ClC-1 and ClC-2 form hetero-dimeric channels with novel protopore functions

CLC-type chloride channels exhibit a unique double-barreled architecture with two independently functioning ion conduction pathways, the so-called protopores. There exist gating processes that open and close individual protopores as well as common processes that jointly mediate slow opening and closing of both protopores. Different isoforms exhibit distinct voltage dependences and kinetics of gating. Whereas opening of the individual and common gate of homo-dimeric ClC-1 is promoted by membrane depolarization, ClC-2 is closed at positive potentials and opens only at negative voltages. To characterize the functional interaction of protopores we engineered a concatameric construct linking the coding regions of ClC-1 and ClC-2 in an open reading frame, expressed it in mammalian cells and measured anion currents through whole-cell and single channel patch clamping. In the hetero-dimeric assembly, each protopore displayed two kinetically distinct gating processes. Fast gating of the ClC-1 protopore closely resembled fast protopore gating of homo-dimeric channels. The voltage dependence of ClC-2 fast gating was shifted to more positive potentials by the adjacent ClC-1 protopore, resulting in open ClC-2 protopores at positive voltages. We observed two slow gating processes individually acting on ClC-1 and ClC-2 protopores, with distinct time and voltage dependences. Single channel recordings demonstrated that hetero-dimerization additionally modified the unitary conductance of ClC-2 protopores. Our findings suggest that inter-subunit interactions do not only affect common gating, but also ion permeation and gating of individual protopores in hetero-dimeric ClC channels.