Molecular insights into the gating mechanisms of voltage-gated calcium channel Ca<sub>V</sub>2.3.

Gao, Yiwei; Xu, Shuai; Cui, Xiaoli; Xu, Hao; Qiu, Yunlong; Wei, Yiqing; Dong, Yanli; Zhu, Boling et al. · Nat Commun · 2023

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

High-voltage-activated R-type Ca<sub>V</sub>2.3 channel plays pivotal roles in many physiological activities and is implicated in epilepsy, convulsions, and other neurodevelopmental impairments. Here, we determine the high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of human Ca<sub>V</sub>2.3 in complex with the α2δ1 and β1 subunits. The VSD<sub>II</sub> is stabilized in the resting state. Electrophysiological experiments elucidate that the VSD<sub>II</sub> is not required for channel activation, whereas the other VSDs are essential for channel opening. The intracellular gate is blocked by the W-helix. A pre-W-helix adjacent to the W-helix can significantly regulate closed-state inactivation (CSI) by modulating the association and dissociation of the W-helix with the gate. Electrostatic interactions formed between the negatively charged domain on S6<sub>II</sub>, which is exclusively conserved in the Ca<sub>V</sub>2 family, and nearby regions at the alpha-interacting domain (AID) and S4-S5<sub>II</sub> helix are identified. Further functional analyses indicate that these interactions are critical for the open-state inactivation (OSI) of Ca<sub>V</sub>2 channels.

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