title: Overexpressed Ca(v)beta3 inhibits N-type (Cav2.2) calcium channel currents through a hyperpolarizing shift of ultra-slow and closed-state inactivation.
abstract: It has been shown that beta auxiliary subunits increase current amplitude in voltage-dependent calcium channels. In this study, however, we found a novel inhibitory effect of beta3 subunit on macroscopic Ba(2+) currents through recombinant N- and R-type calcium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Overexpressed beta3 (12.5 ng/cell cRNA) significantly suppressed N- and R-type, but not L-type, calcium channel currents at "physiological" holding potentials (HPs) of -60 and -80 mV. At a HP of -80 mV, coinjection of various concentrations (0-12.5 ng) of the beta3 with Ca(v)2.2alpha(1) and alpha(2)delta enhanced the maximum conductance of expressed channels at lower beta3 concentrations but at higher concentrations (>2.5 ng/cell) caused a marked inhibition. The beta3-induced current suppression was reversed at a HP of -120 mV, suggesting that the inhibition was voltage dependent. A high concentration of Ba(2+) (40 mM) as a charge carrier also largely diminished the effect of beta3 at -80 mV. Therefore, experimental conditions (HP, divalent cation concentration, and beta3 subunit concentration) approaching normal physiological conditions were critical to elucidate the full extent of this novel beta3 effect. Steady-state inactivation curves revealed that N-type channels exhibited "closed-state" inactivation without beta3, and that beta3 caused an approximately 40-mV negative shift of the inactivation, producing a second component with an inactivation midpoint of approximately -85 mV. The inactivation of N-type channels in the presence of a high concentration (12.5 ng/cell) of beta3 developed slowly and the time-dependent inactivation curve was best fit by the sum of two exponential functions with time constants of 14 s and 8.8 min at -80 mV. Similar "ultra-slow" inactivation was observed for N-type channels without beta3. Thus, beta3 can have a profound negative regulatory effect on N-type (and also R-type) calcium channels by causing a hyperpolarizing shift of the inactivation without affecting "ultra-slow" and "closed-state" inactivation properties.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020908:Calcium Channels, R-Type / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: C498917:Cacna1e protein, rat; C484333:Cacnb3 protein, rat; D015220:Calcium Channels; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D020908:Calcium Channels, R-Type; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D002413:Cations, Divalent