title: Characterization of the high-affinity Ca2+ binding sites in the L-type Ca2+ channel pore in rat phaeochromocytoma cells.
abstract: 1. Two major types of ion-ion interaction are demonstrated in the pore of the L-type Ca2+ channel, the 'lock-in' and the 'enhancement' effect. The former denotes that the ion at a certain site in the pore cannot move if the neighbouring site is occupied by the other ion. The latter denotes that the ion occupying a certain site may facilitate the exist of the other ion in the neighbouring site. 2. With inward currents carried by 300 mM external Li+, the exit rates of the blocking Ca2+ ion are decreased by approximately 4 times when the internal Li+ concentration is increased from 55 to 300 mM. With outward currents carried by 300 mM internal Li+, the exist rates of the blocking Ca2+ ion are decreased by approximately 2.5 times when the external Li+ concentration is increased from 55 to 300 mM. These findings demonstrate the 'lock-in' effect. 3. When inward currents are carried in Li+ in the cell-attached configuration, the on-rates of the external Ca2+ are decreased in a rectangular hyperbolic fashion with increasing external Li+ concentration (apparent dissociation constant (Kd) approximately 75 mM in activity), suggesting competition between Ca2+ and Li+ for a certain site. On the other hand, the off-rates of the blocking Ca2+ ion are increased linearly with increasing external Li+ concentration between 75 and 850 mM, and the line extrapolates to the zero point, indicating that Ca2+ exist is negligible at zero Li+. This finding demonstrates not only the existence of the enhancement effect in the channel, but also the indispensability of such an effect for Ca2+ to exit the pore. Moreover, a linear relationship up to 850 mM Li+ suggests that the affinity of Li+ to the enhancement sites is very low (apparent Kd very high) when a Ca2+ ion is present in the neighbouring site. 4. The unitary conductances of inward Ba2+ currents in the cell-attached configuration are increased with increasing Ba2+ concentration. The apparent Kd obtained from a rectangular hyperbolic fit to the data is approximately 6 mM Ba2+ (in activity). When inward Ba2+ currents are blocked by Cd2+, the on-rates of Cd2+ are decreased with increasing Ba2+ concentration also in a rectangular hyperbolic fashion, and the apparent Kd is approximately 5.5 mM. The similar Kd from these two different experiments suggests the high-affinity set can accommodate no more than two Ba2+ ions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008024:Ligands; D008094:Lithium / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D008024:Ligands; D008094:Lithium; D002118:Calcium