Local and global structure of the monomeric subunit of the potassium channel KcsA probed by NMR

KcsA is a homotetrameric 68-kDa membrane-associated potassium channel which selectively gates the flux of potassium ions across the membrane. The channel is known to undergo a pH-dependent open-to-closed transition. Here we describe an NMR study of the monomeric subunit of the channel (KcsA^M), solubilized in SDS micelles. Chemical shift, solvent exchange, backbone ¹⁵N relaxation and residual dipolar coupling (RDC) data show the TM1 helix to remain intact, but the TM2 helix contains a distinct kink, which is subject to concentration-independent but pH-dependent conformational exchange on a microsecond time scale. The kink region, centered at G99, was previously implicated in the gating of the tetrameric KcsA channel. An RDC-based model of KcsA^M at acidic pH orients TM1 and the two helical segments of the kinked TM2 in a configuration reminiscent of the open conformation of the channel. Thus, the transition between states appears to be an inherent capability of the monomer, with the tetrameric assembly exerting a modulatory effect upon the transition which gives the channel its physiological gating profile.