DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: CryoEM structures of the human CLC-2 voltage-gated chloride channel reveal a ball-and-chain gating mechanism

Journal Article · · eLife

CLC-2 is a voltage-gated chloride channel that contributes to electrical excitability and ion homeostasis in many different tissues. Among the nine mammalian CLC homologs, CLC-2 is uniquely activated by hyperpolarization, rather than depolarization, of the plasma membrane. The molecular basis for the divergence in polarity of voltage gating among closely related homologs has been a long-standing mystery, in part because few CLC channel structures are available. Here, we report cryoEM structures of human CLC-2 at 2.46 – 2.76 Å, in the presence and absence of the selective inhibitor AK-42. AK-42 binds within the extracellular entryway of the Cl-permeation pathway, occupying a pocket previously proposed through computational docking studies. In the apo structure, we observed two distinct conformations involving rotation of one of the cytoplasmic C-terminal domains (CTDs). In the absence of CTD rotation, an intracellular N-terminal 15-residue hairpin peptide nestles against the TM domain to physically occlude the Cl-permeation pathway. This peptide is highly conserved among species variants of CLC-2 but is not present in other CLC homologs. Previous studies suggested that the N-terminal domain of CLC-2 influences channel properties via a “ball-and-chain” gating mechanism, but conflicting data cast doubt on such a mechanism, and thus the structure of the N-terminal domain and its interaction with the channel has been uncertain. Through electrophysiological studies of an N-terminal deletion mutant lacking the 15-residue hairpin peptide, we support a model in which the N-terminal hairpin of CLC-2 stabilizes a closed state of the channel by blocking the cytoplasmic Cl-permeation pathway.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
2403395
Journal Information:
eLife, Journal Name: eLife Vol. 12; ISSN 2050-084X
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (96)

Two novelCLCN2mutations accelerating chloride channel deactivation are associated with idiopathic generalized epilepsy journal March 2009
UCSF Chimera?A visualization system for exploratory research and analysis journal January 2004
CHARMM36 all-atom additive protein force field: Validation based on comparison to NMR data journal July 2013
Dowser++, a new method of hydrating protein structures journal July 2016
Comparison of Voltage-activated Cl − Channels in Rat Parotid Acinar Cells with ClC-2 in a Mammalian Expression System journal May 1998
Regulation of ClC-2 gating by intracellular ATP journal May 2013
Skeletal muscle ClC-1 chloride channels in health and diseases journal May 2020
Biallelic CLCN2 mutations cause retinal degeneration by impairing retinal pigment epithelium phagocytosis and chloride channel function journal March 2023
Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel truncated form (ClC‐2β) of ClC‐2α (ClC‐2G) in rabbit heart journal November 1995
VMD: Visual molecular dynamics journal February 1996
CBS domains: Ligand binding sites and conformational variability journal December 2013
Lysosomal Storage and Albinism Due to Effects of a De Novo CLCN7 Variant on Lysosomal Acidification journal June 2019
Unique variants in CLCN3, encoding an endosomal anion/proton exchanger, underlie a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders journal August 2021
Inter-subunit communication and fast gate integrity are important for common gating in hClC-1 journal July 2010
Role of CBS and Bateman Domains in Phosphorylation-Dependent Regulation of a CLC Anion Channel journal November 2016
From protein uptake to Dent disease: An overview of the CLCN5 gene journal July 2020
The Cytoplasmic Domain of the Chloride Channel ClC-0: Structural and Dynamic Characterization of Flexible Regions journal June 2007
GlialCAM, a Protein Defective in a Leukodystrophy, Serves as a ClC-2 Cl− Channel Auxiliary Subunit journal March 2012
Biochemistry to the Rescue: A ClC-2 Auxiliary Subunit Provides a Tangible Link to Leukodystrophy journal March 2012
Chloride channel ClC- 2 enhances intestinal epithelial tight junction barrier function via regulation of caveolin-1 and caveolar trafficking of occludin journal March 2017
Routine Microsecond Molecular Dynamics Simulations with AMBER on GPUs. 2. Explicit Solvent Particle Mesh Ewald journal August 2013
PTRAJ and CPPTRAJ: Software for Processing and Analysis of Molecular Dynamics Trajectory Data journal June 2013
Simple Allosteric Model for Membrane Pumps journal August 1966
Primary structure and functional expression of a developmentally regulated skeletal muscle chloride channel journal November 1991
A chloride channel widely expressed in epithelial and non-epithelial cells journal March 1992
Regions involved in the opening of CIC-2 chloride channel by voltage and cell volume journal December 1992
Gating of the voltage-dependent chloride channel CIC-0 by the permeant anion journal February 1995
X-ray structure of a ClC chloride channel at 3.0 Å reveals the molecular basis of anion selectivity journal January 2002
Secondary active transport mediated by a prokaryotic homologue of ClC Cl- channels journal February 2004
ClC chloride channels viewed through a transporter lens journal March 2006
Genome-wide atlas of gene expression in the adult mouse brain journal December 2006
Structure of a CLC chloride ion channel by cryo-electron microscopy journal December 2016
Screening and large-scale expression of membrane proteins in mammalian cells for structural studies journal October 2014
The ClC-0 chloride channel is a 'broken' Cl−/H+ antiporter journal July 2008
Basis of substrate binding and conservation of selectivity in the CLC family of channels and transporters journal November 2009
Large movement in the C terminus of CLC-0 chloride channel during slow gating journal November 2006
Functional and clinical studies reveal pathophysiological complexity of CLCN4-related neurodevelopmental condition journal November 2022
Pathogenesis of hypertension in a mouse model for human CLCN2 related hyperaldosteronism journal October 2019
Cryo-EM structures of ClC-2 chloride channel reveal the blocking mechanism of its specific inhibitor AK-42 journal June 2023
CLCN2 chloride channel mutations in familial hyperaldosteronism type II journal February 2018
A gain-of-function mutation in the CLCN2 chloride channel gene causes primary aldosteronism journal February 2018
Measurement of atom resolvability in cryo-EM maps with Q-scores journal February 2020
A Novel Loss-of-Function Variant in the Chloride Ion Channel Gene Clcn2 Associates with Atrial Fibrillation journal January 2020
Electro-steric opening of the clc-2 chloride channel gate journal June 2021
Movement of hClC-1 C-termini during common gating and limits on their cytoplasmic location journal May 2011
Chloride channel activity of ClC-2 is modified by the actin cytoskeleton journal December 2000
Molecular mechanism of proton transport in CLC Cl-/H+ exchange transporters journal July 2012
Taming unruly chloride channel inhibitors with rational design journal May 2018
Development and validation of a potent and specific inhibitor for the CLC-2 chloride channel journal December 2020
Two highly homologous members of the ClC chloride channel family in both rat and human kidney. journal July 1994
Molecular identification of HSPA8 as an accessory protein of a hyperpolarization-activated chloride channel from rat pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes journal November 2019
Temperature Dependence of Fast and Slow Gating Relaxations of ClC-0 Chloride Channels journal January 1997
Elimination of the Slow Gating of Clc-0 Chloride Channel by a Point Mutation journal July 1999
Quantitative Analysis of the Voltage-dependent Gating of Mouse Parotid ClC-2 Chloride Channel journal November 2005
Gating the glutamate gate of CLC-2 chloride channel by pore occupancy journal December 2015
Q-cubed mutant cues clues to CLC antiport mechanism journal February 2021
Molecular dissection of gating in the ClC-2 chloride channel journal April 1997
Male germ cells and photoreceptors, both dependent on close cell–cell interactions, degenerate upon ClC-2 Cl− channel disruption journal March 2001
Coot model-building tools for molecular graphics journal November 2004
ISOLDE : a physically realistic environment for model building into low-resolution electron-density maps journal April 2018
Macromolecular structure determination using X-rays, neutrons and electrons: recent developments in Phenix journal October 2019
In situ ligand restraints from quantum-mechanical methods journal January 2023
Chloride dependence of hyperpolarization‐activated chloride channel gates journal March 1999
Leukoencephalopathy‐causing CLCN2 mutations are associated with impaired Cl channel function and trafficking journal October 2017
Conformation‐dependent regulation of inward rectifier chloride channel gating by extracellular protons journal May 2002
Effect of an N‐terminus deletion on voltage‐dependent gating of the ClC‐2 chloride channel journal October 2002
A Conserved Pore‐Lining Glutamate as a Voltage‐ and Chloride‐Dependent Gate in the ClC‐2 Chloride Channel journal December 2003
Functional and structural conservation of CBS domains from CLC chloride channels journal May 2004
The voltage‐dependent ClC‐2 chloride channel has a dual gating mechanism journal March 2004
Removal of gating in voltage‐dependent ClC‐2 chloride channel by point mutations affecting the pore and C‐terminus CBS‐2 domain journal March 2006
Gating of human ClC‐2 chloride channels and regulation by carboxy‐terminal domains journal November 2008
Voltage‐dependent and ‐independent titration of specific residues accounts for complex gating of a ClC chloride channel by extracellular protons journal March 2009
Permeant anions contribute to voltage dependence of ClC‐2 chloride channel by interacting with the protopore gate journal July 2010
Sequential interaction of chloride and proton ions with the fast gate steer the voltage‐dependent gating in ClC‐2 chloride channels journal July 2012
Gating the Selectivity Filter in ClC Chloride Channels journal March 2003
Structure of a Eukaryotic CLC Transporter Defines an Intermediate State in the Transport Cycle journal September 2010
Restoration of inactivation in mutants of Shaker potassium channels by a peptide derived from ShB journal October 1990
Molecular mechanism of biased signaling in a prototypical G protein–coupled receptor journal February 2020
Enzymes regulated via cystathionine β-synthase domains journal October 2017
A novel homozygous change ofCLCN2(p.His590Pro) is associated with a subclinical form of leukoencephalopathy with ataxia (LKPAT) journal May 2017
Tertiary Structure of Proteins. I. Representation and Computation of the Conformations journal May 1972
Splice variants of a ClC-2 chloride channel with differing functional characteristics journal October 2000
CLC Chloride Channels and Transporters: Structure, Function, Physiology, and Disease journal July 2018
Alterations in the Cytoplasmic Domain of CLCN2 Result in Altered Gating Kinetics journal January 2007
CLCN2-related leukoencephalopathy: a case report and review of the literature journal July 2019
Structure of the human ClC-1 chloride channel journal April 2019
CAVER 3.0: A Tool for the Analysis of Transport Pathways in Dynamic Protein Structures journal October 2012
Metabolic energy sensing by mammalian CLC anion/proton exchangers journal May 2020
CLC channel function and dysfunction in health and disease journal October 2014
ClC-1 Chloride Channel: Inputs on the Structure–Function Relationship of Myotonia Congenita-Causing Mutations journal September 2023
The Role of the Lysosomal Cl−/H+ Antiporter ClC-7 in Osteopetrosis and Neurodegeneration journal January 2022
Research and progress on ClC-2 journal January 2017
Structure of the CLC-1 chloride channel from Homo sapiens journal May 2018
Divergent Cl-and H+ pathways underlie transport coupling and gating in CLC exchangers and channels journal April 2020
A CLC-ec1 mutant reveals global conformational change and suggests a unifying mechanism for the CLC Cl–/H+ transport cycle journal April 2020
Cryo-EM structure of the lysosomal chloride-proton exchanger CLC-7 in complex with OSTM1 journal August 2020