Summary of assays for compounds that inhibit KCNQ1 potassium channels
Assay Implementation: Zhihong Lin Ph.D., Xiaofang Huang M.S., Shunyou Long M.S., Haibo Yu Ph.D., Meng Wu Ph.D., Joseph Babcock, Bill Shi Ph.D., David Meyers Ph.D., Jia Xu Ph.D. ..more
Data Source: Johns Hopkins Ion Channel Center (JHICC)
BioAssay Type: Summary
Source (MLPCN Center Name): Johns Hopkins Ion Channel Center (JHICC)
Center Affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine
Screening Center PI: Min Li, Ph.D.
Assay Provider: Meng Wu, Ph.D.
Network: Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network (MLPCN)
Grant Proposal Number: 1 R03 MH090837-01
Grant Proposal PI: Meng Wu, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Assay Implementation: Zhihong Lin Ph.D., Xiaofang Huang M.S., Shunyou Long M.S., Haibo Yu Ph.D., Meng Wu Ph.D., Joseph Babcock, Bill Shi Ph.D., David Meyers Ph.D., Jia Xu Ph.D.
HTS execution: Zhihong Lin Ph.D., Xiaofang Huang M.S., Shunyou Long M.S., Kaiping Xu M.S., Meng Wu Ph.D.
Name: Summary of assays for compounds that inhibit KCNQ1 potassium channels
Voltage-gated potassium channels [1,2] are tetrameric membrane proteins that selectively conduct K+ across cellular membranes, thus open, close, and inactivate in response to changes in transmembrane voltage . Individual subtypes of these potassium channels often have a unique expression pattern allowing cells to "fine-tune" membrane potentials and excitability according to their respective physiological functions . Dysfunctions of these electrical excitability controlling proteins, either congenital or acquired, are attributed to a variety of diseases [5,6], such as cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes, hypertension, and epilepsy. Specific modulation of individual potassium channel types therefore represents an enormous potential for the development of physiological tool compounds and new drugs [7-9].
KCNQ1 (Kv7.1, KvLQT) [10,11] is an alpha-subunit subtype of voltage-gated KCNQ potassium channel family, which is composed of five members of KCNQ1-KCNQ5. They share between 30% and 65% amino acid identity. A classical KCNQ alpha-subunit is composed of six transmembrane segments, including a voltage-sensor segment and a pore domain [12-15]. Unique from other members of KCNQ family , KCNQ1 has been generally absent from neuronal tissues, mainly expressed in heart, kidney, small intestine, pancreas, prostate and other non-excitable epithelial tissues. Also contrast to other members of KCNQ family which form both alpha-subunit homo- and heterotetrameric channels, KCNQ1 channels only form alpha-subunit homotetramers . They commonly co-assemble with beta-subunit KCNE proteins to give rise to functional variations in different tissues.
These molecular assemblies have afforded KCNQ1 with two important physiological functions: 1) repolarization of the cardiac tissue following an action potential and 2) water and salt transport in epithelial tissues. Mutations in this gene are associated with hereditary long QT syndrome, diabetics , Romano-Ward syndrome, Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome  and familial atrial fibrillation , as well as impairment of cyclic AMP-stimulated intestinal secretion of chloride ions related to cystic fibrosis [21,22] and pathological forms of secretary diarrhea [23-25]. Furthermore, drug-induced acquired KCNQ1 and KCNQ1/KCNE dysfunctions also raise concerns of KCNQ1/KCNE as potential hERG-like drug safety issue in pharmaceutical development .
For their pharmacological responses, KCNQ1/KCNE heteromultimers function differently from KCNQ1 alone. Initial discovery of KCNQ1 modulators is focused on the KCNQ1 (and KCNQ1/KCNE1 IKs) inhibitors , from earlier Chromonal 293B, linopirdine and XE991, to new family of potent inhibitors, i.e. Merck-IKs (IC50 ~0.08 nM), JNJ 303(IC50 0.064 uM) and JNJ282 (IC50 0.001 uM).
Systemic compound screens for KCNQ1 and its heteromultimers have not been reported. Here the assay, Tl+-based fluorescence assay in 384 format by FDSS, therefore, was used for the identification of inhibitory compounds acting on KCNQ1 from a large MLSMR compound library.
Principle of the assay
The Tl+ ion, which is permeable through potassium channels, serves as a surrogate for K+ flux . The thallium-sensitive dye is loaded into cells, and, in the absence of Tl+, exhibits very low basal fluorescence. Upon the addition of Tl+ onto cells expressing potassium channels, in this case, KCNQ1 potassium channel, extracellular Tl+ flux into cells through open KCNQ1 channels, and when bound to the dye, produce a fluorescent signal that is monitored in real-time by a fluorescence imaging plate reader [29, 30].
This assay summarize the efforts in the identification of compounds that inhibit KCNQ1 channel which is currently underway at JHICC. More relevant assays and other information will be added or updated as they become available.
KCNQ1, HTS assay, 384, primary, antagonist, inhibitor, FDSS, Thallium, fluorescence, Kinetic, FluxOR, JHICC, Johns Hopkins, MLSMR, Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network, MLPCN.
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Possible artifacts of this assay can include, but are not limited to: non-intended chemicals or dust in or on wells of the microtiter plate, compounds that non-specifically modulate the cell host or the targeted activity, and compounds that quench or emit light or fluorescence within the well. All test compound concentrations reported are nominal; the specific concentration for a particular test compound may vary based upon the actual sample provided by the MLSMR.