Proton pump inhibitors have pH-dependent effects on the thermostability of the carboxyl-terminal domain of voltage-gated proton channel Hv1.

The voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is highly selective for H+ and is activated by membrane depolarization and pH gradient. An increased external and decreased internal pH opens the Hv1 channel. The intracellular C-terminal domain of Hv1 is responsible for channel dimerization, cooperative, and thermosensitive gating. Here, we found that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) interact with the C-terminal domain of human Hv1. The interaction between PPIs and the C-terminal domain, which is pH-dependent, lowered the thermal and structural stability of the protein at pH 4, but enhanced the thermal and structural stability at pH 8. Furthermore, we investigated in vitro the interaction of PPIs with the C-terminal domain of Hv1 by fluorescence and micro-Raman spectra. Fluorescence quenching measurements revealed that the interaction between the C-terminal domain and PPIs is a mainly hydrophobic interaction. The micro-Raman spectra showed that PPIs did not form stable disulfide bonds with the unique thiol group within this domain (Cys249 residue). The preferential interaction of PPIs with the inactive form of Hv1 stabilizes the high pH inactive state of the C-terminal domain, indicating a mechanism by which PPIs might act explicitly on the stabilization of a closed state of the proton channel.