Construction of a Ca(2+)-gated artificial channel by fusing alamethicin with a calmodulin-derived extramembrane segment

Bioconjug Chem. 2013 Feb 20;24(2):188-95. doi: 10.1021/bc300468x. Epub 2013 Jan 14.

Abstract

Using native chemical ligation, we constructed a Ca(2+)-gated fusion channel protein consisting of alamethicin and the C-terminal domain of calmodulin. At pH 5.4 and in the absence of Ca(2+), this fusion protein yielded a burst-like channel current with no discrete channel conductance levels. However, Ca(2+) significantly lengthened the specific channel open state and increased the mean channel current, while Mg(2+) produced no significant changes in the channel current. On the basis of 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS) fluorescent measurement, Ca(2+)-stimulated gating may be related to an increased surface hydrophobicity of the extramembrane segment of the fusion protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alamethicin / chemical synthesis
  • Alamethicin / chemistry*
  • Alamethicin / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Channels / chemical synthesis
  • Calcium Channels / chemistry*
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism
  • Calmodulin / chemical synthesis
  • Calmodulin / chemistry*
  • Calmodulin / metabolism
  • Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
  • Ion Channel Gating
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • Calmodulin
  • Alamethicin
  • Calcium