Structural determinants of voltage-gating properties in calcium channels.

ABSTRACT: Voltage-gated calcium channels control key functions of excitable cells, like synaptic transmission in neurons and the contraction of heart and skeletal muscles. To accomplish such diverse functions, different calcium channels activate at different voltages and with distinct kinetics. To identify the molecular mechanisms governing specific voltage sensing properties, we combined structure modeling, mutagenesis, and electrophysiology to analyze the structures, free energy, and transition kinetics of the activated and resting states of two functionally distinct voltage sensing domains (VSDs) of the eukaryotic calcium channel Ca_V1.1. Both VSDs displayed the typical features of the sliding helix model; however, they greatly differed in ion-pair formation of the outer gating charges.

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Quintero ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8099428 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature