Conformational plasticity of NaK2K and TREK2 potassium channel selectivity filters

The K + channel selectivity filter (SF) is defined by TxGYG amino acid sequences that generate four identical K + binding sites (S1-S4). Only two sites (S3, S4) are present in the non-selective bacterial NaK channel, but a four-site K + -selective SF is obtained by mutating the wild-type TVGDGN SF sequence to a canonical K + channel TVGYGD sequence (NaK2K mutant). Using single molecule FRET (smFRET), we show that the SF of NaK2K, but not of non-selective NaK, is ion-dependent, with the constricted SF configuration stabilized in high K + conditions. Patch-clamp electrophysiology and non-canonical fluorescent amino acid incorporation show that NaK2K selectivity is reduced by crosslinking to limit SF conformational movement. Finally, the eukaryotic K + channel TREK2 SF exhibits essentially identical smFRET-reported ion-dependent conformations as in prokaryotic K + channels. Our results establish the generality of K + -induced SF conformational stability across the K + channel superfamily, and introduce an approach to study manipulation of channel selectivity. The potassium channel selectivity filter is responsible for conduction and selectivity of K + over other cations. Here, the authors use a combination of single molecule FRET, non-canonical fluorescent amino acid incorporation, and single channel patch-clamp electrophysiology, to establish the generality of K + -induced SF conformational stability across the K + channel superfamily.