Author: ldelemot

Published 22 April 2021 in the Journal of Chemical Physics (doi 10.1063/5.0040649):

Informing NMR experiments with molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the dominant activated state of the KcsA ion channel

Sergio Pérez-Conesa, Eric G. Keeler, Dongyu Zhang, Lucie Delemotte, Ann E. McDermott

As the first potassium channel with an x-ray structure determined, and given its homology to eukaryotic channels, the pH-gated prokaryotic channel KcsA has been extensively studied. Nevertheless, questions related, in particular, to the allosteric coupling between its gates remain open. The many currently available x-ray crystallography structures appear to correspond to various stages of activation and inactivation, offering insights into the molecular basis of these mechanisms. Since these studies have required mutations, complexation with antibodies, and substitution of detergents in place of lipids, examining the channel under more native conditions is desirable. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) can be used to study the wild-type protein under activating conditions (low pH), at room temperature, and in bacteriomimetic liposomes. In this work, we sought to structurally assign the activated state present in SSNMR experiments. We used a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, chemical shift prediction algorithms, and Bayesian inference techniques to determine which of the most plausible x-ray structures resolved to date best represents the activated state captured in SSNMR. We first identified specific nuclei with simulated NMR chemical shifts that differed significantly when comparing partially open vs fully open ensembles from MD simulations. The simulated NMR chemical shifts for those specific nuclei were then compared to experimental ones, revealing that the simulation of the partially open state was in good agreement with the SSNMR data. Nuclei that discriminate effectively between partially and fully open states belong to residues spread over the sequence and provide a molecular level description of the conformational change.

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Published 9 April 2021 in the Journal of General Physiology (doi 10.1085/jgp.202012701):

Cannabidiol inhibits the skeletal muscle Nav1.4 by blocking its pore and by altering membrane elasticity

Mohammad-Reza Ghovanloo, Koushik Choudhury, Tagore S. Bandaru, Mohamed A. Fouda, Kaveh Rayani, Radda Rusinova, Tejas Phaterpekar, Karen Nelkenbrecher, Abeline R. Watkins, Damon Poburko, Jenifer Thewalt, Olaf S. Andersen, Lucie Delemotte, Samuel J. Goodchild, Peter C. Ruben 

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the primary nonpsychotropic phytocannabinoid found in Cannabis sativa, which has been proposed to be therapeutic against many conditions, including muscle spasms. Among its putative targets are voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs), which have been implicated in many conditions. We investigated the effects of CBD on Nav1.4, the skeletal muscle Nav subtype. We explored direct effects, involving physical block of the Nav pore, as well as indirect effects, involving modulation of membrane elasticity that contributes to Nav inhibition. MD simulations revealed CBD’s localization inside the membrane and effects on bilayer properties. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed these results, showing CBD localizing below membrane headgroups. To determine the functional implications of these findings, we used a gramicidin-based fluorescence assay to show that CBD alters membrane elasticity or thickness, which could alter Nav function through bilayer-mediated regulation. Site-directed mutagenesis in the vicinity of the Nav1.4 pore revealed that removing the local anesthetic binding site with F1586A reduces the block of I_Na by CBD. Altering the fenestrations in the bilayer-spanning domain with Nav1.4-WWWW blocked CBD access from the membrane into the Nav1.4 pore (as judged by MD). The stabilization of inactivation, however, persisted in WWWW, which we ascribe to CBD-induced changes in membrane elasticity. To investigate the potential therapeutic value of CBD against Nav1.4 channelopathies, we used a pathogenic Nav1.4 variant, P1158S, which causes myotonia and periodic paralysis. CBD reduces excitability in both wild-type and the P1158S variant. Our in vitro and in silico results suggest that CBD may have therapeutic value against Nav1.4 hyperexcitability.

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