Channel-opening Equilibrium Constant Research Articles

A Thermodynamic Framework for Understanding Temperature-Sensitivity in TRP Channels

A biologically necessary property of thermosensory TRP channels (e.g., heat-activated TRPV1, cold-activated TRPM8) is high sensitivity to temperature change. ΔHo values for channel opening are typically 50-100 kcal/mol. The molecular source of such unusually high enthalpies has posed a persistent mystery in this field. We postulate here that these arise from a large molar heat capacity increase accompanying TRP opening, ΔCP ∼ 5 kcal/mol-K. (This idea is strictly analogous to the huge enthalpies of heat-driven and cold-driven protein unfolding, which reflect exposure of nonpolar groups to water, wherein ΔCP ∼ +15 cal/mol-K per CH2 group). Both ΔHo and ΔSo then become temperature-dependent, and the channel's opening equilibrium constant, K, becomes necessarily non-monotonic (“U-shaped”) with temperature:lnK(T) = lnK(To) + (ΔHo(To)/To - ΔCP) (1-To/T)/R - (ΔCP/R)ln(To/T)where To is an arbitrary reference temperature.The position of the “U” on the T-axis is determined by ΔHo(To), and the steepness of its rising arms by ΔCP. This behavior is a necessary, model-independent consequence of the First and Second Laws of thermodynamics; the only question is whether TRP opening exposes enough grease to give experimental temperature-sensitivity. Simple arithmetic shows that only ∼20 hydrophobic residues in each subunit need expose themselves to give ΔHo values observed in the physiological range. Moreover, the position of the U-shaped K-vs-T curve on the temperature axis determines whether a TRP channel would display heat- or cold-activation. According to this picture, we conclude that (1) heat-sensing and cold-sensing arise from the same type of conformational change, (2) all heat-sensing TRPs are also cold-sensing and vice versa (although both rising arms of the “U” may not be experimentally accessible in a given TRP), and (3) attempts to identify “temperature-sensor” domain differences between heat- and cold-activated TRPs are exercises in futility.

Inhibition Mechanism of Rat α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor by the Alzheimer Therapeutic Tacrine

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were studied in detail in the past regarding their interaction with therapeutic and drug addiction related compounds. Using fast kinetic whole-cell recording, we have now studied effects of tacrine, an agent used clinically to treat Alzheimer's disease, on currents elicited by activation of rat α(3)β(4) nAChR heterologously expressed in KXα3β4R2 cells. Characterization of receptor activation by nicotine used as agonist revealed a K(d) of 23 ± 0.2 μM and 4.3 ± 1.3 for the channel opening equilibrium constant, Φ(-1). Experiments were performed to investigate whether tacrine is able to activate the α(3)β(4) nAChR. Tacrine did not activate whole-cell currents in KXα3β4R2 cells but inhibited receptor activity at submicromolar concentration. Dose-response curves obtained with increasing agonist or inhibitor concentration revealed competitive inhibition of nAChRs by tacrine, with an apparent inhibition constant, K(I), of 0.8 μM. The increase of Φ(-1) in the presence of tacrine suggests that the drug stabilizes a nonconducting open channel form of the receptor. Binding studies with TCP and MK-801 ruled out tacrine binding to common allosteric sites of the receptor. Our study suggests a novel mechanism for action of tacrine on nAChRs besides inhibition of acetylcholine esterase.

Mechanism of Potentiation of a Dysfunctional Epilepsy-Linked Mutated GABAA Receptor by a Neurosteroid (3α, 21-Dihydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one): Transient Kinetic Investigations

The malfunction of a mutated GABA(A) receptor (alpha1beta2gamma2L(K289M)) in an inheritable form of epilepsy (GEFS+, generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus) in humans [Baulac, S., Huberfeld, G., Gourfinkel-An, I., Mitropoulou, G., Beranger, A., Prud'homme, J. F., Baulac, M., Brice, A., Bruzzone, R., and LeGuern, E. (2001) Nat. Genet. 28, 46-48] has been accounted for by a 5-fold decrease in the channel-opening equilibrium of the mutated receptor compared to the wild type [Ramakrishnan, L., and Hess, G. P. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 7534-7540]. Here we describe the mechanism by which the neurosteroid 3alpha, 21-dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (5alpha-THDOC) alleviates this malfunction of the mutated receptor transiently expressed in HEK293 cells. Two rapid reaction techniques, the cell-flow and the laser-pulse photolysis methods, were used in combination with whole-cell current recordings. 150-muM 5alpha-THDOC does not affect the rate constant for channel opening (k(op)) of approximately 250 s(-1) but does decrease the rate constant for channel closing (k(cl)) from 121 +/- 11 s(-1) to 56 +/- 21 s(-1). This results in an increase in the channel-opening equilibrium constant ((Phi(-1) = k(op)/k(cl)) by a factor of about 2, leading to about 50% alleviation of the malfunction of the inheritable mutated (alpha1beta2gamma2L(K289M)) GABA(A) receptor linked to GEFS+.

Investigations of Ligand-gated Ion Channels Using Caged Neurotransmitters Reveal Mechanism-based Approaches to Modulating Receptor Function

Recognizing the problem of rapidly equilibrating membrane-bound proteins on cell surfaces with activating ligands due to the water layer that tightly adheres to the surface of spherical objects (1), we began to develop caged (2) neurotransmitters (3,4). A caged neurotransmitter can be equilibrated with receptors on a cell surface before photolysis releases the neurotransmitter in the microsecond time region (3,4). Using caged neurotransmitters in whole-cell current recordings enables the rate constants for the opening (kop) and closing (kcl) of the receptor channel, and thus the channel-opening equilibrium constant (Phe−1), to be measured without interference from diffusional delays or receptor desensitization.The rate constants and the channel-opening equilibrium constant of the excitatory nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (5) are altered in the presence of noncompetitive inhibitors, such as cocaine, as are those of a mutated inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor (6) linked to epilepsy (7). Based on the mechanisms of the two receptors, we developed compounds that bind with higher affinity to the open-channel than to the closed-channel conformation of each receptor, alleviating (8,9) the inhibition of the acetylcholine receptor and potentiating (10) the function of a mutated GABAA receptor linked to epilepsy.1. Landau & Lifshitz (1959) Fluid Mechanics (Pergamon, Oxford)2. Kaplan et al. (1978) Biochemistry 17, 19293. Milburn et al. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 514. Shembekar et al. (2007) Biochemistry 46, 54795. Hess et al. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97, 138956. Ramakrishnan. & Hess (2004) Biochemistry 43, 75347. Baulac et al. (2001) Nature Genetics 28, 468. Hess et al. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 61069. Chen et al. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 1014910. Krivoshein & Hess (2006) Biochemistry 45, 11632

On the Mechanism of Alleviation by Phenobarbital of the Malfunction of an Epilepsy-Linked GABAAReceptor

A mechanism for the alleviation of the malfunction of a mutated (gamma2(K289M)) epilepsy-linked gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter receptor by phenobarbital is presented. Compared to the wild-type receptor, the GABA-induced current is considerably reduced in the mutated (alpha1beta2gamma2(K289M)) epilepsy-linked GABA(A) receptor [Baulac, S., Huberfeld, G., Gurfinkel-An, I., Mitropoulou, G., Beranger, A., Prud'homme, J. F., Baulac, M., Brice, A., Bruzzone, R., and LeGuer, E. (2001) Nat. Genet. 28, 46-48]. This is due to an impaired GABA-induced equilibrium between the closed- and open-channel forms of the receptor [Ramakrishnan, L., and Hess, G. P. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 7534-7540]. We report that a barbiturate anticonvulsant, phenobarbital, alleviates the effect of this mutation. Transient kinetic techniques with a millisecond-to-microsecond time resolution and the wild-type and mutated receptors recombinantly expressed in mammalian HEK293T cells were used. The efficacy of phenobarbital in potentiating currents elicited by a saturating concentration of GABA is about 3 times higher for the mutated receptor than for the wild type. The results indicate that phenobarbital alleviates the malfunction of the mutated receptor by increasing its channel-opening equilibrium constant (phi(-1) = k(op)/k(cl)) by about an order of magnitude. Phenobarbital changes the channel-opening rate constant (k(op)) by less than 2-fold but decreases the channel-closing rate constant (k(cl)) 8-fold. The dissociation constant of GABA is unaffected. The experiments also indicate that at saturating concentrations of GABA the mutated (gamma2(K289M)) form of the alpha1beta2gamma2 GABA(A) receptor is well suited for a rapid and simple screening of positive allosteric modulators of the receptor.

On the mechanism of cocaine inhibition of a membrane‐bound neurotransmitter receptor, the N ‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor

Neurotransmitter receptors are members of a class of membrane-bound proteins that play a major role in signal transmission between approximately 1012 cells in the mammalian nervous system. Cocaine, a widely abused drug with a cost to society of more than 100 billion dollars a year, is a noncompetitive inhibitor of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Based on the inhibition mechanism, various small molecules were developed to prevent cocaine inhibition of the nAChR. Here we describe how cocaine inhibits the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). A newly developed flash-lamp photolysis technique allows for kinetic investigations of neurotransmitter receptor mechanisms in the μs time region. Using this technique and expressing the NMDAR in transiently transfected HEK293 cells, we determined that cocaine binds with weak affinity (KI ~980 μM) to both the open- and closed-channel receptor forms. These measurements further allowed us to determine the channel-opening (kop) and -closing (kcl) rate constants, which give the channel-opening equilibrium constant (Φ−1= kop/kcl). In a search for small molecules that prevent cocaine inhibition of the NMDAR, it was found that molecules that alleviate cocaine inhibition of the nAChR have either no effect on the NMDAR (ecgonine methyl ester, 3-acetoxy ecgonine methyl ester, and RTI-4229-70) or inhibit it (ecgonine, KI ~1800 μM). Thus, cocaine inhibits the NMDAR by a different mechanism than it does the nAChR. Supported by an NIH grant NS08527 (G.P.H.) and a Robert J. Appel Cornell Presidential Research Scholarship (K.P.E.).

On the mechanism of a mutated and abnormally functioning gamma-aminobutyric acid (A) receptor linked to epilepsy.

A recent report indicates that a lysine-to-methionine mutation (K289M) in the gamma2 subunit of a human gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter receptor, the GABA(A) receptor, is linked to generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures [Baulac et al. (2001) Nat. Genet. 28, 46-48]. This mutation caused a decreased current response to GABA [Baulac et al. (2001) Nat. Genet. 28, 46-48]. Here we determine changes that occur in the mechanism of opening and closing of transmembrane channels formed by the GABA(A) receptor as a result of this mutation. The K289M mutation was introduced into the gamma2L subunit of the rat GABA(A) receptor, and the mutated subunit was coexpressed with the alpha1 and beta2 subunits in HEK293 cells. Transient kinetic techniques suitable for investigating reactions on cell surfaces with a microsecond-to-millisecond time resolution [Hess, G. P., and Grewer, C. (1998) Methods Enzymol. 291, 443-473] were used. They allow one to determine not only the channel-opening probability and rates of receptor desensitization but also the opening and closing rates of the mutated GABA(A) receptor channel. The channel-opening equilibrium constant of the mutated receptor was found to be 5-fold lower than that of the wild type. We calculated that this decrease in the channel-opening equilibrium accounts for the dysfunction of the mutated receptor. We discuss how a knowledge of the mechanism of the mutated receptor indicates an approach for alleviating this dysfunction.

Mechanism-Based Approach to the Successful Prevention of Cocaine Inhibition of the Neuronal (α3β4) Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) belongs to a family of five channel-forming proteins that regulate communication between the approximately 10(12) cells of the nervous system. A minimum mechanism of inhibition of the muscle-type nAChR (1) by the noncompetitive inhibitors cocaine and MK-801 [(+)-dizocilpine, an anticonvulsant] indicated they bind to a regulatory site, with higher affinity for the closed-channel form than for the open-channel form, thus shifting the equilibrium toward the closed-channel form and inhibiting receptor function. The mechanism predicts that compounds that bind to this regulatory site with equal or higher affinity for the open-channel conformation than for the closed-channel conformation will prevent receptor inhibition (1). Does a neuronal form of the receptor behave similarly? The mechanism of inhibition of the neuronal nAChR by cocaine and MK-801 using rapid chemical kinetic techniques was investigated. The alpha3beta4 nAChR stably expressed in HEK 293 cells was used in these investigations. Whole-cell currents originated from a major and minor nAChR isoform. Only the major isoform has been characterized. For the dominant, rapidly desensitizing isoform, the carbamoylcholine dissociation constant for the site controlling receptor activation, Kd, is 2 mM; the channel-opening equilibrium constant, Phi(-1), is 4; and the dominant desensitization rate constant, k34, is 20 s(-1). Cocaine inhibits the receptor noncompetitively, with an apparent KI of 84 and 26 microM at high and low carbamoylcholine concentrations, at which concentrations the receptor is mainly in the open- or closed-channel form, respectively. Similar results were obtained with MK-801. A combinatorially synthesized RNA ligand and a cocaine analogue alleviated cocaine inhibition of this neuronal receptor.

Mechanism of glutamate receptor-channel function in rat hippocampal neurons investigated using the laser-pulse photolysis (LaPP) technique.

Ionotropic glutamate receptors are members of a large family of plasma membrane proteins expressed by cells of the nervous system. Upon binding glutamate, the receptors transiently open transmembrane channels that allow the entry of sodium ions. The resulting changes in the transmembrane potential of the cell initiates a process that is involved in signal transmission to another cell. The binding of glutamic acid triggers the channel opening in the microsecond time domain and the reversible inactivation (desensitization) of the receptors in the millisecond time region. The channel-opening mechanism of glutamate receptors was investigated in rat hippocampal neurons voltage-clamped to -60 mV at room temperature and pH 7.4. Two rapid chemical reaction techniques were used: (1) a cell-flow method with a 4-10 ms time resolution to apply L-glutamate and (2) a laser-pulse photolysis technique to release glutamate from gamma-O-(alpha-carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl)glutamate (alphaCNB-caged L-glutamate) with a time constant of 30 micros. The rate and equilibrium constants for channel opening were determined. The results are consistent with the receptor binding two molecules of glutamic acid before the channel opens, with an apparent dissociation constant of 600 microM. Channel opening and closing rate constants, k(op) and k(cl), were determined to be (9.5 +/- 1) x 10(3) s(-1) and (1.1 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) s(-1), respectively. The value of the channel-opening equilibrium constant, Phi (=k(op)/k(cl)), was 8.6 when determined by laser-pulse photolysis and 6.6 in cell-flow experiments. The results suggest that there are at least two forms of glutamate receptors in rat hippocampal neurons that desensitize with different rates. At a concentration of 500 microM glutamate, 80% of the receptors desensitized with a rate of approximately 200 s(-1) and 20% with a rate of approximately 50 s(-1).

Inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor by philanthotoxin-343: kinetic investigations in the microsecond time region using a laser-pulse photolysis technique.

The mechanism of inhibition of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in BC(3)H1 muscle cells by philanthotoxin-343 (PhTX-343), a synthetic analogue of philanthotoxin-433, a wasp toxin, was investigated using a laser-pulse photolysis technique with microsecond time resolution and in a carbamoylcholine concentration range of 20-100 microM and PhTX-343 concentration range of 0-200 microM. The rate constant for nAChR channel opening determined by the chemical kinetic techniques decreased with increasing PhTX-343 concentration, whereas there was no significant effect on the rate constant for channel closing. The resulting decrease in the channel-opening equilibrium constant accounted quantitatively for the inhibition of the receptor by the toxin. Single-channel current measurements suggest an additional step in which the open channel:inhibitor complex isomerizes to a nonconducting receptor form. Cell-flow experiments with a time resolution of 10 ms indicate that this isomerization step is only important at very high inhibitor concentrations. The inhibitor binds to the open-channel receptor form, with an affinity that is at least 5 times smaller than that for the closed-channel form. This indicates that receptor inhibition mainly involves the binding of PhTX-343 to the closed-channel form of the receptor. PhTX-343, and an analogue of this polyamine, had no effect when applied to the inside of the cell membrane. However, there was significant inhibition of the nAChR when these compounds were applied to the outside of the cell membrane, indicating an extracellular site for inhibition. Furthermore, increasing the transmembrane potential results in a decrease in the ability of PhTX-343 to inhibit the receptor. This observation is related to the voltage dependence of the effect of PhTX-343 on the rate constant for nAChR channel opening with increasing transmembrane voltage (-60 to 50 mV). This suggests that the voltage dependence of inhibition mainly reflects the effect of transmembrane voltage on the rate constant of channel opening and, therefore, the channel-opening equilibrium constant. PhTX-343 competes with cocaine and procaine for its binding site. The finding that this toxin, which binds to a common inhibitory site with compounds such as cocaine, exerts its effect by decreasing the channel-opening equilibrium constant suggests an approach for the development of therapeutic agents. A compound that binds to this regulatory site but does not affect the channel-opening equilibrium constant may be developed. Such a compound can displace an abused drug such as cocaine and thereby alleviate the toxic effect of this compound on the organism.

How fast does the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor channel open? Kinetic investigations in the microsecond time region using a laser-pulse photolysis technique.

The gamma-aminobuytric acid(A) (GABA(A)) receptor is a membrane-bound protein that mediates signal transmission between neurons through formation of chloride ion channels. GABA is the activating ligand, which upon binding to the receptor triggers channel opening in the microsecond time domain and reversible desensitization of the receptor in the millisecond time region. We have investigated the channel-opening mechanism for this receptor in rat hippocampal neurons before the protein desensitizes by using a rapid flow method (cell-flow) with a 10 ms time resolution and a laser-pulse photolysis technique with a approximately 30 micros time resolution to determine the rate and equilibrium constants for channel opening and closing. Two different forms of the receptor, namely, a rapidly and a slowly desensitizing form, exist in the rat hippocampal cells and are characterized by their different rates for desensitization. At 250 microM GABA the rate constant for desensitization was 2.3 +/- 0.4 s(-)(1) for the rapidly desensitizing form and 0.4 +/- 0.1 s(-)(1) for the slowly desensitizing form. The dissociation constant of GABA from the site controlling channel opening was 100 +/- 40 microM for the rapidly desensitizing form and 120 +/- 60 microM for the slowly desensitizing form. The rate constants for channel closing did not differ significantly for the two forms, 85 +/- 20 s(-)(1) for the rapidly desensitizing and 100 +/- 60 s(-)(1) for the slowly desensitizing form. However, the channel-opening rate constant differed by a factor of 3, 1840 +/- 160 s(-)(1) for the rapidly desensitizing and 6700 +/- 330 s(-)(1) for the slowly desensitizing form. This difference in the rate constant for channel opening for the two forms, determined by the laser-pulse photolysis technique, is reflected as a shift in the channel-opening equilibrium constant, which is 7 +/- 5 and 20 +/- 15 for the rapidly and slowly desensitizing forms respectively, determined by the cell-flow method. These constants, together with the concentration of GABA and the concentration of receptor sites in the membrane, determine the number of channels that open as a function of GABA concentration, and the rate at which they open and close. These constants play an important role in determining the rate of the transmembrane ion flux and, therefore, the receptor-controlled changes in transmembrane voltage that trigger signal transmission.

On the mechanism of inhibition of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor by the anticonvulsant MK-801 investigated by laser-pulse photolysis in the microsecond-to-millisecond time region.

The mechanism of inhibition of the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is of interest because of the many drugs which are known to modify its function. The laser-pulse photolysis technique, using a photolabile, biologically inert ligand (caged carbamoylcholine) for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, and BC3H1 cells have been used to investigate the mechanism of inhibition of the receptor by MK-801 [(+)-dizocilpine] in the microsecond-to-millisecond time region. MK-801 is an anticonvulsant and a known inhibitor of the N-methyl-D-aspartate and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Both the chemical kinetic and the single-channel current-recording measurements reported here indicate the existence of two inhibition processes, one occurring within 50 ms and the other within about 1 s of equilibration of the receptor with the inhibitor. Unless stated otherwise, here we characterize the receptor inhibition observed when MK-801 is equilibrated with the receptor for only 50 ms. We determined the effect of MK-801 on the concentration of the open receptor-channels and the apparent dissociation constant of the inhibitor from the closed-channel (KI(obs) = 180 microM) and open-channel ( = 950 microM) forms. Within a few milliseconds after inhibitor binding, decreases to about 100 microM, due to an inhibitor-induced isomerization to an inactive receptor form. A mechanism that incorporates the new results is proposed. It includes the formation of an ion-conducting receptor:inhibitor complex with a channel-opening equilibrium constant that is unfavorable compared to the open-channel receptor form in the absence of inhibitor. In the MK-801 concentration range of 0-500 microM, this mechanism accounts for the observed MK-801-induced decrease in the concentration of open channels. At high concentrations of carbamoylcholine, when the receptor is mainly in the open-channel form, the conducting receptor:inhibitor complex isomerizes to a nonconducting state with a rate constant of about 2400 s-1 for the forward reaction and 230 s-1 for the back reaction. It is shown that the proposed new mechanism, based on transient kinetic measurements, also accounts for the results of previous investigations with other inhibitors (procaine, cocaine), which were carried out under both pre-steady-state and equilibrium conditions. A compound that binds to the same regulatory site on the receptor as MK-801 but does not affect the channel-opening equilibrium constant may have considerable use in protecting an organism from the effects of abused drugs.

Channel-opening mechanism of a kainate-activated glutamate receptor: kinetic investigations using a laser-pulse photolysis technique.

Kainate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that binds to the kainate and AMPA receptor subtypes of the glutamate receptor and triggers the formation of cation permeable transmembrane channels in these receptors. In the present report the channel-opening mechanism of the AMPA receptors by kainate has been determined in rat hippocampal neurons using two different kinetic methods, namely, the rapid-flow method (cell-flow) with a 10 ms time resolution and a laser-pulse photolysis technique with a approximately 65 microseconds time resolution. The whole-cell currents induced by kainate, using the cell-flow method, are nondesensitizing and inhibited significantly by CNQX and hence pertain to activation of the AMPA receptors and not the kainate receptors. The cell-flow measurements were used to evaluate the constants pertaining to the minimum mechanism that could account for the concentration of the receptor in the open-channel form over a 500-fold range of kainate concentration. These constants, namely, the intrinsic dissociation constant of kainate from the AMPA receptor and the channel-opening equilibrium constant, were determined to be 140 +/- 30 microM and 8 +/- 2, respectively. On the other hand, the kinetics of the steps leading to channel opening was evaluated using the laser-pulse photolysis techniques. In this technique whole-cell currents were obtained by releasing kainate in the submillisecond time scale near the cell by photolysis of N-(alpha-carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl) kainate. The concentration of the released kainate was calculated by comparing the whole-cell currents obtained from the laser-pulse photolysis experiments with the whole currents obtained with 100 microM kainate on the same cell using cell-flow measurements. The rate constants for channel opening and closing were then determined from the observed rate constants for the current rise obtained as a function of kainate concentration. These rates were 5000 +/- 2000 and 640 +/- 30 s-1, respectively. The rate and equilibrium constants obtained in the present report allow an evaluation of the fraction of the receptors in the open-channel form as a function of time and kainate concentration, hence providing insight into the role of kainate in neuronal signal transmission.

Mechanism for the channel-opening reaction of strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors on cultured embryonic mouse spinal cord cells.

The strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor, a member of a superfamily of proteins involved in chemical reactions that regulate signal transmission between cells of the nervous system, forms an anion-specific transmembrane channel in response to glycine binding. A rapid-reaction technique, a cell-flow method with a 10-ms time resolution, was adapted for measurements with cultured embryonic mouse spinal cord cells containing glycine receptors. Whole-cell current responses resulting from the opening of glycine receptor channels were measured at pH 7.4, 22-24 degrees C, and transmembrane voltages of -40 and -75 mV. Two different receptor forms, A alpha and A beta, were detected. At saturating glycine concentrations, an average of 70% of the whole-cell current amplitude was associated with form A alpha and 30% with A beta. The constants pertaining to the minimum mechanisms that account for the concentration of the two open-channel receptor forms over a 100-fold range of glycine concentration were determined by cell-flow measurements of the current amplitudes and of the falling (desensitizing) rate of the current. The dissociation constant of the site controlling channel opening was 220 microM on the basis of three binding sites for A alpha and 380 microM on the basis of two binding sites for A beta. The channel-opening equilibrium constant, phi-I, was 170 for A alpha and 110 for A beta. The rate coefficients for desensitization, alpha and beta, associated with these two forms have maximum values of 0.7 and 0.1 s-1, respectively. The rates at which the receptors recovered from desensitization were also measured, using a double-flow mixing device, and were found to be 0.06 s-1 for A alpha and 0.02 s-1 for A beta. In the presence of 100 microM glycine, the apparent dissociation constant for the inhibitor picrotoxinin from receptor form A alpha was 80 microM, and that from A beta was 460 microM. This suggests that A beta contains beta-subunits (58 kD), because this subunit confers picrotoxinin insensitivity to glycine receptors (Pribilla, I., et al. (1992) EMBO J. 11, 4305). In the case of one receptor form (A alpha), the chemical mechanism and its constants led to two measurements that could be assessed by an independent method, the single-channel current-recording technique: (i) the fraction of receptor channels open at a given glycine concentration (ALn)o and (ii) the rate coefficient for desensitization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

On the mechanism of the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor in the mammalian (mouse) cerebral cortex. Chemical kinetic investigations with a 10-ms time resolution adapted to measurements of neuronal receptor function in single cells.

The gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABA) receptor belongs to a superfamily of proteins involved in chemical reactions that regulate signal transmission between cells of the nervous system and is the target of some of the agents most frequently used in medicine to control disorders of the central nervous system. In contrast to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which initiates signal transmission and is the best characterized member of the superfamily, the GABA receptor forms anion-specific transmembrane channels and inhibits signal transmission. The chemical kinetic experiments described here, in which fast chemical reaction techniques were used, indicate that both receptor proteins may operate by the same mechanism. Also described is the use of a chemical kinetic technique with a 10-ms time resolution that we have developed for making measurements with single cells isolated from specific areas of the nervous system, in this case the cerebral cortex of embryonic mice. A flow device was used to equilibrate receptors on the cell surface with GABA, and the concentration of open transmembrane channels in the cells was then measured by recording the whole-cell currents at pH 7.2, 21-23 degrees C, and a transmembrane voltage of -70 mV. Two different receptor forms, A alpha and A beta, were detected in cerebral cortical cells. Although the ratio of A alpha to A beta varied from cell to cell, on average 35% and 65% of the receptor-controlled current was associated with receptor forms A alpha and A beta, respectively. At saturating concentrations of GABA, the rate coefficients of desensitization, alpha and beta, associated with these two forms have maximal values of 4.4 and 0.7 s-1, respectively. The constants of a mechanism that accounts for the open transmembrane channels of both receptor forms were evaluated over a 50-fold range of GABA concentration. The dissociation constant of the site controlling channel opening was 40 microM for A alpha and 320 microM for A beta. The channel-opening equilibrium constant, phi-1, was 3.5 for A alpha and 20 for A beta. The evaluated constants allow one to calculate Po, the conditional probability that at a given concentration of GABA the receptor-channel is open. Po could also be determined in the presence of 100 microM GABA by an independent method in which different assumptions are made in the interpretation of the experimental results, the single-channel current-recording technique. The value of Po obtained (0.56) was in good agreement with the Po value (0.61) calculated for receptor form A alpha from chemical kinetic measurements at 100 microM GABA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

On the mechanism of a mammalian neuronal type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor investigated by a rapid chemical kinetic technique. Detection and characterization of a short-lived, previously unobserved, main receptor form in PC12 cells.

The mammalian nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in PC12 cells has many properties characteristic of the neuronal receptors involved in key chemical reactions that are responsible for signal transmission between cells of the nervous system. This report describes initial investigations of the mechanism of this receptor using a rapid chemical kinetic technique with a time resolution of 20 ms, which represents a 250-fold improvement over the best time resolution (5 s) employed in previous studies. Carbamoylcholine, a stable analogue of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, was the activating ligand used, and the concentration of open transmembrane receptor-channels in PC12 cells was measured by recording whole-cell currents at pH 7.4, 21-23 degrees C, and a transmembrane voltage of -60 mV. Two receptor forms that account for 80% and 20% of the receptor-controlled current were detected; the main receptor form, accounting for 80% of the whole-cell current, desensitized completely before the first measurements had been made in previous studies. Only the main receptor form has been investigated so far using the new method. The constants of a mechanism that accounts for the concentration of the open transmembrane receptor-channel over a 100-fold range of carbamoylcholine concentration were evaluated: the dissociation constant of the site controlling channel opening (K1 = 2.0 mM), the channel-opening equilibrium constant (phi -1 = 5.0), and the dissociation constant of an inhibitory site to which carbamoylcholine binds (KR = 6.5 mM). These evaluated constants allow one to calculate Po, the conditional probability that at a given concentration of carbamoylcholine the receptor-channel is open. Po was also determined in the presence of 2 mM carbamoylcholine by an independent method, the single-channel current-recording technique, and the agreement between the Po values obtained in two independent ways is within experimental error. This result indicates that the time resolution of the chemical kinetic technique employed was sufficient to evaluate the constants pertaining to the active state of the receptor, which forms a transmembrane channel, before its conversion to desensitized receptor forms with different properties. Previous kinetic measurements with a time resolution of 5 s showed that many compounds, such as anesthetic-like molecules, nerve growth factor, and substance P, modify the function of the neuronal receptor in PC12 cells or react specifically with the neuronal but not with the muscle receptor, for example, some toxins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Conductance and kinetic properties of single nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels in rat sympathetic neurones.

1. The unitary conductance of nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor channels in rat sympathetic neurones has been studied. Conductance estimates varied from 26-48 pS with a mean of 36.8 pS in 1 mM-Ca2+. The main conductance level varied from patch to patch and the presence (or absence) of additional conductance levels also varied. 2. The channels showed large open channel noise and experiments with 300 mM-NaCl in the patch pipette substantially increased the open channel noise. The appearance of detectable step-like transitions within this noise strongly suggested the existence of closely spaced discrete levels. 3. Removal of divalent cations from the external solution increased the unitary channel conductance. Altering the main permeant ion in divalent-free solutions gave the following conductance sequence: K+ (93 pS) greater than Cs+ (61 pS) greater than Na+ (51 pS) greater than Li+(23 pS). 4. Replacement of Na+ by Cs+ in the external solution considerably reduced the current evoked by ACh in whole-cell recordings and the channel-opening frequency in outside-out patches. 5. The kinetic properties of channels activated by ACh and 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide (DMPP) were also studied. At low concentrations of ACh and DMPP the gap distributions were complex and best fitted by the sum of four exponential components. Individual activations (bursts) were interrupted by the two shortest closed periods the briefer of which had time constants of 36 microseconds for ACh and 67 microseconds for DMPP. 6. The distribution of burst lengths had two components for each agonist, each component making up about 50% of the total area under the distribution. For ACh, the time constant of the longer component (12.2 ms) was similar to the decay time constant of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSCs) at similar temperature and potential. For DMPP the time constant of the longer component was 17.6 ms. 7. The relative number of brief gaps per long burst was much larger for ACh than for DMPP. Therefore the corrected mean open time for ACh (0.86 ms) was much shorter than that for DMPP (2.3 ms). 8. In terms of receptor mechanism, the values of the channel opening equilibrium constant (beta/alpha) estimated from these numbers (ACh, 23; DMPP, 25) suggest that both agonists are efficaceous. 9. DMPP is a potent blocker of the channel with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KB) of around 50 microM and blockage gaps of around 1 ms duration. ACh also blocks the channel but with a higher KB of around 470 microM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Chemical kinetic measurements of a mammalian acetylcholine receptor by a fast-reaction technique.

In the presence of acetylcholine, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor undergoes two rapid conformational changes: one in the 1-ms time region, leading to the formation of a transmembrane channel and signal transmission between cells, and the other in the 100-ms time region, leading to an inactive "desensitized" form with altered ligand-binding properties. To determine the properties of the receptor that are relevant for channel opening and signal transmission, we have developed a cell-flow technique that allows measurements to be made with cells prior to receptor desensitization. Here we illustrate the usefulness of the technique. A wide concentration range of both a ligand that controls the opening of receptor channels (carbamoylcholine) and a receptor inhibitor (procaine) was used to measure the dissociation constant of the receptor site controlling channel opening (2.4 X 10(-4) M), the channel-opening equilibrium constant (5.5), the inhibition constant for procaine (5.8 X 10(-5) M), and the rate coefficients for two desensitization processes of 5 s-1 and 0.2 s-1. The cell-flow technique illustrated here is of interest because, by rapid-reaction techniques, it extends the chemical kinetic approach from investigations of reactions in solutions to investigations of many different receptors that exist in membranes of central nervous system cells and whose properties are not well known.

Acetylcholine receptor: evidence for a voltage-dependent regulatory site for acetylcholine. Chemical kinetic measurements in membrane vesicles using a voltage clamp

Acetylcholine receptor mediated ion translocation in membrane vesicles prepared from the Electrophorus electricus electroplax was investigated under voltage clamp conditions by using a quench-flow technique that allows the translocation to be measured in the millisecond to second time region. Two rate coefficients were measured over a 500-fold concentration range of acetylcholine, at a transmembrane voltage, Vm, of -45 mV, at pH 7.0, 1 degrees C. JA is the rate coefficient for ion translocation by the active state of the receptor in the absence of inactivation (desensitization), and alpha is the rate coefficient for the inactivation of the receptor by acetylcholine. (1) The values of JA and alpha increase with increasing acetylcholine concentration up to 300 microM. At higher concentrations, a concentration-dependent decrease in the ion flux rate was observed without a concomitant change in the inactivation rate. This inhibitory effect has not been reported previously and was not observed with acetylcholine or carbamoylcholine in the absence of a transmembrane voltage. (2) The value of the maximum influx rate coefficient, 26 s-1, is approximately twice that observed at 0 mV [JA(max) = 15 s-1]. This is consistent with previous interpretations that related JA(max) values to the channel-opening equilibrium constant, 1/phi, and with the relation of 1/phi to the mean lifetime of the open receptor channel in muscle cells, which is dependent on Vm. (3) The maximum observed inactivation rate coefficient [alpha(max) = 8.5 s-1] is somewhat larger than that observed at 0 mV [alpha(max) = 5 s-1].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)