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Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na V s) are targets for a number of acute poisons. Many of these agents act as allosteric modulators of channel activity and serve as powerful chemical tools for understanding channel function. Herein, we detail studies with batrachotoxin (BTX), a potent steroidal amine, and three ester derivatives prepared through de novo synthesis against recombinant Na V subtypes (rNa V 1.4 and hNa V 1.5). Two of these compounds, BTX-B and BTX- c Hx, are functionally equivalent to BTX, hyperpolarizing channel activation and blocking both fast and slow inactivation. BTX-yne-a C20-n-heptynoate ester-is a conspicuous outlier, eliminating fast but not slow inactivation. This property differentiates BTX-yne among other Na V modulators as a unique reagent that separates inactivation processes. These findings are supported by functional studies with bacterial Na V s (BacNa V s) that lack a fast inactivation gate. The availability of BTX-yne should advance future efforts aimed at understanding Na V gating mechanisms and designing allosteric regulators of Na V activity., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests J.D. is a cofounder, executive board member, and holds equity shares in SiteOne Therapeutics, Inc., a start-up company interested in developing subtype-selective modulators of Na(V)., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Calcium-dependent inactivation (CDI) is a fundamental autoregulatory mechanism in Ca V 1 and Ca V 2 voltage-gated calcium channels. Although CDI initiates with the cytoplasmic calcium sensor, how this event causes CDI has been elusive. Here, we show that a conserved selectivity filter (SF) domain II (DII) aspartate is essential for CDI. Mutation of this residue essentially eliminates CDI and leaves key channel biophysical characteristics untouched. DII mutants regain CDI by placing an aspartate at the analogous SF site in DIII or DIV, but not DI, indicating that Ca V SF asymmetry is key to CDI. Together, our data establish that the Ca V SF is the CDI endpoint. Discovery of this SF CDI gate recasts the Ca V inactivation paradigm, placing it squarely in the framework of voltage-gated ion channel (VGIC) superfamily members in which SF-based gating is important. This commonality suggests that SF inactivation is an ancient process arising from the shared VGIC pore architecture., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Kv7 (KCNQ) voltage-gated potassium channels control excitability in the brain, heart, and ear. Calmodulin (CaM) is crucial for Kv7 function, but how this calcium sensor affects activity has remained unclear. Here, we present X-ray crystallographic analysis of CaM:Kv7.4 and CaM:Kv7.5 AB domain complexes that reveal an Apo/CaM clamp conformation and calcium binding preferences. These structures, combined with small-angle X-ray scattering, biochemical, and functional studies, establish a regulatory mechanism for Kv7 CaM modulation based on a common architecture in which a CaM C-lobe calcium-dependent switch releases a shared Apo/CaM clamp conformation. This C-lobe switch inhibits voltage-dependent activation of Kv7.4 and Kv7.5 but facilitates Kv7.1, demonstrating that mechanism is shared by Kv7 isoforms despite the different directions of CaM modulation. Our findings provide a unified framework for understanding how CaM controls different Kv7 isoforms and highlight the role of membrane proximal domains for controlling voltage-gated channel function. VIDEO ABSTRACT., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)