Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4

IntroductionThe potassium chloride cotransporter 4 (KCC4) is expressed in various tissues and plays an important role in distal renal acidification and hearing development. Although KCCs transport K+ and Cl− in a 1:1 stoichiometry, two Cl− coordination sites were indicated via cryo-electron microsco...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lisa Becker, Jens Hausmann, Rieke Wellpott, Anna-Maria Hartmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1556250/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850061015974150144
author Lisa Becker
Jens Hausmann
Rieke Wellpott
Anna-Maria Hartmann
Anna-Maria Hartmann
author_facet Lisa Becker
Jens Hausmann
Rieke Wellpott
Anna-Maria Hartmann
Anna-Maria Hartmann
author_sort Lisa Becker
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionThe potassium chloride cotransporter 4 (KCC4) is expressed in various tissues and plays an important role in distal renal acidification and hearing development. Although KCCs transport K+ and Cl− in a 1:1 stoichiometry, two Cl− coordination sites were indicated via cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM).MethodsIn a comprehensive analysis, we analyzed here the consequences of point mutation of residues coordinating potassium, and chloride in the first (Cl1) and second (Cl2) coordinating site in KCC4 using Tl+ based flux measurements.ResultsSurprisingly, not all highly conserved coordination sites in KCC4 are essential. Three out of five residues (N131, Y216, and T432) are functionally relevant for potassium coordination. For chloride coordination in Cl1, all three residues (G134, V135, and I136) are important, whereas three out of four residues (G433, M435, and Y589) are relevant for chloride binding in Cl2. As all ion coordination sites are important in KCC2, this indicates that there is a certain flexibility in the stringency of ion coordination in KCC4. One possible reason for the different relevance of ion coordination sites could be the large extracellular loop (LEL). The LEL is structured differently within KCCs and is directly linked to the transmembrane domain (TM) 6, where most of the coordination sites reside. Substitution of ion coordination sites in the KCC22-4-2 chimera, in which the LEL from mouse KCC4 is exchanged with the LEL of rat KCC2, have the same effect as substitutions in rat KCC2. An exception is the substitution of the potassium coordination site I111 in TM1, which shows enhanced activity in the KCC22-4-2 chimera compared to the impaired activity in rat KCC2 and not affected activity in mouse KCC4.ConclusionThus, the different relevance of the ion coordination sites between KCC2 and KCC4 cannot be attributed solely to the different structured LEL; other structural elements must also be involved here.
format Article
id doaj-art-e8bd39b7391644828fbbb6161045efd1
institution DOAJ
issn 2296-889X
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
spelling doaj-art-e8bd39b7391644828fbbb6161045efd12025-08-20T02:50:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences2296-889X2025-03-011210.3389/fmolb.2025.15562501556250Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4Lisa Becker0Jens Hausmann1Rieke Wellpott2Anna-Maria Hartmann3Anna-Maria Hartmann4Division of Neurogenetics, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyDivision of Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyDivision of Neurogenetics, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyDivision of Neurogenetics, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyResearch Center Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyIntroductionThe potassium chloride cotransporter 4 (KCC4) is expressed in various tissues and plays an important role in distal renal acidification and hearing development. Although KCCs transport K+ and Cl− in a 1:1 stoichiometry, two Cl− coordination sites were indicated via cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM).MethodsIn a comprehensive analysis, we analyzed here the consequences of point mutation of residues coordinating potassium, and chloride in the first (Cl1) and second (Cl2) coordinating site in KCC4 using Tl+ based flux measurements.ResultsSurprisingly, not all highly conserved coordination sites in KCC4 are essential. Three out of five residues (N131, Y216, and T432) are functionally relevant for potassium coordination. For chloride coordination in Cl1, all three residues (G134, V135, and I136) are important, whereas three out of four residues (G433, M435, and Y589) are relevant for chloride binding in Cl2. As all ion coordination sites are important in KCC2, this indicates that there is a certain flexibility in the stringency of ion coordination in KCC4. One possible reason for the different relevance of ion coordination sites could be the large extracellular loop (LEL). The LEL is structured differently within KCCs and is directly linked to the transmembrane domain (TM) 6, where most of the coordination sites reside. Substitution of ion coordination sites in the KCC22-4-2 chimera, in which the LEL from mouse KCC4 is exchanged with the LEL of rat KCC2, have the same effect as substitutions in rat KCC2. An exception is the substitution of the potassium coordination site I111 in TM1, which shows enhanced activity in the KCC22-4-2 chimera compared to the impaired activity in rat KCC2 and not affected activity in mouse KCC4.ConclusionThus, the different relevance of the ion coordination sites between KCC2 and KCC4 cannot be attributed solely to the different structured LEL; other structural elements must also be involved here.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1556250/fullKCClarge extracellular loopsite directed mutagenesisprotein conformationion binding sites
spellingShingle Lisa Becker
Jens Hausmann
Rieke Wellpott
Anna-Maria Hartmann
Anna-Maria Hartmann
Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
KCC
large extracellular loop
site directed mutagenesis
protein conformation
ion binding sites
title Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4
title_full Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4
title_fullStr Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4
title_full_unstemmed Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4
title_short Highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse KCC4
title_sort highly conserved ion binding sites are not all functionally relevant in mouse kcc4
topic KCC
large extracellular loop
site directed mutagenesis
protein conformation
ion binding sites
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1556250/full
work_keys_str_mv AT lisabecker highlyconservedionbindingsitesarenotallfunctionallyrelevantinmousekcc4
AT jenshausmann highlyconservedionbindingsitesarenotallfunctionallyrelevantinmousekcc4
AT riekewellpott highlyconservedionbindingsitesarenotallfunctionallyrelevantinmousekcc4
AT annamariahartmann highlyconservedionbindingsitesarenotallfunctionallyrelevantinmousekcc4
AT annamariahartmann highlyconservedionbindingsitesarenotallfunctionallyrelevantinmousekcc4