Review Article
BibTex RIS Cite

Proton channels in the context of human diseases

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 1 - 7
https://doi.org/10.62425/rtpharma.1771654

Abstract

Proton channels in the context of human diseases

ABSTRACT
Proton channels play an important role in many physiological processes in humans, as in all organisms, since pH determines protonation or deprotonisation state of amino acid residues, thus channel activity, enzyme kinetics, receptor-ligand interactions by changing the surface charges of molecules. These integral protein structures, which selectively transport protons through biological membranes, are very important for cell homeostasis, energy production and signal transmission. Human diseases associated with proton channels can be easily studied in genetic model organisms, since their basic structure and function have been preserved between species. Proton channels in humans, are an important part of many vital processes, including the regulation of pH in cellular compartments, the generation of bioelectric signals in neurons, and the immune response. Studies about proton channels conducted to date, including deviations in proton channel function have been associated with a variety of diseases, from neurodegenerative disorders to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Valuable information about their special contributions to human physiology and pathophysiology can be obtained by deciphering their different roles in these structures. The aim of this review is to summarize the effects of proton channels on organisms through their functions, especially on human diseases, to provide a comprehensive overview of their biological importance and potential as therapeutic targets.

Keywords: Otopetrin, pH, proton channels, voltage-gated.

References

  • Alvear‐Arias, J. J., Pena-Pichicoi, A., Carrillo, C., Fernandez, M., Gonzalez, T., Garate, J. A., & Gonzalez, C. (2023). Role of voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) in cancer biology. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 14, 1175702. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1175702
  • Bayrhuber, M., Maslennikov, I., Kwiatkowski, W., Sobol, A., Wierschem, C., Eichmann, C., Frey, L., & Riek, R. (2019). Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Solution Structure and Functional Behavior of the Human Proton Channel. Biochemistry, 58(39), 4017–4027. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00471
  • Bushman, J. D., Ye, W., & Liman, E. R. (2015). A proton current associated with sour taste: distribution and functional properties. FASEB Journal, 29(7), 3014–3026. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.14-265694
  • Chaves, G., Bungert-Plümke, S., Franzen, A., Mahorivska, I., & Musset, B. (2020). Zinc modulation of proton currents in a new voltage-gated proton channel suggests a mechanism of inhibition. FEBS Journal, 287(22), 4996–5018. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.15291
  • DeCoursey, T. E. (2013). Voltage-gated proton channels: molecular biology, physiology, and pathophysiology of the H(V) family. Physiological Reviews, 93(2), 599–652. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00011.2012
  • DeCoursey, T. E. (2024). Transcendent aspects of proton channels. Annual Review of Physiology, 86, 357–377. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-042222-023242
  • El Chemaly, A., Jaquet, V., Cambet, Y., Caillon, A., Cherpin, O., Balafa, A., Krause, K.-H., & Demaurex, N. (2023). Discovery and validation of new Hv1 proton channel inhibitors with onco-therapeutic potential. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Molecular Cell Research, 1870(3).
  • Fernández, A., Pupo, A., Mena-Ulecia, K., & Gonzalez, C. (2016). Pharmacological modulation of proton channel Hv1 in cancer therapy: Future perspectives. Molecular Pharmacology, 90(3), 385–402. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.116.103804
  • Ganguly, A., Chandel, A., Turner, H., Wang, S., Liman, E. R., & Montell, C. (2021). Requirement for an Otopetrin-like protein for acid taste in Drosophila. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(51). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2110641118
  • Kuwabara, M. F., Klemptner, J., Muth, J., De Martino, E., Oliver, D., & Berger, T. K. (2024). Zinc inhibits the voltage-gated proton channel HCNL1. Biophysical Journal, 123(24), 4256–4265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2024.08.018
  • Lishko, P. V., Botchkina, I. L., Fedorenko, A., & Kirichok, Y. (2010). Acid extrusion from human spermatozoa is mediated by flagellar voltage-gated proton channel. Cell, 140, 327–337.
  • Lim, V. T., Freites, J. A., Tombola, F., & Tobias, D. J. (2021). Thermodynamics and Mechanism of the Membrane Permeation of Hv1 Channel Blockers. The Journal of membrane biology, 254(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00232-020-00149-8
  • Liu, T., Liang, L., Zhao, P., Lin, W., Zhuang, Y., Jiang, L., Chen, H., & Li, C. (2024). The M2 Protein of the Influenza A Virus Interacts with PEX19 to Facilitate Virus Replication by Disrupting the Function of Peroxisome. Viruses, 16(8), 1309. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16081309
  • Lopez, I. A., Ishiyama, G., Acuna, D., & Ishiyama, A. (2019). Otopetrin-2 immunolocalization in the human macula utricle. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 128(6_suppl), 96S–102S. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003489419834952
  • Mishra, A. K., Kumar, A., Yadav, S., Anand, M., Yadav, B., Nigam, R., Garg, S. K., & Swain, D. K. (2019). Functional insights into voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) in bull spermatozoa. Theriogenology, 136, 118–130.
  • Musset, B., Clark, R. A., DeCoursey, T. E., Petheo, G. L., Geiszt, M., Chen, Y., Cornell, J. E., Eddy, C. A., Brzyski, R. G., & Jamali, A. E. (2012). NOX5 in human spermatozoa: expression, function, and regulation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287, 9376–9388.
  • Nakhaei, P., Hiscott, J., & Lin, R. (2010). STING-ing the antiviral pathway. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2(3), 110–112. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjp048
  • Neal, M. L., Beier, E. E., Hossain, M. M., Boyle, A., Zheng, J., Kim, C., Mhatre-Winters, I., Wu, L. J., & Richardson, J. R. (2023). Voltage-Gated Proton Channel Hv1 Regulates Neuroinflammation and Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease Models. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 12(3), 582. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12030582
  • Okochi, Y., & Okamura, Y. (2021). Regulation of neutrophil functions by Hv1/VSOP voltage-gated proton channels. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22, 2620.
  • Ozbil, M. (2019). Computational investigation of influenza A virus M2 protein inhibition mechanism by ion channel blockers. Turkish Journal of Chemistry, 43(1), 235–245. https://doi.org/10.3906/kim-1805-39
  • Palmer, B. F., Kelepouris, E., & Clegg, D. J. (2021). Renal tubular acidosis and management strategies: a narrative review. Advances in Therapy, 38(2), 949–968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-020-01587-5
  • Pang, H., Li, J., Du, H., Gao, Y., Lv, J., Liu, Y., & Li, S. J. (2020). Loss of voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 leads to diet-induced obesity in mice. BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, 8, e000951. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000951
  • Pankratova, Y., McKay, M. J., Ma, C., Tan, H., Wang, J., & Hong, M. (2024). Structure and dynamics of the proton-selective histidine and the gating tryptophan in an inward-rectifying hybrid influenza B and A virus M2 proton channel. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 26(30), 20629–20644. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4cp01648c
  • Ramsey, I. S., Moran, M. M., Chong, J. A., & Clapham, D. E. (2006). A voltage-gated proton-selective channel lacking the pore domain. Nature, 440, 1213–1216. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04700
  • Sağsöz, M. E., Sağlam, B., Arslan, K., Baştuğ, T., Çavuş, M., & Puralı, N. (2024). Structural, functional and molecular dynamics examination of a de novo cloned Otopetrin-like proton channel in crayfish. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-024-01310-z
  • Saotome, K., Teng, B., Tsui, C. C. A., Lee, W. H., Tu, Y. H., Kaplan, J. P., Sansom, M. S. P., Liman, E. R., & Ward, A. B. (2019). Structures of the otopetrin proton channels Otop1 and Otop3. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 26(6), 518–525. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-019-0236-6 .
  • Takeshita, K., Sakata, S., Yamashita, E., Fujiwara, Y., Kawanabe, A., Kurokawa, T., Okochi, Y., Matsuda, M., Narita, H., Okamura, Y., & Nakagawa, A. (2014). X-ray crystal structure of voltage-gated proton channel. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 21, 352–357. https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2795
  • Tian-le, X., & Wu, L.-J. (Eds.). (2021). Nonclassical Ion Channels in the Nervous System (1st ed.). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003109266
  • Tu, Y. H., Cooper, A. J., Teng, B., Chang, R. B., Artiga, D. J., Turner, H. N., Mulhall, E. M., Ye, W., Smith, A. D., & Liman, E. R. (2018). An evolutionarily conserved gene family encodes proton-selective ion channels. Science, 359(6379), 1047–1050. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao4090
  • Qu, H., Su, Y., Yu, L., Zhao, H. and Xin, C. (2019), Wild-type p53 regulates OTOP2 transcription through DNA loop alteration of the promoter in colorectal cancer. FEBS Open Bio, 9: 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.12554
  • Vavřina Z., Gutten O., Smola M, Zavřel, M., Tehrani, Z. A., Charvát, V., Kožíšek, M., Boura, E., Birkuš, G., & Rulíšek, L. (2021). Protein–Ligand Interactions in the STING Binding Site Probed by Rationally Designed Single-Point Mutations: Experiment and Theory. Biochemistry, 60, 607-620.
  • Walker J. E. (2013). The ATP synthase: the understood, the uncertain and the unknown. Biochemical Society transactions, 41(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20110773
  • Wang, G. X., Cho, K. W., Uhm, M., Hu, C. R., Li, S., Cozacov, Z., Xu, A. E., Cheng, J. X., Saltiel, A. R., Lumeng, C. N., Lin, J. D. (2014). Otopetrin 1 protects mice from obesity-associated metabolic dysfunction through attenuating adipose tissue inflammation. Diabetes, 63, 1340–1352.
  • Wobig, L., Wolfenstetter, T., Fechner, S., Bönigk, W., Körschen, H. G., Jikeli, J. F., Trötschel, C., Feederle, R., Kaupp, U. B., & Seifert, T. K. (2020). A family of hyperpolarization-activated channels selective for protons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(24), 13783–13791. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2001214117
  • Yue Z, Wu J, Teng D, Wang Z, Voth GA. (2024). Activation of the influenza B M2 proton channel (BM2). bioRxiv. Published online July 26. doi:10.1101/2024.07.26.605324
  • Zhang, H., You, Q.-D., & Xu, X.-L. (2020). Targeting Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING): A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 63(8),3785–3816. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01039
  • Zheng, J., Murugan, M., Wang, L., & Wu, L. J. (2022). Microglial voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 in spinal cord injury. Neural Regeneration Research, 17(6), 1183–1189. https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.327315
There are 37 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Medical Biotechnology (Other)
Journal Section Reviews
Authors

Mustafa Erdem Sağsöz 0000-0002-3324-6942

Early Pub Date October 8, 2025
Publication Date November 3, 2025
Submission Date August 25, 2025
Acceptance Date October 7, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 3 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Sağsöz, M. E. (2025). Proton channels in the context of human diseases. Recent Trends in Pharmacology, 3(3), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.62425/rtpharma.1771654