Structural analyses of Ca²⁺/CaM interaction with NaV channel C-termini reveal mechanisms of calcium-dependent regulation

Nat Commun. 2014 Sep 18:5:4896. doi: 10.1038/ncomms5896.

Abstract

Ca(2+) regulates voltage-gated Na(+) (NaV) channels, and perturbed Ca(2+) regulation of NaV function is associated with epilepsy syndromes, autism and cardiac arrhythmias. Understanding the disease mechanisms, however, has been hindered by a lack of structural information and competing models for how Ca(2+) affects NaV channel function. Here we report the crystal structures of two ternary complexes of a human NaV cytosolic C-terminal domain (CTD), a fibroblast growth factor homologous factor and Ca(2+)/calmodulin (Ca(2+)/CaM). These structures rule out direct binding of Ca(2+) to the NaV CTD and uncover new contacts between CaM and the NaV CTD. Probing these new contacts with biochemical and functional experiments allows us to propose a mechanism by which Ca(2+) could regulate NaV channels. Further, our model provides hints towards understanding the molecular basis of the neurologic disorders and cardiac arrhythmias caused by NaV channel mutations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Calcium / chemistry*
  • Calmodulin / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytosol / metabolism
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Mutation
  • NAV1.2 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / chemistry
  • NAV1.5 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / chemistry*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Calmodulin
  • NAV1.2 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • NAV1.5 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • SCN5A protein, human
  • fibroblast growth factor 14
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors
  • Calcium