1
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Fortea E, Lee S, Chadda R, Argyros Y, Sandal P, Mahoney-Kruszka R, Ciftci HD, Falzone ME, Huysmans G, Robertson JL, Boudker O, Accardi A. Structural basis of pH-dependent activation in a CLC transporter. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:644-656. [PMID: 38279055 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01210-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
CLCs are dimeric chloride channels and anion/proton exchangers that regulate processes such as muscle contraction and endo-lysosome acidification. Common gating controls their activity; its closure simultaneously silences both protomers, and its opening allows them to independently transport ions. Mutations affecting common gating in human CLCs cause dominant genetic disorders. The structural rearrangements underlying common gating are unknown. Here, using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, we show that the prototypical Escherichia coli CLC-ec1 undergoes large-scale rearrangements in activating conditions. The slow, pH-dependent remodeling of the dimer interface leads to the concerted opening of the intracellular H+ pathways and is required for transport. The more frequent formation of short water wires in the open H+ pathway enables Cl- pore openings. Mutations at disease-causing sites favor CLC-ec1 activation and accelerate common gate opening in the human CLC-7 exchanger. We suggest that the pH activation mechanism of CLC-ec1 is related to the common gating of CLC-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Fortea
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sangyun Lee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rahul Chadda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yiorgos Argyros
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
| | - Priyanka Sandal
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Robyn Mahoney-Kruszka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hatice Didar Ciftci
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria E Falzone
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gerard Huysmans
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA
- Erasmus University, Jette, Belgium
| | - Janice L Robertson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Olga Boudker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| | - Alessio Accardi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Chon NL, Lin H. Fluoride Ion Binding and Translocation in the CLC F Fluoride/Proton Antiporter: Molecular Insights from Combined Quantum-Mechanical/Molecular-Mechanical Modeling. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2697-2706. [PMID: 38447081 PMCID: PMC10962343 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
CLCF fluoride/proton antiporters move fluoride ions out of bacterial cells, leading to fluoride resistance in these bacteria. However, many details about their operating mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report a combined quantum-mechanical/molecular-mechanical (QM/MM) study of a CLCF homologue from Enterococci casseliflavus (Eca), in accord with the previously proposed windmill mechanism. Our multiscale modeling sheds light on two critical steps in the transport cycle: (i) the external gating residue E118 pushing a fluoride in the external binding site into the extracellular vestibule and (ii) an incoming fluoride reconquering the external binding site by forcing out E118. Both steps feature competitions for the external binding site between the negatively charged carboxylate of E118 and the fluoride. Remarkably, the displaced E118 by fluoride accepts a proton from the nearby R117, initiating the next transport cycle. We also demonstrate the importance of accurate quantum descriptions of fluoride solvation. Our results provide clues to the mysterious E318 residue near the central binding site, suggesting that the transport activities are unlikely to be disrupted by the glutamate interacting with a well-solvated fluoride at the central binding site. This differs significantly from the structurally similar CLC chloride/proton antiporters, where a fluoride trapped deep in the hydrophobic pore causes the transporter to be locked down. A free-energy barrier of 10-15 kcal/mol was estimated via umbrella sampling for a fluoride ion traveling through the pore to repopulate the external binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nara L. Chon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
| | - Hai Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
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3
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Drew D, Boudker O. Ion and lipid orchestration of secondary active transport. Nature 2024; 626:963-974. [PMID: 38418916 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Transporting small molecules across cell membranes is an essential process in cell physiology. Many structurally diverse, secondary active transporters harness transmembrane electrochemical gradients of ions to power the uptake or efflux of nutrients, signalling molecules, drugs and other ions across cell membranes. Transporters reside in lipid bilayers on the interface between two aqueous compartments, where they are energized and regulated by symported, antiported and allosteric ions on both sides of the membrane and the membrane bilayer itself. Here we outline the mechanisms by which transporters couple ion and solute fluxes and discuss how structural and mechanistic variations enable them to meet specific physiological needs and adapt to environmental conditions. We then consider how general bilayer properties and specific lipid binding modulate transporter activity. Together, ion gradients and lipid properties ensure the effective transport, regulation and distribution of small molecules across cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Drew
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Olga Boudker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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4
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Shen R, Roux B, Perozo E. Anionic omega currents from single countercharge mutants in the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP. J Gen Physiol 2024; 156:e202213311. [PMID: 38019193 PMCID: PMC10686229 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The S4 segment of voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) directly responds to voltage changes by reorienting within the electric field as a permion. A narrow hydrophobic "gasket" or charge transfer center at the core of most VSDs focuses the electric field into a narrow region and catalyzes the sequential and reversible translocation of S4 positive gating charge residues across the electric field while preventing the permeation of physiological ions. Mutating specific S4 gating charges can cause ionic leak currents through the VSDs. These gating pores or omega currents play important pathophysiological roles in many diseases of excitability. Here, we show that mutating D129, a key countercharge residue in the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP), leads to the generation of unique anionic omega currents. Neutralizing D129 causes a dramatic positive shift of activation, facilitates the formation of a continuous water path through the VSD, and creates a positive electrostatic potential landscape inside the VSD that contributes to its unique anionic selectivity. Increasing the population or dwell time of the conducting state by a high external pH or an engineered Cd2+ bridge markedly increases the current magnitude. Our findings uncover a new role of countercharge residues in the impermeable VSD of Ci-VSP and offer insights into mechanisms of the conduction of anionic omega currents linked to countercharge residue mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Benoît Roux
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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5
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Asgharpour S, Chi LA, Spehr M, Carloni P, Alfonso-Prieto M. Fluoride Transport and Inhibition Across CLC Transporters. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2024; 283:81-100. [PMID: 36042142 DOI: 10.1007/164_2022_593] [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: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The Chloride Channel (CLC) family includes proton-coupled chloride and fluoride transporters. Despite their similar protein architecture, the former exchange two chloride ions for each proton and are inhibited by fluoride, whereas the latter efficiently transport one fluoride in exchange for one proton. The combination of structural, mutagenesis, and functional experiments with molecular simulations has pinpointed several amino acid changes in the permeation pathway that capitalize on the different chemical properties of chloride and fluoride to fine-tune protein function. Here we summarize recent findings on fluoride inhibition and transport in the two prototypical members of the CLC family, the chloride/proton transporter from Escherichia coli (CLC-ec1) and the fluoride/proton transporter from Enterococcus casseliflavus (CLCF-eca).
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Asgharpour
- Institute for Advanced Simulations IAS-5 and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-9, Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - L América Chi
- Laboratory for the Design and Development of New Drugs and Biotechnological Innovation, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Marc Spehr
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Paolo Carloni
- Institute for Advanced Simulations IAS-5 and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-9, Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
- Department of Physics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
- JARA Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Mercedes Alfonso-Prieto
- Institute for Advanced Simulations IAS-5 and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-9, Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Medical Faculty, Cécile and Oskar Vogt Institute for Brain Research, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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6
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Picollo A. Vesicular CLC chloride/proton exchangers in health and diseases. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1295068. [PMID: 38027030 PMCID: PMC10662042 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1295068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chloride is one of the most abundant anions in the human body; it is implicated in several physiological processes such as the transmission of action potentials, transepithelial salt transport, maintenance of cellular homeostasis, regulation of osmotic pressure and intracellular pH, and synaptic transmission. The balance between the extracellular and intracellular chloride concentrations is controlled by the interplay of ion channels and transporters embedded in the cellular membranes. Vesicular members of the CLC chloride protein family (vCLCs) are chloride/proton exchangers expressed in the membrane of the intracellular organelles, where they control vesicular acidification and luminal chloride concentration. It is well known that mutations in CLCs cause bone, kidney, and lysosomal genetic diseases. However, the role of CLC exchangers in neurological disorders is only now emerging with the identification of pathogenic CLCN gene variants in patients with severe neuronal and intellectual dysfunctions. This review will provide an overview of the recent advances in understanding the role of the vesicular CLC chloride/proton exchangers in human pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Picollo
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Genova, Italy
- RAISE Ecosystem, Genova, Italy
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7
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Mills KR, Torabifard H. Uncovering the Mechanism of the Proton-Coupled Fluoride Transport in the CLC F Antiporter. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2445-2455. [PMID: 37053383 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Fluoride is a natural antibiotic abundantly present in the environment and, in micromolar concentrations, is able to inhibit enzymes necessary for bacteria to survive. However, as is the case with many antibiotics, bacteria have evolved resistance methods, including through the use of recently discovered membrane proteins. One such protein is the CLCF F-/H+ antiporter protein, a member of the CLC superfamily of anion-transport proteins. Though previous studies have examined this F- transporter, many questions are still left unanswered. To reveal details of the transport mechanism used by CLCF, we have employed molecular dynamics simulations and umbrella sampling calculations. Our results have led to several discoveries, including the mechanism of proton import and how it is able to aid in the fluoride export. Additionally, we have determined the role of the previously identified residues Glu118, Glu318, Met79, and Tyr396. This work is among the first studies of the CLCF F-/H+ antiporter and is the first computational investigation to model the full transport process, proposing a mechanism which couples the F- export with the H+ import.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira R Mills
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Hedieh Torabifard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
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8
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Yue Z, Li C, Voth GA. The role of conformational change and key glutamic acid residues in the ClC-ec1 antiporter. Biophys J 2023; 122:1068-1085. [PMID: 36698313 PMCID: PMC10111279 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The triple glutamine (Q) mutant (QQQ) structure of a Cl-/H+ antiporter from Escherichia coli (ClC-ec1) displaying a novel backbone arrangement has been used to challenge the long-held notion that Cl-/H+ antiporters do not operate through large conformational motions. The QQQ mutant substitutes the glutamine residue for an external glutamate E148, an internal glutamate E203, and a third glutamate E113 that hydrogen-bonds with E203. However, it is unknown if QQQ represents a physiologically relevant state, as well as how the protonation of the wild-type glutamates relates to the global dynamics. We herein apply continuous constant-pH molecular dynamics to investigate the H+-coupled dynamics of ClC-ec1. Although any large-scale conformational rearrangement upon acidification would be due to the accumulation of excess charge within the protein, protonation of the glutamates significantly impacts mainly the local structure and dynamics. Despite the fact that the extracellular pore enlarges at acidic pHs, an occluded ClC-ec1 within the active pH range of 3.5-7.5 requires a protonated E148 to facilitate extracellular Cl- release. E203 is also involved in the intracellular H+ transfer as an H+ acceptor. The water wire connection of E148 with the intracellular solution is regulated by the charge states of the E113/E203 dyad with coupled proton titration. However, the dynamics extracted from our simulations are not QQQ-like, indicating that the QQQ mutant does not represent the behavior of the wild-type ClC-ec1. These findings reinforce the necessity of having a protonatable residue at the E203 position in ClC-ec1 and suggest that a higher level of complexity exists for the intracellular H+ transfer in Cl-/H+ antiporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yue
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Chenghan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gregory A Voth
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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9
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Mechanism of voltage gating in the voltage-sensing phosphatase Ci-VSP. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206649119. [PMID: 36279472 PMCID: PMC9636939 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206649119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conformational changes in voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) are driven by the transmembrane electric field acting on the protein charges. Yet, the overall energetics and detailed mechanism of this process are not fully understood. Here, we determined free energy and displacement charge landscapes as well as the major conformations visited during a complete functional gating cycle in the isolated VSD of the phosphatase Ci-VSP (Ci-VSD) comprising four transmembrane helices (segments S1 to S4). Molecular dynamics simulations highlight the extent of S4 movements. In addition to the crystallographically determined activated “Up” and resting “Down” states, the simulations predict two Ci-VSD conformations: a deeper resting state (“down-minus”) and an extended activated (“up-plus”) state. These additional conformations were experimentally probed via systematic cysteine mutagenesis with metal-ion bridges and the engineering of proton conducting mutants at hyperpolarizing voltages. The present results show that these four states are visited sequentially in a stepwise manner during voltage activation, each step translocating one arginine or the equivalent of ∼1
e
0
across the membrane electric field, yielding a transfer of ∼3
e
0
charges in total for the complete process.
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10
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Zimmermann MT. Molecular Modeling is an Enabling Approach to Complement and Enhance Channelopathy Research. Compr Physiol 2022; 12:3141-3166. [PMID: 35578963 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c190047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Hundreds of human membrane proteins form channels that transport necessary ions and compounds, including drugs and metabolites, yet details of their normal function or how function is altered by genetic variants to cause diseases are often unknown. Without this knowledge, researchers are less equipped to develop approaches to diagnose and treat channelopathies. High-resolution computational approaches such as molecular modeling enable researchers to investigate channelopathy protein function, facilitate detailed hypothesis generation, and produce data that is difficult to gather experimentally. Molecular modeling can be tailored to each physiologic context that a protein may act within, some of which may currently be difficult or impossible to assay experimentally. Because many genomic variants are observed in channelopathy proteins from high-throughput sequencing studies, methods with mechanistic value are needed to interpret their effects. The eminent field of structural bioinformatics integrates techniques from multiple disciplines including molecular modeling, computational chemistry, biophysics, and biochemistry, to develop mechanistic hypotheses and enhance the information available for understanding function. Molecular modeling and simulation access 3D and time-dependent information, not currently predictable from sequence. Thus, molecular modeling is valuable for increasing the resolution with which the natural function of protein channels can be investigated, and for interpreting how genomic variants alter them to produce physiologic changes that manifest as channelopathies. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12:3141-3166, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Zimmermann
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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11
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The Role of the Lysosomal Cl−/H+ Antiporter ClC-7 in Osteopetrosis and Neurodegeneration. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030366. [PMID: 35159175 PMCID: PMC8833911 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
CLC proteins comprise Cl− channels and anion/H+ antiporters involved in several fundamental physiological processes. ClC-7 is a lysosomal Cl−/H+ antiporter that together with its beta subunit Ostm1 has a critical role in the ionic homeostasis of lysosomes and of the osteoclasts’ resorption lacuna, although the specific underlying mechanism has so far remained elusive. Mutations in ClC-7 cause osteopetrosis, but also a form of lysosomal storage disease and neurodegeneration. Interestingly, both loss-of- and gain-of-function mutations of ClC-7 can be pathogenic, but the mechanistic implications of this finding are still unclear. This review will focus on the recent advances in our understanding of the biophysical properties of ClC-7 and of its role in human diseases with a focus on osteopetrosis and neurodegeneration.
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12
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Simulation of pH-Dependent Conformational Transitions in Membrane Proteins: The CLC-ec1 Cl -/H + Antiporter. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26226956. [PMID: 34834047 PMCID: PMC8625536 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular transport of chloride by members of the CLC transporter family involves a coupled exchange between a Cl− anion and a proton (H+), which makes the transport function dependent on ambient pH. Transport activity peaks at pH 4.5 and stalls at neutral pH. However, a structure of the WT protein at acidic pH is not available, making it difficult to assess the global conformational rearrangements that support a pH-dependent gating mechanism. To enable modeling of the CLC-ec1 dimer at acidic pH, we have applied molecular dynamics simulations (MD) featuring a new force field modification scheme—termed an Equilibrium constant pH approach (ECpH). The ECpH method utilizes linear interpolation between the force field parameters of protonated and deprotonated states of titratable residues to achieve a representation of pH-dependence in a narrow range of physiological pH values. Simulations of the CLC-ec1 dimer at neutral and acidic pH comparing ECpH-MD to canonical MD, in which the pH-dependent protonation is represented by a binary scheme, substantiates the better agreement of the conformational changes and the final model with experimental data from NMR, cross-link and AFM studies, and reveals structural elements that support the gate-opening at pH 4.5, including the key glutamates Gluin and Gluex.
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13
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Jurasz J, Bagiński M, Czub J, Wieczór M. Molecular mechanism of proton-coupled ligand translocation by the bacterial efflux pump EmrE. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009454. [PMID: 34613958 PMCID: PMC8523053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The current surge in bacterial multi-drug resistance (MDR) is one of the largest challenges to public health, threatening to render ineffective many therapies we rely on for treatment of serious infections. Understanding different factors that contribute to MDR is hence crucial from the global “one health” perspective. In this contribution, we focus on the prototypical broad-selectivity proton-coupled antiporter EmrE, one of the smallest known ligand transporters that confers resistance to aromatic cations in a number of clinically relevant species. As an asymmetric homodimer undergoing an “alternating access” protomer-swap conformational change, it serves as a model for the mechanistic understanding of more complex drug transporters. Here, we present a free energy and solvent accessibility analysis that indicates the presence of two complementary ligand translocation pathways that remain operative in a broad range of conditions. Our simulations show a previously undescribed desolvated apo state and anticorrelated accessibility in the ligand-bound state, explaining on a structural level why EmrE does not disrupt the pH gradient through futile proton transfer. By comparing the behavior of a number of model charged and/or aromatic ligands, we also explain the origin of selectivity of EmrE towards a broad class of aromatic cations. Finally, we explore unbiased pathways of ligand entry and exit to identify correlated structural changes implicated in ligand binding and release, as well as characterize key intermediates of occupancy changes. EmrE is a prototypical bacterial multidrug transporter (MDR) that confers resistance to drugs and antiseptics. Due to its structural simplicity, its mechanism of ligand recognition and translocation are relevant for a wide class of transporters. This proton-coupled antiport expels aromatic cations from the cytoplasm using the alternating access mechanism, achieving impressive levels of efficiency and robustness. Our protonation-specific free energy profiles, Grotthuss wire analyses and equilibrium simulations show how a deceivingly simple system can exchange ions with robustness and precision, hopefully inspiring rational efforts to design new MDR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Jurasz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Maciej Bagiński
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
- BioTechMed Center, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jacek Czub
- BioTechMed Center, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Miłosz Wieczór
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland
- Molecular Modeling and Bioinformatics Group, IRB Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
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14
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Yue Z, Bernardi A, Li C, Mironenko AV, Swanson JMJ. Toward a Multipathway Perspective: pH-Dependent Kinetic Selection of Competing Pathways and the Role of the Internal Glutamate in Cl -/H + Antiporters. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:7975-7984. [PMID: 34260231 PMCID: PMC8409247 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c03304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Canonical descriptions of multistep biomolecular transformations generally follow a single-pathway viewpoint, with a series of transitions through intermediates converting reactants to products or repeating a conformational cycle. However, mounting evidence suggests that more complexity and pathway heterogeneity are mechanistically relevant due to the statistical distribution of multiple interconnected rate processes. Making sense of such pathway complexity remains a significant challenge. To better understand the role and relevance of pathway heterogeneity, we herein probe the chemical reaction network of a Cl-/H+ antiporter, ClC-ec1, and analyze reaction pathways using multiscale kinetic modeling (MKM). This approach allows us to describe the nature of the competing pathways and how they change as a function of pH. We reveal that although pH-dependent Cl-/H+ transport rates are largely regulated by the charge state of amino acid E148, the charge state of E203 determines relative contributions from coexisting pathways and can shift the flux pH-dependence. The selection of pathways via E203 explains how ionizable mutations (D/H/K/R) would impact the ClC-ec1 bioactivity from a kinetic perspective and lends further support to the indispensability of an internal glutamate in ClC antiporters. Our results demonstrate how quantifying the kinetic selection of competing pathways under varying conditions leads to a deeper understanding of the Cl-/H+ exchange mechanism and can suggest new approaches for mechanistic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yue
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Frank Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Austen Bernardi
- Department of Chemistry, Biological Chemistry Program, and Center for Cell and Genome Science, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Chenghan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Frank Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Alexander V. Mironenko
- Department of Chemistry, Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, James Frank Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jessica M. J. Swanson
- Department of Chemistry, Biological Chemistry Program, and Center for Cell and Genome Science, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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15
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Chiariello MG, Alfonso-Prieto M, Ippoliti E, Fahlke C, Carloni P. Mechanisms Underlying Proton Release in CLC-type F -/H + Antiporters. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:4415-4420. [PMID: 33950673 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c00361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The CLC family of anion channels and transporters includes Cl-/H+ exchangers (blocked by F-) and F-/H+ exchangers (or CLCFs). CLCFs contain a glutamate (E318) in the central anion-binding site that is absent in CLC Cl-/H+ exchangers. The X-ray structure of the protein from Enterococcus casseliflavus (CLCF-eca) shows that E318 tightly binds to F- when the gating glutamate (E118; highly conserved in the CLC family) faces the extracellular medium. Here, we use classical and DFT-based QM/MM metadynamics simulations to investigate proton transfer and release by CLCF-eca. After up to down movement of protonated E118, both glutamates combine with F- to form a triad, from which protons and F- anions are released as HF. Our results illustrate how glutamate insertion into the central anion-binding site of CLCF-eca permits the release of H+ to the cytosol as HF, thus enabling a net 1:1 F-/H+ stoichiometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gabriella Chiariello
- Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-5) and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-1), Molekular- und Zellphysiologie, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 54245 Jülich, Germany
| | - Mercedes Alfonso-Prieto
- Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-5) and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Cécile and Oskar Vogt Institute for Brain Research, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Emiliano Ippoliti
- Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-5) and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 54245 Jülich, Germany
| | - Christoph Fahlke
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-1), Molekular- und Zellphysiologie, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Paolo Carloni
- Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-5) and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- JARA-HPC, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 54245 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
- JARA Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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16
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Identification of multiple substrate binding sites in SLC4 transporters in the outward-facing conformation: Insights into the transport mechanism. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100724. [PMID: 33932403 PMCID: PMC8191340 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Solute carrier family 4 (SLC4) transporters mediate the transmembrane transport of HCO3-, CO32-, and Cl- necessary for pH regulation, transepithelial H+/base transport, and ion homeostasis. Substrate transport with varying stoichiometry and specificity is achieved through an exchange mechanism and/or through coupling of the uptake of anionic substrates to typically co-transported Na+. Recently solved outward-facing structures of two SLC4 members (human anion exchanger 1 [hAE1] and human electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 1 [hNBCe1]) with different transport modes (Cl-/HCO3- exchange versus Na+-CO32- symport) revealed highly conserved three-dimensional organization of their transmembrane domains. However, the exact location of the ion binding sites and their protein-ion coordination motifs are still unclear. In the present work, we combined site identification by ligand competitive saturation mapping and extensive molecular dynamics sampling with functional mutagenesis studies which led to the identification of two substrate binding sites (entry and central) in the outward-facing states of hAE1 and hNBCe1. Mutation of residues in the identified binding sites led to impaired transport in both proteins. We also showed that R730 in hAE1 is crucial for anion binding in both entry and central sites, whereas in hNBCe1, a Na+ acts as an anchor for CO32- binding to the central site. Additionally, protonation of the central acidic residues (E681 in hAE1 and D754 in hNBCe1) alters the ion dynamics in the permeation cavity and may contribute to the transport mode differences in SLC4 proteins. These results provide a basis for understanding the functional differences between hAE1 and hNBCe1 and may facilitate potential drug development for diseases such as proximal and distal renal tubular acidosis.
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17
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18
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Schrecker M, Korobenko J, Hite RK. Cryo-EM structure of the lysosomal chloride-proton exchanger CLC-7 in complex with OSTM1. eLife 2020; 9:e59555. [PMID: 32749217 PMCID: PMC7440919 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The chloride-proton exchanger CLC-7 plays critical roles in lysosomal homeostasis and bone regeneration and its mutation can lead to osteopetrosis, lysosomal storage disease and neurological disorders. In lysosomes and the ruffled border of osteoclasts, CLC-7 requires a β-subunit, OSTM1, for stability and activity. Here, we present electron cryomicroscopy structures of CLC-7 in occluded states by itself and in complex with OSTM1, determined at resolutions up to 2.8 Å. In the complex, the luminal surface of CLC-7 is entirely covered by a dimer of the heavily glycosylated and disulfide-bonded OSTM1, which serves to protect CLC-7 from the degradative environment of the lysosomal lumen. OSTM1 binding does not induce large-scale rearrangements of CLC-7, but does have minor effects on the conformation of the ion-conduction pathway, potentially contributing to its regulatory role. These studies provide insights into the role of OSTM1 and serve as a foundation for understanding the mechanisms of CLC-7 regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Schrecker
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Julia Korobenko
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Richard K Hite
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
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19
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Chavan TS, Cheng RC, Jiang T, Mathews II, Stein RA, Koehl A, Mchaourab HS, Tajkhorshid E, Maduke M. A CLC-ec1 mutant reveals global conformational change and suggests a unifying mechanism for the CLC Cl -/H + transport cycle. eLife 2020; 9:53479. [PMID: 32310757 PMCID: PMC7253180 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Among coupled exchangers, CLCs uniquely catalyze the exchange of oppositely charged ions (Cl– for H+). Transport-cycle models to describe and explain this unusual mechanism have been proposed based on known CLC structures. While the proposed models harmonize with many experimental findings, gaps and inconsistencies in our understanding have remained. One limitation has been that global conformational change – which occurs in all conventional transporter mechanisms – has not been observed in any high-resolution structure. Here, we describe the 2.6 Å structure of a CLC mutant designed to mimic the fully H+-loaded transporter. This structure reveals a global conformational change to improve accessibility for the Cl– substrate from the extracellular side and new conformations for two key glutamate residues. Together with DEER measurements, MD simulations, and functional studies, this new structure provides evidence for a unified model of H+/Cl– transport that reconciles existing data on all CLC-type proteins. Cells are shielded from harmful molecules and other threats by a thin, flexible layer called the membrane. However, this barrier also prevents chloride, sodium, protons and other ions from moving in or out of the cell. Channels and transporters are two types of membrane proteins that form passageways for these charged particles. Channels let ions flow freely from one side of the membrane to the other. To do so, these proteins change their three-dimensional shape to open or close as needed. On the other hand, transporters actively pump ions across the membrane to allow the charged particles to accumulate on one side. The shape changes needed for that type of movement are different: the transporters have to open a passageway on one side of the membrane while closing it on the other side, alternating openings to one side or the other. In general, channels and transporters are not related to each other, but one exception is a group called CLCs proteins. Present in many organisms, this family contains a mixture of channels and transporters. For example, humans have nine CLC proteins: four are channels that allow chloride ions in and out, and five are ‘exchange transporters’ that make protons and chloride ions cross the membrane in opposite directions. These proteins let one type of charged particle move freely across the membrane, which generates energy that the transporter then uses to actively pump the other ion in the direction needed by the cell. Yet, the exact three-dimensional changes required for CLC transporters and channels to perform their roles are still unknown. To investigate this question, Chavan, Cheng et al. harnessed a technique called X-ray crystallography, which allows scientists to look at biological molecules at the level of the atom. This was paired with other methods to examine a CLC mutant that adopts the shape of a normal CLC transporter when it is loaded with a proton. The experiments revealed how various elements in the transporter move relative to each other to adopt a structure that allows protons and chloride ions to enter the protein from opposite sides of the membrane, using separate pathways. While obtained on a bacterial CLC, these results can be applied to other CLC channels and transporters (including those in humans), shedding light on how this family transports charged particles across membranes. From bone diseases to certain types of seizures, many human conditions are associated with poorly functioning CLCs. Understanding the way these structures change their shapes to perform their roles could help to design new therapies for these health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmay S Chavan
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Ricky C Cheng
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Tao Jiang
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Irimpan I Mathews
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Stanford University, Menlo Park, United States
| | - Richard A Stein
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Antoine Koehl
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Hassane S Mchaourab
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Merritt Maduke
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
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20
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Cummins PL, Gready JE. Kohn-Sham Density Functional Calculations Reveal Proton Wires in the Enolization and Carboxylase Reactions Catalyzed by Rubisco. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:3015-3026. [PMID: 32208706 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c01169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) plays a fundamental role in the carbon cycle by fixing the atmospheric CO2 used in photosynthesis. Rubisco is all the more remarkable because it must catalyze some difficult multistep reaction chemistry involving proton transfers within the one active site. In the present study, we have used Kohn-Sham density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G* level with basis set superposition error and dispersion corrections (B3LYP-gCP-D3) to examine the possibility that the proton transfers can take place through molecular wires (including active-site water molecules) via the classical Grotthuss proton-shuttle mechanism. The results support an essential role for water molecules found in the crystal structures of Rubisco complexes as facilitators of proton transport in all the rate-limiting (catalytic) reaction steps through a network of short proton wires within the Rubisco active site. We suggest that completion of the initial product turnover (cycle) requires two excess protons produced in the initial carbamylation that is required for Rubisco activation. By use of proton wires, a large number of reaction steps may be accommodated within a single active site without necessitating the input of excessive conformational strain energy arising from the movement of residue side chains into positions where direct protonation of substrates can occur. The involvement of the identified types of proton wires in the kinetic mechanism is capable of providing a unique explanation for various experimental observations, including deuterium isotope effects and the results of site-directed mutagenesis experiments, and may thus provide a realistic solution to the problem of Rubisco's challenging chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L Cummins
- Department of Genome Sciences, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Jill E Gready
- Department of Genome Sciences, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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21
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Wang Z, Swanson JMJ, Voth GA. Local conformational dynamics regulating transport properties of a Cl - /H + antiporter. J Comput Chem 2020; 41:513-519. [PMID: 31633205 PMCID: PMC7184886 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
ClC-ec1 is a Cl- /H+ antiporter that exchanges Cl- and H+ ions across the membrane. Experiments have demonstrated that several mutations, including I109F, decrease the Cl- and H+ transport rates by an order of magnitude. Using reactive molecular dynamics simulations of explicit proton transport across the central region in the I109F mutant, a two-dimensional free energy profile has been constructed that is consistent with the experimental transport rates. The importance of a phenylalanine gate formed by F109 and F357 and its influence on hydration connectivity through the central proton transport pathway is revealed. This work demonstrates how seemingly subtle changes in local conformational dynamics can dictate hydration changes and thus transport properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | | | - Gregory A. Voth
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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22
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Jiang T, Wen PC, Trebesch N, Zhao Z, Pant S, Kapoor K, Shekhar M, Tajkhorshid E. Computational Dissection of Membrane Transport at a Microscopic Level. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 45:202-216. [PMID: 31813734 PMCID: PMC7024014 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Membrane transporters are key gatekeeper proteins at cellular membranes that closely control the traffic of materials. Their function relies on structural rearrangements of varying degrees that facilitate substrate translocation across the membrane. Characterizing these functionally important molecular events at a microscopic level is key to our understanding of membrane transport, yet challenging to achieve experimentally. Recent advances in simulation technology and computing power have rendered molecular dynamics (MD) simulation a powerful biophysical tool to investigate a wide range of dynamical events spanning multiple spatial and temporal scales. Here, we review recent studies of diverse membrane transporters using computational methods, with an emphasis on highlighting the technical challenges, key lessons learned, and new opportunities to illuminate transporter structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Po-Chao Wen
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Noah Trebesch
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Zhiyu Zhao
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Shashank Pant
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Karan Kapoor
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mrinal Shekhar
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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23
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Mutation of external glutamate residue reveals a new intermediate transport state and anion binding site in a CLC Cl -/H + antiporter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:17345-17354. [PMID: 31409705 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901822116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The CLC family of proteins are involved in a variety of physiological processes to control cellular chloride concentration. Two distinct classes of CLC proteins, Cl- channels and Cl-/H+ antiporters, have been functionally and structurally investigated over the last several decades. Previous studies have suggested that the conformational heterogeneity of the critical glutamate residue, Gluex, could explain the transport cycle of CLC-type Cl-/H+ antiporters. However, the presence of multiple conformations (Up, Middle, and Down) of the Gluex has been suggested from combined structural snapshots of 2 different CLC antiporters: CLC-ec1 from Escherichia coli and cmCLC from a thermophilic red alga, Cyanidioschyzon merolae Thus, we aimed to investigate further the heterogeneity of Gluex-conformations in CLC-ec1, the most deeply studied CLC antiporter, at both functional and structural levels. Here, we show that the crystal structures of the Gluex mutant E148D and wild-type CLC-ec1 with varying anion concentrations suggest a structural intermediate, the "Midlow" conformation. We also found that an extra anion can be located above the external Cl--binding site in the E148D mutant when the anion concentration is high. Moreover, we observed that a carboxylate in solution can occupy either the external or central Cl--binding site in the ungated E148A mutant using an anomalously detectable short carboxylic acid, bromoacetate. These results lend credibility to the idea that the Gluex can take at least 3 distinct conformational states during the transport cycle of a single CLC antiporter.
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24
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Hofmann S, Januliene D, Mehdipour AR, Thomas C, Stefan E, Brüchert S, Kuhn BT, Geertsma ER, Hummer G, Tampé R, Moeller A. Conformation space of a heterodimeric ABC exporter under turnover conditions. Nature 2019; 571:580-583. [PMID: 31316210 PMCID: PMC7612745 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has the capacity to capture molecular machines in action1–3. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) exporters are highly dynamic membrane proteins that extrude a wide range of substances from the cytosol4–6 and thereby contribute to essential cellular processes, adaptive immunity, and multidrug resistance7,8. Despite their vital importance, the coupling of nucleotide binding, hydrolysis, and release to the conformational dynamics remains poorly resolved, especially for heterodimeric/asymmetric ABC exporters that abound in humans. Here, we present eight high-resolution cryo-EM structures that delineate the full functional cycle of an asymmetric ABC exporter in lipid environment. Cryo-EM analysis under active turnover conditions reveals distinct inward-facing (IF) conformations, one of them with bound peptide substrate, and previously undescribed asymmetric post-hydrolysis states with dimerized nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) and a closed extracellular gate. Capturing an outward-facing (OF) open conformation requires a slow-down in ATP hydrolysis, indicating the transient nature of this state vulnerable to substrate re-entry. ATP-bound pre-hydrolysis and vanadate-trapped states are conformationally equivalent and both comprise co-existing OF conformations with open and closed extracelluar gates. In contrast, the post-hydrolysis states from the turnover experiment exhibit asymmetric ADP/ATP occlusion after phosphate release from the canonical site and display a progressive separation of the nucleotide-binding domains and unlocking of the intracellular gate. Our findings reveal that phosphate release, not ATP hydrolysis, triggers the return of the exporter to the IF conformation. By mapping the conformational landscape during active turnover, aided by mutational and chemical modulation of kinetic rates to trap the key intermediates, we resolved fundamental and so-far hidden steps of the substrate translocation cycle of asymmetric ABC transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Hofmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dovile Januliene
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ahmad R Mehdipour
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christoph Thomas
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Erich Stefan
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Brüchert
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Benedikt T Kuhn
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eric R Geertsma
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Robert Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Arne Moeller
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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25
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Duster AW, Garza CM, Aydintug BO, Negussie MB, Lin H. Adaptive Partitioning QM/MM for Molecular Dynamics Simulations: 6. Proton Transport through a Biological Channel. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:892-905. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.8b01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam W. Duster
- Chemistry Department, CB 194, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
| | - Christina M. Garza
- Chemistry Department, CB 194, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
| | - Baris O. Aydintug
- Chemistry Department, CB 194, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
| | - Mikias B. Negussie
- Chemistry Department, CB 194, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
| | - Hai Lin
- Chemistry Department, CB 194, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80217, United States
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26
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Wang Z, Swanson JMJ, Voth GA. Modulating the Chemical Transport Properties of a Transmembrane Antiporter via Alternative Anion Flux. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:16535-16543. [PMID: 30421606 PMCID: PMC6379079 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b07614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
![]()
ClC-ec1 is a prototype of the ClC
antiporters, proteins that stoichiometrically
exchange Cl– and H+ ions in opposite
directions across a membrane. It has been shown that other polyatomic
anions, such as NO3– and SCN–, can also be transported by ClC-ec1, but with partially or completely
uncoupled proton flux. Herein, with the help of multiscale computer
simulations in which the Grotthuss mechanism of proton transport (PT)
is treated explicitly, we demonstrate how the chemical nature of these
anions alters the coupling mechanism and qualitatively explain the
shifts in the ion stoichiometry. Multidimensional free energy profiles
for PT and the coupled changes in hydration are presented for NO3– and SCN–. The calculated
proton conductances agree with experiment, showing reduced or abolished
proton flux. Surprisingly, the proton affinity of the anion is less
influential on the PT, while its size and interactions with the protein
significantly alter hydration and shift its influence on PT from facilitating
to inhibiting. We find that the hydration of the cavity below the
anion is relatively fast, but connecting the water network past the
steric hindrance of these polyatomic anions is quite slow. Hence,
the most relevant coordinate to the PT free energy barrier is the
water connectivity along the PT pathway, but importantly only in the
presence of the excess proton, and this coordinate is significantly
affected by the nature of the bound anion. This work again demonstrates
how PT is intrinsically coupled with protein cavity hydration changes
as well as influenced by the protein environment. It additionally
suggests ways in which ion exchange can be modulated and exchange
stoichiometries altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics , The University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
| | - Jessica M J Swanson
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics , The University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
| | - Gregory A Voth
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics , The University of Chicago , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
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27
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Rohrbough J, Nguyen HN, Lamb FS. Modulation of ClC-3 gating and proton/anion exchange by internal and external protons and the anion selectivity filter. J Physiol 2018; 596:4091-4119. [PMID: 29917234 DOI: 10.1113/jp276332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS The ClC-3 2Cl- /1H+ exchanger modulates endosome pH and Cl- concentration. We investigated the relationships between ClC-3-mediated ion transport (steady-state transport current, ISS ), gating charge (Q) and cytoplasmic alkalization. ClC-3 transport is functionally unidirectional. ClC-5 and ClC-3 display indistinguishable exchange ratios, but ClC-3 cycling is less "efficient", as reflected by a large Q/ISS . An M531A mutation predicted to increase water-wire stability and cytoplasmic proton supply improves efficiency. Protonation (pH 5.0) of the outer glutamate gate (Gluext ; E224) reduces Q, inhibits transport, and weakens coupling. Removal of the central tyrosine anion gate (Y572S) greatly increases uncoupled anion current. Tyrosine -OH removal (Y572F) alters anion selectivity and impairs coupling. E224 and Y572 act as anion barriers, and contribute to gating. The Y572 side chain and -OH regulate Q movement kinetics and voltage dependence. E224 and Y572 interact to create a "closed" inner gate conformation that maintains coupling during cycling. ABSTRACT We utilized plasma membrane-localized ClC-3 to investigate relationships between steady-state transport current (ISS ), gating charge (Q) movement, and cytoplasmic alkalization rate. ClC-3 exhibited lower transport efficiency than ClC-5, as reflected by a larger Q/ISS ratio, but an indistinguishable Cl- /H+ coupling ratio. External SCN- reduced H+ transport rate and uncoupled anion/H+ exchange by 80-90%. Removal of the external gating glutamate ("Gluext ") (E224A mutation) reduced Q and abolished H+ transport. We hypothesized that Methionine 531 (M531) impedes "water wire" H+ transfer from the cytoplasm to E224. Accordingly, an M531A mutation decreased the Q/ISS ratio by 50% and enhanced H+ transport. External protons (pH 5.0) inhibited ISS and markedly reduced Q while shifting the Q-voltage (V) relationship positively. The Cl- /H+ coupling ratio at pH 5.0 was significantly increased, consistent with externally protonated Gluext adopting an outward/open position. Internal "anion gate" removal (Y572S) dramatically increased ISS and impaired coupling, without slowing H+ transport rate. Loss of both gates (Y572S/E224A) resulted in a large "open pore" conductance. Y572F (removing only the phenolic hydroxide) and Y572S shortened Q duration similarly, resulting in faster Q kinetics at all voltages. These data reveal a complex relationship between Q and ion transport. Q/ISS must be assessed together with coupling ratio to properly interpret efficiency. Coupling and transport rate are influenced by the anion, internal proton supply and external protons. Y572 regulates H+ coupling as well as anion selectivity, and interacts directly with E224. Disruption of this "closed gate" conformation by internal protons may represent a critical step in the ClC-3 transport cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Rohrbough
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Monroe Carell Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hong-Ngan Nguyen
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Monroe Carell Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Fred S Lamb
- Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Monroe Carell Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Jentsch TJ, Pusch M. CLC Chloride Channels and Transporters: Structure, Function, Physiology, and Disease. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:1493-1590. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00047.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
CLC anion transporters are found in all phyla and form a gene family of eight members in mammals. Two CLC proteins, each of which completely contains an ion translocation parthway, assemble to homo- or heteromeric dimers that sometimes require accessory β-subunits for function. CLC proteins come in two flavors: anion channels and anion/proton exchangers. Structures of these two CLC protein classes are surprisingly similar. Extensive structure-function analysis identified residues involved in ion permeation, anion-proton coupling and gating and led to attractive biophysical models. In mammals, ClC-1, -2, -Ka/-Kb are plasma membrane Cl−channels, whereas ClC-3 through ClC-7 are 2Cl−/H+-exchangers in endolysosomal membranes. Biological roles of CLCs were mostly studied in mammals, but also in plants and model organisms like yeast and Caenorhabditis elegans. CLC Cl−channels have roles in the control of electrical excitability, extra- and intracellular ion homeostasis, and transepithelial transport, whereas anion/proton exchangers influence vesicular ion composition and impinge on endocytosis and lysosomal function. The surprisingly diverse roles of CLCs are highlighted by human and mouse disorders elicited by mutations in their genes. These pathologies include neurodegeneration, leukodystrophy, mental retardation, deafness, blindness, myotonia, hyperaldosteronism, renal salt loss, proteinuria, kidney stones, male infertility, and osteopetrosis. In this review, emphasis is laid on biophysical structure-function analysis and on the cell biological and organismal roles of mammalian CLCs and their role in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Jentsch
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Berlin, Germany; and Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy
| | - Michael Pusch
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Berlin, Germany; and Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Genova, Italy
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29
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Wang CH, Duster AW, Aydintug BO, Zarecki MG, Lin H. Chloride Ion Transport by the E. coli CLC Cl -/H + Antiporter: A Combined Quantum-Mechanical and Molecular-Mechanical Study. Front Chem 2018; 6:62. [PMID: 29594103 PMCID: PMC5859129 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We performed steered molecular dynamics (SMD) and umbrella sampling simulations of Cl- ion migration through the transmembrane domain of a prototypical E. coli CLC Cl-/H+ antiporter by employing combined quantum-mechanical (QM) and molecular-mechanical (MM) calculations. The SMD simulations revealed interesting conformational changes of the protein. While no large-amplitude motions of the protein were observed during pore opening, the side chain rotation of the protonated external gating residue Glu148 was found to be critical for full access of the channel entrance by Cl-. Moving the anion into the external binding site (Sext) induced small-amplitude shifting of the protein backbone at the N-terminal end of helix F. As Cl- traveled through the pore, rigid-body swinging motions of helix R separated it from helix D. Helix R returned to its original position once Cl- exited the channel. Population analysis based on polarized wavefunction from QM/MM calculations discovered significant (up to 20%) charge loss for Cl- along the ion translocation pathway inside the pore. The delocalized charge was redistributed onto the pore residues, especially the functional groups containing π bonds (e.g., the Tyr445 side chain), while the charges of the H atoms coordinating Cl- changed almost negligibly. Potentials of mean force computed from umbrella sampling at the QM/MM and MM levels both displayed barriers at the same locations near the pore entrance and exit. However, the QM/MM PMF showed higher barriers (~10 kcal/mol) than the MM PMF (~2 kcal/mol). Binding energy calculations indicated that the interactions between Cl- and certain pore residues were overestimated by the semi-empirical PM3 Hamiltonian and underestimated by the CHARMM36 force fields, both of which were employed in the umbrella sampling simulations. In particular, CHARMM36 underestimated binding interactions for the functional groups containing π bonds, missing the stabilizations of the Cl- ion due to electron delocalization. The results suggested that it is important to explore these quantum effects for accurate descriptions of the Cl- transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hung Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Adam W Duster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Baris O Aydintug
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - MacKenzie G Zarecki
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Hai Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, United States
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30
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Mayes HB, Lee S, White AD, Voth GA, Swanson JMJ. Multiscale Kinetic Modeling Reveals an Ensemble of Cl -/H + Exchange Pathways in ClC-ec1 Antiporter. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:1793-1804. [PMID: 29332400 PMCID: PMC5812667 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b11463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite several years of research, the ion exchange mechanisms in chloride/proton antiporters and many other coupled transporters are not yet understood at the molecular level. Here, we present a novel approach to kinetic modeling and apply it to ion exchange in ClC-ec1. Our multiscale kinetic model is developed by (1) calculating the state-to-state rate coefficients with reactive and polarizable molecular dynamics simulations, (2) optimizing these rates in a global kinetic network, and (3) predicting new electrophysiological results. The model shows that the robust Cl:H exchange ratio (2.2:1) can indeed arise from kinetic coupling without large protein conformational changes, indicating a possible facile evolutionary connection to chloride channels. The E148 amino acid residue is shown to couple chloride and proton transport through protonation-dependent blockage of the central anion binding site and an anion-dependent pKa value, which influences proton transport. The results demonstrate how an ensemble of different exchange pathways, as opposed to a single series of transitions, culminates in the macroscopic observables of the antiporter, such as transport rates, chloride/proton stoichiometry, and pH dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B Mayes
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Sangyun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States.,Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center , Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Andrew D White
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York 14627-0166, United States
| | - Gregory A Voth
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States.,James Franck Institute and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jessica M J Swanson
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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31
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Wineman-Fisher V, Simkovich R, Huppert D, Trujillo K, Remington SJ, Miller Y. Mutagenic induction of an ultra-fast water-chain proton wire. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 18:23089-95. [PMID: 27492977 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp05071a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Replacement of the hydroxyl group of a hydrophilic sidechain by an H atom in the proton wire of GFP induces formation of a water-chain proton wire. Surprisingly, this "non-native" water chain functions as a proton wire with response times within 10 ps of the wild type protein. This remarkable rate retention is understood as a natural consequence of the well-known Grotthuss mechanism of proton transfer in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vered Wineman-Fisher
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel. and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beér-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Ron Simkovich
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dan Huppert
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Kristina Trujillo
- Department of Physics and Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
| | - S James Remington
- Department of Physics and Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel. and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beér-Sheva 84105, Israel
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32
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Two Cl Ions and a Glu Compete for a Helix Cage in the CLC Proton/Cl - Antiporter. Biophys J 2017; 113:1025-1036. [PMID: 28877486 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitously expressed CLC chloride transporters are involved in a great variety of physiological functions. The CLC protein fold is shared by Cl- channels and 2Cl-:1H+ antiporters. The antiporters pump three charges per cycle across the membrane with two Cl ions moving in the opposite direction of one proton. Multiconformational continuum electrostatics was used to calculate the coupled thermodynamics of the protonation of the extracellular-facing gating Glu (Ex) and Cl- binding to the external (Sx) and central (Sc) sites in CLC-ec1, the Escherichia coli exchanger. Sx, Sc, and Ex are buried within the protein where the intersection of two helix N-termini creates a region with a strong, localized positive potential for anion binding. Our chemical potential titrations describe the thermodynamic linkage for binding the Cl- to each site and protons to Ex. We find that the 2Cl-:1H+ binding stoichiometry is a result of Cl- binding to Sx requiring H+ binding to Ex, whereas Cl- binding to Sc does not lead to proton uptake. When Sx binds a Cl-, the protonated Ex moves upward, out of the positive helix cage. The increasing Ex proton affinity on binding the first Cl- reduces the cost of binding the second Cl- at either Sx or Sc. Despite the repulsion among the anions, the lowest energy states have two anions bound in the helix cage. The state with no Cl- is not favored electrostatically, but relies on Ex blocking Sx and on the central residues Y445 and S107 blocking Sc.
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33
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Abstract
POT transporters represent an evolutionarily well-conserved family of proton-coupled transport systems in biology. An unusual feature of the family is their ability to couple the transport of chemically diverse ligands to an inwardly directed proton electrochemical gradient. For example, in mammals, fungi, and bacteria they are predominantly peptide transporters, whereas in plants the family has diverged to recognize nitrate, plant defense compounds, and hormones. Although recent structural and biochemical studies have identified conserved sites of proton binding, the mechanism through which transport is coupled to proton movement remains enigmatic. Here we show that different POT transporters operate through distinct proton-coupled mechanisms through changes in the extracellular gate. A high-resolution crystal structure reveals the presence of ordered water molecules within the peptide binding site. Multiscale molecular dynamics simulations confirm proton transport occurs through these waters via Grotthuss shuttling and reveal that proton binding to the extracellular side of the transporter facilitates a reorientation from an inward- to outward-facing state. Together these results demonstrate that within the POT family multiple mechanisms of proton coupling have likely evolved in conjunction with variation of the extracellular gate.
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34
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Conformational landscapes of membrane proteins delineated by enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1860:909-926. [PMID: 29113819 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The expansion of computational power, better parameterization of force fields, and the development of novel algorithms to enhance the sampling of the free energy landscapes of proteins have allowed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to become an indispensable tool to understand the function of biomolecules. The temporal and spatial resolution of MD simulations allows for the study of a vast number of processes of interest. Here, we review the computational efforts to uncover the conformational free energy landscapes of a subset of membrane proteins: ion channels, transporters and G-protein coupled receptors. We focus on the various enhanced sampling techniques used to study these questions, how the conclusions come together to build a coherent picture, and the relationship between simulation outcomes and experimental observables.
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35
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Zhekova HR, Ngo V, da Silva MC, Salahub D, Noskov S. Selective ion binding and transport by membrane proteins – A computational perspective. Coord Chem Rev 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2017.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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36
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Multiscale Simulations Reveal Key Aspects of the Proton Transport Mechanism in the ClC-ec1 Antiporter. Biophys J 2016; 110:1334-45. [PMID: 27028643 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiscale reactive molecular dynamics simulations are used to study proton transport through the central region of ClC-ec1, a widely studied ClC transporter that enables the stoichiometric exchange of 2 Cl(-) ions for 1 proton (H(+)). It has long been known that both Cl(-) and proton transport occur through partially congruent pathways, and that their exchange is strictly coupled. However, the nature of this coupling and the mechanism of antiporting remain topics of debate. Here multiscale simulations have been used to characterize proton transport between E203 (Glu(in)) and E148 (Glu(ex)), the internal and external intermediate proton binding sites, respectively. Free energy profiles are presented, explicitly accounting for the binding of Cl(-) along the central pathway, the dynamically coupled hydration changes of the central region, and conformational changes of Glu(in) and Glu(ex). We find that proton transport between Glu(in) and Glu(ex) is possible in both the presence and absence of Cl(-) in the central binding site, although it is facilitated by the anion presence. These results support the notion that the requisite coupling between Cl(-) and proton transport occurs elsewhere (e.g., during proton uptake or release). In addition, proton transport is explored in the E203K mutant, which maintains proton permeation despite the substitution of a basic residue for Glu(in). This collection of calculations provides for the first time, to our knowledge, a detailed picture of the proton transport mechanism in the central region of ClC-ec1 at a molecular level.
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37
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Seong JY, Ha K, Hong C, Myeong J, Lim HH, Yang D, So I. Helix O modulates voltage dependency of CLC-1. Pflugers Arch 2016; 469:183-193. [PMID: 27921211 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-016-1907-5] [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] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The chloride channel (CLC) family of proteins consists of channels and transporters that share similarities in architecture and play essential roles in physiological functions. Among the CLC family, CLC-1 channels have the representative homodimeric double-barreled structure carrying two gating processes. One is protopore gating that acts on each pore independently by glutamate residue (Eext). The other is common gating that closes both pores simultaneously in association with large conformational changes across each subunit. In skeletal muscle, CLC-1 is associated with maintaining normal sarcolemmal excitability, and a number of myotonic mutants were reported to modify the channel gating of CLC-1. In this study, we characterized highly conserved helix O as a key determinant of structural stability in CLC-1. Supporting this hypothesis, myotonic mutant (G523D) at N-terminal of helix O showed the activation at hyperpolarizing membrane potentials with a reversed voltage dependency. However, introducing glutamate at serine residue (S537) at the C-terminal of the helix O on G523D restored WT-like voltage dependency of the common gate and showed proton insensitive voltage dependency. To further validate this significant site, site-specific mutagenesis experiments was performed on V292 that is highly conserved as glutamate in antiporter and closely located to S537 and showed that this area is essential for channel function. Taken together, the results of our study suggest the importance of helix O as the main contributor for stable structure of evolutionary conserved CLC proteins and its key role in voltage dependency of the CLC-1. Furthermore, the C-terminal of the helix O can offer a clue for possible proton involvement in CLC-1 channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Yong Seong
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea
| | - Kotdaji Ha
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea
| | - Chansik Hong
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongyun Myeong
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Ho Lim
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), Daegu, 41068, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongki Yang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, 461-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Insuk So
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, 28 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea.
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38
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Abeyrathne PD, Chami M, Stahlberg H. Biochemical and biophysical approaches to study the structure and function of the chloride channel (ClC) family of proteins. Biochimie 2016; 128-129:154-62. [PMID: 27554851 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The chloride channel (ClC) protein family comprises both chloride (Cl(-)) channels and chloride/proton (Cl(-)/H(+)) antiporters. In prokaryotes and eukaryotes, these proteins mediate the movement of Cl(-) ions across the membrane. In eukaryotes, ClC proteins play a role in the stabilization of membrane potential, epithelial ion transport, hippocampal neuroprotection, cardiac pacemaker activity and vesicular acidification. Moreover, mutations in the genes encoding ClC proteins can cause genetic disease in humans. In prokaryotes, the Cl(-)/H(+) antiporters, such as ClC-ec1 found in Escherichia coli promote proton expulsion in the extreme acid-resistance response common to enteric bacteria. To date, structural and functional studies of the prokaryotic protein have revealed unique structural features, including complicated transmembrane topology with 18 α-helices in each subunit and an anion-coordinating region in each subunit. Several different approaches such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, biochemical studies, and molecular dynamics simulations have been applied to the study of ClC proteins. Continued study of the unique structure and function of this diverse family of proteins has the potential to lead to the development of novel therapeutic targets for neuronal, renal, bone, and food-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka D Abeyrathne
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, WRO-1508 Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Mohamed Chami
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, WRO-1508 Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, WRO-1508 Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland
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39
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Jiang T, Han W, Maduke M, Tajkhorshid E. Molecular Basis for Differential Anion Binding and Proton Coupling in the Cl(-)/H(+) Exchanger ClC-ec1. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:3066-75. [PMID: 26880377 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b12062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cl–/H+ transporters of the CLC superfamily form a ubiquitous class of membrane proteins that catalyze stoichiometrically coupled exchange of Cl– and H+ across biological membranes. CLC transporters exchange H+ for halides and certain polyatomic anions, but exclude cations, F–, and larger physiological anions, such as PO43– and SO42–. Despite comparable transport rates of different anions, the H+ coupling in CLC transporters varies significantly depending on the chemical nature of the transported anion. Although the molecular mechanism of exchange remains unknown, studies on bacterial ClC-ec1 transporter revealed that Cl– binding to the central anion-binding site (Scen) is crucial for the anion-coupled H+ transport. Here, we show that Cl–, F–, NO3–, and SCN– display distinct binding coordinations at the Scen site and are hydrated in different manners. Consistent with the observation of differential bindings, ClC-ec1 exhibits markedly variable ability to support the formation of the transient water wires, which are necessary to support the connection of the two H+ transfer sites (Gluin and Gluex), in the presence of different anions. While continuous water wires are frequently observed in the presence of physiologically transported Cl–, binding of F– or NO3– leads to the formation of pseudo-water-wires that are substantially different from the wires formed with Cl–. Binding of SCN–, however, eliminates the water wires altogether. These findings provide structural details of anion binding in ClC-ec1 and reveal a putative atomic-level mechanism for the decoupling of H+ transport to the transport of anions other than Cl–.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Wei Han
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Merritt Maduke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine , Stanford, California 94305-5207, United States
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, Illinois 61801, United States
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40
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Khantwal CM, Abraham SJ, Han W, Jiang T, Chavan TS, Cheng RC, Elvington SM, Liu CW, Mathews II, Stein RA, Mchaourab HS, Tajkhorshid E, Maduke M. Revealing an outward-facing open conformational state in a CLC Cl(-)/H(+) exchange transporter. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 26799336 PMCID: PMC4769167 DOI: 10.7554/elife.11189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
CLC secondary active transporters exchange Cl- for H+. Crystal structures have suggested that the conformational change from occluded to outward-facing states is unusually simple, involving only the rotation of a conserved glutamate (Gluex) upon its protonation. Using 19F NMR, we show that as [H+] is increased to protonate Gluex and enrich the outward-facing state, a residue ~20 Å away from Gluex, near the subunit interface, moves from buried to solvent-exposed. Consistent with functional relevance of this motion, constriction via inter-subunit cross-linking reduces transport. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the cross-link dampens extracellular gate-opening motions. In support of this model, mutations that decrease steric contact between Helix N (part of the extracellular gate) and Helix P (at the subunit interface) remove the inhibitory effect of the cross-link. Together, these results demonstrate the formation of a previously uncharacterized 'outward-facing open' state, and highlight the relevance of global structural changes in CLC function. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11189.001 Cells have transporter proteins on their surface to carry molecules in and out of the cell. For example, the CLC family of transporters move two chloride ions in one direction at the same time as moving one hydrogen ion in the opposite direction. To be able to move these ions in opposite directions, transporters have to cycle through a series of shapes in which the ions can only access alternate sides of the membrane. First, the transporter adopts an 'outward-facing' shape when the ions first bind to the transporter, then it switches into the 'occluded' shape to move the ions through the membrane. Finally, the transporter takes on the 'inward-facing' shape to release the ions on the other side of the membrane. However, structural studies of CLCs suggest that the structures of these proteins do not change much while they are moving ions, which suggests that they might work in a different way. Khantwal, Abraham et al. have now used techniques called “nuclear magnetic resonance” and "double electron-electron resonance" to investigate how a CLC from a bacterium moves ions. The experiments suggest that when the transporter adopts the outward-facing shape, points on the protein known as Y419 and D417 shift their positions. Chemically linking two regions of the CLC prevented this movement and inhibited the transport of chloride ions across the membrane. Khantwal, Abraham et al. then used a computer simulation to model how the protein changes shape in more detail. This model predicts that two regions of the transporter undergo major rearrangements resulting in a gate-opening motion that widens a passage to allow the chloride ions to bind to the protein. Khantwal, Abraham et al.’s findings will prompt future studies to reveal the other shapes and how CLCs transition between them. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.11189.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra M Khantwal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Sherwin J Abraham
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Wei Han
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Tanmay S Chavan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Ricky C Cheng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Shelley M Elvington
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Corey W Liu
- Stanford Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Irimpan I Mathews
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Stanford University, Menlo Park, United States
| | - Richard A Stein
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Hassane S Mchaourab
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Merritt Maduke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
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41
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Peng Y, Swanson JMJ, Kang SG, Zhou R, Voth GA. Hydrated Excess Protons Can Create Their Own Water Wires. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:9212-8. [PMID: 25369445 PMCID: PMC4515783 DOI: 10.1021/jp5095118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Revised: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Grotthuss shuttling of an excess proton charge defect through hydrogen bonded water networks has long been the focus of theoretical and experimental studies. In this work we show that there is a related process in which water molecules move ("shuttle") through a hydrated excess proton charge defect in order to wet the path ahead for subsequent proton charge migration. This process is illustrated through reactive molecular dynamics simulations of proton transport through a hydrophobic nanotube, which penetrates through a hydrophobic region. Surprisingly, before the proton enters the nanotube, it starts "shooting" water molecules into the otherwise dry space via Grotthuss shuttling, effectively creating its own water wire where none existed before. As the proton enters the nanotube (by 2-3 Å), it completes the solvation process, transitioning the nanotube to the fully wet state. By contrast, other monatomic cations (e.g., K(+)) have just the opposite effect, by blocking the wetting process and making the nanotube even drier. As the dry nanotube gradually becomes wet when the proton charge defect enters it, the free energy barrier of proton permeation through the tube via Grotthuss shuttling drops significantly. This finding suggests that an important wetting mechanism may influence proton translocation in biological systems, i.e., one in which protons "create" their own water structures (water "wires") in hydrophobic spaces (e.g., protein pores) before migrating through them. An existing water wire, e.g., one seen in an X-ray crystal structure or MD simulations without an explicit excess proton, is therefore not a requirement for protons to transport through hydrophobic spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Peng
- †Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, Computation Institute, The University of Chicago, 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jessica M J Swanson
- †Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, Computation Institute, The University of Chicago, 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Seung-gu Kang
- ‡Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- ‡Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Gregory A Voth
- †Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, Computation Institute, The University of Chicago, 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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42
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Zifarelli G. A tale of two CLCs: biophysical insights toward understanding ClC-5 and ClC-7 function in endosomes and lysosomes. J Physiol 2015; 593:4139-50. [PMID: 26036722 DOI: 10.1113/jp270604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The CLC protein family comprises both Cl(-) channels and H(+) -coupled anion transporters. The understanding of the critical role of CLC proteins in a number of physiological functions has greatly contributed to a revision of the classical paradigm that attributed to Cl(-) ions only a marginal role in human physiology. The endosomal ClC-5 and the lysosomal ClC-7 are the best characterized human CLC transporters. Their dysfunction causes Dent's disease and osteopetrosis, respectively. It had been originally proposed that they would provide a Cl(-) shunt conductance allowing efficient acidification of intracellular compartments. However, this model seems to conflict with the transport properties of these proteins and with recent physiological evidence. Currently, there is no consensus on their specific physiological role. CLC proteins present also a number of peculiar biophysical properties, such as the dimeric architecture, the co-existence of intrinsically different thermodynamic modes of transport based on similar structural principles, and the gating mechanism recently emerging for the transporters, just to name a few. This review focuses on the biophysical properties and physiological roles of ClC-5 and ClC-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Zifarelli
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
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43
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Abraham SJ, Cheng RC, Chew TA, Khantwal CM, Liu CW, Gong S, Nakamoto RK, Maduke M. 13C NMR detects conformational change in the 100-kD membrane transporter ClC-ec1. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2015; 61:209-26. [PMID: 25631353 PMCID: PMC4398623 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-015-9898-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
CLC transporters catalyze the exchange of Cl(-) for H(+) across cellular membranes. To do so, they must couple Cl(-) and H(+) binding and unbinding to protein conformational change. However, the sole conformational changes distinguished crystallographically are small movements of a glutamate side chain that locally gates the ion-transport pathways. Therefore, our understanding of whether and how global protein dynamics contribute to the exchange mechanism has been severely limited. To overcome the limitations of crystallography, we used solution-state (13)C-methyl NMR with labels on methionine, lysine, and engineered cysteine residues to investigate substrate (H(+)) dependent conformational change outside the restraints of crystallization. We show that methyl labels in several regions report H(+)-dependent spectral changes. We identify one of these regions as Helix R, a helix that extends from the center of the protein, where it forms the part of the inner gate to the Cl(-)-permeation pathway, to the extracellular solution. The H(+)-dependent spectral change does not occur when a label is positioned just beyond Helix R, on the unstructured C-terminus of the protein. Together, the results suggest that H(+) binding is mechanistically coupled to closing of the intracellular access-pathway for Cl(-).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherwin J. Abraham
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive West, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Ricky C. Cheng
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive West, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Thomas A. Chew
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive West, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Chandra M. Khantwal
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive West, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Corey W. Liu
- Stanford Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, 299 Campus Drive West, D105 Fairchild Science Building, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Shimei Gong
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, PO Box 10011, Charlottesville, VA 22906-0011
| | - Robert K. Nakamoto
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, PO Box 10011, Charlottesville, VA 22906-0011
| | - Merritt Maduke
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive West, Stanford, CA 94035
- corresponding author, , tel (650)-723-9075, fax (650)-725-8021
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44
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Li J, Wen PC, Moradi M, Tajkhorshid E. Computational characterization of structural dynamics underlying function in active membrane transporters. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2015; 31:96-105. [PMID: 25913536 PMCID: PMC4476910 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Active transport of materials across the cellular membrane is one the most fundamental processes in biology. In order to accomplish this task, membrane transporters rely on a wide range of conformational changes spanning multiple time and size scales. These molecular events govern key functional aspects in membrane transporters, namely, coordinated gating motions underlying the alternating access mode of operation, and coupling of uphill transport of substrate to various sources of energy, for example, transmembrane electrochemical gradients and ATP binding and hydrolysis. Computational techniques such as molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations have equipped us with a powerful repertoire of biophysical tools offering unparalleled spatial and temporal resolutions that can effectively complement experimental methodologies, and therefore help fill the gap of knowledge in understanding the molecular basis of function in membrane transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Po-Chao Wen
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Mahmoud Moradi
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States.
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45
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Pusch M, Zifarelli G. ClC-5: Physiological role and biophysical mechanisms. Cell Calcium 2014; 58:57-66. [PMID: 25443653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cl(-) transport in animal cells has fundamental physiological roles and it is mediated by a variety of protein families, one of them being the CLC family of ion channels and transporters. Besides their physiological relevance, CLC proteins show peculiar biophysical properties. This review will focus on a member of the CLC protein family, the endosomal Cl(-)/H(+) antiporter ClC-5. ClC-5 mutations cause Dent's disease, a renal syndrome due to defective protein reabsorption in the proximal tubule. This established the critical function of ClC-5 for endocytosis. However, our understanding of ClC-5's molecular role in endosomes and of its biophysical properties has proved elusive in spite of important progress achieved in the last two decades. Early models in which ClC-5 would provide a shunt conductance to enable efficient endosomal acidification conflicted with the antiport activity of ClC-5 that has more recently emerged. Currently, the physiological role of ClC-5 is hotly debated and its biophysical properties are still not fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pusch
- Istituto di Biofisica, CNR, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genoa, Italy
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46
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Kell DB, Oliver SG. How drugs get into cells: tested and testable predictions to help discriminate between transporter-mediated uptake and lipoidal bilayer diffusion. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:231. [PMID: 25400580 PMCID: PMC4215795 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One approach to experimental science involves creating hypotheses, then testing them by varying one or more independent variables, and assessing the effects of this variation on the processes of interest. We use this strategy to compare the intellectual status and available evidence for two models or views of mechanisms of transmembrane drug transport into intact biological cells. One (BDII) asserts that lipoidal phospholipid Bilayer Diffusion Is Important, while a second (PBIN) proposes that in normal intact cells Phospholipid Bilayer diffusion Is Negligible (i.e., may be neglected quantitatively), because evolution selected against it, and with transmembrane drug transport being effected by genetically encoded proteinaceous carriers or pores, whose “natural” biological roles, and substrates are based in intermediary metabolism. Despite a recent review elsewhere, we can find no evidence able to support BDII as we can find no experiments in intact cells in which phospholipid bilayer diffusion was either varied independently or measured directly (although there are many papers where it was inferred by seeing a covariation of other dependent variables). By contrast, we find an abundance of evidence showing cases in which changes in the activities of named and genetically identified transporters led to measurable changes in the rate or extent of drug uptake. PBIN also has considerable predictive power, and accounts readily for the large differences in drug uptake between tissues, cells and species, in accounting for the metabolite-likeness of marketed drugs, in pharmacogenomics, and in providing a straightforward explanation for the late-stage appearance of toxicity and of lack of efficacy during drug discovery programmes despite macroscopically adequate pharmacokinetics. Consequently, the view that Phospholipid Bilayer diffusion Is Negligible (PBIN) provides a starting hypothesis for assessing cellular drug uptake that is much better supported by the available evidence, and is both more productive and more predictive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Kell
- School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester Manchester, UK ; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester Manchester, UK
| | - Stephen G Oliver
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK ; Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK
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47
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Prerequisites to proton transport in the bacterial ClC-ec1 Cl-/H+ exchanger. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:1668-9. [PMID: 24459185 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1323186111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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48
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A Microscopic View of the Mechanisms of Active Transport Across the Cellular Membrane. ANNUAL REPORTS IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63378-1.00004-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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