Cd(2+) sensitivity and permeability of a low voltage-activated Ca(2+) channel with CatSper-like selectivity filter

CatSper is a sperm-specific Ca(2+) channel that plays an essential role in the male fertility. However, its biophysical properties have been poorly characterized mainly due to its deficient heterologous expression. As other voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (CaVs), CatSper possesses a conserved Ca(2+)-selective filter motif ([T/S]x[D/E]xW) in the pore region. Interestingly, CatSper conserves four aspartic acids (DDDD) as the negatively charged residues in this motif while high voltage-activated CaVs have four glutamic acids (EEEE) and low voltage-activated CaVs possess two glutamic acids and two aspartic acids (EEDD). Previous studies based on site-directed mutagenesis of L- and T-type channels showed that the number of D seems to have a negative correlation with their cadmium (Cd(2+)) sensitivity. These results suggest that CatSper (DDDD) would have low sensitivity to Cd(2+). To explore Cd(2+)-sensitivity and -permeability of CatSper, we performed two types of experiments: 1) Electrophysiological analysis of heterologously expressed human CaV3.1 channel and three pore mutants (DEDD, EDDD and DDDD), 2) Cd(2+) imaging of human spermatozoa with FluoZin-1. Electrophysiological studies showed a significant increase in Cd(2+) and manganese (Mn(2+)) currents through the CaV3.1 mutants as well as a reduction in the inhibitory effect of Cd(2+) on the Ca(2+) current. In fluorescence imaging with human sperm, we observed an increase in Cd(2+) influx potentiated by progesterone, a potent activator of CatSper. These results support our hypothesis, namely that Cd(2+)-sensitivity and -permeability are related to the absolute number of D in the Ca(2+)-selective filter independently to the type of the Cav channels.