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The desensitization gate of inhibitory Cys-loop receptors.
Gielen M
,
Thomas P
,
Smart TG
.
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Cys-loop neurotransmitter-gated ion channels are vital for communication throughout the nervous system. Following activation, these receptors enter into a desensitized state in which the ion channel shuts even though the neurotransmitter molecules remain bound. To date, the molecular determinants underlying this most fundamental property of Cys-loop receptors have remained elusive. Here we present a generic mechanism for the desensitization of Cys-loop GABAA (GABAARs) and glycine receptors (GlyRs), which both mediate fast inhibitory synaptic transmission. Desensitization is regulated by interactions between the second and third transmembrane segments, which affect the ion channel lumen near its intracellular end. The GABAAR and GlyR pore blocker picrotoxin prevented desensitization, consistent with its deep channel-binding site overlapping a physical desensitization gate.
Figure 1. Intracellular end of M3 and the M1âM2 linker control desensitization of GABAARs.(aâc) Peak-scaled membrane currents elicited by 10âmM GABA (black line), showing the desensitization phase for the indicated receptor constructs (left column). The recovery phase is omitted for clarity. See Table 1 for values of Ïw and extent of desensitization (% Des) in all figures. The subunit chimeras are depicted by a colour code: green (α1), red (β2) and grey (Ï1) (right column). Numbering refers to the position of the interface between the two subunits in the chimera. TM/M, transmembrane domain, INT, intracellular loops.
Figure 2. Mutating the intracellular end of the M2/M3 interface regulates desensitization of α1β2 GABAARs.(a) Left: 3D model of an α1β2 GABAAR based on GluCl template. Right in aâc: membrane currents induced by 10âmM GABA. (b) Left: enlarged side view of the intracellular end of the ion channel showing transmembrane domains M1âM3 for α1 (green) and β2 (red) subunits and the positions of various labelled residues. (c) Left: enlarged plan view of the ion channel. Note, in b,c, M4 segments were omitted for clarity.
Figure 3. Effects of mutations α1L300Vβ2L296V and α1G258V β2G254V on GABA sensitivity.GABA concentrationâresponse curves for wild-type (wt) α1β2 (EC50=4.1±0.7âμM, nH=1.08±0.07, n=6), α1L300Vβ2L296V (EC50=7.3±0.9âμM, nH=0.91±0.02, n=5) and α1G258V β2G254V receptors (EC50=3.0±0.9âμM, nH=0.89±0.19, n=5). Error bars are s.d.
Figure 4. Residues affecting desensitization in heteromeric α1β2γ2 GABAA receptors and homomeric GlyRα1 glycine receptors.(a) Membrane currents activated by 10âmM GABA showing desensitization of γ2 subunit-containing wild-type and mutant GABAA receptors. (b,c) Membrane currents activated by 10âmM glycine, showing desensitization of glycine receptors, both wild type and mutants (see text for details).
Figure 5. Promoting desensitization of GABAARs causes fast dissociation of the pore blocker PTX.(a) Left: side-view cutaway section through the transmembrane domains showing two (α1âgreen, β2âred) of the five M2 helices from our α1β2 GABAAR model overlaid with the M2 helices of the PTX-bound GluCl structure (light blue; pdb 3RI5 (ref. 14)). Note the deep location of the PTX-binding site between locations 2â² and â2â². Right: predicted pore diameter plotted as a function of the distance along the pore axis for GluCl, GLIC (open; pdb 3EAM (ref. 18)) and ELIC (shut; pdb 2VL0 (ref. 19)). This is vertically aligned with the left panel schema for cross comparison. The dashed line reflects the hypothesis that desensitization is an extension of the activation process, leading to a desensitization gate located between positions â3â² and 4â². (b) Representative membrane currents showing slow dissociation of PTX from α1β2 GABAARs when activated by a low concentration of GABA (0.3âμM, n=6). (c) Membrane currents showing fast dissociation of PTX from α1β2 GABAARs activated by saturating concentrations of GABA (10âmM, n=5). Note the peak currents are truncated for clarity.
Figure 6. Simulation of GABA currents after block by and recovery from PTX.(aâc) Left: kinetic models 1â3 used to predict the recovery of agonist-induced currents after wash-out of PTX (or P) in the presence of saturating concentrations of the agonist ([A]; 10âmM GABA). Receptors states are: R inactive, agonist-unbound receptor; AR inactive, agonist-bound receptor; AR* agonist-bound activated receptor; AD agonist-bound desensitized receptor, all with or without bound PTX. Right: predicted membrane currents, generated from the models, for wild-type α1β2 GABAARs activated by 10âmM GABA in the presence and absence of 50âμM PTX. See Supplementary Table 2 for the numerical values of the parameters. (a) Model 1: the PTX-blocked open receptor (AR*P) can desensitize, but PTX binding and unbinding cannot occur to or from either the resting (R/RP, AR/ARP) or desensitized (AD/ADP) receptor states. (b) Model 2: PTX binding and unbinding is permitted to both open (AR*/AR*P) and desensitized states. (c) Model 3: PTX binding prevents desensitization (that is, there is no ADP state).
Figure 7. GlyR current recovery after blockade by PTX under desensitizing conditions.(a) Representative recording of the fast dissociation of PTX from GlyRα1 activated by high concentrations (10âmM) of glycine, accompanied by a clear rebound current (n=5). (bâd) Predicted membrane currents for activated wild-type GlyRα1 using the kinetic models 1â3, respectively, described in Fig. 6. See Supplementary Table 2 for the numerical values of parameters. Note, peak currents are truncated for clarity.
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