Metal ion effects on ion channel gating
Authors: Elinder Fredrik , Århem Peter 
Published: June 2004

1. Introduction 3742. Metals in biology 3783. The targets: structure and function of ion channels 3804. General effects of metal ions on channels 3824.1 Three types of general effect 3824.2 The main regulators 3835. Effects on gating: mechanisms and models 3845.1 Screening surface charges (Mechanism A) 3875.1.1 The classical approach 3875.1.1.1 Applying the Grahame equation 3885.1.2 A one-site approach 3915.2 Binding and electrostatically modifying the voltage sensor (Mechanism B) 3915.2.1 The classical model 3915.2.1.1 The classical model as state diagram – introducing basic channel kinetics 3925.2.2 A one-site approach 3955.2.2.1 Explaining state-dependent binding – a simple electrostatic mechanism 3955.2.2.2 The relation between models assuming binding to smeared and to discrete charges 3965.2.2.3 The special case of Zn2+ – no binding in the open state 3965.2.2.4 Opposing effects of Cd2+ on hyperpolarization-activated channels 3985.3 Binding and interacting non-electrostatically with the voltage sensor (Mechanism C) 3985.3.1 Combining mechanical slowing of opening and closing with electrostatic modification of voltage sensor 4005.4 Binding to the pore – a special case of one-site binding models (Mechanism D) 4005.4.1 Voltage-dependent pore-block – adding extra gating 4015.4.2 Coupling pore block to gating 4025.4.2.1 The basic model again 4025.4.2.2 A special case – Ca2+ as necessary cofactor for closing 4035.4.2.3 Expanding the basic model – Ca2+ affecting a voltage-independent step 4045.5 Summing up 4056. Quantifying the action: comparing the metal ions 4076.1 Steady-state parameters are equally shifted 4076.2 Different metal ions cause different shifts 4086.3 Different metal ions slow gating differently 4106.4 Block of ion channels 4127. Locating the sites of action 4127.1 Fixed surface charges involved in screening 4137.2 Binding sites 4137.2.1 Group 2 ions 4147.2.2 Group 12 ions 4148. Conclusions and perspectives 4159. Appendix 41610. Acknowledgements 41811. References 418Metal ions affect ion channels either by blocking the current or by modifying the gating. In the present review we analyse the effects on the gating of voltage-gated channels. We show that the effects can be understood in terms of three main mechanisms. Mechanism A assumes screening of fixed surface charges. Mechanism B assumes binding to fixed charges and an associated electrostatic modification of the voltage sensor. Mechanism C assumes binding and an associated non-electrostatic modification of the gating. To quantify the non-electrostatic effect we introduced a slowing factor, A. A fourth mechanism (D) is binding to the pore with a consequent pore block, and could be a special case of Mechanisms B or C. A further classification considers whether the metal ion affects a single site or multiple sites. Analysing the properties of these mechanisms and the vast number of studies of metal ion effects on different voltage-gated ion channels we conclude that group 2 ions mainly affect channels by classical screening (a version of Mechanism A). The transition metals and the Zn group ions mainly bind to the channel and electrostatically modify the gating (Mechanism B), causing larger shifts of the steady-state parameters than the group 2 ions, but also different shifts of activation and deactivation curves. The lanthanides mainly bind to the channel and both electrostatically and non-electrostatically modify the gating (Mechanisms B and C). With the exception of the ether-à-go-go-like channels, most channel types show remarkably similar ion-specific sensitivities.