Midterm 2 Content - Glutamate Receptors Flashcards

1
Q

What is the membrane topology of an ionotropic glutamate receptor like? Name how regions are specific to certain types of glutamate receptors.

A

See notes for drawing; n = 4, tetramer

M2 is reentrant pore loop
M2-M3 is the pore lining domain
S1 and S2 are where ligands bind (can have coagonists)
N terminus is extracellular while C terminus is cytosolic

Q/R (RNA) editing: occurs at M2 pore, only with AMPA and Kainate
Flip/flop: occurs just before M4, only with AMPA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What channel did Armstrong et al (1998) study?

A

A S1S2 flop construct of an AMPA GluR2 subunit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are key features of glutamate receptor agonists?

A

2 carboxyl groups
1 amine group
Overall negative charge

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the charge composition of Kainate like?

A

2 negative and 1 positive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are AMPA channels permerable to? What are agonists and antagonists?

A

Ca2+ impermeable but still permeable to Na+ and K+

Agonists

  • AMPA
  • Glutamate
  • Kainate (partial agonst)
  • Quisqualate

Antagonists:

  • CNQX
  • DNQX
  • NBQX
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are agonists/antagonists of Kainate channels?

A

Agonists:

  • Glutamate
  • Kainate
  • Domoate
  • AMPA (only if GluK2 is present with GluK4/5)

Antagonists:

  • CNQX
  • DNQX
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is NMDA permeable to? What are agonists/antagonists

A

Ca2+, K+ and Na+ permeable

Agonists:

  • Glutamate
  • NMDA
  • L-aspartic acid
  • ESSENTIAL COAGONISTS: glycine or D-serine

Antagonists

  • D-AP5
  • Ketamine
  • MK801
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is an example of a polyamine?

A

Spermine

–> causes channels to be more inwardly-rectifying

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What RNA editing is present in AMPA receptors and what 3 key changes does it result in?

A

A posttranslational modification that occurs at the M2 reentrant pore loop of GluA2.

A glutamine (Q; CAG) is mutated to an arginine (R; CIG) at the Q/R site. This leads to…

1) Ca2+ impermability in AMPA receptors with a GluR2
2) Low channel conductance
3) Linear current-voltage relationship: less inward rectification than other GluA channels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is alternative splicing like in glutamate receptors?

A

Modifying pre-mRNA constructs prior to translation; all glutamate receptors are alternatively spliced at the C terminus.

However, AMPA receptors can be alternatively spliced to either have “flip” or “flop” forms.

  • Flip: desensitizes slower and less profoundly
  • Flop: desensitizes faster and more profoundly
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Why are NMDA receptors termed “coincidence receptors”?

A

In order to activate, need…

1) Agonist binding AND coagonist binding.
2) Depolarization to remove Mg2+ block. *Mg2+ hydration energy is high; plugs up pore effectively.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What was the construct made by Armstrong et al (1998)?

A

S1S2 GluR2 flop construct.

Cut GluR2 between the ATD and M2 to get S1, and between M2 and M4 to get S2.
Then attached them using a linker.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What shape does the GluR2 S1S2 and Kainate make? What is the structure like?

A

A clamshell that closes onto the coagonist.

The N-terminus of the GluR2 alpha helices point towards the interdomain crevice to interact with kainate or participate in interdomain interactions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are electrostatic (Salt-bridge) interactions?

A

Between side chains of oppositely charged residues

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are hydrogen bonds between?

A

Between the hydrogen attached to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are alpha-helix dipole interactions between?

A

Between N and C termini

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are cation pi interactions between?

A

Positive charge and a pi electron cloud (created by aromatic residues like tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

In the GluR2 S1S2 complex with kainate, what stabilizes kainate’s carboxyl groups?

A

Hydrogen bonds –> F helix N terminus

Salt bridges – R485, T655

19
Q

In the GluR2 S1S2 complex with kainate, what stabilizes kainate’s amine group?

A

A Cation-pi interaction with Y450 –> “Lid” on top of Kainate

Also interactions with E705, P478, and T480

20
Q

What are the binding pockets of GluA2 like? Why is this?

A

Binding pockets are negatively charged.

For fast signalling, it is advantageous for the receptor to be quickly released from the ligand for efficient neurotransmission.

21
Q

What was the structure of GluR2 S1S2 and glutamine-binding protein (QBP) like?

A

The clamshell was more closed

–> indicates that partial agonist binding may result in a slightly more open/intermediate degree of closure

22
Q

What is DNQX? What is its position in the binding pocket like?

A

A competitive antagonist for GluR2 receptors.

When bound, the amine groups are to the left of the binding pocket while the nitro groups are to the right.

23
Q

What is Kd?

A

The concentration at which half the receptors are bound.

24
Q

What is IC50?

A

Half maximal inhibitory concentration: the value at which you inhibiting the binding of agonist to 50% of the maximum.

Measures the effectiveness of a compound in inhibiting biological function.

25
Q

What did Armstrong notice when comparing apo and DNQX-bound GluR2 S1S2?

A

Apo = no ligand bound.

DNQX shows more closure than apo.

26
Q

What are major interactions between DNQX-bound GluR2? How does this compare to apo-bound?

A

E705: in apo, forms a salt bridge with another residue; in DNQX-bound, flips 135 degrees and points to aromatic rings of DNQX

Y450: forms pi-stacking interactions with DNQX.

Incorporated sulfate interacts with F helix and 2 water molecules.

27
Q

What did Armstrong et al notice when comparing GluRS1S2 glutamate-bound and kainate-bound forms?

A

Structures were similar, but L450 moves substantially further into the cleft in the glutamate-bound state.

Therefore, the clamshell is more closed when bound to the full agonist glutamate in comparison to the partial agonsit kainate.

28
Q

What did Armstrong et al notice when comparing GluRS1S2 glutamate-bound and AMPA-bound forms?

A

They are both full agonists, but occupy different site of the agonist-binding site (AABCDEFG)

AMPA: aabcEFG; more to right

Glutamate/kainate: aabcDE; more to left

29
Q

What did Armstrong et al notice when comparing GluRS1S2 kainate-bound and AMPA-bound forms with an apo form?

A

Kainate shows 12 degrees more closure than apo, while AMPA shows 20 degrees more closure than apo.

30
Q

What can be concluded by Armstrong et al’s comparison of different ligands bound to the AMPA GluR2 S1S2 complex?

A

Full agonists have the greatest degree of closure (20 degrees)
Partial agonists follow (kainate; 12 degrees)
Antagonists are next (4 degrees)
Apo form is last (2 degrees)

31
Q

What is the mechanism of glutamate binding to AMPA GluR2? Name specific interactions and residue movements, and compare with the apo form.

A

In apo form:

  • ligand binding cleft is open
  • Domains 1 and 2 of gluR2 are separate
  • E705 interacts with the domain 2 F helix and makes a salt bridge with K730

When glutamate binds:

  • Glutamate binds to domain 1 residues (R485, T480, Y450, E750)
  • -> E750 breaks its salt bridge with K730 and flips 135 degrees.
  • Domain 1 and 2 close in together (clamshell closes)
  • Glutamate is further stabilized by domain 2 (F helix N terminus)
32
Q

What channel did Sobolevsky study?

A

GluR2

33
Q

What are the 3 main regions of the GluR2 receptor? What shape does it make?

A

“Capital Y”

Amino terminal domain: splays outwards to form V of Y
Ligand-binding domain: binds ligand; sandwiched in between.
Transmembrane domain: membrane-spanning regions; trunk of Y

34
Q

What is the symmetry of the GluR2 receptor like?

A

Overall, has 2 fold symmetry.

ATD and LBD have 2 fold symmetry
TMD has 4 fold symmetry

35
Q

What is the pre-M1 cuff? What residue is responsible and what is its function?

A

In the GluR2 M1-M2 linker region, there is a sharply bent kink in the helix produced by a P520 “elbow”.

This proline makes close association with M3 and M4 to lock M3 into a closed conformation and must be removed in order for M3 to splay open.

36
Q

What domains are the equivalent conformation pairs in the GluR2 domain?

A

A/C and B/D

A/C have the same conformation, and B/D have the same conformation, but the A/C conformation is different than the B/D conformation.

37
Q

Explain domain swapping in a GluR2 receptor, naming which subunits are dimers and where they are situated in each domain.

A

ATD: A/C are distal, while B/D are proximal. A/B and C/D are dimers.

LBD: B/D are distal, and A/C are proximal. A/D and B/C are dimers.

TM: there is four fold symmetry.

38
Q

Explain domain swapping in a NMDA receptor, naming which subunits are dimers and where they are situated in each domain.

A

NMDA receptors contain 2 GluN1 and 2 GluN2A. GluN2A binds main agonist while GluN1 binds coagonist.

ATD: GluN1 subunits are distal, and GluN2A subunits are proximal.
LBD: GluN2A subunits are distal, and GluN1 subunits are proximal.

39
Q

What shape does the AMPA receptor GluR2 change to when domain swapping? How did Sobolevsky et al. observe this? What linking peptides are involved?

A

Transition from parallelogram, two-fold symmetry to square, four-fold symmetry.

Switch from two fold to four fold symmetry can be seen by observing seleium (2-fold) and mercury (4-fold) site on a labelled receptor and measuring root mean square difference. Lower values mean closer to 4-fold symmetry, while high values are closer to 2 fold symmetry.

Three linking peptides make the transition:

  • M1-S1 linker
  • M3-S2 linker
  • S2-M4 linker
40
Q

What is the structure of (specifically) the ION CHANNEL of GluA2 like? What is the greatest constraint of the ion channel?

A

Has 4-fold symmetry (TMD) and is shaped like a Mayan temple/upside down KcsA channel.

Largest constraint is the bottlneck at the top of the channel, caused by M629 and T625.

41
Q

What could be the mechanism for the gating hinge for the GluR2 channel?

A

The gating hinge is located near the extracellular side of the membrane at the crossing/bundling of the M3 helices.

There are 3 glycines within M3 that can bend; this may be the mechanism behind the gating hinge.

42
Q

What are 3 similarities between GluR2 and KcsA channels? What is a difference?

A
  • iGluR channels resemble upside-down KcsA channels
  • GluA2 has a large central cavity like KcsA
  • M1, M2, and M3 segments of GluA2 overlap well with equivalent portions of KcsA (pore-lining regions and pore helices are somewhat aligned).

Difference: selectivity region is different (KcsA is more selective)

43
Q

What is the mechanism Sobolevsky proposed for GluR2 gating?

A

Domain 2 of the clam shell closes 25 degrees and moves 20 Angstroms up and outwards.

This pulls up on M3 at the bundle crossing, splaying the channel and opening the pore.