Structural insights into anion selectivity and activation mechanism of LRRC8 volume-regulated anion channels

Autor: Heng Liu, Maya M. Polovitskaya, Linlin Yang, Meiling Li, Hongyue Li, Zhen Han, Jianguo Wu, Qiansen Zhang, Thomas J. Jentsch, Jun Liao
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Cell Reports, Vol 42, Iss 8, Pp 112926- (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2211-1247
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112926
Popis: Summary: Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are hexamers of LRRC8 proteins that are crucial for cell volume regulation. N termini (NTs) of the obligatory LRRC8A subunit modulate VRACs activation and ion selectivity, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we report a 2.8-Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of human LRRC8A that displays well-resolved NTs. Amino-terminal halves of NTs fold back into the pore and constrict the permeation path, thereby determining ion selectivity together with an extracellular selectivity filter with which it works in series. They also interact with pore-surrounding helices and support their compact arrangement. The C-terminal halves of NTs interact with intracellular loops that are crucial for channel activation. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that low ionic strength increases NT mobility and expands the radial distance between pore-surrounding helices. Our work suggests an unusual pore architecture with two selectivity filters in series and a mechanism for VRAC activation by cell swelling.
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