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Ni C, Hong M. Oligomerization of drug transporters: Forms, functions, and mechanisms. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:1924-1938. [PMID: 38799641 PMCID: PMC11119549 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug transporters are essential players in the transmembrane transport of a wide variety of clinical drugs. The broad substrate spectra and versatile distribution pattern of these membrane proteins infer their pharmacological and clinical significance. With our accumulating knowledge on the three-dimensional structure of drug transporters, their oligomerization status has become a topic of intense study due to the possible functional roles carried out by such kind of post-translational modification (PTM). In-depth studies of oligomeric complexes formed among drug transporters as well as their interactions with other regulatory proteins can help us better understand the regulatory mechanisms of these membrane proteins, provide clues for the development of novel drugs, and improve the therapeutic efficacy. In this review, we describe different oligomerization forms as well as their structural basis of major drug transporters in the ATP-binding cassette and solute carrier superfamilies, summarize our current knowledge on the influence of oligomerization for protein expression level and transport function of these membrane proteins, and discuss the regulatory mechanisms of oligomerization. Finally, we highlight the challenges associated with the current oligomerization studies and propose some thoughts on the pharmaceutical application of this important drug transporter PTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxu Ni
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Mei Hong
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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2
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Galluccio M, Console L, Pochini L, Scalise M, Giangregorio N, Indiveri C. Strategies for Successful Over-Expression of Human Membrane Transport Systems Using Bacterial Hosts: Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073823. [PMID: 35409183 PMCID: PMC8998559 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ten percent of human genes encode for membrane transport systems, which are key components in maintaining cell homeostasis. They are involved in the transport of nutrients, catabolites, vitamins, and ions, allowing the absorption and distribution of these compounds to the various body regions. In addition, roughly 60% of FDA-approved drugs interact with membrane proteins, among which are transporters, often responsible for pharmacokinetics and side effects. Defects of membrane transport systems can cause diseases; however, knowledge of the structure/function relationships of transporters is still limited. Among the expression of hosts that produce human membrane transport systems, E. coli is one of the most favorable for its low cultivation costs, fast growth, handiness, and extensive knowledge of its genetics and molecular mechanisms. However, the expression in E. coli of human membrane proteins is often toxic due to the hydrophobicity of these proteins and the diversity in structure with respect to their bacterial counterparts. Moreover, differences in codon usage between humans and bacteria hamper translation. This review summarizes the many strategies exploited to achieve the expression of human transport systems in bacteria, providing a guide to help people who want to deal with this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Galluccio
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy; (M.G.); (L.C.); (L.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Lara Console
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy; (M.G.); (L.C.); (L.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Lorena Pochini
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy; (M.G.); (L.C.); (L.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Mariafrancesca Scalise
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy; (M.G.); (L.C.); (L.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Nicola Giangregorio
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnology (IBIOM), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy;
| | - Cesare Indiveri
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy; (M.G.); (L.C.); (L.P.); (M.S.)
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnology (IBIOM), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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Mezhyrova J, Mörs K, Glaubitz C, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Applications of Cell-Free Synthesized Membrane Protein Precipitates. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:245-266. [PMID: 35089562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free protein expression systems are new core platforms for membrane protein synthesis. Expression in the presence of supplied artificial hydrophobic environments such as nanomembranes or micelles allows the co-translational solubilization and folding of membrane proteins. In the absence of hydrophobic compounds, the synthesized membrane proteins quantitatively precipitate, while frequently still retaining a significant part of folded structural elements. This so-called precipitate-forming cell-free (P-CF) expression mode is a very effective and reliable approach for numerous applications. Even from complex membrane proteins such as G-protein coupled receptors or large transporters, significant amounts of such precipitates can be synthesized within few hours. The precipitates can be solubilized in detergents or reconstituted into membranes for subsequent structural or functional analysis. Harsh denaturation and refolding procedures as known from the treatment of bacterial inclusion bodies are usually not required.This strategy is particularly interesting for applications requiring large amounts of membrane protein or fast access to a sample. It is further an excellent tool for the production of membrane protein antigens suitable for antibody generation. The purification of the precipitates in downstream processing is streamlined as only few proteins from the cell-free lysate may co-precipitate with the synthesized membrane protein. For most applications, a one-step affinity chromatography by taking advantage of small purification tags attached to the membrane protein target is sufficient. We give an overview on current applications of P-CF precipitates and describe the underlying techniques in detail. We furthermore provide protocols for the successful crystallization and NMR analysis of P-CF synthesized membrane proteins exemplified with the diacylglycerol kinase (DAGK). In addition, we describe the functional characterization of a P-CF synthesized large eukaryotic transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julija Mezhyrova
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Karsten Mörs
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Clemens Glaubitz
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
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Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1 Is a Potential Reporter for Dual MR and Optical Imaging. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168797. [PMID: 34445497 PMCID: PMC8395777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins responsible for transporting magnetic resonance (MR) and fluorescent contrast agents are of particular importance because they are potential reporter proteins in noninvasive molecular imaging. Gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA), a liver-specific MR contrast agent, has been used globally for more than 10 years. However, the corresponding molecular transportation mechanism has not been validated. We previously reported that the organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B3 has an uptake capability for both MR agents (Gd-EOB-DTPA) and indocyanine green (ICG), a clinically available near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye. This study further evaluated OATP1B1, another polypeptide of the OATP family, to determine its reporter capability. In the OATP1B1 transfected 293T transient expression model, both Gd-BOPTA and Gd-EOB-DTPA uptake were confirmed through 1.5 T MR imaging. In the constant OAPT1B1 and OATP1B3 expression model in the HT-1080 cell line, both HT-1080-OAPT1B1 and HT-1080-OATP1B3 were observed to ingest Gd-BOPTA and Gd-EOB-DTPA. Lastly, we validated the ICG uptake capability of both OATP1B1 and OATP1B3. OAPT1B3 exhibited a superior ICG uptake capability to that of OAPT1B1. We conclude that OATP1B1 is a potential reporter for dual MR and NIR fluorescent molecular imaging, especially in conjunction with Gd-BOPTA.
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Nozawa A, Ito D, Ibrahim M, Santos HJ, Tsuboi T, Tozawa Y. Characterization of mitochondrial carrier proteins of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum based on in vitro translation and reconstitution. Parasitol Int 2020; 79:102160. [PMID: 32574727 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Members of the mitochondrial carrier (MC) family of membrane transporters play important roles in cellular metabolism. We previously established an in vitro reconstitution system for membrane transporters based on wheat germ cell-free translation system. We have now applied this reconstitution system to the comparative analysis of MC proteins from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We synthesized twelve putative P. falciparum MCs and determined the transport activities of four of these proteins including PF3D7_1037300 protein (ADP/ATP translocator), PF3D7_1004800 protein (ADP/ATP translocator), PF3D7_1202200 protein (phosphate carrier), and PF3D7_1241600 protein (S-adenosylmethionine transporter). In addition, we tested the effect of cardiolipin on the activity of MC proteins. The transport activities of the yeast MCs, ScAac2p, ScGgc1p, ScDic1p, ScPic1p, and ScSam5p, which localize to the mitochondrial inner membrane, were increased by cardiolipin supplementation, whereas that of ScAnt1p, which localizes to the peroxisome membrane, was not significantly affected. Together, this indicates that the functional properties of the reconstituted MCs reflect the lipid content of their native membranes. Except for PF3D7_1241600 protein, these P. falciparum proteins manifested cardiolipin-dependent transport activities. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that PF3D7_1241600 protein is not mainly localized to the mitochondria of P. falciparum cells. We thus revealed the functions of four MC proteins of the malaria parasite and the effects of cardiolipin on their activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Nozawa
- Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Ito
- Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan; Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 86 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori 683-8503, Japan.
| | - Mohamed Ibrahim
- Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
| | - Herbert J Santos
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan.
| | - Yuzuru Tozawa
- Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan.
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6
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Abstract
Proteins are the main source of drug targets and some of them possess therapeutic potential themselves. Among them, membrane proteins constitute approximately 50% of the major drug targets. In the drug discovery pipeline, rapid methods for producing different classes of proteins in a simple manner with high quality are important for structural and functional analysis. Cell-free systems are emerging as an attractive alternative for the production of proteins due to their flexible nature without any cell membrane constraints. In a bioproduction context, open systems based on cell lysates derived from different sources, and with batch-to-batch consistency, have acted as a catalyst for cell-free synthesis of target proteins. Most importantly, proteins can be processed for downstream applications like purification and functional analysis without the necessity of transfection, selection, and expansion of clones. In the last 5 years, there has been an increased availability of new cell-free lysates derived from multiple organisms, and their use for the synthesis of a diverse range of proteins. Despite this progress, major challenges still exist in terms of scalability, cost effectiveness, protein folding, and functionality. In this review, we present an overview of different cell-free systems derived from diverse sources and their application in the production of a wide spectrum of proteins. Further, this article discusses some recent progress in cell-free systems derived from Chinese hamster ovary and Sf21 lysates containing endogenous translocationally active microsomes for the synthesis of membrane proteins. We particularly highlight the usage of internal ribosomal entry site sequences for more efficient protein production, and also the significance of site-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids for labeling applications and creation of antibody drug conjugates using cell-free systems. We also discuss strategies to overcome the major challenges involved in commercializing cell-free platforms from a laboratory level for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srujan Kumar Dondapati
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marlitt Stech
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anne Zemella
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kubick
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses (IZI-BB), Am Mühlenberg 13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
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7
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Escherichia coli Extract-Based Cell-Free Expression System as an Alternative for Difficult-to-Obtain Protein Biosynthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030928. [PMID: 32023820 PMCID: PMC7037961 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Before utilization in biomedical diagnosis, therapeutic treatment, and biotechnology, the diverse variety of peptides and proteins must be preliminarily purified and thoroughly characterized. The recombinant DNA technology and heterologous protein expression have helped simplify the isolation of targeted polypeptides at high purity and their structure-function examinations. Recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli, the most-established heterologous host organism, has been widely used to produce proteins of commercial and fundamental research interests. Nonetheless, many peptides/proteins are still difficult to express due to their ability to slow down cell growth or disrupt cellular metabolism. Besides, special modifications are often required for proper folding and activity of targeted proteins. The cell-free (CF) or in vitro recombinant protein synthesis system enables the production of such difficult-to-obtain molecules since it is possible to adjust reaction medium and there is no need to support cellular metabolism and viability. Here, we describe E. coli-based CF systems, the optimization steps done toward the development of highly productive and cost-effective CF methodology, and the modification of an in vitro approach required for difficult-to-obtain protein production.
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Wright SH. Molecular and cellular physiology of organic cation transporter 2. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2019; 317:F1669-F1679. [PMID: 31682169 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00422.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Organic cation transporters play a critical role in mediating the distribution of cationic pharmaceuticals. Indeed, organic cation transporter (OCT)2 is the initial step in the renal secretion of organic cations and consequently plays a defining role in establishing the pharmacokinetics of many cationic drugs. Although a hallmark of OCTs is their broad selectivity, this characteristic also makes them targets for unwanted, adverse drug-drug interactions (DDIs), making them a focus for efforts to develop models of ligand interaction that could predict and preempt these adverse interactions. This review discusses the molecular characteristics of these transporters as well as the evidence that established the OCTs as key players in the distribution of organic cations. However, the primary focus is the present understanding of the complexity of ligand interaction with OCTs, particularly OCT2, including evidence for the presence of multiple ligand-binding sites and the influence of substrate structure on the affinity of the transporter for inhibitory ligands. This leads to a discussion of the complexities associated with the development of protocols for assessing the inhibitory potential of new molecular entities to perpetrate unwanted DDIs, the criteria that should be considered in the interpretation of the results of such protocols, and the challenges associated with development of models capable of predicting unwanted DDIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen H Wright
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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9
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Koepsell H. Multiple binding sites in organic cation transporters require sophisticated procedures to identify interactions of novel drugs. Biol Chem 2019; 400:195-207. [PMID: 30138103 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In vitro evaluation of drugs for interaction with transporters is essential during drug development. As polyspecific organic cation transporters (OCTs) are critical for pharmacokinetics of many cationic drugs, in vitro testing of human OCT1 and human OCT2 is recommended. In the currently applied tests it is determined whether uptake of one model cation in stably transfected epithelial cells is inhibited using a substrate concentration in the micromolar range. In this review experimental evidence for the existence of low- and high-affinity cation binding sites in OCTs that may interact with drugs is compiled. Most data were obtained from studies performed with rat Oct1. Whereas overlapping low-affinity cation binding sites are directly involved in transport, the high-affinity cation binding sites may induce allosteric inhibition of transport. Remarkably, high-affinity inhibition is only observed when uptake is measured using nanomolar substrate concentrations far below the respective Km values. Affinities of inhibitors are dependent on molecular structure and concentration of the employed substrate. Because the currently applied in vitro tests for identification of interaction of novel drugs with OCTs do not consider the influence of substrate structure and are not capable of identifying high-affinity inhibition, more sophisticated testing protocols are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Koepsell
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Koellikerstr. 6, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius von Sachs Institute, University of Würzburg, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
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10
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Brosseau N, Ramotar D. The human organic cation transporter OCT1 and its role as a target for drug responses. Drug Metab Rev 2019; 51:389-407. [PMID: 31564168 DOI: 10.1080/03602532.2019.1670204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The human organic cation uptake transporter OCT1, encoded by the SLC22A1 gene, is highly expressed in the liver and reported to possess a broad substrate specificity. OCT1 operates by facilitated diffusion and allows the entry of nutrients into cells. Recent findings revealed that OCT1 can mediate the uptake of drugs for treating various diseases such as cancers. The levels of OCT1 expression correlate with the responses towards many drugs and functionally defective OCT1 lead to drug resistance. It has been recently proposed that OCT1 should be amongst the crucial drug targets used for pharmacogenomic analyses. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms exist and are distributed across the entire OCT1 gene. While there are differences in the OCT1 gene polymorphisms between populations, there are at least five variants that warrant consideration in any genetic screen. To date, and despite two decades of research into OCT1 functional role, it still remains uncertain what are the define substrates for this uptake transporter, although studies from mice revealed that one of the substrates is vitamin B1. It is also unclear how OCT1 recognizes a broad array of ligands and whether this involves specific modifications and interactions with other proteins. In this review, we highlight the current findings related to OCT1 with the aim of propelling further studies on this key uptake transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Brosseau
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dindial Ramotar
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Zhang Y, Hagenbuch B. Protein-protein interactions of drug uptake transporters that are important for liver and kidney. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 168:384-391. [PMID: 31381872 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Drug uptake transporters are membrane proteins responsible for the trans-membrane transport of endo- and xenobiotics, including numerous drugs. They are important for the uptake of drugs into target tissues or into organs for metabolism and excretion. Many drug uptake transporters have a broad spectrum of structural-independent substrates, which make them vulnerable to drug-drug interactions. Recent studies have shown more and more complex pharmacokinetics involving transporters, and regulatory agencies now require studies to be performed to measure the involvement of transporters in drug development. A better understanding of the factors affecting the expression of transporters is needed. Despite many efforts devoted to the functional characterization of different drug uptake transporters, transporter in vitro to in vivo extrapolations are far from predicting the behavior under physiological conditions. There is an increasing number of uptake transporters demonstrated to form protein-protein interactions or to oligomerize. This raises the possibility that these interactions between or among transporters could help explaining the gap between in vitro and in vivo measurement of drug transporters. In this review, we summarized protein-protein interactions of drug uptake transporters that are important for pharmacokinetics, especially those in the liver and the kidneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Bruno Hagenbuch
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, United States.
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12
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Keller T, Gorboulev V, Mueller TD, Dötsch V, Bernhard F, Koepsell H. Rat Organic Cation Transporter 1 Contains Three Binding Sites for Substrate 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium per Monomer. Mol Pharmacol 2018; 95:169-182. [DOI: 10.1124/mol.118.113498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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13
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Wei P, Wang Q, Hang B, Shi F, Cai J, Huang L, Xu Z. High-level cell-free expression and functional characterization of a novel aquaporin from Photobactetrium profundum SS9. Process Biochem 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2017.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Abstract
OATP1B3 is a 12 transmembrane domain protein expressed at the basolateral membrane of human hepatocytes where it mediates the uptake of numerous drugs and endogenous compounds. Previous western blot results suggest the formation of OATP1B3 multimers. In order to better understand the function of OATP1B3 under normal physiological conditions, we investigated its oligomerization status. We transiently transfected OATP1B3 with a C-terminal His-, FLAG- or HA-tag in HEK293 cells and used co-immunoprecipitation and a Proximity Ligation Assay to detect interactions between the different constructs. All three constructs retained similar transport rates as wild-type OATP1B3. Immunofluorescence experiments indicated that in contrast to wild-type, His- and FLAG-tagged OATP1B3, where the C-terminal end is on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane, the C-terminal end of HA-tagged OATP1B3 is extracellular. After cross-linking, anti-FLAG antibodies were able to pull down FLAG-tagged OATP1B3 (positive control) and co-transfected His- or HA-tagged OATP1B3, demonstrating the formation of homo-oligomers and suggesting that the C-terminal part is not involved in oligomer formation. We confirmed co-localization of His- and FLAG-tagged OATP1B3 in transfected HEK293 cells with the Proximity Ligation Assay. Transport studies with a non-functional OATP1B3 mutant suggest that the individual subunits and not the whole oligomer are the functional units in the homo-oligomers. In addition, we also detected OATP1B3-FLAG co-localization with OATP1B1-His or NTCP-His, suggesting that OATP1B3 also hetero-oligomerizes with other transport proteins. Using the Proximity Ligation Assay with transporter specific antibodies, we demonstrate close association of OATP1B3 with NTCP in frozen human liver tissue. These findings demonstrate that OATP1B3 can form homo- and hetero-oligomers and suggest a potential co-regulation of the involved transporters.
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15
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Ni C, Yu X, Fang Z, Huang J, Hong M. Oligomerization Study of Human Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1. Mol Pharm 2017; 14:359-367. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chunxu Ni
- College of Life
Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 541642, China
| | - Xuan Yu
- College of Life
Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 541642, China
| | - Zihui Fang
- College of Life
Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 541642, China
| | - Jiujiu Huang
- College of Life
Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 541642, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou 541642, China
| | - Mei Hong
- College of Life
Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 541642, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, Guangzhou 541642, China
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Soranzo T, Cortès S, Gilde F, Kreir M, Picart C, Lenormand JL. Functional characterization of p7 viroporin from hepatitis C virus produced in a cell-free expression system. Protein Expr Purif 2015; 118:83-91. [PMID: 26477501 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Using a cell-free expression system we produced the p7 viroporin embedded into a lipid bilayer in a single-step manner. The protein quality was assessed using different methods. We examined the channel forming activity of p7 and verified its inhibition by 5-(N,N-Hexamethylene) amiloride (HMA). Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments further showed that when p7 was inserted into synthetic liposomes, the protein displayed a native-like conformation similar to p7 obtained from other sources. Photoactivable amino acid analogs used for p7 protein synthesis enabled oligomerization state analysis in liposomes by cross-linking. Therefore, these findings emphasize the quality of the cell-free produced p7 proteoliposomes which can benefit the field of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protein production and characterization and also provide tools for the development of new inhibitors to reinforce our therapeutic arsenal against HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Soranzo
- Synthelis SAS, 5 avenue du Grand Sablon, 38700, La Tronche, France; TheREx Laboratory, TIMC-IMAG, UMR 5525, CNRS /UJF, University Joseph Fourier, UFR de Médecine, 38706, La Tronche, France
| | - Sandra Cortès
- Synthelis SAS, 5 avenue du Grand Sablon, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Flora Gilde
- CNRS, UMR 5628 (LMGP), 3 parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France; University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institute of Technology, 38016, Grenoble, France
| | - Mohamed Kreir
- Nanion Technologies GmbH, Gabrielenstraβe 9, 80636, Munich, Germany
| | - Catherine Picart
- CNRS, UMR 5628 (LMGP), 3 parvis Louis Néel, 38016, Grenoble, France; University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institute of Technology, 38016, Grenoble, France
| | - Jean-Luc Lenormand
- TheREx Laboratory, TIMC-IMAG, UMR 5525, CNRS /UJF, University Joseph Fourier, UFR de Médecine, 38706, La Tronche, France.
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17
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Transport mechanism and regulatory properties of the human amino acid transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5). Amino Acids 2014; 46:2463-75. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1808-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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18
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Hein C, Henrich E, Orbán E, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Hydrophobic supplements in cell-free systems: Designing artificial environments for membrane proteins. Eng Life Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/elsc.201300050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hein
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry; Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main; Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Erik Henrich
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry; Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main; Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Erika Orbán
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry; Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main; Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry; Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main; Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance; Institute for Biophysical Chemistry; Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main; Frankfurt am Main Germany
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19
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Abstract
Organic anions and cations (OAs and OCs, respectively) comprise an extraordinarily diverse array of compounds of physiological, pharmacological, and toxicological importance. The kidney, primarily the renal proximal tubule, plays a critical role in regulating the plasma concentrations of these organic electrolytes and in clearing the body of potentially toxic xenobiotics agents, a process that involves active, transepithelial secretion. This transepithelial transport involves separate entry and exit steps at the basolateral and luminal aspects of renal tubular cells. Basolateral and luminal OA and OC transport reflects the concerted activity of a suite of separate proteins arranged in parallel in each pole of proximal tubule cells. The cloning of multiple members of several distinct transport families, the subsequent characterization of their activity, and their subcellular localization within distinct regions of the kidney, now allows the development of models describing the molecular basis of the renal secretion of OAs and OCs. New information on naturally occurring genetic variation of many of these processes provides insight into the basis of observed variability of drug efficacy and unwanted drug-drug interactions in human populations. The present review examines recent work on these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Pelis
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Translational Sciences, East Hanover, New Jersey, USA
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20
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Indiveri C, Galluccio M, Scalise M, Pochini L. Strategies of bacterial over expression of membrane transporters relevant in human health: the successful case of the three members of OCTN subfamily. Mol Biotechnol 2013; 54:724-36. [PMID: 22843325 PMCID: PMC3636443 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-012-9586-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The OCTN subfamily includes OCTN1, 2, and 3 which are structurally and functionally related. These transporters are involved in maintenance of the carnitine homeostasis, which is essential in mammals for fatty acid β-oxidation, VLDL assembly, post-translational modifications, and other essential functions. Indeed, defects of these transporters lead to severe pathologies. OCTN1 and OCTN2 are expressed in many human tissues, while OCTN3 gene has been identified only in mouse and rat. The transporters mediate transport of carnitine and other substrates with different efficiencies and mechanisms. In order to over express the three proteins, a screening of many combinations of E. coli strains with plasmid constructs has been conducted. Only Rosetta(DE3) or Rosettagami2(DE3) gave significant expression. Higher protein amounts were firstly obtained with pET-41a(+) or pGEX-4T1 carrying fusion protein tags which required additional purification passages. Vectors carrying only a 6His tag, suitable for single passage purification, were preferred even though they lead to lower initial expression levels. Expressions were then increased optimizing several critical parameters. hOCTN1 was obtained with pH6EX3 in RosettaGami2(DE3)pLysS. hOCTN2 and mOCTN3 were obtained using pET-21a(+) in Rosetta(DE3). In particular, hOCTN2 was expressed only after codon bias, substituting the second triplet CGG with AAA (R2K mutant). The best growth conditions for hOCTN1 and mOCTN3 were 28 °C and 6 h of induction, while 4 h of induction for hOCTN2R2K. The proteins collected in the insoluble fraction of cell lysates, solubilized with sarkosyl, were purified by Ni-chelating chromatography. Final yield was 2.0, 3.0, or 3.5 mg/l of cell culture for mOCTN3, hOCTN1, or hOCTN2R2K. The data indicated that, in spite of the close evolutionary relations, several factors play different critical roles in bacterial expression of the three proteins, thus general criteria cannot be underlined. However, the strategy of dealing with related proteins revealed to be finally successful for over expressing all the three subfamily members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesare Indiveri
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
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21
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Proteoliposomes as tool for assaying membrane transporter functions and interactions with xenobiotics. Pharmaceutics 2013; 5:472-97. [PMID: 24300519 PMCID: PMC3836619 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics5030472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteoliposomes represent a suitable and up to date tool for studying membrane transporters which physiologically mediate absorption, excretion, trafficking and reabsorption of nutrients and metabolites. Using recently developed reconstitution strategies, transporters can be inserted in artificial bilayers with the same orientation as in the cell membranes and in the absence of other interfering molecular systems. These methodologies are very suitable for studying kinetic parameters and molecular mechanisms. After the first applications on mitochondrial transporters, in the last decade, proteoliposomes obtained with optimized methodologies have been used for studying plasma membrane transporters and defining their functional and kinetic properties and structure/function relationships. A lot of information has been obtained which has clarified and completed the knowledge on several transporters among which the OCTN sub-family members, transporters for neutral amino acid, B0AT1 and ASCT2, and others. Transporters can mediate absorption of substrate-like derivatives or drugs, improving their bioavailability or can interact with these compounds or other xenobiotics, leading to side/toxic effects. Therefore, proteoliposomes have recently been used for studying the interaction of some plasma membrane and mitochondrial transporters with toxic compounds, such as mercurials, H2O2 and some drugs. Several mechanisms have been defined and in some cases the amino acid residues responsible for the interaction have been identified. The data obtained indicate proteoliposomes as a novel and potentially important tool in drug discovery.
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22
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Ruehrer S, Michel H. ExploitingLeishmania tarentolaecell-free extracts for the synthesis of human solute carriers. Mol Membr Biol 2013; 30:288-302. [DOI: 10.3109/09687688.2013.807362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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23
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Pochini L, Scalise M, Galluccio M, Indiveri C. OCTN cation transporters in health and disease: role as drug targets and assay development. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 18:851-67. [PMID: 23771822 DOI: 10.1177/1087057113493006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The three members of the organic cation transporter novel subfamily are known to be involved in interactions with xenobiotic compounds. These proteins are characterized by 12 transmembrane segments connected by nine short loops and two large hydrophilic loops. It has been recently pointed out that acetylcholine is a physiological substrate of OCTN1. Its transport could be involved in nonneuronal cholinergic functions. OCTN2 maintains the carnitine homeostasis, resulting from intestinal absorption, distribution to tissues, and renal excretion/reabsorption. OCTN3, identified only in mouse, mediates also carnitine transport. OCTN1 and OCTN2 are associated with several pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel disease, primary carnitine deficiency, diabetes, neurological disorders, and cancer, thus representing useful pharmacological targets. The function and interaction with drugs of OCTNs have been studied in intact cell systems and in proteoliposomes. The latter experimental model enables reduced interference from other transporters or enzyme pathways. Using proteoliposomes, the molecular bases of toxicity of some drugs have recently been revealed. Therefore, proteoliposomes represent a promising experimental tool suitable for large-scale molecular screening of interactions of OCTNs with chemicals regarding human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Pochini
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department BEST (Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Italy
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24
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Pingitore P, Pochini L, Scalise M, Galluccio M, Hedfalk K, Indiveri C. Large scale production of the active human ASCT2 (SLC1A5) transporter in Pichia pastoris--functional and kinetic asymmetry revealed in proteoliposomes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1828:2238-46. [PMID: 23756778 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The human glutamine/neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2 (hASCT2) was over-expressed in Pichia pastoris and purified by Ni(2+)-chelating and gel filtration chromatography. The purified protein was reconstituted in liposomes by detergent removal with a batch-wise procedure. Time dependent [(3)H]glutamine/glutamine antiport was measured in proteoliposomes which was active only in the presence of external Na(+). Internal Na(+) slightly stimulated the antiport. Optimal activity was found at pH7.0. A substantial inhibition of the transport was observed by Cys, Thr, Ser, Ala, Asn and Met (≥70%) and by mercurials and methanethiosulfonates (≥80%). Heterologous antiport of [(3)H]glutamine with other neutral amino acids was also studied. The transporter showed asymmetric specificity for amino acids: Ala, Cys, Val, Met were only inwardly transported, while Gln, Ser, Asn, and Thr were transported bi-directionally. From kinetic analysis of [(3)H]glutamine/glutamine antiport Km values of 0.097 and 1.8mM were measured on the external and internal sides of proteoliposomes, respectively. The Km for Na(+) on the external side was 32mM. The homology structural model of the hASCT2 protein was built using the GltPh of Pyrococcus horikoshii as template. Cys395 was the only Cys residue externally exposed, thus being the potential target of SH reagents inhibition and, hence, potentially involved in the transport mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piero Pingitore
- Department BEST (Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze della Terra) Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
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25
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Roth M, Obaidat A, Hagenbuch B. OATPs, OATs and OCTs: the organic anion and cation transporters of the SLCO and SLC22A gene superfamilies. Br J Pharmacol 2012; 165:1260-87. [PMID: 22013971 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01724.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 543] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human organic anion and cation transporters are classified within two SLC superfamilies. Superfamily SLCO (formerly SLC21A) consists of organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs), while the organic anion transporters (OATs) and the organic cation transporters (OCTs) are classified in the SLC22A superfamily. Individual members of each superfamily are expressed in essentially every epithelium throughout the body, where they play a significant role in drug absorption, distribution and elimination. Substrates of OATPs are mainly large hydrophobic organic anions, while OATs transport smaller and more hydrophilic organic anions and OCTs transport organic cations. In addition to endogenous substrates, such as steroids, hormones and neurotransmitters, numerous drugs and other xenobiotics are transported by these proteins, including statins, antivirals, antibiotics and anticancer drugs. Expression of OATPs, OATs and OCTs can be regulated at the protein or transcriptional level and appears to vary within each family by both protein and tissue type. All three superfamilies consist of 12 transmembrane domain proteins that have intracellular termini. Although no crystal structures have yet been determined, combinations of homology modelling and mutation experiments have been used to explore the mechanism of substrate recognition and transport. Several polymorphisms identified in members of these superfamilies have been shown to affect pharmacokinetics of their drug substrates, confirming the importance of these drug transporters for efficient pharmacological therapy. This review, unlike other reviews that focus on a single transporter family, briefly summarizes the current knowledge of all the functionally characterized human organic anion and cation drug uptake transporters of the SLCO and the SLC22A superfamilies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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26
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Haferkamp I, Linka N. Functional expression and characterisation of membrane transport proteins. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2012; 14:675-90. [PMID: 22639981 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2012.00591.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Membrane transporters set the framework organising the complexity of plant metabolism in cells, tissues and organisms. Their substrate specificity and controlled activity in different cells is a crucial part for plant metabolism to run pathways in concert. Transport proteins catalyse the uptake and exchange of ions, substrates, intermediates, products and cofactors across membranes. Given the large number of metabolites, a wide spectrum of transporters is required. The vast majority of in silico annotated membrane transporters in plant genomes, however, has not yet been functionally characterised. Hence, to understand the metabolic network as a whole, it is important to understand how transporters connect and control the metabolic pathways of plant cells. Heterologous expression and in vitro activity studies of recombinant transport proteins have highly improved their functional analysis in the last two decades. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in membrane protein expression and functional characterisation using various host systems and transport assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Haferkamp
- Plant Physiology, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - N Linka
- Plant Physiology, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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27
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Egenberger B, Gorboulev V, Keller T, Gorbunov D, Gottlieb N, Geiger D, Mueller TD, Koepsell H. A substrate binding hinge domain is critical for transport-related structural changes of organic cation transporter 1. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:31561-73. [PMID: 22810231 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.388793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Organic cation transporters are membrane potential-dependent facilitative diffusion systems. Functional studies, extensive mutagenesis, and homology modeling indicate the following mechanism. A transporter conformation with a large outward-open cleft binds extracellular substrate, passes a state in which the substrate is occluded, turns to a conformation with an inward-open cleft, releases substrate, and subsequently turns back to the outward-open state. In the rat organic cation transporter (rOct1), voltage- and ligand-dependent movements of fluorescence-labeled cysteines were measured by voltage clamp fluorometry. For fluorescence detection, cysteine residues were introduced in extracellular parts of cleft-forming transmembrane α-helices (TMHs) 5, 8, and 11. Following expression of the mutants in Xenopus laevis oocytes, cysteines were labeled with tetramethylrhodamine-6-maleimide, and voltage-dependent conformational changes were monitored by voltage clamp fluorometry. One cysteine was introduced in the central domain of TMH 11 replacing glycine 478. This domain contains two amino acids that are involved in substrate binding and two glycine residues (Gly-477 and Gly-478) allowing for helix bending. Cys-478 could be modified with the transported substrate analog [2-(trimethylammonium)-ethyl]methanethiosulfonate but was inaccessible to tetramethylrhodamine-6-maleimide. Voltage-dependent movements at the indicator positions of TMHs 5, 8, and 11 were altered by substrate applications indicating large conformational changes during transport. The G478C exchange decreased transporter turnover and blocked voltage-dependent movements of TMHs 5 and 11. [2-(Trimethylammonium)-ethyl]methanethiosulfonate modification of Cys-478 blocked substrate binding, transport activity, and movement of TMH 8. The data suggest that Gly-478 is located within a mechanistically important hinge domain of TMH 11 in which substrate binding induces transport-related structural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Egenberger
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
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28
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Facile backbone structure determination of human membrane proteins by NMR spectroscopy. Nat Methods 2012; 9:834-9. [PMID: 22609626 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Although nearly half of today's major pharmaceutical drugs target human integral membrane proteins (hIMPs), only 30 hIMP structures are currently available in the Protein Data Bank, largely owing to inefficiencies in protein production. Here we describe a strategy for the rapid structure determination of hIMPs, using solution NMR spectroscopy with systematically labeled proteins produced via cell-free expression. We report new backbone structures of six hIMPs, solved in only 18 months from 15 initial targets. Application of our protocols to an additional 135 hIMPs with molecular weight <30 kDa yielded 38 hIMPs suitable for structural characterization by solution NMR spectroscopy without additional optimization.
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29
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Scalise M, Galluccio M, Pochini L, Indiveri C. Over-expression in Escherichia coli, purification and reconstitution in liposomes of the third member of the OCTN sub-family: the mouse carnitine transporter OCTN3. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 422:59-63. [PMID: 22561016 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.04.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
pET-21a(+)-mOCTN3-6His was constructed and used for over-expression in Escherichia coli Rosetta(DE3)pLysS. After IPTG induction a protein with apparent molecular mass of 53 kDa was collected in the insoluble fraction of the cell lysate and purified by Ni(2+)-chelating chromatography with a yield of 2mg/l of cell culture. The over-expressed protein was identified with mOCTN3 by anti-His antibody and reconstitution in liposomes. mOCTN3 required peculiar conditions for optimal expression and reconstitution in liposomes. The protein catalyzed a time dependent [(3)H]carnitine uptake which was stimulated by intraliposomal ATP and nearly independent of the pH. The K(m) for carnitine was 36 μM. [(3)H]carnitine transport was inhibited by carnitine analogues and some Cys and NH(2) reagents. This paper represents the first outcome in over-expressing, in active form, the third member of the OCTN sub-family, mOCTN3, in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariafrancesca Scalise
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4c, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
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30
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Pochini L, Scalise M, Galluccio M, Pani G, Siminovitch KA, Indiveri C. The human OCTN1 (SLC22A4) reconstituted in liposomes catalyzes acetylcholine transport which is defective in the mutant L503F associated to the Crohn's disease. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2011; 1818:559-65. [PMID: 22206629 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Revised: 12/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The organic cation transporter (OCTN1) plays key roles in transport of selected organic cations, but understanding of its biological functions remains limited by restricted knowledge of its substrate targets. Here we show capacity of human OCTN1-reconstituted proteoliposomes to mediate uptake and efflux of [(3)H]acetylcholine, the Km of transport being 1.0mM with V(max) of 160nmol⋅mg(-1)protein⋅min(-1). OCTN1-mediated transport of this neurotransmitter was time-dependent and was stimulated by intraliposomal ATP. The transporter operates as uniporter but translocates acetylcholine in both directions. [(3)H]acetylcholine uptake was competitively inhibited by tetraethylammonium, γ-butyrobetaine and acetylcarnitine, and was also inhibited by various polyamines. Decreasing intraliposomal ATP concentrations increased OCTN Km for acetylcholine, but V(max) was unaffected. Evaluation of the acetylcholine transporter properties of a variant form of OCTN1, the Crohn's disease-associated 503F variant, revealed time course, Km and V(max) for acetylcholine uptake to be comparable to that of wild-type OCTN1. Km for acetylcholine efflux was also comparable for both OCTN1 species, but V(max) of OCTN1 503F-mediated acetylcholine efflux (1.9nmol⋅mg(-1)protein⋅min(-1)) was significantly lower than that of wild-type OCTN1 (14nmol⋅mg(-1)protein⋅min(-1)). These data identify a new transport role for OCTN1 and raise the possibility that its involvement in the non-neuronal acetylcholine system may be relevant to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Pochini
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
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31
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Brast S, Grabner A, Sucic S, Sitte HH, Hermann E, Pavenstädt H, Schlatter E, Ciarimboli G. The cysteines of the extracellular loop are crucial for trafficking of human organic cation transporter 2 to the plasma membrane and are involved in oligomerization. FASEB J 2011; 26:976-86. [PMID: 22085643 DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-180679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2) is involved in transport of many endogenous and exogenous organic cations, mainly in kidney and brain cells. Because the quaternary structure of transmembrane proteins plays an essential role for their cellular trafficking and function, we investigated whether hOCT2 forms oligomeric complexes, and if so, which part of the transporter is involved in the oligomerization. A yeast 2-hybrid mating-based split-ubiquitin system (mbSUS), fluorescence resonance energy transfer, Western blot analysis, cross-linking experiments, immunofluorescence, and uptake measurements of the fluorescent organic cation 4-(4-(dimethylamino)styryl)-N-methylpyridinium were applied to human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells transfected with hOCT2 and partly also to freshly isolated human proximal tubules. The role of cysteines for oligomerization and trafficking of the transporter to the plasma membranes was investigated in cysteine mutants of hOCT2. hOCT2 formed oligomers both in the HEK293 expression system and in native human kidneys. The cysteines of the large extracellular loop are important to enable correct folding, oligomeric assembly, and plasma membrane insertion of hOCT2. Mutation of the first and the last cysteines of the loop at positions 51 and 143 abolished oligomer formation. Thus, the cysteines of the extracellular loop are important for correct trafficking of the transporter to the plasma membrane and for its oligomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Brast
- Experimentelle Nephrologie, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik D, Domagkstrasse 3A, 48149 Münster, Germany
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32
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Ma Y, Münch D, Schneider T, Sahl HG, Bouhss A, Ghoshdastider U, Wang J, Dötsch V, Wang X, Bernhard F. Preparative scale cell-free production and quality optimization of MraY homologues in different expression modes. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:38844-53. [PMID: 21937437 PMCID: PMC3234709 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.301085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
MraY translocase catalyzes the first committed membrane-bound step of bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis leading to the formation of lipid I. The essential membrane protein therefore has a high potential as target for drug screening approaches to develop antibiotics against gram-positive as well as gram-negative bacteria. However, the production of large integral membrane proteins in conventional cellular expression systems is still very challenging. Cell-free expression technologies have been optimized in recent times for the production of membrane proteins in the presence of detergents (D-CF), lipids (L-CF), or as precipitates (P-CF). We report the development of preparative scale production protocols for the MraY homologues of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis in all three cell-free expression modes followed by their subsequent quality evaluation. Although both proteins can be cell-free produced at comparable high levels, their requirements for optimal expression conditions differ markedly. B. subtilus MraY was stably folded in all three expression modes and showed highest translocase activities after P-CF production followed by defined treatment with detergents. In contrast, the E. coli MraY appears to be unstable after post- or cotranslational solubilization in detergent micelles. Expression kinetics and reducing conditions were identified as optimization parameters for the quality improvement of E. coli MraY. Most remarkably, in contrast to B. subtilis MraY the E. coli MraY has to be stabilized by lipids and only the production in the L-CF mode in the presence of preformed liposomes resulted in stable and translocase active protein samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ma
- From the School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main 60438, Germany
| | - Daniela Münch
- the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Section, University of Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany, and
| | - Tanja Schneider
- the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Section, University of Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany, and
| | - Hans-Georg Sahl
- the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Section, University of Bonn, Bonn 53105, Germany, and
| | - Ahmed Bouhss
- the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, University Paris-Sud, UMR 8619 Orsay, France
| | - Umesh Ghoshdastider
- the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main 60438, Germany
| | - Jufang Wang
- From the School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Volker Dötsch
- the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main 60438, Germany
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- From the School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Frank Bernhard
- the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt-am-Main 60438, Germany
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33
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Reconstitution in liposomes of the functionally active human OCTN1 (SLC22A4) transporter overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Biochem J 2011; 439:227-33. [DOI: 10.1042/bj20110544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The hOCTN1 (human organic cation transporter 1) overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni-chelating chromatography has been reconstituted in liposomes by detergent removal with a batch-wise procedure. The reconstitution was optimized with respect to the protein concentration, the detergent/phospholipid ratio and the time of incubation with Amberlite XAD-4 resin. Time-dependent [14C]tetraethylammonium, [3H]carnitine or [3H]ergothioneine uptake was measured in proteoliposomes with activities ratios of 8:1.3:1 respectively. Optimal activity was found at pH 8.0. The transport depended on intraliposomal ATP. [14C]tetraethylammonium transport was inhibited by several compounds. The most effective were acetyl-choline and γ-butyrobetaine, followed by acetylcarnitine and tetramethylammonium. Reagents such as pyridoxal 5-phosphate, MTSES [sodium (2-sulfonatoethyl) methanethiosulfonate] and mercurials strongly inhibited the transport. From kinetic analysis of tetraethylammonium transport a Km of 0.77 mM was calculated. Acetylcholine and γ-butyrobetaine behaved as competitive inhibitors of TEA (tetraethylammonium) transport with Ki values of 0.44 and 0.63 mM respectively.
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34
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Keller T, Egenberger B, Gorboulev V, Bernhard F, Uzelac Z, Gorbunov D, Wirth C, Koppatz S, Dötsch V, Hunte C, Sitte HH, Koepsell H. The large extracellular loop of organic cation transporter 1 influences substrate affinity and is pivotal for oligomerization. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:37874-86. [PMID: 21896487 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.289330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyspecific organic anion transporters (OATs) and organic cation transporters (OCTs) of the SLC22 transporter family play a pivotal role in absorption, distribution, and excretion of drugs. Polymorphisms in these transporters influence therapeutic effects. On the basis of functional characterizations, homology modeling, and mutagenesis, hypotheses for how OCTs bind and translocate structurally different cations were raised, assuming functionally competent monomers. However, homo-oligomerization has been described for OATs and OCTs. In the present study, evidence is provided that the large extracellular loops (EL) of rat Oct1 (rOct1) and rat Oat1 (rOat1) mediate homo- but not hetero-oligomerization. Replacement of the cysteine residues in the EL of rOct1 by serine residues (rOct1(6ΔC-l)) or breaking disulfide bonds with dithiothreitol prevented oligomerization. rOct1 chimera containing the EL of rOat1 (rOct1(rOat1-l)) showed oligomerization but reduced transporter amount in the plasma membrane. For rOct1(6ΔC-l) and rOct1(rOat1-l), similar K(m) values for 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium(+) (MPP(+)) and tetraethylammonium(+) (TEA(+)) were obtained that were higher compared with rOct1 wild type. The increased K(m) of rOct1(rOat1-l) indicates an allosteric effect of EL on the cation binding region. The similar substrate affinity of the oligomerizing and non-oligomerizing loop mutants suggests that oligomerization does not influence transport function. Independent transport function of rOct1 monomers was also demonstrated by showing that K(m) values for MPP(+) and TEA(+) were not changed after treatment with dithiothreitol and that a tandem protein with two rOct1 monomers showed about 50% activity with unchanged K(m) values for MPP(+) and TEA(+) when one monomer was blocked. The data help to understand how OCTs work and how mutations in patients may affect their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Keller
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
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35
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Klammt C, Perrin MH, Maslennikov I, Renault L, Krupa M, Kwiatkowski W, Stahlberg H, Vale W, Choe S. Polymer-based cell-free expression of ligand-binding family B G-protein coupled receptors without detergents. Protein Sci 2011; 20:1030-41. [PMID: 21465615 DOI: 10.1002/pro.636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2010] [Revised: 02/23/2011] [Accepted: 03/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest family of intercellular signaling molecules and are estimated to be the target of more than 50% of all modern drugs. As with most integral membrane proteins (IMPs), a major bottleneck in the structural and biochemical analysis of GPCRs is their expression by conventional expression systems. Cell-free (CF) expression provides a relatively new and powerful tool for obtaining preparative amounts of IMPs. However, in the case of GPCRs, insufficient homogeneity of the targeted protein is a problem as the in vitro expression is mainly done with detergents, in which aggregation and solubilization difficulties, as well as problems with proper folding of hydrophilic domains, are common. Here, we report that using CF expression with the help of a fructose-based polymer, NV10 polymer (NVoy), we obtained preparative amounts of homogeneous GPCRs from the three GPCR families. We demonstrate that two GPCR B family members, corticotrophin-releasing factor receptors 1 and 2β are not only solubilized in NVoy but also have functional ligand-binding characteristics with different agonists and antagonists in a detergent-free environment as well. Our findings open new possibilities for functional and structural studies of GPCRs and IMPs in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Klammt
- Structural Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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36
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Production of membrane proteins without cells or detergents. N Biotechnol 2011; 28:250-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2010.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Revised: 07/05/2010] [Accepted: 07/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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37
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Junge F, Haberstock S, Roos C, Stefer S, Proverbio D, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Advances in cell-free protein synthesis for the functional and structural analysis of membrane proteins. N Biotechnol 2011; 28:262-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2010.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2010] [Revised: 06/28/2010] [Accepted: 07/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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38
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Burckhardt G, Burckhardt BC. In vitro and in vivo evidence of the importance of organic anion transporters (OATs) in drug therapy. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2011:29-104. [PMID: 21103968 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-14541-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Organic anion transporters 1-10 (OAT1-10) and the urate transporter 1 (URAT1) belong to the SLC22A gene family and accept a huge variety of chemically unrelated endogenous and exogenous organic anions including many frequently described drugs. OAT1 and OAT3 are located in the basolateral membrane of renal proximal tubule cells and are responsible for drug uptake from the blood into the cells. OAT4 in the apical membrane of human proximal tubule cells is related to drug exit into the lumen and to uptake of estrone sulfate and urate from the lumen into the cell. URAT1 is the major urate-absorbing transporter in the apical membrane and is a target for uricosuric drugs. OAT10, also located in the luminal membrane, transports nicotinate with high affinity and interacts with drugs. Major extrarenal locations of OATs include the blood-brain barrier for OAT3, the placenta for OAT4, the nasal epithelium for OAT6, and the liver for OAT2 and OAT7. For all transporters we provide information on cloning, tissue distribution, factors influencing OAT abundance, interaction with endogenous compounds and different drug classes, drug/drug interactions and, if known, single nucleotide polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Burckhardt
- Abteilung Vegetative Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Zentrum Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Göttingen, Germany.
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39
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Altamura N, Calamita G. Systems for Production of Proteins for Biomimetic Membrane Devices. BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL PHYSICS, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2184-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
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40
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Kai L, Kaldenhoff R, Lian J, Zhu X, Dötsch V, Bernhard F, Cen P, Xu Z. Preparative scale production of functional mouse aquaporin 4 using different cell-free expression modes. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12972. [PMID: 20885983 PMCID: PMC2945771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2010] [Accepted: 09/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The continuous progress in the structural and functional characterization of aquaporins increasingly attracts attention to study their roles in certain mammalian diseases. Although several structures of aquaporins have already been solved by crystallization, the challenge of producing sufficient amounts of functional proteins still remains. CF (cell free) expression has emerged in recent times as a promising alternative option in order to synthesize large quantities of membrane proteins, and the focus of this report was to evaluate the potential of this technique for the production of eukaryotic aquaporins. We have selected the mouse aquaporin 4 as a representative of mammalian aquaporins. The protein was synthesized in an E. coli extract based cell-free system with two different expression modes, and the efficiencies of two modes were compared. In both, the P-CF (cell-free membrane protein expression as precipitate) mode generating initial aquaporin precipitates as well as in the D-CF (cell-free membrane protein expression in presence of detergent) mode, generating directly detergent solubilized samples, we were able to obtain mg amounts of protein per ml of cell-free reaction. Purified aquaporin samples solubilized in different detergents were reconstituted into liposomes, and analyzed for the water channel activity. The calculated P(f) value of proteoliposome samples isolated from the D-CF mode was 133 µm/s at 10°C, which was 5 times higher as that of the control. A reversible inhibitory effect of mercury chloride was observed, which is consistent with previous observations of in vitro reconstituted aquaporin 4. In this study, a fast and convenient protocol was established for functional expression of aquaporins, which could serve as basis for further applications such as water filtration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Kai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Ralf Kaldenhoff
- Institute of Botany, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangcheng Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Volker Dötsch
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Frank Bernhard
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Peilin Cen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhinan Xu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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41
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Elbaz Y, Danieli T, Kanner BI, Schuldiner S. Expression of neurotransmitter transporters for structural and biochemical studies. Protein Expr Purif 2010; 73:152-60. [PMID: 20566324 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2010.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2010] [Revised: 05/12/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter transporters play essential roles in the process of neurotransmission. Vesicular neurotransmitter transporters mediate storage inside secretory vesicles in a process that involves the exchange of lumenal H(+) for cytoplasmic transmitter. Retrieval of the neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft catalyzed by sodium-coupled transporters is critical for the termination of the synaptic actions of the released neurotransmitter. Our current understanding of the mechanism of these transporters is based on functional and biochemical characterization but is lacking high-resolution structural information. Very few structures of membrane transport systems from mammalian origin have been solved to atomic resolution, mainly because of the difficulty in obtaining large amounts of purified protein. Development of high yield heterologous expression systems suitable for mammalian neurotransmitter transporters is essential to enable the production of purified protein for structural studies. Such a system makes possible also the production of mutants that can be used in biochemical and biophysical studies. We describe here a screen for the expression of the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) in cell-free and baculovirus expression systems and discuss the expression of VMAT2 in other systems as well (bacterial, yeast and mammalian cell lines). After screening and optimization, we achieved high yield (2-2.5 mg/l) expression of functional VMAT2 in insect cells. The system was also used for the expression of three additional plasma membrane neurotransmitter transporters. All were functional and expressed to high levels. Our results demonstrate the advantages of the baculovirus expression system for the expression of mammalian neurotransmitter transporters in a functional state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Elbaz
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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42
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Modulation of G-protein coupled receptor sample quality by modified cell-free expression protocols: a case study of the human endothelin A receptor. J Struct Biol 2010; 172:94-106. [PMID: 20460156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2010.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2010] [Revised: 05/03/2010] [Accepted: 05/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors still represent one of the most challenging targets in membrane protein research. Here we present a strategic approach for the cell-free synthesis of these complex membrane proteins exemplified by the preparative scale production of the human endothelin A receptor. The versatility of the cell-free expression system was used to modulate sample quality by alteration of detergents hence presenting different solubilization environments to the synthesized protein at different stages of the production process. Sample properties after co-translational and post-translational solubilization have been analysed by evaluation of homogeneity, protein stability and receptor ligand binding competence. This is a first quality evaluation of a membrane protein obtained in two different cell-free expression modes and we demonstrate that both can be used for the production of ligand-binding competent endothelin A receptor in quantities sufficient for structural approaches. The presented strategy of cell-free expression protocol development could serve as basic guideline for the production of related receptors in similar systems.
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43
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Structural investigation of the C-terminal catalytic fragment of presenilin 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:9644-9. [PMID: 20445084 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1000778107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The gamma-secretase complex has a decisive role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, in that it cleaves a precursor to create the amyloid beta peptide whose aggregates form the senile plaques encountered in the brains of patients. Gamma-secretase is a member of the intramembrane-cleaving proteases which process their transmembrane substrates within the bilayer. Many of the mutations encountered in early onset familial Alzheimer's disease are linked to presenilin 1, the catalytic component of gamma-secretase, whose active form requires its endoproteolytic cleavage into N-terminal and C-terminal fragments. Although there is general agreement regarding the topology of the N-terminal fragment, studies of the C-terminal fragment have yielded ambiguous and contradictory results that may be difficult to reconcile in the absence of structural information. Here we present the first structure of the C-terminal fragment of human presenilin 1, as obtained from NMR studies in SDS micelles. The structure reveals a topology where the membrane is likely traversed three times in accordance with the more generally accepted nine transmembrane domain model of presenilin 1, but contains unique structural features adapted to accommodate the unusual intramembrane catalysis. These include a putative half-membrane-spanning helix N-terminally harboring the catalytic aspartate, a severely kinked helical structure toward the C terminus as well as a soluble helix in the assumed-to-be unstructured N-terminal loop.
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44
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Schwarz D, Daley D, Beckhaus T, Dötsch V, Bernhard F. Cell-free expression profiling of E. coli
inner membrane proteins. Proteomics 2010; 10:1762-79. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200900485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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45
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Sobhanifar S, Reckel S, Junge F, Schwarz D, Kai L, Karbyshev M, Löhr F, Bernhard F, Dötsch V. Cell-free expression and stable isotope labelling strategies for membrane proteins. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2010; 46:33-43. [PMID: 19680602 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-009-9364-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2009] [Accepted: 07/16/2009] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are highly underrepresented in the structural data-base and remain one of the most challenging targets for functional and structural elucidation. Their roles in transport and cellular communication, furthermore, often make over-expression toxic to their host, and their hydrophobicity and structural complexity make isolation and reconstitution a complicated task, especially in cases where proteins are targeted to inclusion bodies. The development of cell-free expression systems provides a very interesting alternative to cell-based systems, since it circumvents many problems such as toxicity or necessity for the transportation of the synthesized protein to the membrane, and constitutes the only system that allows for direct production of membrane proteins in membrane-mimetic environments which may be suitable for liquid state NMR measurements. The unique advantages of the cell-free expression system, including strong expression yields as well as the direct incorporation of almost any combination of amino acids with very little metabolic scrambling, has allowed for the development of a wide-array of isotope labelling techniques which facilitate structural investigations of proteins whose spectral congestion and broad line-widths may have earlier rendered them beyond the scope of NMR. Here we explore various labelling strategies in conjunction with cell-free developments, with a particular focus on alpha-helical transmembrane proteins which benefit most from such methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solmaz Sobhanifar
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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46
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Abstract
Membrane proteins (MPs) are responsible for the interface between the exterior and the interior of the cell. These proteins are involved in numerous diseases, like cancer, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, hyperinsulinism, heart failure, hypertension and Alzheimer disease. However, studies of these disorders are hampered by a lack of structural information about the proteins involved. Structural analysis requires large quantities of pure and active proteins. The majority of medically and pharmaceutically relevant MPs are present in tissues at low concentration, which makes heterologous expression in large-scale production-adapted cells a prerequisite for structural studies. Obtaining mammalian MP structural data depends on the development of methods that allow the production of large quantities of MPs. This review focuses on the heterologous expression systems now available to produce large amounts of MPs for structural proteomics, and describes the strategies that allowed the determination of the structure of the first heterologously expressed mammalian MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Mus-Veteau
- Institut of Developmental Biology and Cancer, UMR CNRS, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France.
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47
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Abstract
Cell-free expression offers an interesting alternative method to produce membrane proteins in high amounts. Elimination of toxicity problems, reduced proteolytic degradation and a nearly unrestricted option to supply potentially beneficial compounds like cofactors, ligands or chaperones into the reaction are general advantages of cell-free expression systems. Furthermore, the membrane proteins may be translated directly into appropriate hydrophobic and membrane-mimetic surrogates, which might offer significant benefits for the functional folding of the synthesized proteins. Cell-free expression is a rapidly developing and highly versatile technique and several systems of both, prokaryotic and eukaryotic origins, have been established. We provide protocols for the cell-free expression of membrane proteins in different modes including their expression as precipitate as well as their direct synthesis into detergent micelles or lipid bilayers.
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48
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Abstract
Cell-free expression has emerged as a promising tool for the fast and efficient production of membrane proteins. The rapidly growing number of successfully produced targets in combination with the continuous development of new applications significantly promotes the distribution of this technology. Membrane protein synthesis by cell-free expression does not appear to be restricted by origin, size or topology of the target, and its global application is therefore a highly valuable characteristic. The technology is relatively fast to establish in standard biochemical labs, and it does not require expensive equipment. Moreover, it enables the production of membrane proteins in completely new modes, like the direct translation into detergent micelles, which is not possible with any other expression system. In this protocol, we focus on the currently most efficient cell-free expression system for membrane proteins based on Escherichia coli extracts.
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49
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Abstract
Drugs and their metabolites are eliminated mainly by excretion into urine and bile. Studies in whole animals, isolated organs, cells, and membrane vesicles led to the conclusion that different transport systems are responsible for the transport of different classes of organic compounds (small, large, anionic, and cationic). In the early 1990s, functional expression cloning resulted in the identification of the first transporters for organic anions and cations. Eventually, all the major transport systems involved in the uptake of these organic compounds were cloned and characterized, and we now know that they belong to the organic anion transporters (OATs) and organic cation transporters (OCTs) of the SLC22A superfamily and the organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) of the SLCO superfamily of polyspecific drug transporters. Today we can explain, at the molecular level, why small and hydrophilic organic compounds are excreted predominantly through urine whereas large and amphipathic compounds are excreted mainly through bile, and we can start to predict drug-drug interactions in the case of new compounds.
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50
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Kim HJ, Howell SC, Van Horn WD, Jeon YH, Sanders CR. Recent Advances in the Application of Solution NMR Spectroscopy to Multi-Span Integral Membrane Proteins. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2009; 55:335-360. [PMID: 20161395 PMCID: PMC2782866 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2009.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hak Jun Kim
- Korea Polar Research Institute, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, Incheon, 406-840, Korea
| | - Stanley C. Howell
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232-8725, USA
| | - Wade D. Van Horn
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232-8725, USA
| | - Young Ho Jeon
- Center for Magnetic Resonance, Korea Basic Research Institute, Daejon, 305-333, Korea
| | - Charles R. Sanders
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232-8725, USA
- Corresponding Author: ; phone: 615-936-3756; fax: 615-936-2211
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