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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement All Versions of this Article: mol.108.045591v1 73/6/1709    most recent Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Xu, X. Articles by Tseng, G.-N. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Xu, X. Articles by Tseng, G.-N.

Probing the Binding Sites and Mechanisms of Action of Two Human Ether-a-go-go-Related Gene Channel Activators, 1,3-bis-(2-Hydroxy-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-urea (NS1643) and 2-[2-(3,4-Dichloro-phenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-5-ylamino]-nicotinic acid (PD307243)

Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia (X.X., G.-N.T.); and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy (M.R., M.R.)

We studied the mechanisms and sites of activator actions of 2-[2-(3,4-dichloro-phenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-5-ylamino]-nicotinic acid [PD307243 (PD)] and 1,3-bis-(2-hydroxy-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-urea [NS1643 (NS)] on the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel expressed in oocytes and COS-7 cells. PD and NS affected hERG in a concentration-dependent manner, reaching a maximal increase in current amplitude by 100% and 300% (1-s test pulse to 0 mV), with apparent K_d values of 3 and 20 µM, respectively. Both drugs slowed hERG inactivation. NS additionally shifted the activation curve in the negative direction, accelerated activation, and slowed deactivation. Kinetic model simulations suggested that the activator effects of PD and NS could be largely accounted for by their effects on the hERG gating kinetics. Both drugs worked from outside the cell membrane but their binding sites seemed to be distinctly different. Perturbing the conformation of outer vestibule/external pore entrance (by cysteine substitution at high-impact positions or cysteine side chain modification at intermediate-impact positions) prevented the activator effect of NS but not that of PD. Furthermore, the peptide toxin BeKm-1, which bound to the outer mouth of the hERG channel, suppressed NS effect but potentiated PD effect. We propose that NS is a "gating-modifier": it binds to the outer vestibule/pore entrance of hERG and increases current amplitudes by promoting channel activation while retarding inactivation. The activator effect of PD was prevented by external quaternary ammonium cations or dofetilide, which approached the hERG selectivity filter from opposite sides of the membrane and depleted K⁺ ions in the selectivity filter. We suggest that PD may work as a "pore-modifier" of the hERG channel.

Address correspondence to: Dr. Gea-Ny Tseng, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 E. Marshall Street, Richmond, VA 23298. E-mail: gtseng{at}vcu.edu