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Title | Scorpion α-toxin LqhαIT specifically interacts with a glycan at the pore domain of voltage-gated sodium channels. |
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Journal, issue, pages | Structure, Vol. 32, Issue 10, Page 1611-11620.e4, Year 2024 |
Publish date | Oct 3, 2024 |
Authors | Swastik Phulera / Callum J Dickson / Christopher J Schwalen / Maryam Khoshouei / Samantha J Cassell / Yishan Sun / Tara Condos / Jonathan Whicher / Wilhelm A Weihofen / |
PubMed Abstract | Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels sense membrane potential and drive cellular electrical activity. The deathstalker scorpion α-toxin LqhαIT exerts a strong action potential prolonging effect on ...Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels sense membrane potential and drive cellular electrical activity. The deathstalker scorpion α-toxin LqhαIT exerts a strong action potential prolonging effect on Nav channels. To elucidate the mechanism of action of LqhαIT, we determined a 3.9 Å cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of LqhαIT in complex with the Nav channel from Periplaneta americana (NavPas). We found that LqhαIT binds to voltage sensor domain 4 and traps it in an "S4 down" conformation. The functionally essential C-terminal epitope of LqhαIT forms an extensive interface with the glycan scaffold linked to Asn330 of NavPas that augments a small protein-protein interface between NavPas and LqhαIT. A combination of molecular dynamics simulations, structural comparisons, and prior mutagenesis experiments demonstrates the functional importance of this toxin-glycan interaction. These findings establish a structural basis for the specificity achieved by scorpion α-toxins and reveal the conserved glycan as an essential component of the toxin-binding epitope. |
External links | Structure / PubMed:39181123 |
Methods | EM (single particle) |
Resolution | 3.9 Å |
Structure data | EMDB-43438, PDB-8vqc: |
Chemicals | ChemComp-NAG: |
Source |
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Keywords | MEMBRANE PROTEIN / NavPas / scorpion toxin / ion channel / voltage-gated sodium channel |