The voltage-gated calcium (Ca) channels convert membrane electrical signals to intracellular Ca-mediated events. Among the ten subtypes of Ca channel in mammals, Ca1.1 is specified for the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal muscles. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the rabbit Ca1.1 complex at a nominal resolution of 3.6 Å. The inner gate of the ion-conducting α1-subunit is closed and all four voltage-sensing domains adopt an 'up' conformation, suggesting a potentially inactivated state. The extended extracellular loops of the pore domain, which are stabilized by multiple disulfide bonds, form a windowed dome above the selectivity filter. One side of the dome provides the docking site for the α2δ-1-subunit, while the other side may attract cations through its negative surface potential. The intracellular I-II and III-IV linker helices interact with the β-subunit and the carboxy-terminal domain of α1, respectively. Classification of the particles yielded two additional reconstructions that reveal pronounced displacement of β and adjacent elements in α1. The atomic model of the Ca1.1 complex establishes a foundation for mechanistic understanding of excitation-contraction coupling and provides a three-dimensional template for molecular interpretations of the functions and disease mechanisms of Ca and Na channels.

The ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are high-conductance intracellular Ca2+ channels that play a pivotal role in the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal and cardiac muscles. RyRs are the largest known ion channels, with a homotetrameric organization and approximately 5000 residues in each protomer. Here we report the structure of the rabbit RyR1 in complex with its modulator FKBP12 at an overall resolution of 3.8 Å, determined by single-particle electron cryo-microscopy. Three previously uncharacterized domains, named Central, Handle, and Helical domains, display the armadillo repeat fold. These domains, together with the amino-terminal domain, constitute a network of superhelical scaffold for binding and propagation of conformational changes. The channel domain exhibits the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily fold with distinct features. A negative charge-enriched hairpin loop connecting S5 and the pore helix is positioned above the entrance to the selectivity filter vestibule. The four elongated S6 segments form a right-handed helical bundle that closes the pore at the cytoplasmic border of the membrane. Allosteric regulation of the pore by the cytoplasmic domains is mediated through extensive interactions between the Central domains and the channel domain. These structural features explain high ion conductance by RyRs and the long-range allosteric regulation of channel activities.

Voltage-gated sodium (Na) channels, which are responsible for action potential generation, are implicated in many human diseases. Despite decades of rigorous characterization, the lack of a structure of any human Na channel has hampered mechanistic understanding. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human Na1.4-β1 complex at 3.2-Å resolution. Accurate model building was made for the pore domain, the voltage-sensing domains, and the β1 subunit, providing insight into the molecular basis for Na permeation and kinetic asymmetry of the four repeats. Structural analysis of reported functional residues and disease mutations corroborates an allosteric blocking mechanism for fast inactivation of Na channels. The structure provides a path toward mechanistic investigation of Na channels and drug discovery for Na channelopathies.