title: Intersubunit coupling in the pore of BK channels.
abstract: The structural basis underlying the gating of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels remains elusive. We found that substitution of Leu-312 in the S6 transmembrane segment of mSlo1 BK channels with hydrophilic amino acids of smaller side-chain volume favored the open state. The sensitivities of channels to calcium and voltage were modified by some mutations and completely abolished by others. Interpretation of the results in terms of an allosteric model suggests that the calcium-insensitive mutants greatly destabilize the closed relative to the open conformation and may also disrupt the allosteric coupling between Ca(2+) or voltage sensors and the gate. Some Phe-315 mutations also favor the open state, suggesting that Leu-312 and Phe-315 may interact in the closed state, forming a major energy barrier that the channel has to overcome to open. Homology modeling and molecular dynamic simulations further support that the side chain of Leu-312 can couple strongly with the aromatic ring of Phe-315 in neighboring subunits (L-F coupling) to maintain the channel closed. Additionally, single-channel recordings indicate that the calcium-insensitive mutants, whose kinetics can be approximately characterized by a two-state closed-open (C-O) model, exhibit nearly 100% open probability under physiological conditions without alterations in single-channel conductance. These findings provide a basis for understanding the structure and gating of the BK channel pore.
authors: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Wu
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Xiong
authors: Sheng
authors: S
authors: Wang
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Yi
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Pan
authors: Frank T
authors: FT
authors: Horrigan
authors: Yingliang
authors: Y
authors: Wu
authors: Jiuping
authors: J
authors: Ding
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007700:Kinetics; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: C465449:Kcnma1 protein, mouse; D051037:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D002118:Calcium