High-Resolution Magic Angle Spinning NMR of KcsA in Liposomes: The Highly Mobile C-Terminus

The structure of the transmembrane domain of the pH-activated bacterial potassium channel KcsA has been extensively characterized, yet little information is available on the structure of its cytosolic, functionally critical N- and C-termini. This study presents high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) and fractional deuteration as tools to study these poorly resolved regions for proteoliposome-embedded KcsA. Using ¹H-detected HR-MAS NMR, we show that the C-terminus transitions from a rigid structure to a more dynamic structure as the solution is rendered acidic. We make previously unreported assignments of residues in the C-terminus of lipid-embedded channels. These data agree with functional models of the C-terminus-stabilizing KcsA tetramers at a neutral pH with decreased stabilization effects at acidic pH. We present evidence that a C-terminal truncation mutation has a destabilizing effect on the KcsA selectivity filter. Finally, we show evidence of hydrolysis of lipids in proteoliposome samples during typical experimental timeframes.