The beta subunit increases the Ca2+ sensitivity of large conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels by retaining the gating in the bursting states

Coexpression of the beta subunit (KV,Cabeta) with the alpha subunit of mammalian large conductance Ca2+- activated K+ (BK) channels greatly increases the apparent Ca2+ sensitivity of the channel. Using single-channel analysis to investigate the mechanism for this increase, we found that the beta subunit increased open probability (Po) by increasing burst duration 20-100-fold, while having little effect on the durations of the gaps (closed intervals) between bursts or on the numbers of detected open and closed states entered during gating. The effect of the beta subunit was not equivalent to raising intracellular Ca2+ in the absence of the beta subunit, suggesting that the beta subunit does not act by increasing all the Ca2+ binding rates proportionally. The beta subunit also inhibited transitions to subconductance levels. It is the retention of the BK channel in the bursting states by the beta subunit that increases the apparent Ca2+ sensitivity of the channel. In the presence of the beta subunit, each burst of openings is greatly amplified in duration through increases in both the numbers of openings per burst and in the mean open times. Native BK channels from cultured rat skeletal muscle were found to have bursting kinetics similar to channels expressed from alpha subunits alone.     

Mg(2+) binding to open and closed states can activate BK channels provided that the voltage sensors are elevated

BK channels are activated by intracellular Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) as well as by depolarization. Such activation is possible because each of the four subunits has two high-affinity Ca(2+) sites, one low-affinity Mg(2+) site, and a voltage sensor. This study further investigates the mechanism of Mg(2+) activation by using single-channel recording to determine separately the action of Mg(2+) on the open and closed states of the channel. To limit Mg(2+) action to the Mg(2+) sites, the two high-affinity Ca(2+) sites are disabled by mutation. When the voltage is stepped from negative holding potentials to +100 mV, we find that 10 mM Mg(2+) decreases the mean closed latency to the first channel opening 2.1-fold, decreases the mean closed interval duration 8.7-fold, increases mean burst duration 10.1-fold, increases the number of openings per burst 4.4-fold, and increases mean open interval duration 2.3-fold. Hence, Mg(2+) can bind to closed BK channels, increasing their opening rates, and to open BK channels, decreasing their closing rates. To explore the relationship between Mg(2+) action and voltage sensor activation, we record single-channel activity in macropatches containing hundreds of channels. Open probability (P(o)) is dramatically increased by 10 mM Mg(2+) when voltage sensors are activated with either depolarization or the mutation R210C. The increased P(o) arises from large decreases in mean closed interval durations and moderate increases in mean open interval durations. In contrast, 10 mM Mg(2+) has no detectable effects on P(o) or interval durations when voltage sensors are deactivated with very negative potentials or the mutation R167E. These observations are consistent with a model in which Mg(2+) can bind to and alter the gating of both closed and open states to increase P(o), provided that one or more voltage sensors are activated.     

Extracellular Ba2+ and voltage interact to gate Ca2+ channels at the plasma membrane of stomatal guard cells

Ca2+ channels at the plasma membrane of stomatal guard cells contribute to increases in cytosolic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+](i)) that regulate K+ and Cl- channels for stomatal closure in higher-plant leaves. Under voltage clamp, the initial rate of increase in [Ca2+](i) in guard cells is sensitive to the extracellular divalent concentration, suggesting a close interaction between the permeant ion and channel gating. To test this idea, we recorded single-channel currents across the Vicia guard cell plasma membrane using Ba2+ as a charge carrying ion. Unlike other Ca2+ channels characterised to date, these channels activate at hyperpolarising voltages. We found that the open probability (P(o)) increased strongly with external Ba2+ concentration, consistent with a 4-fold cooperative action of Ba2+ in which its binding promoted channel opening in the steady state. Dwell time analyses indicated the presence of a single open state and at least three closed states of the channel, and showed that both hyperpolarising voltage and external Ba2+ concentration prolonged channel residence in the open state. Remarkably, increasing Ba2+ concentration also enhanced the sensitivity of the open channel to membrane voltage. We propose that Ba2+ binds at external sites distinct from the permeation pathway and that divalent binding directly influences the voltage gate.     

Single channel measurements of the calcium release channel from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. Activation by Ca2+ and ATP and modulation by Mg2+

A high-conductance (100 pS in 53 mM trans Ca2+) Ca2+ channel was incorporated from heavy-density skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) fractions into planar lipid bilayers of the Mueller-Rudin type. cis Ca2+ in the range of 2-950 microM increased open probability (Po) in single channel records without affecting open event lifetimes. Millimolar ATP was found to be as good as or better than Ca2+ in activation; however, both Ca2+ and ATP were required to fully activate the channel, i.e., to bring Po = 1. Exponential fits to open and closed single channel lifetimes suggested that the channel may exist in many distinct states. Two open and two closed states were identified when the channel was activated by either Ca2+ or ATP alone or by Ca2+ plus nucleotide. Mg2+ was found to permeate the SR Ca channel in a trans-to-cis direction such that iMg2+/iCa2+ = 0.40. cis Mg2+ was inhibitory and in single channel recordings produced an unresolvable flickering of Ca- and nucleotide-activated channels. At nanomolar cis Ca2+, 4 microM Mg2+ completely inhibited nucleotide-activated channels. In the presence of 2 microM cis Ca2+, the nucleotide-activated macroscopic Ba conductance was inhibited by cis Mg2+ with an IC50 equal to 1.5 mM.     

Distinct metal ion binding sites on Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels in inside-out patches of human erythrocytes.

Effects of Cd2+, Co2+, Pb2+, Fe2+ and Mg2+ (1-100 microM) on single-channel properties of the intermediate conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ (CaK) channels were investigated in inside-out patches of human erythrocytes in a physiological K+ gradient. Cd2+, Co2+ and Pb2+, but not Fe2+ and Mg2+, were able to induce CaK channel openings. The potency of the metals to open CaK channels in human erythrocytes follows the sequence Pb2+, Cd2+ > Ca2+ > or = Co2+ > Mg2+, Fe2+. At higher concentrations Pb2+, Cd2+ and Co2+ block the CaK channel by reducing the opening frequency and the single-channel current amplitude. The potency of the metals to reduce CaK channel opening frequency follows the sequence Pb2+ > Cd2+, Co2+ > Ca2+, which differs from the potency sequence Cd2+ > Pb2+, Co2+ > Ca2+ to reduce the unitary single-channel current amplitude. Fe2+ reduced the channel opening frequency and enhanced the two open times of CaK channels activated by Ca2+, whereas up to 100 microM Mg2+ had no effect on any of the measured single-channel parameters. It is concluded that the activation of CaK channels of human erythrocytes by various metal ions occurs through an interaction with the same regulatory site at which Ca2+ activates these channels. The different potency orders for the activating and blocking effects suggest the presence of at least one activation and two blocking sites. A modulatory binding site for Fe2+ exists as well. In addition, the CaK channels in human erythrocytes are distinct from other subtypes of Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels in their sensitivity to the metal ions.     

Gating kinetics of four classes of voltage-dependent K+ channels in pheochromocytoma cells

Clonal pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells have four different types of voltage-dependent K+ channels whose activation does not require high concentrations of Ca++ on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane (Hoshi, T., and R. W. Aldrich, 1988, Journal of General Physiology, 91:73-106). The durations of open and closed events of these four different types of voltage-dependent K+ channels were measured using the excised configuration of the patch-clamp method. The open durations of a class of K+ channels termed the Kz channel, which activates rapidly and inactivates slowly in response to depolarizing pulses, had two exponential components. The closed durations of the Kz channel had at least four exponential components. The time constants of the fastest of the two exponential components in the closed durations were very similar to those of the two exponential components present in the first-latency distribution. The first latencies of the Kz channel decreased steeply with depolarization, contributing to the increased probability of the channel being open with depolarization. The Kz channel also had a very slow gating process that resulted in a clustering of blank sweeps. A gating scheme containing two open states and five closed states is consistent with the observations. The Ky channel had one exponential component in the open durations and three exponential components in the closed durations. The first latencies varied greatly depending on the prepulse voltage and duration. The results were consistent with a sequential model with a large number of closed states and one open state. The Kx channel, which required large hyperpolarizing prepulses to remove steady state inactivation and did not show inactivation with maintained depolarization, had two exponential components in the open durations and three exponential components in the closed durations. The burst behavior of the Kx channel involved many more than two states. The transient Kw channel had one exponential component in the open durations and the mean open time increased with depolarization. The first latencies of the Kw channel were steeply dependent on the voltage, decreasing with depolarization.     

The NH2 terminus of RCK1 domain regulates Ca2+-dependent BK(Ca) channel gating

Large conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK(Ca)) channels regulate blood vessel tone, synaptic transmission, and hearing owing to dual activation by membrane depolarization and intracellular Ca2+. Similar to an archeon Ca2+-activated K+ channel, MthK, each of four alpha subunits of BK(Ca) may contain two cytosolic RCK domains and eight of which may form a gating ring. The structure of the MthK channel suggests that the RCK domains reorient with one another upon Ca2+ binding to change the gating ring conformation and open the activation gate. Here we report that the conformational changes of the NH2 terminus of RCK1 (AC region) modulate BK(Ca) gating. Such modulation depends on Ca2+ occupancy and activation states, but is not directly related to the Ca2+ binding sites. These results demonstrate that AC region is important in the allosteric coupling between Ca2+ binding and channel opening. Thus, the conformational changes of the AC region within each RCK domain is likely to be an important step in addition to the reorientation of RCK domains leading to the opening of the BK(Ca) activation gate. Our observations are consistent with a mechanism for Ca2+-dependent activation of BK(Ca) channels such that the AC region inhibits channel activation when the channel is at the closed state in the absence of Ca2+; Ca2+ binding and depolarization relieve this inhibition.     

A minimal gating model for the cardiac calcium release channel.

A Markovian model of the cardiac Ca release channel, based on experimental single-channel gating data, was constructed to understand the transient nature of Ca release. The rate constants for a minimal gating scheme with one Ca-free resting state, and with two open and three closed states with one bound Ca2+, were optimized to simulate the following experimental findings. In steady state the channel displays three modes of activity: inactivated 1 mode without openings, low-activity L mode with single openings, and high-activity H mode with bursts of openings. At the onset of a Ca2+ step, the channel first activates in H mode and then slowly relaxes to a mixture of all three modes, the distribution of which depends on the new Ca2+. The corresponding ensemble current shows rapid activation, which is followed by a slow partial inactivation. The transient reactivation of the channel (increment detection) in response to successive additions of Ca2+ is then explained by the model as a gradual recruitment of channels from the extant pool of channels in the resting state. For channels in a living cell, the model predicts a high level of peak activation, a high extent of inactivation, and rapid deactivation, which could underlie the observed characteristics of the elementary release events (calcium sparks).     

Measurement of calcium channel inactivation is dependent upon the test pulse potential.

We have developed two methods to measure Ca2+ channel inactivation in Lymnaea neurons-one method, based upon the conventional double-pulse protocol, uses currents during a moderately large depolarizing pulse, and the other uses tail currents after a very strong activating pulse. Both methods avoid contamination by proton currents and are unaffected by rundown of Ca2+ current. The magnitude of inactivation measured differs for the two methods; this difference arises because the measurement of inactivation is inherently dependent upon the test pulse voltage used to monitor the Ca2+ channel conductance. We discuss two models that can generate such test pulse dependence of inactivation measurements-a two-channel model and a two-open-state model. The first model accounts for this by assuming the existence of two types of Ca2+ channels, different proportions of which are activated by the different test pulses. The second model assumes only one Ca2+ channel type, with two closed and open states; in this model, the test pulse dependence is due to the differential activation of channels in the two closed states by the test pulses. Test pulse dependence of inactivation measurements of Ca2+ channels may be a general phenomenon that has been overlooked in previous studies.     

Kinetic diversity of Na+ channel bursts in frog skeletal muscle

Individual Na+ channels of dissociated frog skeletal muscle cells at 10 degrees C fail to inactivate in 0.02% of depolarizing pulses, thus producing bursts of openings lasting hundreds of milliseconds. We present here a kinetic analysis of 87 such bursts that were recorded in multi-channel patches at four pulse potentials. We used standard dwell-time histograms as well as fluctuation analysis to analyze the gating kinetics of the bursting channels. Since each burst contained only 75-150 openings, detailed characterization of the kinetics from single bursts was not possible. Nevertheless, at this low kinetic resolution, the open and closed times could be well fitted by single exponentials (or Lorentzians for the power spectra). The best estimates of both the open and closed time constants produced by either technique were much more broadly dispersed then expected from experimental or analytical variability, with values varying by as much as an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the values of the open and closed time constants were not significantly correlated with one another from burst to burst. The bursts thus expressed diverse kinetic behaviors, all of which appear to be manifestations of a single type of Na+ channel. Although the opening and closing rates were dispersed, their average values were close to those of alpha m and 2 beta m derived from fits to the early transient Na+ currents over the same voltage range. We propose a model in which the channel has both primary states (e.g., open, closed, and inactivated), as well as "modes" that are associated with independent alterations in the rate constants for transition between each of these primary states.     

Mechanisms of noncompetitive inhibition of acetylcholine-induced single-channel currents

The functional mechanisms of noncompetitive blockade of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from the BC3H-1 cell line were examined using single-channel currents recorded from cell-attached patches. Channel open times were distributed as sums of two exponentials and the closed times as sums of at least four exponentials. The single-channel currents of the receptor were analyzed in terms of activation schemes in which the receptor exists in two open states and a number of closed or blocked states. The existence of two distinct open states for the acetylcholine receptor allows for predictions to be made that will distinguish between different mechanisms of blockade. Notably, predictions could be made based on the model for the sequential block of open channels, that would allow us to discriminate such a mechanism, even for ligands that appear to dissociate so slowly that sequential openings of the same channel do not appear as distinct bursts. Four noncompetitive blockers of the acetylcholine receptor were studied: tetracaine, phencyclidine, and the (+) and (-) isomers of N-allylnormetazocine (SKF-10047). All four of these ligands decreased the duration of single-channel currents without increasing the number of fast closures per burst. The data suggest that the ligands block the channel in at least two distinct ways, one of which involves a specific interaction with open channels and the other is most consistent with the blockade of channels that may be either open or closed. In addition, the duration of the open state may be allosterically lengthened by the interaction of certain blockers with another class of sites.     

Markovian models of low and high activity levels of cardiac ryanodine receptors

The modal gating behavior of single sheep cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-release/ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels was assessed. We find that the gating of RyR channels spontaneously shifts between high (H) and low (L) levels of activity and inactive periods where no channel openings are detected (I). Moreover, we find that there is evidence for multiple gating modes within H activity, which we term H1 and H2 mode. Our results demonstrate that the underlying mechanisms regulating gating are similar in native and purified channels. Dwell-time distributions of L activity were best fitted by three open and five closed significant exponential components whereas dwell-time distributions of H1 activity were best fitted by two to three open and four closed significant exponential components. Increases in cytosolic [Ca2+] cause an increase in open probability (Po) within L activity and an increase in the probability of occurrence of H activity. Open lifetime distributions within L activity were Ca2+ independent whereas open lifetime distributions within H activity were Ca2+ dependent. This study is the first attempt to estimate RyR single-channel kinetic parameters from sequences of idealized dwell-times and to develop kinetic models of RyR gating using the criterion of maximum likelihood. We propose distinct kinetic schemes for L, H1, and H2 activity that describe the major features of sheep cardiac RyR channel gating at these levels of activity.     

Rapid activation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor by submillisecond calcium stimuli

The local control concept of excitation-contraction coupling in the heart postulates that the activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum ryanodine receptor channels (RyR) is controlled by Ca(2+) entry through adjoining sarcolemmal single dihydropyridine receptor channels (DHPRs). One unverified premise of this hypothesis is that the RyR must be fast enough to track the brief (<0.5 ms) Ca(2+) elevations accompanying single DHPR channel openings. To define the kinetic limits of effective trigger Ca(2+) signals, we recorded activity of single cardiac RyRs in lipid bilayers during rapid and transient increases in Ca(2+) generated by flash photolysis of DM-nitrophen. Application of such Ca(2+) spikes (amplitude approximately 10-30 microM, duration approximately 0.1-0.4 ms) resulted in activation of the RyRs with a probability that increased steeply (apparent Hill slope approximately 2.5) with spike amplitude. The time constants of RyR activation were 0.07-0.27 ms, decreasing with spike amplitude. To fit the rising portion of the open probability, a single exponential function had to be raised to a power n approximately 3. We show that these data could be adequately described with a gating scheme incorporating four sequential Ca(2+)-sensitive closed states between the resting and the first open states. These results provide evidence that brief Ca(2+) triggers are adequate to activate the RyR, and support the possibility that RyR channels are governed by single DHPR openings. They also provide evidence for the assumption that RyR activation requires binding of multiple Ca(2+) ions in accordance with the tetrameric organization of the channel protein.     

Chicken skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor isoforms: ion channel properties.

To define the roles of the alpha- and beta-ryanodine receptor (RyR) (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel) isoforms expressed in chicken skeletal muscles, we investigated the ion channel properties of these proteins in lipid bilayers. alpha- and beta RyRs embody Ca2+ channels with similar conductances (792, 453, and 118 pS for K+, Cs+ and Ca2+) and selectivities (PCa2+/PK+ = 7.4), but the two channels have different gating properties. alpha RyR channels switch between two gating modes, which differ in the extent they are activated by Ca2+ and ATP, and inactivated by Ca2+. Either mode can be assumed in a spontaneous and stable manner. In a low activity mode, alpha RyR channels exhibit brief openings (tau o = 0.14 ms) and are minimally activated by Ca2+ in the absence of ATP. In a high activity mode, openings are longer (tau o1-3 = 0.17, 0.51, and 1.27 ms), and the channels are activated by Ca2+ in the absence of ATP and are in general less sensitive to the inactivating effects of Ca2+. beta RyR channel openings are longer (tau 01-3 = 0.34, 1.56, and 3.31 ms) than those of alpha RyR channels in either mode. beta RyR channels are activated to a greater relative extent by Ca2+ than ATP and are inactivated by millimolar Ca2+ in the absence, but not the presence, of ATP. Both alpha- and beta RyR channels are activated by caffeine, inhibited by Mg2+ and ruthenium red, inactivated by voltage (cytoplasmic side positive), and modified to a long-lived substate by ryanodine, but only alpha RyR channels are activated by perchlorate anions. The differences in gating and responses to channel modifiers may give the alpha- and beta RyRs distinct roles in muscle activation.     

Capsaicin activation of the pain receptor,VR1: multiple open states from both partial and full binding

Capsaicin, the pungent ingredient of hot peppers, has long been used to identify nociceptors. Its molecular target, the vanilloid receptor VR1, was recently cloned and confirmed functionally as a polymodal detector of multiple pain stimuli: heat, acid, and vanilloids. Previous electrophysiology studies have focused on whole-cell characteristics of the receptor. Here, we provide the first in-depth single-channel kinetic study of VR1 to understand its activation mechanism. At low to medium concentrations, channel activity appeared as bursts. Not only did the durations of the interburst gaps vary with capsaicin, the bursts also appeared ligand-dependent, with high capsaicin prolonging bursts and stabilizing openings. Gating involved at least five closed and three open states, with strong correlations between short closures and long openings, and long closures and short openings. Increasing capsaicin reduced the long closures with little effect on short ones. The open time constants changed little with capsaicin concentration, though their relative proportions varied. These results suggest that 1), the channel contains multiple capsaicin binding sites; 2), both partial and full binding are capable of opening the channel; 3), when activated, multiple open states are accessible irrespective of the level of binding; and 4), capsaicin association occurs preferentially to the closed channel.     

Bastadin 10 stabilizes the open conformation of the ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+) channel in an FKBP12-dependent manner.

The marine sponge Ianthella basta synthesizes at least 25 tetrameric bromotyrosine structures that possess a stringent structural requirement for modifying the gating behavior of ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+) channels (ryanodine receptors) (RyR)). Bastadin 5 (B5) was shown to stabilize open and closed channel states with little influence on the sensitivity of the channel to activation by Ca(2+) (Mack, M. M., Molinski, T. F., Buck, E. D., and Pessah, I. N. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 23236-23249). In the present paper, we utilize single channel analysis and measurements of Ca(2+) flux across the sarcoplasmic reticulum to identify bastadin 10 (B10) as the structural congener responsible for dramatically stabilizing the open conformation of the RyR channel, possibly by reducing the free energy associated with closed to open channel transitions (DeltaG*c --> o). The stability of the channel open state induced by B10 sensitized the channel to activation by Ca(2+) to such an extent that it essentially obviated regulation by physiological concentrations of Ca(2+) and relieved inhibition by physiological Mg(2+). These actions of B10 were produced only on the cytoplasmic face of the channel, were selectively eliminated by pretreatment of channels with FK506 or rapamycin, and were reconstituted by human recombinant FKBP12. The actions of B10 were found to be reversible. A structure-activity model is proposed by which substitutions on the Eastern and Western hemispheres of the bastarane macrocycle may confer specificity toward the RyR1-FKBP12 complex to stabilize either the closed or open channel conformation. These results indicate that RyR1-FKBP12 complexes possesses a novel binding domain for phenoxycatechols and raise the possibility of molecular recognition of an endogenous ligand.     

Gating of single non-Shaker A-type potassium channels in larval Drosophila neurons

The voltage-dependent gating of transient A2-type potassium channels from primary cultures of larval Drosophila central nervous system neurons was studied using whole-cell and single-channel voltage clamp. A2 channels are genetically distinct from the Shaker A1 channels observed in Drosophila muscle, and differ in single-channel conductance, voltage dependence, and gating kinetics. Single A2 channels were recorded and analyzed at -30, -10, +10, and +30 mV. The channels opened in bursts in response to depolarizing steps, with three to four openings per burst and two to three bursts per 480-ms pulse (2.8-ms burst criterion). Mean open durations were in a range of 2-4 ms and mean burst durations in a range of 9-17 ms. With the exception of the first latency distributions, none of the means of the distributions measured showed a consistent trend with voltage. Macroscopic inactivation of both whole-cell A currents and ensemble average currents of single A2 channels was well fitted by a sum of two exponentials. The fast time constants in different cells were in a range of 9-25 ms, and the slow time constants in a range of 60-140 ms. A six-state kinetic model (three closed, one open, two inactivated states) was tested at four command voltages by fitting frequency histograms of open durations, burst durations, burst closed durations, number of openings per burst, and number of bursts per trace. The model provided good fits to these data, as well as to the ensemble averages. With the exception of the rates leading to initial opening, the transitions in the model were largely independent of voltage.     

A nonselective cation channel activated by membrane deformation in oocytes of the ascidianBoltenia villosa

Summary Cell-attached patch clamp recordings from unfertilized oocytes of the ascidianBoltenia villosa reveal an ion channel which is activated by mechanical deformation of the membrane. These channels are seen when suction is applied to the patch pipette, but not in the absence of suction or during voltage steps. The estimated density of these stretch-activated channels is about 1.5/m², a figure equal to or greater than the density of known voltage-dependent channels in the oocyte. Ion substitution experiments done with combined whole-cell and attached patch recording, so absolute potentials are known, indicate that the channel passes Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and K⁺, but not Cl^–. The channel has at least two open and two closed states, with the rate constant that leaves the longer-lived closed state being the primary site of stretch sensitivity. External Ca²⁺ concentration affects channel kinetics: at low calcium levels, long openings predominate, whereas at high calcium virtually all openings are to the short-lived open state. In multiple channel patches, the response to a step change in suction is highly phasic, with channel open probability decreasing over several hundred milliseconds to a nonzero steady-state level after an initial rapid increase. This channel may play a role in the physiological response of cells of the early embryo to the membrane strains associated with morphogenetic events.     

Localization of the activation gate of a voltage-gated Ca2+ channel

Ion channels open and close in response to changes in transmembrane voltage or ligand concentration. Recent studies show that K+ channels possess two gates, one at the intracellular end of the pore and the other at the selectivity filter. In this study we determined the location of the activation gate in a voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (VGCC) by examining the open/closed state dependence of the rate of modification by intracellular methanethiosulfonate ethyltrimethylammonium (MTSET) of pore-lining cysteines engineered in the S6 segments of the alpha1 subunit of P/Q type Ca2+ channels. We found that positions above the putative membrane/cytoplasm interface, including two positions below the corresponding S6 bundle crossing in K+ channels, showed pronounced state-dependent accessibility to internal MTSET, reacting approximately 1,000-fold faster with MTSET in the open state than in the closed state. In contrast, a position at or below the putative membrane/cytoplasm interface was modified equally rapidly in both the open and closed states. Our results suggest that the S6 helices of the alpha1 subunit of VGCCs undergo conformation changes during gating and the activation gate is located at the intracellular end of the pore.