Biophysical properties, pharmacology, and modulation of human, neuronal L-type (alpha(1D), Ca(V)1.3) voltage-dependent calcium currents.

Voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) are multimeric complexes composed of a pore-forming alpha(1) subunit together with several accessory subunits, including alpha(2)delta, beta, and, in some cases, gamma subunits. A family of VDCCs known as the L-type channels are formed specifically from alpha(1S) (skeletal muscle), alpha(1C) (in heart and brain), alpha(1D) (mainly in brain, heart, and endocrine tissue), and alpha(1F) (retina). Neuroendocrine L-type currents have a significant role in the control of neurosecretion and can be inhibited by GTP-binding (G-) proteins. However, the subunit composition of the VDCCs underlying these G-protein-regulated neuroendocrine L-type currents is unknown. To investigate the biophysical and pharmacological properties and role of G-protein modulation of alpha(1D) calcium channels, we have examined calcium channel currents formed by the human neuronal L-type alpha(1D) subunit, co-expressed with alpha(2)delta-1 and beta(3a), stably expressed in a human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cell line, using whole cell and perforated patch-clamp techniques. The alpha(1D)-expressing cell line exhibited L-type currents with typical characteristics. The currents were high-voltage activated (peak at +20 mV in 20 mM Ba2+) and showed little inactivation in external Ba2+, while displaying rapid inactivation kinetics in external Ca2+. The L-type currents were inhibited by the 1,4 dihydropyridine (DHP) antagonists nifedipine and nicardipine and were enhanced by the DHP agonist BayK S-(-)8644. However, alpha(1D) L-type currents were not modulated by activation of a number of G-protein pathways. Activation of endogenous somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sst2) by somatostatin-14 or activation of transiently transfected rat D2 dopamine receptors (rD2(long)) by quinpirole had no effect. Direct activation of G-proteins by the nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue, guanosine 5'-0-(3-thiotriphospate) also had no effect on the alpha(1D) currents. In contrast, in the same system, N-type currents, formed from transiently transfected alpha(1B)/alpha(2)delta-1/beta(3), showed strong G-protein-mediated inhibition. Furthermore, the I-II loop from the alpha(1D) clone, expressed as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein, did not bind Gbetagamma, unlike the alpha(1B) I-II loop fusion protein. These data show that the biophysical and pharmacological properties of recombinant human alpha(1D) L-type currents are similar to alpha(1C) currents, and these currents are also resistant to modulation by G(i/o)-linked G-protein-coupled receptors.

Functional consequences of mutations in the human alpha1A calcium channel subunit linked to familial hemiplegic migraine.

Mutations in alpha1A, the pore-forming subunit of P/Q-type calcium channels, are linked to several human diseases, including familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM). We introduced the four missense mutations linked to FHM into human alpha1A-2 subunits and investigated their functional consequences after expression in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. By combining single-channel and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we show that all four mutations affect both the biophysical properties and the density of functional channels. Mutation R192Q in the S4 segment of domain I increased the density of functional P/Q-type channels and their open probability. Mutation T666M in the pore loop of domain II decreased both the density of functional channels and their unitary conductance (from 20 to 11 pS). Mutations V714A and I1815L in the S6 segments of domains II and IV shifted the voltage range of activation toward more negative voltages, increased both the open probability and the rate of recovery from inactivation, and decreased the density of functional channels. Mutation V714A decreased the single-channel conductance to 16 pS. Strikingly, the reduction in single-channel conductance induced by mutations T666M and V714A was not observed in some patches or periods of activity, suggesting that the abnormal channel may switch on and off, perhaps depending on some unknown factor. Our data show that the FHM mutations can lead to both gain- and loss-of-function of human P/Q-type calcium channels.

Structural elements in domain IV that influence biophysical and pharmacological properties of human alpha1A-containing high-voltage-activated calcium channels.

We have cloned two splice variants of the human homolog of the alpha1A subunit of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The sequences of human alpha1A-1 and alpha1A-2 code for proteins of 2510 and 2662 amino acids, respectively. Human alpha1A-2alpha2bdeltabeta1b Ca2+ channels expressed in HEK293 cells activate rapidly (tau+10mV = 2.2 ms), deactivate rapidly (tau-90mV = 148 micros), inactivate slowly (tau+10mV = 690 ms), and have peak currents at a potential of +10 mV with 15 mM Ba2+ as charge carrier. In HEK293 cells transient expression of Ca2+ channels containing alpha1A/B(f), an alpha1A subunit containing a 112 amino acid segment of alpha1B-1 sequence in the IVS3-IVSS1 region, resulted in Ba2+ currents that were 30-fold larger compared to wild-type (wt) alpha1A-2-containing Ca2+ channels, and had inactivation kinetics similar to those of alpha1B-1-containing Ca2+ channels. Cells transiently transfected with alpha1A/B(f)alpha2bdeltabeta1b expressed higher levels of the alpha1, alpha2bdelta, and beta1b subunit polypeptides as detected by immunoblot analysis. By mutation analysis we identified two locations in domain IV within the extracellular loops S3-S4 (N1655P1656) and S5-SS1 (E1740) that influence the biophysical properties of alpha1A. alpha1AE1740R resulted in a threefold increase in current magnitude, a -10 mV shift in steady-state inactivation, and an altered Ba2+ current inactivation, but did not affect ion selectivity. The deletion mutant alpha1ADeltaNP shifted steady-state inactivation by -20 mV and increased the fast component of current inactivation twofold. The potency and rate of block by omega-Aga IVA was increased with alpha1ADeltaNP. These results demonstrate that the IVS3-S4 and IVS5-SS1 linkers play an essential role in determining multiple biophysical and pharmacological properties of alpha1A-containing Ca2+ channels.

Structure and functional characterization of a novel human low-voltage activated calcium channel.

We have isolated and characterized overlapping cDNAs encoding a novel, voltage-gated Ca2+ channel alpha1 subunit, alpha1H, from a human medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line. The alpha1H subunit is structurally similar to previously described alpha1 subunits. Northern blot analysis indicates that alpha1H mRNA is expressed throughout the brain, primarily in the amygdala, caudate nucleus, and putamen, as well as in several nonneuronal tissues, with relatively high levels in the liver, kidney, and heart. Ba2+ currents recorded from human embryonic kidney 293 cells transiently expressing alpha1H activated at relatively hyperpolarized potentials (-50 mV), rapidly inactivated (tau = 17 ms), and slowly deactivated. Similar results were observed in Xenopus oocytes expressing alpha1H. Single-channel measurements in human embryonic kidney 293 cells revealed a single-channel conductance of approximately 9 pS. These channels are blocked by Ni2+ (IC50 = 6.6 microM) and the T-type channel antagonists mibefradil (approximately 50% block at 1 microM) and amiloride (IC50 = 167 microM). Thus, alpha1H-containing channels exhibit biophysical and pharmacological properties characteristic of low voltage-activated, or T-type, Ca2+ channels.

Rat group I metabotropic glutamate receptors inhibit neuronal Ca2+ channels via multiple signal transduction pathways in HEK 293 cells.

We have shown previously that metabotropic glutamate receptors with group I-like pharmacology couple to N-type and P/Q-type calcium channels in acutely isolated cortical neurons using G proteins most likely belonging to the Gi/Go subclass. To better understand the potential mechanisms forming the basis for group I mGluR modulation of voltage-gated calcium channels in the CNS, we have examined the ability of specific mGluRs to couple to neuronal N-type (alpha1B-1/alpha2delta/beta1b) and P/Q-type (alpha1A-2/alpha2delta/beta1b) voltage-gated calcium channels in an HEK 293 heterologous expression system. Using the whole cell patch-clamp technique where intracellular calcium is buffered to low levels, we have shown that group I receptors inhibit both N-type and P/Q-type calcium channels in a voltage-dependent fashion. Similar to our observations in cortical neurons, this voltage-dependent inhibition is mediated almost entirely by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive heterotrimeric G proteins, strongly suggesting that these receptors can use Gi/Go-like G proteins to couple to N-type and P/Q-type calcium channels. However, inconsistent with the apparent NEM sensitivity of group I modulation of calcium channels, modulation of N-type channels in group I mGluR-expressing cells was only partially sensitive to pertussis toxin (PTX), indicating the potential involvement of both PTX-sensitive and -resistant G proteins. The PTX-resistant modulation was voltage dependent and entirely resistant to NEM and cholera toxin. A time course of treatment with PTX revealed that this toxin caused group I receptors to slowly shift from using a primarily NEM-sensitive G protein to using a NEM-resistant form. The PTX-induced switch from NEM-sensitive to -resistant modulation was also dependent on protein synthesis, indicating some reliance on active cellular processes. In addition to these voltage-dependent pathways, perforated patch recordings on group I mGluR-expressing cells indicate that another slowly developing, calcium-dependent form of modulation for N-type channels may be seen when intracellular calcium is not highly buffered. We conclude that group I mGluRs can modulate neuronal Ca2+ channels using a variety of signal transduction pathways and propose that the relative contributions of different pathways may exemplify the diversity of responses mediated by these receptors in the CNS.

Relative contributions of G protein, channel, and receptor to voltage-dependent inhibition of neuronal N-type and P/Q-type calcium channels in HEK 293 cell lines.

The voltage-dependent modulation of neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels by heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors potentially provides a means for activity-dependent modulation of synaptic efficacy. Recent attention has focused upon the molecular mechanisms by which such G proteins influence the biophysical properties of calcium channels. We have used an HEK 293-based heterologous system which stably expresses human neuronal calcium channels to address the relative contributions of receptor, G protein, and channel to voltage-dependent inhibition. We find that the receptor and channel subtype only insignificantly influence the time it takes to re-establish modulation following voltage-dependent relief of inhibition. In contrast, the G protein subtype mediating inhibition appears to play a significant part in this process. These results emphasize the importance of G protein subtype in the modulation of neuronal calcium channels.

Functional coupling of rat group II metabotropic glutamate receptors to an omega-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive calcium channel in human embryonic kidney 293 cells.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors are G protein-coupled receptors that perform a variety of modulatory roles in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The development of receptor subtype-specific agonists/antagonists has lagged far behind the isolation and characterization of receptor cDNAs. Further more, the coupling of specific metabotropic receptors to the various neuronal-specific effector molecules, such as voltage gated Ca2+ channels, has not been well studied. It was recently demonstrated that a rat group II metabotropic receptor (rm-GluR2) is capable of coupling to endogenous N-type Ca2+ channels when heterologously expressed in adult rat sympathetic ganglia neurons. To eventually understand the molecular aspects of metabotropic receptor modulation of the N-type Ca2+ channel, we have transiently expressed both group II receptors in a human embryonic kidney 293 cell line (G1A1) that stably expresses the human alpha 1B-1, alpha 2b, and beta 1-3 Ca2+ channel subunits. rmGluR2 and rmGluR3 modulate the omega-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive Ba2+ currents in G1A1 cells using a voltage-dependent mechanism via an endogenous pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein. Cell-attached "macropatch" recordings demonstrate that modulation by rmGluR2 and rmGluR3 is membrane delimited. This is the first report of Ca2+ channel modulation mediated by rmGluR3. In addition, an extensive pharmacological comparison between rmGluR2 and rmGluR3 reveals that these group II receptors interact with agonists and antagonists in unique ways.

Characteristics of a human N-type calcium channel expressed in HEK293 cells.

The human alpha 1B-1 alpha 2b beta 1-2 Ca2+ channel was stably expressed in HEK293 cells producing a human brain N-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC). Whole cell voltage-clamp electrophysiology and fura-2 based microfluorimetry have been used to study its characteristics. Calcium currents (ICa) recorded in transfected HEK293 cells were activated at potentials more depolarized than -20 mV with peak currents occurring at approx + 10 mV in 5 mM extracellular CaCl2. ICa and associated rises in intracellular free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were sensitive to changes in both the [Ca2+]o and holding potential. Steady-state inactivation was half maximal at a holding potential of -60 mV. Ba2+ was a more effective charge carrier than Ca2+ through the alpha 1B-1 alpha 2b beta 1-2 Ca2+ channel and combinations of both Ba2+ and Ca2+ as charge carriers resulted in the anomalous mole fraction effect. Ca2+ influx into transfected HEK293 cells was irreversibly inhibited by omega-conotoxin-GVIA (omega-CgTx-GVIA; 10 nM-1 microM) and omega-conotoxin-MVIIA; 100 nM-1 microM) whereas 1 microM) whereas no reductions were seen with agents which block P or L-type Ca2+ channels. The inorganic ions, gadolinium (Gd3+), cadmium (Cd2+) and nickel (Ni2+) reduced the ICa under voltage-clamp conditions in a concentration-dependent manner. The order of potency of the three ions was Gd3+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+. These experiments suggest that the cloned and expressed alpha 1B-1 alpha 2b beta 1-2 Ca2+ channel subunits form channels in HEK293 cells that exhibit properties consistent with the activity of the native-N-type VDCC previously described in neurons.

Structure and functional characterization of neuronal alpha 1E calcium channel subtypes.

We have cloned overlapping cDNAs encoding alpha 1E Ca2+ channel subunits from mouse and human brain. We observed that these alpha 1E transcripts were widely distributed in the central nervous system. We also demonstrated the existence of two variants of the human alpha 1E subunit. Comparison of the sequence of these alpha 1E subunits to those from other species suggests that at least four alternatively spliced variants of alpha 1E exist. Expression of human alpha 1E in HEK293 cells and Xenopus oocytes produced high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents that inactivated rapidly (tau approximately 20 ms at 0 mV). The size of the currents obtained were enhanced approximately 40-fold by co-expression with human neuronal alpha 2 and beta Ca2+ channel subunits. alpha 1E currents were insensitive to the drugs and toxins previously used to define other classes of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. Thus, alpha 1E-mediated Ca2+ channels appear to be a pharmacologically distinct class of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels.

Human neuronal voltage-dependent calcium channels: studies on subunit structure and role in channel assembly.

Voltage-dependent calcium (Ca2+) channels, expressed in the CNS, appear to be multimeric complexes comprised of at least alpha 1, alpha 2 and beta subunits. Previously, we cloned and expressed human neuronal alpha 1, alpha 2 and beta subunits to study recombinant channel complexes that display properties of those expressed in vivo. The alpha 1B-mediated channel subtype binds omega-conotoxin (CgTx) GVIA with high affinity and exhibits properties of N-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Here we describe several alpha 2 and beta splice variants and report results on the expression of omega-CgTx GVIA binding sites, assembly of the subunit complex and biophysical function of alpha 1B-mediated channel complexes containing some of these splice variants. We optimized recombinant expression in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells of alpha 1B alpha 2b beta 1 subunit complexes by controlling the expression levels of subunit mRNAs and monitored cell surface expression by binding of omega-CgTx GVIA to the alpha 1B subunit. Co-expression of either alpha 2b or beta 1 subunits with an alpha 1B subunit increased expression of binding sites while the most efficient expression was achieved when both alpha 2b and beta 1 subunits were co-expressed with an alpha 1B subunit. The presence of alpha 2b affects the affinity of omega-CgTx GVIA binding and barium (Ba2+) current magnitudes, although it does not appear to alter kinetic properties of the Ba2+ current. This is the first evidence of an alpha 2 subunit modulating the binding affinity of a cell-surface Ca2+ channel ligand. Our results demonstrate that alpha 1, alpha 2 and beta subunits together contribute to the efficient assembly and functional expression of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel complexes.

Structure and functional expression of an omega-conotoxin-sensitive human N-type calcium channel.

N-type calcium channels are omega-conotoxin (omega-CgTx)-sensitive, voltage-dependent ion channels involved in the control of neurotransmitter release from neurons. Multiple subtypes of voltage-dependent calcium channel complexes exist, and it is the alpha 1 subunit of the complex that forms the pore through which calcium enters the cell. The primary structures of human neuronal calcium channel alpha 1B subunits were deduced by the characterization of overlapping complementary DNAs. Two forms (alpha 1B-1 and alpha 1B-2) were identified in human neuroblastoma (IMR32) cells and in the central nervous system, but not in skeletal muscle or aorta tissues. The alpha 1B-1 subunit directs the recombinant expression of N-type calcium channel activity when it is transiently co-expressed with human neuronal beta 2 and alpha 2b subunits in mammalian HEK293 cells. The recombinant channel was irreversibly blocked by omega-CgTx but was insensitive to dihydropyridines. The alpha 1B-1 alpha 2b beta 2-transfected cells displayed a single class of saturable, high-affinity (dissociation constant = 55 pM) omega-CgTx binding sites. Co-expression of the beta 2 subunit was necessary for N-type channel activity, whereas the alpha 2b subunit appeared to modulate the expression of the channel. The heterogeneity of alpha 1B subunits, along with the heterogeneity of alpha 2 and beta subunits, is consistent with multiple, biophysically distinct N-type calcium channels.

Expression of the lacZ gene from two methanol-regulated promoters in Pichia pastoris.

Two DNA fragments containing putative control regions regulating the expression of the alcohol oxidase (AOX) and dihydroxy-acetone synthase (DAS) genes from the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris were used in the construction of vectors for the expression of the Escherichia coli lacZ gene. These vectors were transformed into P. pastoris host cells and employed in experiments to measure the control mechanisms employed by each promoter in the production of beta-galactosidase fusion products. Results in P. pastoris suggest that the processes used to regulate the expression of these gene fusions involve both repression/derepression and induction mechanisms. Expression of the AOX-lacZ and DAS-lacZ fusions was examined in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well. Interestingly, beta-galactosidase was expressed in a regulated manner in the heterologous host.

Isolation of alcohol oxidase and two other methanol regulatable genes from the yeast Pichia pastoris.

The oxidation of methanol follows a well-defined pathway and is similar for several methylotrophic yeasts. The use of methanol as the sole carbon source for the growth of Pichia pastoris stimulates the expression of a family of genes. Three methanol-responsive genes have been isolated; cDNA copies have been made from mRNAs of these genes, and the protein products from in vitro translations have been examined. The identification of alcohol oxidase as one of the cloned, methanol-regulated genes has been made by enzymatic, immunological, and sequence analyses. Methanol-regulated expression of each of these three isolated genes can be demonstrated to occur at the level of transcription. Finally, DNA subfragments of two of the methanol-responsive genomic clones from P. pastoris have been isolated and tentatively identified as containing the control regions involved in methanol regulation.