Cross talk between ß subunits, intracellular Ca2+ signaling, and SNAREs in the modulation of CaV 2.1 channel steady-state inactivation.

Modulation of CaV 2.1 channel activity plays a key role in interneuronal communication and synaptic plasticity. SNAREs interact with a specific synprint site at the second intracellular loop (LII-III) of the CaV 2.1 pore-forming α1A subunit to optimize neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals by allowing secretory vesicles docking near the Ca2+ entry pathway, and by modulating the voltage dependence of channel steady-state inactivation. Ca2+ influx through CaV 2.1 also promotes channel inactivation. This process seems to involve Ca2+ -calmodulin interaction with two adjacent sites in the α1A carboxyl tail (C-tail) (the IQ-like motif and the Calmodulin-Binding Domain (CBD) site), and contributes to long-term potentiation and spatial learning and memory. Besides, binding of regulatory ß subunits to the α interaction domain (AID) at the first intracellular loop (LI-II) of α1A determines the degree of channel inactivation by both voltage and Ca2+ . Here, we explore the cross talk between ß subunits, Ca2+ , and syntaxin-1A-modulated CaV 2.1 inactivation, highlighting the α1A domains involved in such process. ß3 -containing CaV 2.1 channels show syntaxin-1A-modulated but no Ca2+ -dependent steady-state inactivation. Conversely, ß2a -containing CaV 2.1 channels show Ca2+ -dependent but not syntaxin-1A-modulated steady-state inactivation. A LI-II deletion confers Ca2+ -dependent inactivation and prevents modulation by syntaxin-1A in ß3 -containing CaV 2.1 channels. Mutation of the IQ-like motif, unlike CBD deletion, abolishes Ca2+ -dependent inactivation and confers modulation by syntaxin-1A in ß2a -containing CaV 2.1 channels. Altogether, these results suggest that LI-II structural modifications determine the regulation of CaV 2.1 steady-state inactivation either by Ca2+ or by SNAREs but not by both.

A Single Amino Acid Deletion (ΔF1502) in the S6 Segment of CaV2.1 Domain III Associated with Congenital Ataxia Increases Channel Activity and Promotes Ca2+ Influx.

Mutations in the CACNA1A gene, encoding the pore-forming CaV2.1 (P/Q-type) channel α1A subunit, result in heterogeneous human neurological disorders, including familial and sporadic hemiplegic migraine along with episodic and progressive forms of ataxia. Hemiplegic Migraine (HM) mutations induce gain-of-channel function, mainly by shifting channel activation to lower voltages, whereas ataxia mutations mostly produce loss-of-channel function. However, some HM-linked gain-of-function mutations are also associated to congenital ataxia and/or cerebellar atrophy, including the deletion of a highly conserved phenylalanine located at the S6 pore region of α1A domain III (ΔF1502). Functional studies of ΔF1502 CaV2.1 channels, expressed in Xenopus oocytes, using the non-physiological Ba2+ as the charge carrier have only revealed discrete alterations in channel function of unclear pathophysiological relevance. Here, we report a second case of congenital ataxia linked to the ΔF1502 α1A mutation, detected by whole-exome sequencing, and analyze its functional consequences on CaV2.1 human channels heterologously expressed in mammalian tsA-201 HEK cells, using the physiological permeant ion Ca2+. ΔF1502 strongly decreases the voltage threshold for channel activation (by ~ 21 mV), allowing significantly higher Ca2+ current densities in a range of depolarized voltages with physiological relevance in neurons, even though maximal Ca2+ current density through ΔF1502 CaV2.1 channels is 60% lower than through wild-type channels. ΔF1502 accelerates activation kinetics and slows deactivation kinetics of CaV2.1 within a wide range of voltage depolarization. ΔF1502 also slowed CaV2.1 inactivation kinetic and shifted the inactivation curve to hyperpolarized potentials (by ~ 28 mV). ΔF1502 effects on CaV2.1 activation and deactivation properties seem to be of high physiological relevance. Thus, ΔF1502 strongly promotes Ca2+ influx in response to either single or trains of action potential-like waveforms of different durations. Our observations support a causative role of gain-of-function CaV2.1 mutations in congenital ataxia, a neurodevelopmental disorder at the severe-most end of CACNA1A-associated phenotypic spectrum.

Screening of CACNA1A and ATP1A2 genes in hemiplegic migraine: clinical, genetic, and functional studies.

Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is a rare and severe subtype of autosomal dominant migraine, characterized by a complex aura including some degree of motor weakness. Mutations in four genes (CACNA1A, ATP1A2, SCN1A and PRRT2) have been detected in familial and in sporadic cases. This genetically and clinically heterogeneous disorder is often accompanied by permanent ataxia, epileptic seizures, mental retardation, and chronic progressive cerebellar atrophy. Here we report a mutation screening in the CACNA1A and ATP1A2 genes in 18 patients with HM. Furthermore, intragenic copy number variant (CNV) analysis was performed in CACNA1A using quantitative approaches. We identified four previously described missense CACNA1A mutations (p.Ser218Leu, p.Thr501Met, p.Arg583Gln, and p.Thr666Met) and two missense changes in the ATP1A2 gene, the previously described p.Ala606Thr and the novel variant p.Glu825Lys. No structural variants were found. This genetic screening allowed the identification of more than 30% of the disease alleles, all present in a heterozygous state. Functional consequences of the CACNA1A-p.Thr501Met mutation, previously described only in association with episodic ataxia, and ATP1A2-p.Glu825Lys, were investigated by means of electrophysiological studies, cell viability assays or Western blot analysis. Our data suggest that both these variants are disease-causing.