NMR and Fluorescence Studies of Drug Binding to the First Nucleotide Binding Domain of SUR2A

ATP sensitive potassium (K-ATP) channels are composed. of four copies of a pore forming inward rectifying potassium channel (Kir6.1 or Kir6.2) and four copies of a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1, SUR2A, or SUR2B) that surround the pore SUR proteins are members of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of proteins Binding of MgATP at the SUR nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) results in NBD dinierization, and hydrolysis of MgATP at the NBDs leads to channel opening. The SUR proteins also Mediate interactions with K-ATP channel openers (KCOs) that activate the channel, with KCO binding and/or activation involving residues in the transmembrane helices and cytoplasmic loops of the SUR proteins. Because the cytoplasmic loops make extensive interactions with the NBDs, we hypothesized that the NBDs may also be involved in KCO binding. Here, we report nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy studies that demonstrate a specific 136 interaction of the KCO pinacidil with the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1) from SUR2A, the regulatory SUR protein in cardiac K-ATP channels Intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence titrations also demonstrate binding of pinacidil to SUR2A NBD1, and fluorescent nucleotide binding studies show that pinacidil binding increases the affinity; of SUR2A NBD1 for ATP. In contrast, the KCO diazoxide does not interact with SUR2A NBD1 under the same conditions NMR relaxation experiments and size exclusion chromatography indicate that SUR2A NBD1 is monomeric under the conditions used in drug binding Studies. These studies identify additional binding Sites for commonly used KCOs and provide a foundation for testing binding of drags to the SUR NBDs.