NMR Study of General Anesthetic Interaction with nAChR β2 Subunit

The molecular basis of anesthetic interaction with membrane proteins has been explored via determination of anesthetic effects on the structure and dynamics of the extended second transmembrane domain (TM2e) of the human neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) β2 subunit in dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles by 1H and 15N solution-state NMR. Both 1-chloro-1,2,2-trifluorocyclobutane (F3) and isoflurane, two volatile general anesthetics, induced nonuniform changes in chemical shifts among residues in TM2e. Saturation transfer difference NMR experiments further confirmed the direct anesthetic interaction with TM2e. A significant and more specific anesthetic interaction was observed on three leucine residues at the helix C-terminus. Although the TM2e helical structure remained after addition of anesthetics, plausible shortening and lengthening of helix hydrogen bonds were evidenced by periodic changes in backbone amide chemical shifts. The TM2e backbone dynamics were determined on the basis of the 15N relaxation rate constants, R1 and R2, and the 15N-[1H] NOE using the model-free approach. The global tumbling time (11.7 ns) of TM2e in micelles slightly increased (∼12.3–12.5 ns) in the presence of anesthetics. The order parameter, S2, exceeded 0.9 for all 15N-labeled residues, showing a restricted internal motion. Anesthetics appear to have minor effect on the TM2e's internal motion. This study provided the basis for subsequent more comprehensive studies of anesthetic effects on the transmembrane domain complex of neuronal nAChR.