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The Block of CFTR by Scorpion Venom is State-Dependent

Matthew D. Fuller ^*, Zhi-Ren Zhang , Guiying Cui  and Nael A. McCarty 

^* Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Nael A. McCarty, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Biology, 310 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, GA 30332-0230. Tel.: 404-385-2955; Fax: 404-894-0519; E-mail: nael.mccarty{at}biology.gatech.edu.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) adenosine triphosphate-dependent chloride channels are expressed in epithelial cells and are associated with a number of genetic disorders, including cystic fibrosis. Venom of the scorpion Leirus quinquestriatus hebraeus reversibly inhibits CFTR when applied to its cytoplasmic surface. To examine the state-dependence of inhibition we recorded wild-type and mutant CFTR channel currents using inside-out membrane patches from Xenopus oocytes. Application of either venom or diphenylamine-2-carboxylate to channels that were either activated (open) or resting (closed) indicate primarily closed state-dependent inhibition of CFTR by venom, whereas diphenylamine-2-carboxylate showed no state-dependence of block. Efficacy of venom-mediated macroscopic current inhibition was inversely related to channel activity. Analysis of single-channel and macropatch data indicated that venom could either inhibit channel opening, if it binds during an interburst closed state or in the absence of cytosolic adenosine triphosphate, or introduce new intraburst closed states, if it binds during an open event. The on-rate of venom binding for intraburst block could be modulated by changing CFTR activity with vanadate or adenylyl-imidodiphosphate, or by introducing the Walker A mutation K1250A. These findings represent the first description of state-dependent inhibition of CFTR and suggest that the active toxin could be used as a tool to study the conformational changes that occur during CFTR gating.

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