Voltage-gated Proton Channel Hv1 Research Articles

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic study of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the human voltage-gated proton channel Hv1.

The voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is essential to proton permeation and contains a voltage-sensor domain without a pore domain. It contains three predicted domains: an N-terminal acid and proline-rich domain, a transmembrane voltage-sensor domain and a C-terminal domain that is responsible for the dimeric architecture of Hv1. Here, the C-terminal domain of the human voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 (C-Hv1) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals have a tetragonal form and diffraction data were collected to 2.5 A resolution in-house. The crystal belongs to space group P4(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 37.76, c = 137.52 A. Structural determination of C-Hv1 is in progress.

The Voltage-Gated Proton Channel Hv1 Has Two Pores, Each Controlled by One Voltage Sensor

In voltage-gated channels, ions flow through a single pore located at the interface between membrane-spanning pore domains from each of four subunits, and the gates of the pore are controlled by four peripheral voltage-sensing domains. In a striking exception, the newly discovered voltage-gated Hv1 proton channels lack a homologous pore domain, leaving the location of the pore unknown. Also unknown are the number of subunits and the mechanism of gating. We find that Hv1 is a dimer and that each subunit contains its own pore and gate, which is controlled by its own voltage sensor. Our experiments show that the cytosolic domain of the channel is necessary and sufficient for dimerization and that the transmembrane part of the channel is functional also when monomerized. The results suggest a mechanism of gating whereby the voltage sensor and gate are one and the same.

Frontal degenerative dementia : A Brun, L Gustafson and U Passant. Department of Pathology and Department of Psychogeriatrics, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden

The newly discovered human voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is essential for proton transfer, which contains a voltage sensor domain (VSD) without a pore domain. We report here for the first time that Hv1 is specifically expressed in the highly metastatic human breast tumor tissues, but not in poorly metastatic breast cancer tissues, detected by immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, real-time RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry showed that the expression levels of Hv1 have significant differences among breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-453, T-47D and SK-BR-3, in which Hv1 is expressed at a high level in highly metastatic human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, but at a very low level in poorly metastatic human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Inhibition of Hv1 expression in the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly decreases the invasion and migration of the cells. The intracellular pH of MDA-MB-231 cells down-regulated Hv1 expression by siRNA is obviously decreased compared with MDA-MB-231 with the scrambled siRNA. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and gelatinase activity in MDA-MB-231 cells suppressed Hv1 by siRNA were reduced. Our results strongly suggest that Hv1 regulates breast cancer intracellular pH and exacerbates the migratory ability of metastatic cells.