Gating of the two-pore cation channel AtTPC1 in the plant vacuole is based on a single voltage-sensing domain.

The two-pore cation channel TPC1 operates as a dimeric channel in animal and plant endomembranes. Each subunit consists of two homologous Shaker-like halves, with 12 transmembrane domains in total (S1-S6, S7-S12). In plants, TPC1 channels reside in the vacuolar membrane, and upon voltage stimulation, give rise to the well-known slow-activating SV currents. Here, we combined bioinformatics, structure modelling, site-directed mutagenesis, and in planta patch clamp studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of voltage-dependent channel gating in TPC1 in its native plant background. Structure-function analysis of the Arabidopsis TPC1 channel in planta confirmed that helix S10 operates as the major voltage-sensing site, with Glu450 and Glu478 identified as possible ion-pair partners for voltage-sensing Arg537. The contribution of helix S4 to voltage sensing was found to be negligible. Several conserved negative residues on the luminal site contribute to calcium binding, stabilizing the closed channel. During evolution of plant TPC1s from two separate Shaker-like domains, the voltage-sensing function in the N-terminal Shaker-unit (S1-S4) vanished.

A plant Shaker-like K+ channel switches between two distinct gating modes resulting in either inward-rectifying or "leak" current.

Among the Shaker-like plant potassium channels, AKT2 is remarkable because it mediates both instantaneous "leak-like" and time-dependent hyperpolarisation-activated currents. This unique gating behaviour has been analysed in Xenopus oocytes and in COS and Chinese hamster ovary cells. Whole-cell and single-channel data show that (i) AKT2 channels display two distinct gating modes, (ii) the gating of a given AKT2 channel can change from one mode to the other and (iii) this conversion is under the control of post-translational factor(s). This behaviour is strongly reminiscent of that of the KCNK2 channel, recently reported to be controlled by its phosphorylation state.

Single mutations strongly alter the K+-selective pore of the K(in) channel KAT1.

Voltage-dependent potassium uptake channels represent the major pathway for K+ accumulation underlying guard cell swelling and stomatal opening. The core structure of these Shaker-like channels is represented by six transmembrane domains and an amphiphilic pore-forming region between the fifth and sixth domain. To explore the effect of point mutations within the stretch of amino acids lining the K+ conducting pore of KAT1, an Arabidopsis thaliana guard cell K(in) channel, we selected residues deep inside and in the periphery of the pore. The mutations on positions 256 and 267 strongly altered the interaction of the permeation pathway with external Ca2+ ions. Point mutations on position 256 in KAT1 affected the affinity towards Ca2+, the voltage dependence as well as kinetics of the Ca2+ blocking reaction. Among these T256S showed a Ca2+ phenotype reminiscent of an inactivation-like process, a phenomenon unknown for K(in) channels so far. Mutating histidine 267 to alanine, a substitution strongly affecting C-type inactivation in Shaker, this apparent inactivation could be linked to a very slow calcium block. The mutation H267A did not affect gating but hastened the Ca2+ block/unblock kinetics and increased the Ca2+ affinity of KAT1. From the analysis of the presented data we conclude that even moderate point mutations in the pore of KAT1 seem to affect the pore geometry rather than channel gating.

Roles of tandem-pore K+ channels in plants - a puzzle still to be solved.

The group of voltage-independent K(+) channels in Arabidopsis thaliana consists of six members, five tandem-pore channels (TPK1-TPK5) and a single K(ir)-like channel (KCO3). All TPK/KCO channels are located at the vacuolar membrane except for TPK4, which was shown to be a plasma membrane channel in pollen. The vacuolar channels interact with 14-3-3 proteins (also called General Regulating Factors, GRFs), indicating regulation at the level of protein-protein interactions. Here we review current knowledge about these ion channels and their genes, and highlight open questions that need to be urgently addressed in future studies to fully appreciate the physiological functions of these ion channels.

Mutational analysis of functional domains within plant K+ uptake channels.

Site-directed mutations have been generated in the pore and voltage sensor regions of the inwardly rectifying potassium channels KAT1 and KST1. The properties of mutant channels have been analysed in Xenopus oocytes, and give insights into the structure-function relations of these channels.

Pronounced differences between the native K+ channels and KAT1 and KST1 alpha-subunit homomers of guard cells.

Stomatal opening is the result of K(+)-salt accumulation in guard cells. Potassium uptake in these motor cells is mediated by voltage-dependent, K(+)-selective ion channels. Here we compare the invitro properties of two guard-cell K(+)-channel alpha-subunits from Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (KAT1) and Solanum tuberosum L. (KST1) after heterologous expression with the respective K(+)-transport characteristics in their mother cell. The KAT1 and KST1 subunits when expressed in Xenopus oocytes shared the basic features of the K(+)-uptake channels in the corresponding guard cells, including voltage dependence and single-channel conductance. Besides these similarities, the electrophysiological comparison of K+ channels in the homologous and the heterologous expression systems revealed pronounced differences with respect to modulation and block by extracellular cations. In the presence of 1 mM Cs+, 50% of the guard-cell K(+)-uptake channels (GCKClin) in A. thaliana and S. tuberosum, were inhibited upon hyperpolarization to -90 mV. For a similar effect on KAT1 and KST1 in oocytes, voltages as negative as -155 mV were required. In contrast, compared to the K+ channels in vivo the functional alpha-subunit homomers almost lacked a voltage-dependent block by extracellular Ca2+. Similar to the block by Cs+ and Ca2+, the acid activation of the alpha-homomers was less pronounced in oocytes. Upon acidification the voltage-dependence shifted by 82 and 90 mV for GCKCLin in A. thaliana and S. tuberosum, respectively, but only by 25 mV for KAT1 and KST1. From the differences in K(+)-channel modulation in vivo and after heterologous expression we conclude that the properties of functional guard-cell K(+)-uptake channels result either from the heterometric assembly of different alpha-subunits or evolve from cell-type specific posttranslational modification.

VFK1, a Vicia faba K(+) channel involved in phloem unloading.

In search of a K(+) channel involved in phloem transport we screened a Vicia faba cotyledon cDNA library taking advantage of a set of degenerated primers, flanking regions conserved among K(+) uptake channels. We cloned VFK1 (for Vicia faba K(+) channel 1) characterised by a structure known from the Shaker family of plant K(+) channels. When co-expressed with a KAT1 mutant in Xenopus oocytes, heteromers revealed the biophysical properties of a K(+) selective, proton-blocked channel. Northern blot analyses showed high levels of expression in cotyledons, flowers, stem and leaves. Using in situ PCR techniques we could localise the K(+) channel mRNA in the phloem. In the stem VFK1 expression levels were higher in the lower internodes. There channel transcripts increased in the light and thus under conditions of increased photosynthate allocation. VFK1 transcripts are elevated in sink leaves, and rise in source leaves during the experimental transition into sinks. Fructose- rather than sucrose- or glucose-feeding via the petiole induced VFK1 gene activity. We therefore monitored the fructose sensitivity of the sieve tube potential through cut aphid stylets. In response to an 1 h fructose treatment the sieve tube potential shift increased from 19 mV to 53 mV per 10-fold change in K(+) concentration. Under these conditions K(+) channels dominated the electrical properties of the plasma membrane. Based on the phloem localisation and expression patterns of VFK1 we conclude that this K(+) channel is involved in sugar unloading and K(+) retrieval.

Molecular basis of plant-specific acid activation of K+ uptake channels.

During stomatal opening potassium uptake into guard cells and K+ channel activation is tightly coupled to proton extrusion. The pH sensor of the K+ uptake channel in these motor cells has, however, not yet been identified. Electrophysiological investigations on the voltage-gated, inward rectifying K+ channel in guard cell protoplasts from Solanum tuberosum (KST1), and the kst1 gene product expressed in Xenopus oocytes revealed that pH dependence is an intrinsic property of the channel protein. Whereas extracellular acidification resulted in a shift of the voltage-dependence toward less negative voltages, the single-channel conductance was pH-insensitive. Mutational analysis allowed us to relate this acid activation to both extracellular histidines in KST1. One histidine is located within the linker between the transmembrane helices S3 and S4 (H160), and the other within the putative pore-forming region P between S5 and S6 (H271). When both histidines were substituted by alanines the double mutant completely lost its pH sensitivity. Among the single mutants, replacement of the pore histidine, which is highly conserved in plant K+ channels, increased or even inverted the pH sensitivity of KST1. From our molecular and biophysical analyses we conclude that both extracellular sites are part of the pH sensor in plant K+ uptake channels.

Channel-mediated high-affinity K+ uptake into guard cells from Arabidopsis.

Potassium uptake by higher plants is the result of high- or low-affinity transport accomplished by different sets of transporters. Although K+ channels were thought to mediate low-affinity uptake only, the molecular mechanism of the high-affinity, proton-dependent K+ uptake system is still scant. Taking advantage of the high-current resolution of the patch-clamp technique when applied to the small Arabidopsis thaliana guard cells densely packed with voltage-dependent K+ channels, we could directly record channels working in the concentration range of high-affinity K+ uptake systems. Here we show that the K+ channel KAT1 expressed in Arabidopsis guard cells and yeast is capable of mediating potassium uptake from media containing as little as 10 microM of external K+. Upon reduction of the external K+ content to the micromolar level the voltage dependence of the channel remained unaffected, indicating that this channel type represents a voltage sensor rather than a K+-sensing valve. This behavior results in K+ release through K+ uptake channels whenever the Nernst potential is negative to the activation threshold of the channel. In contrast to the H+-coupled K+ symport shown to account for high-affinity K+ uptake in roots, pH-dependent K+ uptake into guard cells is a result of a shift in the voltage dependence of the K+ channel. We conclude that plant K+ channels activated by acid pH may play an essential role in K+ uptake even from dilute solutions.

Plant K+ channel alpha-subunits assemble indiscriminately.

In plants a large diversity of inwardly rectifying K+ channels (K(in) channels) has been observed between tissues and species. However, only three different types of voltage-dependent plant K+ uptake channel subfamilies have been cloned so far; they relate either to KAT1, AKT1, or AtKC1. To explore the mechanisms underlying the channel diversity, we investigated the assembly of plant inwardly rectifying alpha-subunits. cRNA encoding five different K+ channel alpha-subunits of the three subfamilies (KAT1, KST1, AKT1, SKT1, and AtKC1) which were isolated from different tissues, species, and plant families (Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum tuberosum) was reciprocally co-injected into Xenopus oocytes. We identified plant K+ channels as multimers. Moreover, using K+ channel mutants expressing different sensitivities to voltage, Cs+, Ca2+, and H+, we could prove heteromers on the basis of their altered voltage and modulator susceptibility. We discovered that, in contrast to animal K+ channel alpha-subunits, functional aggregates of plant K(in) channel alpha-subunits assembled indiscriminately. Interestingly, AKT-type channels from A. thaliana and S. tuberosum, which as homomers were electrically silent in oocytes after co-expression, mediated K+ currents. Our findings suggest that K+ channel diversity in plants results from nonselective heteromerization of different alpha-subunits, and thus depends on the spatial segregation of individual alpha-subunit pools and the degree of temporal overlap and kinetics of expression.

Changes in voltage activation, Cs+ sensitivity, and ion permeability in H5 mutants of the plant K+ channel KAT1.

KAT1 is a voltage-dependent inward rectifying K+ channel cloned from the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana [Anderson, J. A., Huprikar, S. S., Kochian, L. V., Lucas, W. J. & Gaber, R. F. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 3736-3740]. It is related to the Shaker superfamily of K+ channels characterized by six transmembrane spanning domains (S1-S6) and a putative pore-forming region between S5 and S6 (H5). The 115 region between Pro-247 and Pro-271 in KAT1 contains 14 additional amino acids when compared with Shaker [Aldrich, R. W. (1993) Nature (London) 362, 107-108]. We studied various point mutations introduced into H5 to determine whether voltage-dependent plant and animal K+ channels share similar pore structures. Through heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes and voltage-clamp analysis combined with phenotypic analysis involving a potassium transport-defective Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, we investigated the selectivity filter of the mutants and their susceptibility toward inhibition by cesium and calcium ions. With respect to electrophysiological properties, KAT1 mutants segregated into three groups: (i) wild-type-like channels, (ii) channels modified in selectivity and Cs+ or Ca2+ sensitivity, and (iii) a group that was additionally affected in its voltage dependence. Despite the additional 14 amino acids in H5, this motif in KAT1 is also involved in the formation of the ion-conducting pore because amino acid substitutions at Leu-251, Thr-256, Thr-259, and Thr-260 resulted in functional channels with modified ionic selectivity and inhibition. Creation of Ca2+ sensitivity and an increased susceptibility to Cs+ block through mutations within the narrow pore might indicate that both blockers move deeply into the channel. Furthermore, mutations close to the rim of the pore affecting the half-activation potential (U1/2) indicate that amino acids within the pore either interact with the voltage sensor or ion permeation feeds back on gating.

Inward rectifier potassium channels in plants differ from their animal counterparts in response to voltage and channel modulators.

We have investigated the electrophysiological basis of potassium inward rectification of the KAT1 gene product from Arabidopsis thaliana expressed in Xenopus oocytes and of functionally related K+ channels in the plasma membrane of guard and root cells from Vicia faba and Zea mays. The whole-cell currents passed by these channels activate, following steps to membrane potentials more negative than -100 mV, with half activation times of tens of milliseconds. This voltage dependence was unaffected by the removal of cytoplasmic magnesium. Consequently, unlike inward rectifier channels of animals, inward rectification of plant potassium channels is an intrinsic property of the channel protein itself. We also found that the activation kinetics of KAT1 were modulated by external pH. Decreasing the pH in the range 8.5 to 4.5 hastened activation and shifted the steady state activation curve by 19 mV per pH unit. This indicates that the activity of these K+ channels and the activity of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase may not only be coordinated by membrane potential but also by pH. The instantaneous current-voltage relationship, on the other hand, did not depend on pH, indicating that H+ do not block the channel. In addition to sensitivity towards protons, the channels showed a high affinity voltage dependent block in the presence of cesium, but were less sensitive to barium. Recordings from membrane patches of KAT1 injected oocytes in symmetric, Mg(2+)-free, 100 mM-K+, solutions allowed measurements of the current-voltage relation of single open KAT1 channels with a unitary conductance of 5 pS. We conclude that the inward rectification of the currents mediated by the KAT1 gene product, or the related endogenous channels of plant cells, results from voltage-modulated structural changes within the channel proteins. The voltage-sensing or the gating-structures appear to interact with a titratable acidic residue exposed to the extracellular medium.