Voltage-dependent conformational changes of Kv1.3 channels activate cell proliferation.

The voltage-dependent potassium channel Kv1.3 has been implicated in proliferation in many cell types, based on the observation that Kv1.3 blockers inhibited proliferation. By modulating membrane potential, cell volume, and/or Ca2+ influx, K+  channels can influence cell cycle progression. Also, noncanonical channel functions could contribute to modulate cell proliferation independent of K+ ...
efflux. The specificity of the requirement of Kv1.3 channels for proliferation suggests the involvement of molecule-specific interactions, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly identified. Heterologous expression of Kv1.3 channels in HEK cells has been shown to increase proliferation independently of K+ fluxes. Likewise, some of the molecular determinants of Kv1.3-induced proliferation have been located in the C-terminus region, where individual point mutations of putative phosphorylation sites (Y447A and S459A) abolished Kv1.3-induced proliferation. Here, we investigated the mechanisms linking Kv1.3 channels to proliferation exploring the correlation between Kv1.3 voltage-dependent molecular dynamics and cell cycle progression. Using transfected HEK cells, we analyzed both the effect of changes in resting membrane potential on Kv1.3-induced proliferation and the effect of mutated Kv1.3 channels with altered voltage dependence of gating. We conclude that voltage-dependent transitions of Kv1.3 channels enable the activation of proliferative pathways. We also found that Kv1.3 associated with IQGAP3, a scaffold protein involved in proliferation, and that membrane depolarization facilitates their interaction. The functional contribution of Kv1.3-IQGAP3 interplay to cell proliferation was demonstrated both in HEK cells and in vascular smooth muscle cells. Our data indicate that voltage-dependent conformational changes of Kv1.3 are an essential element in Kv1.3-induced proliferation.
Mesh Terms:
Cell Proliferation, GTPase-Activating Proteins, HEK293 Cells, Humans, Ion Channel Gating, KATP Channels, Kv1.3 Potassium Channel, Membrane Potentials, Muscle, Smooth, Vascular, Mutation, Myocytes, Smooth Muscle, Protein Conformation, Signal Transduction, Structure-Activity Relationship
J Cell Physiol
Date: Dec. 01, 2020
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