title: Functional identification of ion binding sites at the internal end of the pore in Shaker K+ channels.
abstract: The inner end of the pore in voltage-gated K+ channels is the site of conformational changes related to gating and contains binding sites for permeant ions and pore-blocking molecules including quaternary ammonium ions and drugs. In order to determine the location and affinity of ion binding sites we probed the Shaker K+ channel with the quaternary ammonium analogue, tetrabutyl antimony (TBSb), a compound that is sufficiently electron dense to have been observed to occupy the cavity site in the bacterial K+ channel, KcsA. TBSb has K+ channel blocking properties analogous to those of tetrabutyl ammonium (TBA), and kinetics slow enough to be reliably measured. In the presence of external TEA, the internal TBSb on-rate decreased with increased internal K+ concentration as if these permeant ions prevented TBSb access to its site in the pore. The TBSb off-rate in low K+ was increased with external TEA addition and then reduced with increased internal K+. We found several differences between the behaviour of internal TBSb and TEA suggesting these molecules bind to distinct but interacting sites in the pore. We also found several differences in how K+ and Rb+ ions occupy sites in the inner end of the pore. These data suggest the presence of three sites in the inner end of the pore: (1) a site near the cytoplasmic end that binds TEA and K+ (but not Rb+) ions; K+ ions binding to this site inhibit TBSb exit from the pore; (2) a TBSb site slightly more into the pore that is rarely occupied by K+ or Rb+ ions; (3) a site further into the pore that has a high affinity for K+ and Rb+ ions; occupancy of this site by these permeant ions increases the TBSb off-rate. These results provide information on the fine-structure of ion interactions with the inner end of the pore in K+ channels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Begenisich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000965:Antimony / Q000494:pharmacology; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000502:physiology; D002586:Cesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003902:Detergents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008956:Models, Chemical; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D012413:Rubidium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051637:Shaker Superfamily of Potassium Channels; D019789:Tetraethylammonium / Q000494:pharmacology; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015221:Potassium Channels; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D051637:Shaker Superfamily of Potassium Channels; D002586:Cesium; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D000965:Antimony; C009405:tetrabutylammonium; D012413:Rubidium; D011188:Potassium