Asp residues of the Glu-Glu-Asp-Asp pore filter contribute to ion permeation and selectivity of the Cav3.2 T-type channel

Voltage-activated Ca2+ channels are membrane protein machinery performing selective permeation of external calcium ions. The main Ca2+ selective filters of all high-voltage-activated Ca2+ channel isoforms are commonly composed of four Glu residues (EEEE), while those of low-voltage-activated T-type Ca2+ channel isoforms are made up of two Glu and two Asp residues (EEDD). We here investigate how the Asp residues at the pore loops of domains III and IV affect biophysical properties of the Cav3.2 channel. Electrophysiological characterization of the pore mutant channels in which the pore Asp residue(s) were replaced with Glu, showed that both Asp residues critically control the biophysical properties of Cav3.2, including relative permeability between Ba2+ and Ca2+, anomalous mole fraction effect (AMFE), voltage dependency of channel activation, Cd2+ blocking sensitivity, and pH effects, in distinctive ways.