Molecular Basis for Mambalgin-2 Interaction with Heterotrimeric α-ENaC/ASIC1a/γ-ENaC Channels in Cancer Cells.

Cancer progression is characterized by microenvironmental acidification. Tumor cells adapt to low environmental pH by activating acid-sensing trimeric ion channels of the DEG/ENaC family. The α-ENaC/ASIC1a/γ-ENaC heterotrimeric channel is a tumor-specific acid-sensing channel, and its targeting can be considered a new strategy for cancer therapy. Mambalgin-2 from the Dendroaspis polylepis venom inhibits the α-ENaC/ASIC1a/γ-ENaC heterotrimer more effectively than the homotrimeric ASIC1a channel, initially proposed as the target of mambalgin-2. Although the molecular basis of such mambalgin selectivity remained unclear. Here, we built the models of the complexes of mambalgin-2 with the α-ENaC/ASIC1a/γ-ENaC and ASIC1a channels, performed MD and predicted the difference in the binding modes. The importance of the 'head' loop region of mambalgin-2 for the interaction with the hetero-, but not with the homotrimeric channel was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and electrophysiology. A new mode of allosteric regulation of the ENaC channels by linking the thumb domain of the ASIC1a subunit with the palm domain of the γ-ENaC subunit was proposed. The data obtained provide new insights into the regulation of various types of acid-sensing ion channels and the development of new strategies for cancer treatment.

Membrane-mediated interaction of non-conventional snake three-finger toxins with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of α7 type (α7-nAChR) presented in the nervous and immune systems and epithelium is a promising therapeutic target for cognitive disfunctions and cancer treatment. Weak toxin from Naja kaouthia venom (WTX) is a non-conventional three-finger neurotoxin, targeting α7-nAChR with weak affinity. There are no data on interaction mode of non-conventional neurotoxins with nAChRs. Using α-bungarotoxin (classical three-finger neurotoxin with high affinity to α7-nAChR), we showed applicability of cryo-EM to study complexes of α7-nAChR extracellular ligand-binding domain (α7-ECD) with toxins. Using cryo-EM structure of the α7-ECD/WTX complex, together with NMR data on membrane active site in the WTX molecule and mutagenesis data, we reconstruct the structure of α7-nAChR/WTX complex in the membrane environment. WTX interacts at the entrance to the orthosteric site located at the receptor intersubunit interface and simultaneously forms the contacts with the membrane surface. WTX interaction mode with α7-nAChR significantly differs from α-bungarotoxin's one, which does not contact the membrane. Our study reveals the important role of the membrane for interaction of non-conventional neurotoxins with the nicotinic receptors.

Orientational Preferences of GPI-Anchored Ly6/uPAR Proteins.

Ly6/uPAR proteins regulate many essential functions in the nervous and immune systems and epithelium. Most of these proteins contain single ß-structural LU domains with three protruding loops and are glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored to a membrane. The GPI-anchor role is currently poorly studied. Here, we investigated the positional and orientational preferences of six GPI-anchored proteins in the receptor-unbound state by molecular dynamics simulations. Regardless of the linker length between the LU domain and GPI-anchor, the proteins interacted with the membrane by polypeptide parts and N-/O-glycans. Lynx1, Lynx2, Lypd6B, and Ly6H contacted the membrane by the loop regions responsible for interactions with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, while Lypd6 and CD59 demonstrated unique orientations with accessible receptor-binding sites. Thus, GPI-anchoring does not guarantee an optimal 'pre-orientation' of the LU domain for the receptor interaction.