title: S4-based voltage sensors have three major conformations.
abstract: Voltage sensors containing the charged S4 membrane segment display a gating charge vs. voltage (Q-V) curve that depends on the initial voltage. The voltage-dependent phosphatase (Ci-VSP), which does not have a conducting pore, shows the same phenomenon and the Q-V recorded with a depolarized initial voltage is more stable by at least 3RT. The leftward shift of the Q-V curve under prolonged depolarization was studied in the Ci-VSP by using electrophysiological and site-directed fluorescence measurements. The fluorescence shows two components: one that traces the time course of the charge movement between the resting and active states and a slower component that traces the transition between the active state and a more stable state we call the relaxed state. Temperature dependence shows a large negative enthalpic change when going from the active to the relaxed state that is almost compensated by a large negative entropic change. The Q-V curve midpoint measured for pulses that move the sensor between the resting and active states, but not long enough to evolve into the relaxed states, show a periodicity of 120 degrees, indicating a 3(10) secondary structure of the S4 segment when determined under histidine scanning. We hypothesize that the S4 segment moves as a 3(10) helix between the resting and active states and that it converts to an alpha-helix when evolving into the relaxed state, which is most likely to be the state captured in the crystal structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Gordon Center for Integrative Sciences Room W244, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Villalba-Galea
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sandtner
authors.forename: Dorine M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Starace
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bezanilla
mesh_terms: D004594:Electrophysiology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D006639:Histidine; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007700:Kinetics; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D006639:Histidine; C509671:voltage-sensor-containing phosphatase, Ciona intestinalis; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases