity states of the channel selectivity filter. We also found that Na+ binds to KcsA with a KD similar to that estimated electrophysiologically from channel blockade. Therefore, our findings on ion binding to KcsA partly account for K+ over Na+ selectivity and Na+ blockade and argue against the strict “snug fit” hypothesis used initially to explain ion selectivity from the X-ray channel structure. Furthermore, the remarkable effects of increasing the ion concentration, K+ in particular, on the Tm of the denaturation process evidence that synergistic effects of the metal-mediated intersubunit interactions at the channel selectivity filter are a major contributor to the stability of the tetrameric protein. This observation substantiates the notion of a role for ions as structural “effectors” of ion channels.