Reinhard Fritsch

Dynamic Coupling of the Putative Coiled-coil Domain of ORAI1 with STIM1 Mediates ORAI1 Channel Activation

STIM1 and ORAI1 (also termed CRACM1) are essential components of the classical calcium release-activated calcium current; however, the mechanism of the transmission of information of STIM1 to the calcium release-activated calcium/ORAI1 channel is as yet unknown. Here we demonstrate by Förster resonance energy transfer microscopy a dynamic coupling of STIM1 and ORAI1 that culminates in the activation of Ca2+ entry. Förster resonance energy transfer imaging of living cells provided insight into the time dependence of crucial events of this signaling pathway comprising Ca2+ store depletion, STIM1 multimerization, and STIM1-ORAI1 interaction. Accelerated store depletion allowed resolving a significant time lag between STIM1-STIM1 and STIM1-ORAI1 interactions. Store refilling reversed both STIM1 multimerization and STIM1-ORAI1 interaction. The cytosolic STIM1 C terminus itself was able, in vitro as well as in vivo, to associate with ORAI1 and to stimulate channel function, yet without ORAI1-STIM1 cluster formation. The dynamic interaction occurred via the C terminus of ORAI1 that includes a putative coiled-coil domain structure. An ORAI1 C terminus deletion mutant as well as a mutant (L273S) with impeded coiled-coil domain formation lacked both interaction as well as functional communication with STIM1 and failed to generate Ca2+ inward currents. An N-terminal deletion mutant of ORAI1 as well as the ORAI1 R91W mutant linked to severe combined immune deficiency syndrome was similarly impaired in terms of current activation despite being able to interact with STIM1. Hence, the C-terminal coiled-coil motif of ORAI1 represents a key domain for dynamic coupling to STIM1.

2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl Borate Alters Selectivity of Orai3 Channels by Increasing Their Pore Size

Stim1 in the endoplasmic reticulum and the three Orai (also termed CRACM) channels in the plasma-membrane are main components of native Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ channels. A pharmacological hallmark of these channels is their distinct sensitivity to 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). Here we report that Orai3 currents can be robustly stimulated by 75 μm 2-APB independent of Stim1, whereas 2-APB at similar concentrations inhibited store-operated Orai1 currents. 2-APB did not only promote currents through Orai3 channels but also dramatically altered ion selectivity of Orai3 channels. This allowed for permeation of monovalent cations both in the inward as well as outward direction, which is in sharp contrast to the high Ca2+ selectivity of store-operated Orai3 currents. An Orai3-R66W mutant, which lacked in analogy to the severe combined immune deficiency mutant Orai1-R91W store-operated activation, was also found to be resistant to 2-APB stimulation. The change in selectivity by 2-APB was associated with an increase in Orai3 minimum pore size from about 3.8Å to more than 5.34Å. In line with a potential interaction of 2-APB with the Orai3 pore, among three pore mutants tested, the Orai3 E165Q mutant particularly resembled in its permeation properties those of 2-APB stimulated Orai3 and additionally exhibited a reduced response to 2-APB. In aggregate, stimulation of Orai3 currents by 2-APB occurred along with an alteration of the permeation pathway that represents a unique mechanism for regulating ion channel selectivity by chemical compounds.

Modulation of voltage- and Ca2+-dependent gating of CaV1.3 L-type calcium channels by alternative splicing of a C-terminal regulatory domain.

Low voltage activation of CaV1.3 L-type Ca2+ channels controls excitability in sensory cells and central neurons as well as sinoatrial node pacemaking. CaV1.3-mediated pacemaking determines neuronal vulnerability of dopaminergic striatal neurons affected in Parkinson disease. We have previously found that in CaV1.4 L-type Ca2+ channels, activation, voltage, and calcium-dependent inactivation are controlled by an intrinsic distal C-terminal modulator. Because alternative splicing in the CaV1.3 α1 subunit C terminus gives rise to a long (CaV1.342) and a short form (CaV1.342A), we investigated if a C-terminal modulatory mechanism also controls CaV1.3 gating. The biophysical properties of both splice variants were compared after heterologous expression together with β3 and α2δ1 subunits in HEK-293 cells. Activation of calcium current through CaV1.342A channels was more pronounced at negative voltages, and inactivation was faster because of enhanced calcium-dependent inactivation. By investigating several CaV1.3 channel truncations, we restricted the modulator activity to the last 116 amino acids of the C terminus. The resulting CaV1.3ΔC116 channels showed gating properties similar to CaV1.342A that were reverted by co-expression of the corresponding C-terminal peptide C116. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments confirmed an intramolecular protein interaction in the C terminus of CaV1.3 channels that also modulates calmodulin binding. These experiments revealed a novel mechanism of channel modulation enabling cells to tightly control CaV1.3 channel activity by alternative splicing. The absence of the C-terminal modulator in short splice forms facilitates CaV1.3 channel activation at lower voltages expected to favor CaV1.3 activity at threshold voltages as required for modulation of neuronal firing behavior and sinoatrial node pacemaking.

Mechanistic view on domains mediating STIM1–Orai coupling

Summary:  Calcium (Ca2+) entry into non‐excitable cells is mainly carried by store‐operated channels, which serve essential functions ranging from regulation of transcription to cell growth. The best‐characterized store‐operated current, initially discovered in T lymphocytes and mast cells, is the Ca2+ release‐activated Ca2+ (CRAC) current. The search for the molecular components of the CRAC channel has recently identified stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) as the Ca2+ sensor in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Orai1 as the CRAC channel pore. ER store depletion results in formation of STIM1 puncta that trigger Ca2+ influx via Orai1 channels. This review covers the role of domains within STIM1 and Orai and enlightens their function in the STIM1/Orai coupling process. Moreover, a molecular interpretation focuses on interactions between cytosolic portions of STIM1 and Orai together with a mechanistic view on the loss of function of the SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency)‐linked Orai1 R91W mutant channel. The architecture of the selectivity filter of Orai channels is finally elucidated based on permeation properties of Orai pore mutants.

Resting-State Orai1 Diffuses as Homotetramer in the Plasma Membrane of Live Mammalian Cells

Store-operated calcium entry is essential for many signaling processes in nonexcitable cells. The best studied store-operated calcium current is the calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) current in T-cells and mast cells, with Orai1 representing the essential pore forming subunit. Although it is known that functional CRAC channels in store-depleted cells are composed of four Orai1 subunits, the stoichiometric composition in quiescent cells is still discussed controversially: both a tetrameric and a dimeric stoichiometry of resting state Orai1 have been reported. We obtained here robust and similar FRET values on labeled tandem repeat constructs of Orai1 before and after store depletion, suggesting an unchanged tetrameric stoichiometry. Moreover, we directly visualized the stoichiometry of mobile Orai1 channels in live cells using a new single molecule recording modality that combines single molecule tracking and brightness analysis. By alternating imaging and photobleaching pulses, we recorded trajectories of single, fluorescently labeled Orai1 channels, with each trajectory consisting of bright and dim segments, corresponding to higher and lower numbers of colocalized active GFP label. The according brightness values were used for global fitting and statistical analysis, yielding a tetrameric subunit composition of mobile Orai1 channels in resting cells.

Dynamic but not constitutive association of calmodulin with rat TRPV6 channels enables fine tuning of Ca2+‐dependent inactivation

The Ca2+‐selective TRPV6 as well as the L‐type Ca2+ channel are regulated by the Ca2+‐binding protein calmodulin (CaM). Here, we investigated the interaction of CaM with rat (r)TRPV6 in response to alterations of intracellular Ca2+, employing Ca2+‐imaging and patch‐clamp techniques. Additionally, confocal Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy on living cells was utilized as a key method to visualize in vivo protein–protein interactions essential for CaM regulation of rTRPV6 activity. The effects of overexpressed CaM or its Ca2+‐insensitive mutant (CaMMUT) was probed on various rTRPV6 mutants and fragments in an attempt to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Ca2+/CaM‐dependent regulation and to pinpoint the physiologically relevant rTRPV6–CaM interaction site. A significant reduction of rTRPV6 activity, as well as an increase in current inactivation, were observed when CaM was overexpressed in addition to endogenous CaM. The Ca2+‐insensitive CaMMUT, however, failed to affect rTRPV6‐derived currents. Accordingly, live cell confocal FRET microscopy revealed a robust interaction for CaM but not CaMMUT with rTRPV6, suggesting a strict Ca2+ dependence for their association. Indeed, interaction of rTRPV6 or its C terminus with CaM increased with rising intracellular Ca2+ levels, as observed by dynamic FRET measurements. An rTRPV6Δ695–727 mutant with the very C‐terminal end deleted, yielded Ca2+ currents with a markedly reduced inactivation in accordance with a lack of CaM interaction as substantiated by FRET microscopy. These results, in contrast with those for CaM‐dependent L‐type Ca2+ channel inactivation, demonstrate a dynamic association of CaM with the very C‐terminal end of rTRPV6 (aa 695–727), and this enables acceleration of the rate of rTRPV6 current inactivation with increasing intracellular CaM concentrations.

The action of selective CRAC channel blockers is affected by the Orai pore geometry.

As the molecular composition of calcium-release activated calcium (CRAC) channels has been unknown for two decades, elucidation of selective inhibitors has been considerably hampered. By the identification of the two key components of CRAC channels, STIM1 and Orai1 have emerged as promising targets for CRAC blockers. The aim of this study was to thoroughly characterize the effects of two selective CRAC channel blockers on currents derived from STIM1/Orai heterologoulsy expressed in HEK293 cells. The novel compounds GSK-7975A and GSK-5503A were tested for effects on STIM1 mediated Orai1 or Orai3 currents by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and for the effects on STIM1 oligomerisation or STIM1/Orai coupling by FRET microscopy. To investigate their site of action, inhibitory effects of these molecules were explored using Orai pore mutants. The GSK blockers inhibited Orai1 and Orai3 currents with an IC50 of approximately 4 μM and exhibited a substantially slower rate of onset than the typical pore blocker La3+, together with almost no current recovery upon wash-out over 4 min. For the less Ca2+-selective Orai1 E106D pore mutant, ICRAC inhibition was significantly reduced. FRET experiments indicated that neither STIM1–STIM1 oligomerization nor STIM1–Orai1 coupling was affected by these compounds. These CRAC channel blockers are acting downstream of STIM1 oligomerization and STIM1/Orai1 interaction, potentially via an allosteric effect on the selectivity filter of Orai. The elucidation of these CRAC current blockers represents a significant step toward the identification of CRAC channel-selective drug compounds.

CaT1 knock-down strategies fail to affect CRAC channels in mucosal-type mast cells

CaT1, the calcium transport protein 1 encoded by TRPV6, is able to generate a Ca2+ conductance similar but not identical to the classical CRAC current in mucosal‐type mast cells. Here we show that CaT1‐derived Ca2+ entry into HEK293 cells is effectively inhibited either by expression of various dominant negative N‐terminal fragments of CaT1 (N334‐CaT1, N198‐CaT1 and N154‐CaT1) or by antisense suppression. By contrast, the endogenous CRAC current of the mast cells was unaffected by CaT1 antisense and siRNA knockdown but markedly suppressed by two (N334‐CaT1, N198‐CaT1) of the dominant negative N‐CaT1 fragments. Inhibition of CRAC current was not an unspecific, toxic effect, as inward rectifier K+ and MagNuM currents of the mast cells were not significantly affected by these N‐CaT1 fragments. The shortest N154‐CaT1 fragment inhibited CaT1‐derived currents in mast cells, but failed to inhibit CRAC currents. Thus, the structural requirements of rCaT N‐terminal fragments for inhibition of rCaT1 and CRAC channels are different. These results together with the lack of CaT1 antisense and siRNA effects on currents render it unlikely that CaT1 is a component of native CRAC channels in mast cells. The data further demonstrate a novel strategy for CRAC current inhibition by an N‐terminal structure of CaT1.

Recent progress on STIM1 domains controlling Orai activation.

Ca(2+) entry in non-excitable cells is mainly carried by store-operated channels among which the CRAC channel is best characterized. Its two limiting molecular components are represented by the Ca(2+) sensor protein STIM1 located in the endoplasmic reticulum and Orai1 in the plasma membrane. STIM1 senses a decrease of the Ca(2+) content in internal stores and triggers its accumulation into puncta like structures resulting in coupling to as well as activation of Orai1 channels. The STIM1-Orai coupling process is determined by an interaction via their C-termini. This review highlights recent developments on domains particularly within the cytosolic part of STIM1 that govern this interaction.

Cooperativeness of Orai cytosolic domains tunes subtype-specific gating

Activation of immune cells is triggered by the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ current, which is mediated via channels of the Orai protein family. A key gating process of the three Orai channel isoforms to prevent Ca2+ overload is fast inactivation, most pronounced in Orai3. A subsequent reactivation is a unique gating characteristic of Orai1 channels, whereas Orai2 and Orai3 currents display a second, slow inactivation phase. Employing a chimeric approach by sequential swapping of respective intra- and extracellular regions between Orai1 and Orai3, we show here that Orai1 specific proline/arginine-rich domains in the N terminus mediate reactivation, whereas the second, intracellular loop modulates fast and slow gating processes. Swapping C-terminal strands lacks a significant impact. However, simultaneous transfer of Orai3 N terminus and its second loop or C terminus in an Orai1 chimera substantially increases fast inactivation centered between wild-type channels. Concomitant swap of all three cytosolic strands from Orai3 onto Orai1 fully conveys Orai3-like gating characteristics, in a strongly cooperative manner. In conclusion, Orai subtype-specific gating requires a cooperative interplay of all three cytosolic domains.