X-ray crystal structure of voltage-gated proton channel

Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2014 Apr;21(4):352-7. doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2783. Epub 2014 Mar 2.

Abstract

The voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 (or VSOP) has a voltage-sensor domain (VSD) with dual roles of voltage sensing and proton permeation. Its gating is sensitive to pH and Zn(2+). Here we present a crystal structure of mouse Hv1 in the resting state at 3.45-Å resolution. The structure showed a 'closed umbrella' shape with a long helix consisting of the cytoplasmic coiled coil and the voltage-sensing helix, S4, and featured a wide inner-accessible vestibule. Two out of three arginines in S4 were located below the phenylalanine constituting the gating charge-transfer center. The extracellular region of each protomer coordinated a Zn(2+), thus suggesting that Zn(2+) stabilizes the resting state of Hv1 by competing for acidic residues that otherwise form salt bridges with voltage-sensing positive charges on S4. These findings provide a platform for understanding the general principles of voltage sensing and proton permeation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Dimerization
  • Ion Channel Gating*
  • Ion Channels / chemistry*
  • Leucine Zippers
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protons
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Thermodynamics
  • X-Rays
  • Zinc / chemistry

Substances

  • Hv1 proton channel, mouse
  • Ion Channels
  • Protons
  • Zinc

Associated data

  • PDB/3WKV