lithium-chloride and barium-chloride

The selectivity filter of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels is in part composed of four Glu residues, termed the EEEE locus. Ion selectivity in Ca(2+) channels is based on interactions between permeant ions and the EEEE locus: in a mixture of ions, all of which can pass through the pore when present alone, those ions that bind weakly are impermeant, those that bind more strongly are permeant, and those that bind more strongly yet act as pore blockers as a consequence of their low rate of unbinding from the EEEE locus. Thus, competition among ion species is a determining feature of selectivity filter function in Ca(2+) channels. Previous work has shown that Asp and Ala substitutions in the EEEE locus reduce ion selectivity by weakening ion binding affinity. Here we describe for wild-type and EEEE locus mutants an analysis at the single channel level of competition between Cd(2+), which binds very tightly within the EEEE locus, and Ba(2+) or Li(+), which bind less tightly and hence exhibit high flux rates: Cd(2+) binds to the EEEE locus approximately 10(4)x more tightly than does Ba(2+), and approximately 10(8)x more tightly than does Li(+). For wild-type channels, Cd(2+) entry into the EEEE locus was 400x faster when Li(+) rather than Ba(2+) was the current carrier, reflecting the large difference between Ba(2+) and Li(+) in affinity for the EEEE locus. For the substitution mutants, analysis of Cd(2+) block kinetics shows that their weakened ion binding affinity can result from either a reduction in blocker on rate or an enhancement of blocker off rate. Which of these rate effects underlay weakened binding was not specified by the nature of the mutation (Asp vs. Ala), but was instead determined by the valence and affinity of the current-carrying ion (Ba(2+) vs. Li(+)). The dependence of Cd(2+) block kinetics upon properties of the current-carrying ion can be understood by considering the number of EEEE locus oxygen atoms available to interact with the different ion pairs.

Topics: Animals; Barium Compounds; Binding Sites; Cadmium Chloride; Calcium Channels; Chlorides; Ion Channel Gating; Lithium Chloride; Mutation; Reproducibility of Results; Xenopus

The characteristics of 86Rb+ fluxes through K+ channels in luminal-membrane vesicles isolated from the pars recta of rabbit proximal tubule were studied. In KCl-loaded vesicles from the pars recta, transient accumulation of 86Rb+ is observed which is modestly inhibited by BaCl2 and blocked by CdCl2. The isotope accumulation is driven by an electrical diffusion potential, as shown in experiments using either these membrane vesicles loaded with different anions, or an outwardly directed Li+ gradient with a Li+ ionophore. The vesicles containing the channel show a cation selectivity with the order K+ greater than Rb+ greater than choline+ greater than or equal to Li+ greater than Na+. The CdCl2-sensitive 86Rb+ flux is dependent on intravesicular Ca2+. Increasing concentrations of Ca2+ gradually decreased the 86Rb+ uptake and at 1 microM-Ca2+ the CdCl2-sensitive isotope flux is nearly abolished.

Topics: Animals; Barium; Barium Compounds; Biological Transport, Active; Cadmium; Cadmium Chloride; Calcium; Chlorides; In Vitro Techniques; Kidney Tubules, Proximal; Lithium; Lithium Chloride; Potassium Channels; Rabbits; Rubidium Radioisotopes; Time Factors