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Aleksandrov LA, Aleksandrov AA, Jensen TJ, Strauss JD, Fay JF. Conformational Variability in Ground-State CFTR Lipoprotein Particle Cryo-EM Ensembles. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:9248. [PMID: 36012518 PMCID: PMC9409475 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) is a dynamic membrane protein belonging to the ABC transporter family. It is unusual within this family as it is an ion channel, as opposed to a transporter. Activation of CFTR requires ATP and phosphorylation by PKA, and dysregulation of CFTR mediated salt and water homeostasis can lead to cystic fibrosis. Recent advancements in structural biological methods have led to more than 10 published CFTR structures, and, so far, all of these structures of CFTR, determined by cryo-EM, have been limited to detergent-purified protein preparations. To visualize CFTR in an environment that more closely represents its native membranous environment, we utilized two different lipoprotein particle encapsulation techniques: one in which the ion channel is first purified and then reconstituted using the membrane scaffolding protein Saposin A and another that uses the solubilizing polymer Sokalan CP9 (DIBMA) to extract CFTR directly from membranes. Structures derived from these types of preparations may better correlate to their function, for instance, the single-channel measurements from membrane vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan F. Fay
- Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 6107 Thurston Bowles Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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2
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Grubb BR, Livraghi-Butrico A. Animal models of cystic fibrosis in the era of highly effective modulator therapies. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2022; 64:102235. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Towards next generation therapies for cystic fibrosis: Folding, function and pharmacology of CFTR. J Cyst Fibros 2020; 19 Suppl 1:S25-S32. [PMID: 31902693 PMCID: PMC7052731 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2019.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) has been transformed by orally-bioavailable small molecule modulators of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which restore function to CF mutants. However, CFTR modulators are not available to all people with CF and better modulators are required to prevent disease progression. Here, we review selectively recent advances in CFTR folding, function and pharmacology. We highlight ensemble and single-molecule studies of CFTR folding, which provide new insight into CFTR assembly, its perturbation by CF mutations and rescue by CFTR modulators. We discuss species-dependent differences in the action of the F508del-CFTR mutation on CFTR expression, stability and function, which might influence pharmacological studies of CFTR modulators in CF animal models. Finally, we illuminate the identification of combinations of two CFTR potentiators (termed co-potentiators), which restore therapeutically-relevant levels of CFTR activity to rare CF mutations. Thus, mechanistic studies of CFTR folding, function and pharmacology inform the development of highly effective CFTR modulators.
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4
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Amawi H, Sim HM, Tiwari AK, Ambudkar SV, Shukla S. ABC Transporter-Mediated Multidrug-Resistant Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1141:549-580. [PMID: 31571174 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-7647-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in active pumping of many diverse substrates through the cellular membrane. The transport mediated by these proteins modulates the pharmacokinetics of many drugs and xenobiotics. These transporters are involved in the pathogenesis of several human diseases. The overexpression of certain transporters by cancer cells has been identified as a key factor in the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. In this chapter, the localization of ABC transporters in the human body, their physiological roles, and their roles in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) are reviewed. Specifically, P-glycoprotein (P-GP), multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) are described in more detail. The potential of ABC transporters as therapeutic targets to overcome MDR and strategies for this purpose are discussed as well as various explanations for the lack of efficacy of ABC drug transporter inhibitors to increase the efficiency of chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneen Amawi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Hong-May Sim
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amit K Tiwari
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Suresh V Ambudkar
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Suneet Shukla
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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5
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Bose SJ, Bijvelds MJC, Wang Y, Liu J, Cai Z, Bot AGM, de Jonge HR, Sheppard DN. Differential thermostability and response to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiators of human and mouse F508del-CFTR. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2019; 317:L71-L86. [PMID: 30969810 PMCID: PMC6689747 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00034.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cross-species comparative studies have highlighted differences between human and mouse cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the epithelial Cl- channel defective in cystic fibrosis (CF). Here, we compare the impact of the most common CF mutation F508del on the function of human and mouse CFTR heterologously expressed in mammalian cells and their response to CFTR modulators using the iodide efflux and patch-clamp techniques. Once delivered to the plasma membrane, human F508del-CFTR exhibited a severe gating defect characterized by infrequent channel openings and was thermally unstable, deactivating within minutes at 37°C. By contrast, the F508del mutation was without effect on the gating pattern of mouse CFTR, and channel activity demonstrated thermostability at 37°C. Strikingly, at all concentrations tested, the clinically approved CFTR potentiator ivacaftor was without effect on the mouse F508del-CFTR Cl- channel. Moreover, eight CFTR potentiators, including ivacaftor, failed to generate CFTR-mediated iodide efflux from CHO cells expressing mouse F508del-CFTR. However, they all produced CFTR-mediated iodide efflux with human F508del-CFTR-expressing CHO cells, while fifteen CFTR correctors rescued the plasma membrane expression of both human and mouse F508del-CFTR. Interestingly, the CFTR potentiator genistein enhanced CFTR-mediated iodide efflux from CHO cells expressing either human or mouse F508del-CFTR, whereas it only potentiated human F508del-CFTR Cl- channels in cell-free membrane patches, suggesting that its action on mouse F508del-CFTR is indirect. Thus, the F508del mutation has distinct effects on human and mouse CFTR Cl- channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Bose
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol , Bristol , United Kingdom
| | - Marcel J C Bijvelds
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Yiting Wang
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol , Bristol , United Kingdom
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol , Bristol , United Kingdom
| | - Zhiwei Cai
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol , Bristol , United Kingdom
| | - Alice G M Bot
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Hugo R de Jonge
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , The Netherlands
| | - David N Sheppard
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol , Bristol , United Kingdom
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6
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Functional characterization reveals that zebrafish CFTR prefers to occupy closed channel conformations. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209862. [PMID: 30596737 PMCID: PMC6312236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the culprit behind the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF), is a phosphorylation-activated, but ATP-gated anion channel. Studies of human CFTR over the past two decades have provided an in-depth understanding of how CFTR works as an ion channel despite its structural resemblance to ABC transporters. Recently-solved cryo-EM structures of unphosphorylated human and zebrafish CFTR (hCFTR and zCFTR), as well as phosphorylated ATP-bound zebrafish and human CFTR offer an unprecedented opportunity to understand CFTR's function at a molecular level. Interestingly, despite millions of years of phylogenetic distance between human and zebrafish, the structures of zCFTR and hCFTR exhibit remarkable similarities. In the current study, we characterized biophysical and pharmacological properties of zCFTR with the patch-clamp technique, and showed surprisingly very different functional properties between these two orthologs. First, while hCFTR has a single-channel conductance of 8.4 pS with a linear I-V curve, zCFTR shows an inwardly-rectified I-V relationship with a single-channel conductance of ~3.5 pS. Second, single-channel gating behaviors of phosphorylated zCFTR are very different from those of hCFTR, featuring a very low open probability Po (0.03 ± 0.02, vs. ~0.50 for hCFTR) with exceedingly long closed events and brief openings. In addition, unlike hCFTR where each open burst is clearly defined with rare short-lived flickery closures, the open bursts of zCFTR are not easily resolved. Third, although abolishing ATP hydrolysis by replacing the catalytic glutamate with glutamine (i.e., E1372Q) drastically prolongs the open bursts defined by the macroscopic relaxation analysis in zCFTR, the Po within a "locked-open" burst of E1372Q-zCFTR is only ~ 0.35 (vs. Po > 0.94 in E1371Q-hCFTR). Collectively, our data not only provide a reasonable explanation for the unexpected closed-state structure of phosphorylated E1372Q-zCFTR with a canonical ATP-bound dimer of the nucleotide binding domains (NBDs), but also implicate significant structural and functional differences between these two evolutionarily distant orthologs.
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Wang Y, Cai Z, Gosling M, Sheppard DN. Potentiation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl− channel by ivacaftor is temperature independent. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2018; 315:L846-L857. [DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00235.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ivacaftor is the first drug to target directly defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which causes cystic fibrosis (CF). To understand better how ivacaftor potentiates CFTR channel gating, here we investigated the effects of temperature on its action. As a control, we studied the benzimidazolone UCCF-853, which potentiates CFTR by a different mechanism. Using the patch-clamp technique and cells expressing recombinant CFTR, we studied the single-channel behavior of wild-type and F508del-CFTR, the most common CF mutation. Raising the temperature of the intracellular solution from 23 to 37°C increased the frequency but reduced the duration of wild-type and F508del-CFTR channel openings. Although the open probability ( Po) of wild-type CFTR increased progressively as temperature was elevated, the relationship between Po and temperature for F508del-CFTR was bell-shaped with a maximum Po at ~30°C. For wild-type CFTR and to a greatly reduced extent F508del-CFTR, the temperature dependence of channel gating was asymmetric with the opening rate demonstrating greater temperature sensitivity than the closing rate. At all temperatures tested, ivacaftor and UCCF-853 potentiated wild-type and F508del-CFTR. Strikingly, ivacaftor but not UCCF-853 abolished the asymmetric temperature dependence of CFTR channel gating. At all temperatures tested, Po values of wild-type CFTR in the presence of ivacaftor were approximately double those of F508del-CFTR, which were equivalent to or greater than those of wild-type CFTR at 37°C in the absence of the drug. We conclude that the principal effect of ivacaftor is to promote channel opening to abolish the temperature dependence of CFTR channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Wang
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Zhiwei Cai
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Gosling
- Enterprise Therapeutics, Sussex Innovation Centre, University of Sussex, Science Park Square, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - David N. Sheppard
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Ruiz-Jarabo I, Barany A, Jerez-Cepa I, Mancera JM, Fuentes J. Intestinal response to salinity challenge in the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 204:57-64. [PMID: 27865855 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Fish are continuously forced to actively absorb or expel water and ions through epithelia. Most studies have focused on the gill due to its role in Na+ and Cl- trafficking. However, comparatively few studies have focused on the changing function of the intestine in response to external salinity. Therefore, the present study investigated the main intestinal changes of long-term acclimation of the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) to 5, 15, 38 and 55ppt. Through the measurement of short-circuit current (Isc) in Ussing chambers and biochemical approaches, we described a clear anterior/posterior functional regionalization of the intestine in response to salinity. The use of specific inhibitors in Ussing chamber experiments, revealed that the bumetanide-sensitive Na+/K+/Cl- co-transporters are the main effectors of Cl- uptake in both anterior intestine and rectum. Additionally, the use of the anion exchanger specific inhibitor, DIDS, showed a salinity/region dependency of anion exchanger function. Moreover, we also described ouabain-sensitive Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) and Bafilomycin A1-sensitive H+-ATPase activities (HA), which displayed changes related to salinity and intestinal region. However, the most striking result of the present study is the description of an omeprazole-sensitive H+/K+-ATPase (HKA) in the rectum of Senegalese sole. Its activity was consistently measurable and increased at lower salinities, reaching rates even higher than those of the NKA. Together our results provide new insights into the changing role of the intestine in response to external salinity in teleost fish. The rectal activity of HKA offers an alternative/cooperative mechanism with the HA in the final processing of intestinal water absorption by apical titration of secreted bicarbonate.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Ruiz-Jarabo
- Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMar), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - A Barany
- Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMar), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - I Jerez-Cepa
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - J M Mancera
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - J Fuentes
- Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMar), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
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Wong MKS, Pipil S, Kato A, Takei Y. Duplicated CFTR isoforms in eels diverged in regulatory structures and osmoregulatory functions. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 199:130-141. [PMID: 27322796 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Two cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) isoforms, CFTRa and CFTRb, were cloned in Japanese eel and their structures and functions were studied in different osmoregulatory tissues in freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW) eels. Molecular phylogenetic results suggested that the CFTR duplication in eels occurred independently of the duplication event in salmonid. CFTRa was expressed in the intestine and kidney and downregulated in both tissues in SW eels, while CFTRb was specifically expressed in the gill and greatly upregulated in SW eels. Structurally, the CFTR isoforms are similar in most functional domains except the regulatory R domain, where the R domain of CFTRa is similar to that of human CFTR but the R domain of CFTRb is unique in having high intrinsic negative charges and fewer phosphorylation sites, suggesting divergence of isoforms in terms of gating properties and hormonal regulation. Immunohistochemical results showed that CFTR was localized on the apical regions of SW ionocytes, suggesting a Cl(-) secretory role as in other teleosts. In intestine and kidney, however, immunoreactive CFTR was mostly found in the cytosolic vesicles in FW eels, indicating that Cl(-) channel activity could be low at basal conditions, but could be rapidly increased by membrane insertion of the stored channels. Guanylin (GN), a known hormone that increases CFTR activity in mammalian intestine, failed to redistribute CFTR and to affect its expression in eel intestine. The results suggested that GN-independent CFTR regulation is present in eel intestine and kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Supriya Pipil
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Akira Kato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoshio Takei
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
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Cui G, Khazanov N, Stauffer BB, Infield DT, Imhoff BR, Senderowitz H, McCarty NA. Potentiators exert distinct effects on human, murine, and Xenopus CFTR. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2016; 311:L192-207. [PMID: 27288484 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00056.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
VX-770 (Ivacaftor) has been approved for clinical usage in cystic fibrosis patients with several CFTR mutations. Yet the binding site(s) on CFTR for this compound and other small molecule potentiators are unknown. We hypothesize that insight into this question could be gained by comparing the effect of potentiators on CFTR channels from different origins, e.g., human, mouse, and Xenopus (frog). In the present study, we combined this comparative molecular pharmacology approach with that of computer-aided drug discovery to identify and characterize new potentiators of CFTR and to explore possible mechanism of action. Our results demonstrate that 1) VX-770, NPPB, GlyH-101, P1, P2, and P3 all exhibited ortholog-specific behavior in that they potentiated hCFTR, mCFTR, and xCFTR with different efficacies; 2) P1, P2, and P3 potentiated hCFTR in excised macropatches in a manner dependent on the degree of PKA-mediated stimulation; 3) P1 and P2 did not have additive effects, suggesting that these compounds might share binding sites. Also 4) using a pharmacophore modeling approach, we identified three new potentiators (IOWH-032, OSSK-2, and OSSK-3) that have structures similar to GlyH-101 and that also exhibit ortholog-specific potentiation of CFTR. These could potentially serve as lead compounds for development of new drugs for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The ortholog-specific behavior of these compounds suggest that a comparative pharmacology approach, using cross-ortholog chimeras, may be useful for identification of binding sites on human CFTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiying Cui
- Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airways Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | - Netaly Khazanov
- Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Brandon B Stauffer
- Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airways Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | - Daniel T Infield
- Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airways Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | - Barry R Imhoff
- Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airways Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | | | - Nael A McCarty
- Division of Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory + Children's Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airways Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and
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Abstract
In most organisms, ABC transporters constitute one of the largest families of membrane proteins. In humans, their functions are diverse and underpin numerous key physiological processes, as well as being causative factors in a number of clinically relevant pathologies. Advances in our understanding of these diseases have come about through combinations of genetic and protein biochemical investigations of these transporters and the power of in vitro and in vivo investigations is helping to develop genotype–phenotype understanding. However, the importance of ABC transporter research goes far beyond human biology; microbial ABC transporters are of great interest in terms of understanding virulence and drug resistance and industrial biotechnology researchers are exploring the potential of prokaryotic ABC exporters to increase the capacity of synthetic biology systems. Plant ABC transporters play important roles in transport of hormones, xenobiotics, metals and secondary metabolites, pathogen responses and numerous aspects of development, all of which are important in the global food security area. For 3 days in Chester, this Biochemical Society Focused Meeting brought together researchers with diverse experimental approaches and with different fundamental questions, all of which are linked by the commonality of ABC transporters.
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