A native prokaryotic voltage-dependent calcium channel with a novel selectivity filter sequence

Voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (Cavs) are indispensable for coupling action potentials with Ca2+ signaling in living organisms. The structure of Cavs is similar to that of voltage-dependent Na+ channels (Navs). It is known that prokaryotic Navs can obtain Ca2+ selectivity by negative charge mutations of the selectivity filter, but native prokaryotic Cavs had not yet been identified.\n\nHere, we report the first identification of a native prokaryotic Cav, CavMr, and its relative, NavPp. Although CavMr contains a smaller number of negatively charged residues in the selectivity filter than artificial prokaryotic Cavs, CavMr exhibits high Ca2+ selectivity. In contrast, NavPp, which has similar filter sequence to artificial Cavs, mainly allows Na+ to permeate. Interestingly, a NavPp mutant whose selectivity filter was replaced with that of CavMr exhibits high Ca2+ selectivity. Mutational analyses revealed that the glycine residue of the CavMr selectivity filter is a determinant for Ca2+ selectivity. This glycine residue is well conserved among subdomains I and III of eukaryotic Cavs.\n\nThese findings provide new insight into the Ca2+ selectivity mechanism conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes.