Abstract
Several voltage-gated channels share a proline-valine-proline (proline hinge) sequence motif at the intracellular side of S6. We studied the proline hinge in Kv1.4 channels, which inactivate via two mechanisms: N- and C-type. We mutated the second proline to glycine or alanine: P558A, P558G. These mutations were studied in the presence/absence of the N-terminal to separate the effects of the interaction between the proline hinge and N- and C-type inactivation. Both S6 mutations slowed or removed N- and C-type inactivation, and altered recovery from inactivation. P558G slowed activation and N- and C-type inactivation by nearly an order of magnitude. Sensitivity to extracellular acidosis and intracellular quinidine binding remained, suggesting that transmembrane communication in N- and C-type inactivation was preserved, consistent with our previous findings of major structural rearrangements involving S6 during C-type inactivation. P558A was very disruptive: activation was slowed by more than an order of magnitude, and no inactivation was observed. These results are consistent with our hypothesis that the proline hinge and intracellular S6 movement play a significant role in inactivation and recovery. Computer modeling suggests that both P558G and P558A mutations modify early voltage-dependent steps and make a final voltage-insensitive step that is rate limiting at positive potentials.