Dynamical model of the CLC-2 ion channel reveals conformational changes associated with selectivity-filter gating

This work reports a dynamical Markov state model of CLC-2 “fast” (pore) gating, based on 600 microseconds of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In the starting conformation of our CLC-2 model, both outer and inner channel gates are closed. The first conformational change in our dataset involves rotation of the inner-gate backbone along residues S168-G169-I170. This change is strikingly similar to that observed in the cryo-EM structure of the bovine CLC-K channel, though the volume of the intracellular (inner) region of the ion conduction pathway is further expanded in our model. From this state (inner gate open and outer gate closed), two additional states are observed, each involving a unique rotameric flip of the outer-gate residue GLU_ex. Both additional states involve conformational changes that orient GLU_ex away from the extracellular (outer) region of the ion conduction pathway. In the first additional state, the rotameric flip of GLU_ex results in an open, or near-open, channel pore. The equilibrium population of this state is low (∼1%), consistent with the low open probability of CLC-2 observed experimentally in the absence of a membrane potential stimulus (0 mV). In the second additional state, GLU_ex rotates to occlude the channel pore. This state, which has a low equilibrium population (∼1%), is only accessible when GLU_ex is protonated. Together, these pathways model the opening of both an inner and outer gate within the CLC-2 selectivity filter, as a function of GLU_ex protonation. Collectively, our findings are consistent with published experimental analyses of CLC-2 gating and provide a high-resolution structural model to guide future investigations.