Elementary Mechanisms Producing Facilitation of Cav2.1 (P/Q-type) Channels

The regulation of CaV2.1 (P/Q-type) channels by calmodulin (CaM) showcases the powerful Ca2+ decoding capabilities of CaM in complex with the family of CaV1-2 Ca2+ channels. Throughout this family, CaM does not simply exert a binary on/off regulatory effect; rather, Ca2+ binding to either the C- or N-terminal lobe of CaM alone can selectively trigger a distinct form of channel modulation. Additionally, Ca2+ binding to the C-terminal lobe triggers regulation that appears preferentially responsive to local Ca2+ influx through the channel to which CaM is attached (local Ca2+ preference), whereas Ca2+ binding to the N-terminal lobe triggers modulation that favors activation via Ca2+ entry through channels at a distance (global Ca2+ preference). CaV2.1 channels fully exemplify these features; Ca2+ binding to the C-terminal lobe induces Ca2+-dependent facilitation of opening (CDF), whereas the N-terminal lobe yields Ca2+-dependent inactivation of opening (CDI). In mitigation of these interesting indications, support for this local/global Ca2+ selectivity has been based upon indirect inferences from macroscopic recordings of numerous channels. Nagging uncertainty has also remained as to whether CDF represents a relief of basal inhibition of channel open probability (Po) in the presence of external Ca2+, or an actual enhancement of Po over a normal baseline seen with Ba2+ as the charge carrier. To address these issues, we undertake the first extensive single-channel analysis of CaV2.1 channels with Ca2+ as charge carrier. A key outcome is that CDF persists at this level, while CDI is entirely lacking. This result directly upholds the local/global Ca2+ preference of the lobes of CaM, because only a local (but not global) Ca2+ signal is here present. Furthermore, direct single-channel determinations of Po and kinetic simulations demonstrate that CDF represents a genuine enhancement of open probability, without appreciable change of activation kinetics. This enhanced-opening mechanism suggests that the CDF evoked during action-potential trains would produce not only larger, but longer-lasting Ca2+ responses, an outcome with potential ramifications for short-term synaptic plasticity

Custom Distinctions in the Interaction of G-protein β Subunits with N-type (CaV2.2) Versus P/Q-type (CaV2.1) Calcium Channels

Inhibition of N- (Cav2.2) and P/Q-type (Cav2.1) calcium channels by G-proteins contribute importantly to presynaptic inhibition as well as to the effects of opiates and cannabinoids. Accordingly, elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying G-protein inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels has been a major research focus. So far, inhibition is thought to result from the interaction of multiple proposed sites with the Gβγ complex (Gβγ). Far less is known about the important interaction sites on Gβγ itself. Here, we developed a novel electrophysiological paradigm, “compound-state willing-reluctant analysis,” to describe Gβγ interaction with N- and P/Q-type channels, and to provide a sensitive and efficient screen for changes in modulatory behavior over a broad range of potentials. The analysis confirmed that the apparent (un)binding kinetics of Gβγ with N-type are twofold slower than with P/Q-type at the voltage extremes, and emphasized that the kinetic discrepancy increases up to ten-fold in the mid-voltage range. To further investigate apparent differences in modulatory behavior, we screened both channels for the effects of single point alanine mutations within four regions of Gβ1, at residues known to interact with Gα. These residues might thereby be expected to interact with channel effectors. Of eight mutations studied, six affected G-protein modulation of both N- and P/Q-type channels to varying degrees, and one had no appreciable effect on either channel. The remaining mutation was remarkable for selective attenuation of effects on P/Q-, but not N-type channels. Surprisingly, this mutation decreased the (un)binding rates without affecting its overall affinity. The latter mutation suggests that the binding surface on Gβγ for N- and P/Q-type channels are different. Also, the manner in which this last mutation affected P/Q-type channels suggests that some residues may be important for “steering” or guiding the protein into the binding pocket, whereas others are important for simply binding to the channel

A CaVβ SH3/Guanylate Kinase Domain Interaction Regulates Multiple Properties of Voltage-gated Ca2+ Channels

Auxiliary Ca2+ channel β subunits (CaVβ) regulate cellular Ca2+ signaling by trafficking pore-forming α1 subunits to the membrane and normalizing channel gating. These effects are mediated through a characteristic src homology 3/guanylate kinase (SH3–GK) structural module, a design feature shared in common with the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) family of scaffold proteins. However, the mechanisms by which the CaVβ SH3–GK module regulates multiple Ca2+ channel functions are not well understood. Here, using a split-domain approach, we investigated the role of the interrelationship between CaVβ SH3 and GK domains in defining channel properties. The studies build upon a previously identified split-domain pair that displays a trans SH3–GK interaction, and fully reconstitutes CaVβ effects on channel trafficking, activation gating, and increased open probability (Po). Here, by varying the precise locations used to separate SH3 and GK domains and monitoring subsequent SH3–GK interactions by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we identified a particular split-domain pair that displayed a subtly altered configuration of the trans SH3–GK interaction. Remarkably, this pair discriminated between CaVβ trafficking and gating properties: α1C targeting to the membrane was fully reconstituted, whereas shifts in activation gating and increased Po functions were selectively lost. A more extreme case, in which the trans SH3–GK interaction was selectively ablated, yielded a split-domain pair that could reconstitute neither the trafficking nor gating-modulation functions, even though both moieties could independently engage their respective binding sites on the α1C (CaV1.2) subunit. The results reveal that CaVβ SH3 and GK domains function codependently to tune Ca2+ channel trafficking and gating properties, and suggest new paradigms for physiological and therapeutic regulation of Ca2+ channel activity

Comparative analysis of methods for detecting interacting loci

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Interactions among genetic loci are believed to play an important role in disease risk. While many methods have been proposed for detecting such interactions, their relative performance remains largely unclear, mainly because different data sources, detection performance criteria, and experimental protocols were used in the papers introducing these methods and in subsequent studies. Moreover, there have been very few studies strictly focused on comparison of existing methods. Given the importance of detecting gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, a rigorous, comprehensive comparison of performance and limitations of available interaction detection methods is warranted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We report a comparison of eight representative methods, of which seven were specifically designed to detect interactions among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with the last a popular main-effect testing method used as a baseline for performance evaluation. The selected methods, multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR), full interaction model (FIM), information gain (IG), Bayesian epistasis association mapping (BEAM), SNP harvester (SH), maximum entropy conditional probability modeling (MECPM), logistic regression with an interaction term (LRIT), and logistic regression (LR) were compared on a large number of simulated data sets, each, consistent with complex disease models, embedding <it>multiple </it>sets of interacting SNPs, under different interaction models. The assessment criteria included several relevant detection power measures, family-wise type I error rate, and computational complexity. There are several important results from this study. First, while some SNPs in interactions with strong effects are successfully detected, most of the methods miss many interacting SNPs at an acceptable rate of false positives. In this study, the best-performing method was MECPM. Second, the statistical significance assessment criteria, used by some of the methods to control the type I error rate, are quite conservative, thereby limiting their power and making it difficult to fairly compare them. Third, as expected, power varies for different models and as a function of penetrance, minor allele frequency, linkage disequilibrium and marginal effects. Fourth, the analytical relationships between power and these factors are derived, aiding in the interpretation of the study results. Fifth, for these methods the magnitude of the main effect influences the power of the tests. Sixth, most methods can detect some ground-truth SNPs but have modest power to detect the whole set of interacting SNPs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This comparison study provides new insights into the strengths and limitations of current methods for detecting interacting loci. This study, along with freely available simulation tools we provide, should help support development of improved methods. The simulation tools are available at: <url>http://code.google.com/p/simulation-tool-bmc-ms9169818735220977/downloads/list</url>.</p