Quaternary structure of the chloride channel ClC-2

Biochemistry. 2000 Nov 14;39(45):13838-47. doi: 10.1021/bi001282i.

Abstract

The chloride channel ClC-2 is thought to be essential for chloride homeostasis in neurons and critical for chloride secretion by the developing respiratory tract. In the present work, we investigated the quaternary structure of ClC-2 required to mediate chloride conduction. We found using chemical cross-linking and a novel PAGE system that tagged ClC-2 expressed in Sf9 cells exists as oligomers. Fusion of membranes from Sf9 cells expressing this protein confers double-barreled channel activity, with each pore exhibiting a unitary conductance of 32 pS. Polyhistidine-tagged ClC-2 from Sf9 cells can be purified as monomers, dimers, and tetramers. Purified, reconstituted ClC-2 monomers do not possess channel function whereas both purified ClC-2 dimers and tetramers do mediate chloride flux. In planar bilayers, reconstitution of dimeric ClC-2 leads to the appearance of a single, anion selective 32 pS pore, and tetrameric ClC-2 confers double-barreled channel activity similar to that observed in Sf9 membranes. These reconstitution studies suggest that a ClC-2 dimer is the minimum functional structure and that ClC-2 tetramers likely mediate double-barreled channel function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CLC-2 Chloride Channels
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / chemistry
  • Cell Membrane / genetics
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Chloride Channels / chemistry*
  • Chloride Channels / genetics
  • Chloride Channels / isolation & purification
  • Chloride Channels / physiology
  • Chlorides / pharmacokinetics*
  • Dimerization
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry
  • Lipid Bilayers / metabolism
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary*
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
  • Spodoptera / genetics
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Transfection

Substances

  • CLC-2 Chloride Channels
  • Chloride Channels
  • Chlorides
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Recombinant Proteins