Structures of the calcium-activated, non-selective cation channel TRPM4.

Abstract

TRPM4 is a calcium-activated, phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) modulated, non-selective cation channel, and belongs to the family of melastatin-related transient receptor potential (TRPM) channels. Here we present the cryo-EM structures of the mouse TRPM4 channel with and without ATP. TRPM4 consists of multiple transmembrane and cytosolic domains, which assemble into a three-tiered architecture. The N-terminal nucleotide binding domain (NBD) and the C-terminal coiled coil participate in the tetrameric assembly of the channel; ATP binds at NBD and inhibits channel activity. TRPM4 has an exceptionally wide filter but is only permeable to monovalent cations; filter residue Gln973 is essential in defining monovalent selectivity. S1-S4 domain and post-S6 TRP domain form the central gating apparatus that likely house the Ca2+ and PtdInsP2 binding sites. These structures provide an essential starting point for elucidating the complex gating mechanisms of TRPM4 and also reveal the molecular architecture of the TRPM family for the first time.