Abstract
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) are a family of intracellular Ca2+ channels that exist as homo- or heterotetramers. In order to determine whether the N-terminal ligand-binding domain is in close physical proximity to the C-terminal pore domain, we prepared microsomal membranes from COS-7 cells expressing recombinant type I and type III IP3R isoforms. Trypsin digestion followed by cross-linking and co-immunoprecipitation of peptide fragments suggested an inter-subunit N- and C-terminal interaction in both homo- and heterotetramers. This observation was further supported by the ability of in vitro translated C-terminal peptides to interact specifically with an N-terminal fusion protein. Using a 45Ca2+ flux assay, we provide functional evidence that the ligand-binding domain of one subunit can gate the pore domain of an adjacent subunit. We conclude that common structural motifs are shared between the type I and type III IP3Rs and propose that the gating mechanism of IP3R Ca2+ channels involves the association of the N-terminus of one subunit with the C-terminus of an adjacent subunit in both homo- and heterotetrameric complexes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 5450-5459 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | EMBO Journal |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 20 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 16 2000 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Immunology and Microbiology