Potentiation of disease-associated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutants by hydrolyzable ATP analogs

J Biol Chem. 2010 Jun 25;285(26):19967-75. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.092684. Epub 2010 Apr 20.

Abstract

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel belonging to the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily. CFTR is gated by ATP binding and hydrolysis at its two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), which dimerize in the presence of ATP to form two ATP-binding pockets (ABP1 and ABP2). Mutations reducing the activity of CFTR result in the genetic disease cystic fibrosis. Two of the most common mutations causing a severe phenotype are G551D and DeltaF508. Previously we found that the ATP analog N(6)-(2-phenylethyl)-ATP (P-ATP) potentiates the activity of G551D by approximately 7-fold. Here we show that 2'-deoxy-ATP (dATP), but not 3'-deoxy-ATP, increases the activity of G551D-CFTR by approximately 8-fold. We custom synthesized N(6)-(2-phenylethyl)-2'-deoxy-ATP (P-dATP), an analog combining the chemical modifications in dATP and P-ATP. This new analog enhances G551D current by 36.2 +/- 5.4-fold suggesting an independent but energetically additive action of these two different chemical modifications. We show that P-dATP binds to ABP1 to potentiate the activity of G551D, and mutations in both sides of ABP1 (W401G and S1347G) decrease its potentiation effect, suggesting that the action of P-dATP takes place at the interface of both NBDs. Interestingly, P-dATP completely rectified the gating abnormality of DeltaF508-CFTR by increasing its activity by 19.5 +/- 3.8-fold through binding to both ABPs. This result highlights the severity of the gating defect associated with DeltaF508, the most prevalent disease-associated mutation. The new analog P-dATP can be not only an invaluable tool to study CFTR gating, but it can also serve as a proof-of-principle that, by combining elements that potentiate the channel activity independently, the increase in chloride transport necessary to reach a therapeutic target is attainable.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / analogs & derivatives
  • Adenosine Triphosphate / pharmacology*
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Animals
  • CHO Cells
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colforsin / pharmacology
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Cystic Fibrosis / genetics
  • Cystic Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / genetics
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / physiology*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Genistein / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Ion Channel Gating / drug effects*
  • Ion Channel Gating / genetics
  • Ion Channel Gating / physiology
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Mutation*
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Transfection

Substances

  • cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator delta F508
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
  • Colforsin
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Genistein