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Authors & Affiliations
Marina Ventura Rodrigues, Ângela S. Inácio, Theo Bauberg, Maria V. Soldovieri, Telmo Leal, Sara Ribau, Luís Ribeiro, Nuno Beltrão, Gladys L. Caldeira, Laurent Groc, Joana I. Ferreira, Maurizio Taglialatela, Ana L. Carvalho
Abstract
Seizures arise from disruption in mechanisms that control neuronal excitability and the M-current is one such mechanism. This low-threshold potassium current modulates neuronal excitability and suppresses repetitive firing. M-channels assemble as tetramers of Kv7 subunits and mutations in the KCNQ2 gene, encoding Kv7.2, are linked to epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. Despite this common epileptogenic mechanism, understanding M-channel regulation remains limited. We identified type 1 TARPs, well-known Transmembrane AMPA-receptors Regulatory proteins, as new interactors of the Kv7.2 subunit of M-channels, characterized the Kv7.2-TARPs interaction and assessed its functional relevance for neuronal excitability.Through co-immunoprecipitation and proximity-ligation assays, we demonstrated that type 1 TARPs and Kv7.2 interact in neurons, with this interaction increasing upon neuronal activation. Co-expression of TARPs (γ2, γ3 and γ4) with Kv7.2 enhanced the channel’s surface expression and potentiated Kv7.2-mediated currents. Conversely, silencing TARP-γ2 in cortical neurons reduced the M-current, suggesting that endogenous TARP-γ2 is necessary for normal M-channel function. TARP-γ2 depletion also impaired the nano-structure organization of Kv7.2 channels. Notably, an intellectual disability-associated variant of TARP-γ2 failed to potentiate M-currents. In a knock-in mouse harboring this variant the hippocampal M-currents were diminished, as determined by a 50% reduction of the medium after burst-hyperpolarization and a decreased response to retigabine, an M-channel activator. Moreover, these defects led to increased susceptibility to pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures, indicating that disruption of the regulation of M-channels by TARP-γ2 is epileptogenic.Collectively, this work provides groundbreaking evidence of a synaptic protein directly involved in neuronal intrinsic excitability regulation, with important implications for epilepsy.