1
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Jaunet-Lahary T, Shimamura T, Hayashi M, Nomura N, Hirasawa K, Shimizu T, Yamashita M, Tsutsumi N, Suehiro Y, Kojima K, Sudo Y, Tamura T, Iwanari H, Hamakubo T, Iwata S, Okazaki KI, Hirai T, Yamashita A. Structure and mechanism of oxalate transporter OxlT in an oxalate-degrading bacterium in the gut microbiota. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1730. [PMID: 37012268 PMCID: PMC10070484 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36883-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
An oxalate-degrading bacterium in the gut microbiota absorbs food-derived oxalate to use this as a carbon and energy source, thereby reducing the risk of kidney stone formation in host animals. The bacterial oxalate transporter OxlT selectively uptakes oxalate from the gut to bacterial cells with a strict discrimination from other nutrient carboxylates. Here, we present crystal structures of oxalate-bound and ligand-free OxlT in two distinct conformations, occluded and outward-facing states. The ligand-binding pocket contains basic residues that form salt bridges with oxalate while preventing the conformational switch to the occluded state without an acidic substrate. The occluded pocket can accommodate oxalate but not larger dicarboxylates, such as metabolic intermediates. The permeation pathways from the pocket are completely blocked by extensive interdomain interactions, which can be opened solely by a flip of a single side chain neighbouring the substrate. This study shows the structural basis underlying metabolic interactions enabling favourable symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Titouan Jaunet-Lahary
- Research Center for Computational Science, Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Tatsuro Shimamura
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Masahiro Hayashi
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Norimichi Nomura
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kouta Hirasawa
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | | | | | - Naotaka Tsutsumi
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Yuta Suehiro
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Keiichi Kojima
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Yuki Sudo
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Takashi Tamura
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Hiroko Iwanari
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Takao Hamakubo
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - So Iwata
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Kei-Ichi Okazaki
- Research Center for Computational Science, Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan.
| | | | - Atsuko Yamashita
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Sayo, 679-5148, Japan.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.
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2
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Sonke A, Trembath-Reichert E. Expanding the taxonomic and environmental extent of an underexplored carbon metabolism-oxalotrophy. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1161937. [PMID: 37213515 PMCID: PMC10192776 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1161937] [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: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxalate serves various functions in the biological processes of plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals. It occurs naturally in the minerals weddellite and whewellite (calcium oxalates) or as oxalic acid. The environmental accumulation of oxalate is disproportionately low compared to the prevalence of highly productive oxalogens, namely plants. It is hypothesized that oxalotrophic microbes limit oxalate accumulation by degrading oxalate minerals to carbonates via an under-explored biogeochemical cycle known as the oxalate-carbonate pathway (OCP). Neither the diversity nor the ecology of oxalotrophic bacteria is fully understood. This research investigated the phylogenetic relationships of the bacterial genes oxc, frc, oxdC, and oxlT, which encode key enzymes for oxalotrophy, using bioinformatic approaches and publicly available omics datasets. Phylogenetic trees of oxc and oxdC genes demonstrated grouping by both source environment and taxonomy. All four trees included genes from metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that contained novel lineages and environments for oxalotrophs. In particular, sequences of each gene were recovered from marine environments. These results were supported with marine transcriptome sequences and description of key amino acid residue conservation. Additionally, we investigated the theoretical energy yield from oxalotrophy across marine-relevant pressure and temperature conditions and found similar standard state Gibbs free energy to "low energy" marine sediment metabolisms, such as anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate reduction. These findings suggest further need to understand the role of bacterial oxalotrophy in the OCP, particularly in marine environments, and its contribution to global carbon cycling.
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3
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Hayashi M, Kojima K, Sudo Y, Yamashita A. An optogenetic assay method for electrogenic transporters using Escherichia coli co-expressing light-driven proton pump. Protein Sci 2021; 30:2161-2169. [PMID: 34216503 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In organisms, nutrients and wastes move across the cellular membrane, in which membrane-embedded transporters facilitate and inhibit the movement. Despite the physiological significances, the currently used assay methods for transporter activities require tedious preparation and analytical processes. In this study, we report the isotope-free and label-free measurement system for the transport activities of electrogenic transporters. In the system, two molecules, a light-driven inward proton pump rhodopsin, xenorhodopsin (XeR), and a representative of an electrogenic transporter, an oxalate transporter (OxlT), were co-expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The light illumination of the cells co-expressing XeR and OxlT showed an increase in the pH of the bulk solution and that the extent of the pH change is significantly enhanced by adding the oxalate, suggesting the light-induced inward proton transport by XeR coupled to the negative electrogenic transport by OxlT. Such a pH increase was dependent on the oxalate concentration, but not on the XeR expression level. Of note, pH increase was not observed for the nonfunctional mutants of OxlT, R272A, and K355Q, supporting the validity of the system. Thus, we successfully developed an optogenetic assay method for electrogenic transporters using E. coli co-expressing light-driven proton pump.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Hayashi
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Keiichi Kojima
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yuki Sudo
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Atsuko Yamashita
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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4
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Iyalomhe O, Herrick DZ, Cafiso DS, Maloney PC. Closure of the cytoplasmic gate formed by TM5 and TM11 during transport in the oxalate/formate exchanger from Oxalobacter formigenes. Biochemistry 2014; 53:7735-44. [PMID: 25409483 PMCID: PMC4270380 DOI: 10.1021/bi5012173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
![]()
OxlT, the oxalate/formate exchanger
of Oxalobacter
formigenes, is a member of the major facilitator superfamily
of transporters. In the present work, substrate (oxalate) was found
to enhance the reactivity of the cysteine mutant S336C on the cytoplasmic
end of helix 11 to methanethiosulfonate ethyl carboxylate. In addition,
S336C is found to spontaneously cross-link to S143C in TM5 in either
native or reconstituted membranes under conditions that support transport.
Continuous wave EPR measurements are consistent with this result and
indicate that positions 143 and 336 are in close proximity in the
presence of substrate. These two residues are localized within helix
interacting GxxxG-like motifs (G140LASG144 and
S336DIFG340) at the cytoplasmic poles of TM5
and TM11. Pulse EPR measurements were used to determine distances
and distance distributions across the cytoplasmic or periplasmic ends
of OxlT and were compared with the predictions of an inside-open homology
model. The data indicate that a significant population of transporter
is in an outside-open configuration in the presence of substrate;
however, each end of the transporter exhibits significant conformational
heterogeneity, where both inside-open and outside-open configurations
are present. These data indicate that TM5 and TM11, which form part
of the transport pathway, transiently close during transport and that
there is a conformational equilibrium between inside-open and outside-open
states of OxlT in the presence of substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osigbemhe Iyalomhe
- Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine , 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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5
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The Structure and Function of OxlT, the Oxalate Transporter of Oxalobacter formigenes. J Membr Biol 2014; 248:641-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00232-014-9728-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Oxalyl-coenzyme A reduction to glyoxylate is the preferred route of oxalate assimilation in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:3144-55. [PMID: 22493020 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00288-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxalate catabolism is conducted by phylogenetically diverse organisms, including Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. Here, we investigate the central metabolism of this alphaproteobacterium during growth on oxalate by using proteomics, mutant characterization, and (13)C-labeling experiments. Our results confirm that energy conservation proceeds as previously described for M. extorquens AM1 and other characterized oxalotrophic bacteria via oxalyl-coenzyme A (oxalyl-CoA) decarboxylase and formyl-CoA transferase and subsequent oxidation to carbon dioxide via formate dehydrogenase. However, in contrast to other oxalate-degrading organisms, the assimilation of this carbon compound in M. extorquens AM1 occurs via the operation of a variant of the serine cycle as follows: oxalyl-CoA reduction to glyoxylate and conversion to glycine and its condensation with methylene-tetrahydrofolate derived from formate, resulting in the formation of C3 units. The recently discovered ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway operates during growth on oxalate but is nevertheless dispensable, indicating that oxalyl-CoA reductase is sufficient to provide the glyoxylate required for biosynthesis. Analysis of an oxalyl-CoA synthetase- and oxalyl-CoA-reductase-deficient double mutant revealed an alternative, although less efficient, strategy for oxalate assimilation via one-carbon intermediates. The alternative process consists of formate assimilation via the tetrahydrofolate pathway to fuel the serine cycle, and the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway is used for glyoxylate regeneration. Our results support the notion that M. extorquens AM1 has a plastic central metabolism featuring multiple assimilation routes for C1 and C2 substrates, which may contribute to the rapid adaptation of this organism to new substrates and the eventual coconsumption of substrates under environmental conditions.
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7
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Wang X, Ye L, McKinney CC, Feng M, Maloney PC. Cysteine scanning mutagenesis of TM5 reveals conformational changes in OxlT, the oxalate transporter of Oxalobacter formigenes. Biochemistry 2008; 47:5709-17. [PMID: 18452311 DOI: 10.1021/bi8001314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We constructed a single-cysteine panel encompassing TM5 of the oxalate transporter, OxlT. The 25 positions encompassed by TM5 were largely tolerant of mutagenesis, and functional product was recovered for 21 of the derived variants. For these derivatives, thiol-directed MTS-linked agents (MTSEA, MTSCE, and MTSES) were used as probes of transporter function, yielding 11 mutants that responded to probe treatment, as indicated by effects on oxalate transport. Further study identified three biochemical phenotypes among these responders. Group 1 included seven mutants, exemplified by G151C, displaying substrate protection against probe inhibition. Group 2 was comprised of a single mutant, P156C, which had unexpected behavior. In this case, we observed increased activity if weak acid/base or neutral probes were used, while exposure to probes introducing a fixed charge led to decreased function. In both instances, the presence of substrate prevented the observed response. Group 3 contained three mutants (e.g., S143C) in which probe sensitivity was increased by the presence of substrate. The finding of substrate-protectable probe modification in groups 1 and 2 suggests that TM5 lies on the permeation pathway, as do its structural counterparts, TM2, TM8, and TM11. In addition, we speculate that substrate binding facilitates TM5 conformational changes that allow new regions to become accessible to MTS-linked probes (group 3). These biochemical data are consistent with the recently developed OxlT homology model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xicheng Wang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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8
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Nanatani K, Fujiki T, Kanou K, Takeda-Shitaka M, Umeyama H, Ye L, Wang X, Nakajima T, Uchida T, Maloney PC, Abe K. Topology of AspT, the aspartate:alanine antiporter of Tetragenococcus halophilus, determined by site-directed fluorescence labeling. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:7089-97. [PMID: 17660287 PMCID: PMC2045216 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00088-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The gram-positive lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophilus catalyzes the decarboxylation of L-aspartate (Asp) with release of L-alanine (Ala) and CO(2). The decarboxylation reaction consists of two steps: electrogenic exchange of Asp for Ala catalyzed by an aspartate:alanine antiporter (AspT) and intracellular decarboxylation of the transported Asp catalyzed by an L-aspartate-beta-decarboxylase (AspD). AspT belongs to the newly classified aspartate:alanine exchanger family (transporter classification no. 2.A.81) of transporters. In this study, we were interested in the relationship between the structure and function of AspT and thus analyzed the topology by means of the substituted-cysteine accessibility method using the impermeant, fluorescent, thiol-specific probe Oregon Green 488 maleimide (OGM) and the impermeant, nonfluorescent, thiol-specific probe [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]methanethiosulfonate bromide. We generated 23 single-cysteine variants from a six-histidine-tagged cysteineless AspT template. A cysteine position was assigned an external location if the corresponding single-cysteine variant reacted with OGM added to intact cells, and a position was assigned an internal location if OGM labeling required cell lysis. The topology analyses revealed that AspT has a unique topology; the protein has 10 transmembrane helices (TMs), a large hydrophilic cytoplasmic loop (about 180 amino acids) between TM5 and TM6, N and C termini that face the periplasm, and a positively charged residue (arginine 76) within TM3. Moreover, the three-dimensional structure constructed by means of the full automatic modeling system indicates that the large hydrophilic cytoplasmic loop of AspT possesses a TrkA_C domain and a TrkA_C-like domain and that the three-dimensional structures of these domains are similar to each other even though their amino acid sequences show low similarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Nanatani
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 981-8555 Japan
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9
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Wang X, Sarker RI, Maloney PC. Analysis of substrate-binding elements in OxlT, the oxalate:formate antiporter of Oxalobacter formigenes. Biochemistry 2006; 45:10344-50. [PMID: 16922510 PMCID: PMC2443686 DOI: 10.1021/bi060746v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
An OxlT homology model suggests R272 and K355 in transmembrane helices 8 and 11, respectively, are critical to OxlT-mediated transport. We offer positive evidence supporting this idea by studying OxlT function after cysteine residues were separately introduced at these positions. Without further treatment, both mutant proteins had a null phenotype when they were reconstituted into proteoliposomes. By contrast, significant recovery of function occurred when proteoliposomes were treated with MTSEA (methanethiosulfonate ethylamine), a thiol-specific reagent that implants a positively charged amino group. In each case, there was a 2-fold increase in the Michaelis constant (K(M)) for oxalate self-exchange (from 80 to 160 microM), along with a 5-fold (K355C) or 100-fold (R272C) reduction in V(max) compared to that of the cysteine-less parental protein. Analysis by MALDI-TOF confirmed that MTSEA introduced the desired modification. We also examined substrate selectivity for the treated derivatives. While oxalate remained the preferred substrate, there was a shift in preference among other substrates so that the normal rank order (oxalate > malonate > formate) was altered to favor smaller substrates (oxalate > formate > malonate). This shift is consistent with the idea that the substrate-binding site is reduced in size via introduction of the SCH(2)CH(2)NH(3)(+) adduct, which generates a side chain that is approximately 1.85 A longer than that of lysine or arginine. These findings lead us to conclude that R272 and K355 are essential components of the OxlT substrate-binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xicheng Wang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Rafiquel I. Sarker
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Peter C. Maloney
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21205
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10
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Eisenhauer HA, Shames S, Pawelek PD, Coulton JW. Siderophore Transport through Escherichia coli Outer Membrane Receptor FhuA with Disulfide-tethered Cork and Barrel Domains. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:30574-80. [PMID: 15994322 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m506708200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The hydroxamate siderophore receptor FhuA is a TonB-dependent outer membrane protein of Escherichia coli composed of a C-terminal 22-stranded beta-barrel occluded by an N-terminal globular cork domain. During siderophore transport into the periplasm, the FhuA cork domain has been proposed to undergo conformational changes that allow transport through the barrel lumen; alternatively, the cork may be completely displaced from the barrel. To probe such changes, site-directed cysteine mutants in the cork domain (L109C and Q112C) and in the barrel domain (S356C and M383C) were created within the putative siderophore transport pathway. Molecular modeling predicted that the double cysteine mutants L109C/S356C and Q112C/M383C would form disulfide bonds, thereby tethering the cork and barrel domains. The double cysteine FhuA mutants were denatured under nonreducing conditions and fluorescently labeled with thiol-specific Oregon Green maleimide. Subsequent SDS-PAGE analysis revealed two distinct species: FhuA containing a disulfide bond and FhuA with free sulfhydryl groups. To address the role of the putative siderophore transport pathway and to evaluate possible rearrangements of the cork domain during ferricrocin transport, disulfide bond formation was enhanced by an oxidative catalyst. Cells containing double cysteine FhuA mutants that were subjected to oxidation during ferricrocin transport exhibited disulfide bond formation to near completion. After disulfide tethering of the cork to the barrel, ferricrocin transport was equivalent to transport by untreated cells. These results demonstrate that blocking the putative siderophore transport pathway does not abrogate ferricrocin uptake. We propose that, during siderophore transport through FhuA, the cork domain remains within the barrel rather than being displaced.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Anne Eisenhauer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
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11
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Yang Q, Wang X, Ye L, Mentrikoski M, Mohammadi E, Kim YM, Maloney PC. Experimental tests of a homology model for OxlT, the oxalate transporter of Oxalobacter formigenes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005; 102:8513-8. [PMID: 15932938 PMCID: PMC1150865 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0503533102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the x-ray structure of the glycerol 3-phosphate transporter (GlpT), we devised a model for the distantly related oxalate transporter, OxlT. The model accommodates all earlier biochemical information on OxlT, including the idea that Lys-355 lies on the permeation pathway, and predicts that Lys-355 and a second positive center, Arg-272, comprise the binding site for divalent oxalate. Study of R272K, R272A, and R272Q derivatives verifies that Arg-272 is essential, and comparisons with GlpT show that both anion transporters bind substrates within equivalent domains. In 22 single-cysteine variants in TM7 and TM8, topology as marked by accessibility to Oregon green maleimide is predicted by the model, with similar concordance for 52 positions probed earlier. The model also reconciles cross-linking of a cysteine pair placed near the periplasmic ends of TM2 and TM7, and retrospective study of TM2 and TM11 confirms that positions supporting disulfide trapping lie at a helical interface. Our work describes a pathway to the modeling of OxlT and other transporters in the major facilitator superfamily and outlines simple experimental tests to evaluate such proposals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Yang
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205-2185, USA
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12
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Beuming T, Weinstein H. Modeling membrane proteins based on low-resolution electron microscopy maps: a template for the TM domains of the oxalate transporter OxlT. Protein Eng Des Sel 2005; 18:119-25. [PMID: 15820982 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzi013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The availability of both EM and high-resolution crystallographic data for several membrane proteins (MPs) permits a detailed evaluation of the ability of molecular modeling techniques to complement EM data in the development of models of MPs. A protocol for this purpose is presented, consisting of (1) identifying transmembrane (TM) domains from sequence; (2) assigning buried and lipid-exposed faces of the TM domains; and (3) assembling the TM domains into a bundle, based on geometric restraints obtained from the EM data. The protocol is validated by predicting the structures of several 7- and 12-TM MPs to within 3-5 A r.m.s.d. from their crystal structures. The protocol is applied to generate a model of the oxalate transporter OxlT, for which a high-resolution structure is not yet available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thijs Beuming
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
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13
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Ma C, Kotaria R, Mayor JA, Remani S, Walters DE, Kaplan RS. The Yeast Mitochondrial Citrate Transport Protein. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:2331-40. [PMID: 15498760 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m411474200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous examination of the accessibility of a panel of single-Cys mutants in transmembrane domain III (TMDIII) of the yeast mitochondrial citrate transport protein to hydrophilic, cysteine-specific methanethiosulfonate reagents, enabled identification of the water-accessible surface of this domain and suggested its potential participation in the formation of a portion of the substrate translocation pathway. To evaluate this idea, we conducted a detailed characterization of the functional properties of 20 TMDIII single-Cys substitution mutants. Kinetic studies indicate that the A118C, S123C, and K134C mutants displayed a 3- to 7-fold increase in K(m). Moreover, the A118C mutation caused a doubling of the V(max) value, whereas the S123C, E131C, and K134C mutations caused V(max) to dramatically decrease, resulting in a reduction of the catalytic efficiencies of these three mutants by >97%. Examination of the ability of citrate to protect against the inhibition mediated by sodium (2-sulfonatoethyl)methanethiosulfonate (MTSES) indicated that citrate conferred significant protection of cysteines substituted at eight water-accessible locations (i.e. Gly-115, Leu-116, Gly-117, Leu-121, Ser-123, Val-127, Glu-131, and Thr-135), but not at other sites. Importantly, similar levels of protection were observed at both 4 degrees C and 20 degrees C. The temperature independence of the protection indicates that substrate binding and/or occupancy of the transport pathway sterically blocks the access of MTSES to these sites, thereby providing direct protection, without involvement of a major protein conformational change. The significance of these extensive functional investigations is discussed in terms of the three-dimensional CTP homology model that we previously developed and a new model of the dimer interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlong Ma
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/The Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, USA
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14
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Hirai T, Subramaniam S. Structure and transport mechanism of the bacterial oxalate transporter OxlT. Biophys J 2004; 87:3600-7. [PMID: 15339805 PMCID: PMC1304825 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.104.049320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane proteins that belong to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) are found in organisms across the evolutionary spectrum and mediate the transport of a variety of substrates ranging from small metabolites to neurotransmitters. The oxalate transporter (OxlT) is a representative MFS protein, and exchanges formate for oxalate across the cytoplasmic membrane of the organism Oxalobacter formigenes. Here, we present a structural model for the protein conformational changes that occur during oxalate transport by combining a three-dimensional map of the oxalate-bound, "closed" state of OxlT at 6.5 A determined by cryo-electron microscopy with a model of the "open" state of OxlT based on the atomic structures of the related transporters, glycerol-3-phosphate transporter (GlpT) and lactose permease (LacY). We demonstrate that the principal structural change associated with substrate transport is a concerted rocking movement of the two structurally similar halves of the protein relative to each other. Our structural model places two positively charged residues, Arg-272 and Lys-355 in the central cavity, suggesting that electrostatic interactions between these residues and the oxalate anion is a key step in generating the conformational change between the open and closed states of the transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teruhisa Hirai
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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15
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Ketchum CJ, Rajendrakumar GV, Maloney PC. Characterization of the adenosinetriphosphatase and transport activities of purified cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Biochemistry 2004; 43:1045-53. [PMID: 14744150 PMCID: PMC2587309 DOI: 10.1021/bi035382a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) functions in vivo as a cAMP-activated chloride channel. A member of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily of membrane transporters, CFTR contains two transmembrane domains (TMDs), two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), and a regulatory (R) domain. It is presumed that CFTR couples ATP hydrolysis to channel gating, and as a first step in addressing this issue directly, we have established conditions for purification of biochemical quantities of human CFTR expressed in Sf9 insect cells. Use of an 8-azido[alpha-(32)P]ATP-binding and vanadate-trapping assay allowed us to devise conditions to preserve CFTR function during purification of a C-terminal His(10)-tagged variant after solubilization with lysophosphatidylglycerol (1%) and diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine (0.3%) in the presence of excess phospholipid. Study of purified and reconstituted CFTR showed that it binds nucleotide with an efficiency comparable to that of P-glycoprotein and that it hydrolyzes ATP at rates sufficient to account for presumed in vivo activity [V(max) of 58 +/- 5 nmol min(-1) (mg of protein)(-1), K(M)(MgATP) of 0.15 mM]. In further work, we found that neither nucleotide binding nor ATPase activity was altered by phosphorylation (using protein kinase A) or dephosphorylation (with protein phosphatase 2B); we also observed inhibition (approximately 40%) of ATP hydrolysis by reduced glutathione but not by DTT. To evaluate CFTR function as an anion channel, we introduced an in vitro macroscopic assay based on the equilibrium exchange of proteoliposome-entrapped radioactive tracers. This revealed a CFTR-dependent transport of (125)I that could be inhibited by known chloride channel blockers; no significant CFTR-dependent transport of [alpha-(32)P]ATP was observed. We conclude that heterologous expression of CFTR in Sf9 cells can support manufacture and purification of fully functional CFTR. This should aid in further biochemical characterization of this important molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J Ketchum
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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16
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Fann MC, Busch A, Maloney PC. Functional characterization of cysteine residues in GlpT, the glycerol 3-phosphate transporter of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2003; 185:3863-70. [PMID: 12813080 PMCID: PMC161592 DOI: 10.1128/jb.185.13.3863-3870.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In Escherichia coli, the GlpT transporter, a member of the major facilitator superfamily, moves external glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) into the cytoplasm in exchange for cytoplasmic phosphate. Study of intact cells showed that both GlpT and HisGlpT, a variant with an N-terminal six-histidine tag, are inhibited (50% inhibitory concentration approximately 35 microM) by the hydrophilic thiol-specific agent p-mercurichlorobenzosulfonate (PCMBS) in a substrate-protectable fashion; by contrast, two other thiol-directed probes, N-maleimidylpropionylbiocytin (MPB) and [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]methanethiosulfonate (MTSET), have no effect. Use of variants in which the HisGlpT native cysteines are replaced individually by serine or glycine implicates Cys-176, on transmembrane helix 5 (TM5), as the major target for PCMBS. The inhibitor sensitivity of purified and reconstituted HisGlpT or its cysteine substitution derivatives was found to be consistent with the findings with intact cells, except that a partial response to PCMBS was found for the C176G mutant, suggesting the presence of a mixed population of both right-side-out (RSO) (resistant) and inside-out (ISO) (sensitive) orientations after reconstitution. To clarify this issue, we studied a derivative (P290C) in which the RSO molecules can be blocked independently due to an MPB-responsive cysteine in an extracellular loop. In this derivative, comparisons of variants with (P290C) and without (P290C/C176G) Cys-176 indicated that this residue shows substrate-protectable inhibition by PCMBS in the ISO orientation in proteoliposomes. Since PCMBS gains access to Cys-176 from both periplasmic and cytoplasmic surfaces of the protein (in intact cells and in a reconstituted ISO orientation, respectively) and since access is unavailable when the substrate is present, we propose that Cys-176 is located on the transport pathway and that TM5 has a role in lining this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mon-Chou Fann
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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17
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Ye L, Maloney PC. Structure/function relationships in OxlT, the oxalate/formate antiporter of Oxalobacter formigenes: assignment of transmembrane helix 2 to the translocation pathway. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:20372-8. [PMID: 11919184 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111140200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We constructed a single cysteine panel encompassing transmembrane helix two (TM2) of OxlT, the oxalate/formate antiporter of Oxalobacter formigenes. Among the 21 positions targeted, cysteine substitution identified one (phenylalanine 59) as essential to OxlT expression and three (glutamine 56, glutamine 66, and serine 69) as potentially critical to OxlT function. By probing membranes with a bulky hydrophilic probe (Oregon Green maleimide) we also located a central inaccessible core of at least eight residues in length, extending from leucine 61 to glycine 68. Functional assays based on reconstitution of crude detergent extracts showed that of single cysteine mutants within the TM2 core only the Q63C variant was substantially (> or =95%) inhibited by thiol-specific agents (carboxyethyl methanethiosulfonate and ethylsulfonate methanethiosulfonate). Subsequent analytical work using the purified Q63C protein showed that inhibition by ethylsulfonate methanethiosulfonate was blocked by substrate and that the concentration dependence of such substrate protection occurred with a binding constant of 0.16 mm oxalate, comparable with the Michaelis constant observed for oxalate transport (0.23 mm). These findings lead us to conclude that position 63 lies on the OxlT translocation pathway. Our conclusion is strengthened by the finding that position 63, along with most other positions relevant to TM2 function, is found on a helical face that can be cross-linked to the pathway-facing surface of TM11 (Fu, D., Sarker, R. I., Bolton, E., and Maloney, P. C. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 8753-8760).
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Ye
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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18
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Kim YM, Ye L, Maloney PC. Helix proximity in OxlT, the oalate:formate antiporter of oxalobacter formigenes. Cross-linking between TM2 and TM11. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:36681-6. [PMID: 11457863 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m106079200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments were designed to evaluate the proximity of transmembrane helices two (TM2) and eleven (TM11) in the tertiary structure of OxlT, the oxalate:formate exchange transporter of Oxalobacter formigenes. A tandem duplication of the Factor Xa protease cleavage site (IEGRIEGR) was inserted into the central cytoplasmic loop of an OxlT cysteine-less derivative in which an endogenous cleavage site had been eliminated by mutagenesis (R248Q). Using this host, double cysteine derivatives were constructed so as to pair one of seventeen positions in TM2 with one of four positions in TM11. Following treatment of membrane vesicles with Cu(II)(1,10-phenanthroline)(3), molecular iodine, or N,N'-o-phenylenedimaleimide, samples were exposed to Factor Xa, and disulfide bond formation was assessed after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by staining with antibody directed against the OxlT C terminus. In the absence of disulfide bond formation, exposure to Factor Xa revealed the expected C-terminal 22-kDa fragment, a result unaffected by the presence of reductant. By contrast, after disulfide formation, OxlT mobility remained at 35 kDa, and appearance of the 22-kDa fragment required addition of 200 mm dithiothreitol prior to electrophoresis. The four TM11 positions chosen for cysteine substitution lie on a helical face known to interact with substrate. Similarly, TM2 positions supporting disulfide trapping were also confined to a single helical face. We conclude that TM2 and TM11 are in close juxtaposition to one another in the tertiary structure of OxlT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y M Kim
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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19
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Heymann JA, Sarker R, Hirai T, Shi D, Milne JL, Maloney PC, Subramaniam S. Projection structure and molecular architecture of OxlT, a bacterial membrane transporter. EMBO J 2001; 20:4408-13. [PMID: 11500368 PMCID: PMC125264 DOI: 10.1093/emboj/20.16.4408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The major facilitator superfamily (MFS) represents the largest collection of evolutionarily related members within the class of membrane 'carrier' proteins. OxlT, a representative example of the MFS, is an oxalate-transporting membrane protein in Oxalobacter formigenes. From an electron crystallographic analysis of two-dimensional crystals of OxlT, we have determined the projection structure of this membrane transporter. The projection map at 6 A resolution indicates the presence of 12 transmembrane helices in each monomer of OxlT, with one set of six helices related to the other set by an approximate internal two-fold axis. The projection map reveals the existence of a central cavity, which we propose to be part of the pathway of oxalate transport. By combining information from the projection map with related biochemical data, we present probable models for the architectural arrangement of transmembrane helices in this protein superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafiquel Sarker
- Laboratories of Biochemistry and
Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Corresponding author e-mail:
J.A.W.Heymann, R.Sarker and T.Hirai contributed equally to this work
| | | | | | - Jacqueline L.S. Milne
- Laboratories of Biochemistry and
Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Corresponding author e-mail:
J.A.W.Heymann, R.Sarker and T.Hirai contributed equally to this work
| | - Peter C. Maloney
- Laboratories of Biochemistry and
Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Corresponding author e-mail:
J.A.W.Heymann, R.Sarker and T.Hirai contributed equally to this work
| | - Sriram Subramaniam
- Laboratories of Biochemistry and
Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Department of Physiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Corresponding author e-mail:
J.A.W.Heymann, R.Sarker and T.Hirai contributed equally to this work
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20
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Ketchum CJ, Schmidt WK, Rajendrakumar GV, Michaelis S, Maloney PC. The yeast a-factor transporter Ste6p, a member of the ABC superfamily, couples ATP hydrolysis to pheromone export. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:29007-11. [PMID: 11389139 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m100810200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins transport a diverse collection of substrates. It is presumed that these proteins couple ATP hydrolysis to substrate transport, yet ATPase activity has been demonstrated for only a few. To provide direct evidence for such activity in Ste6p, the yeast ABC protein required for the export of a-factor mating pheromone, we established conditions for purification of Ste6p in biochemical quantities from both yeast and Sf9 insect cells. The basal ATPase activity of purified and reconstituted Ste6p (V(max) = 18 nmol/mg/min; K(m) for MgATP = 0.2 mm) compares favorably with several other ABC proteins and was inhibited by orthovanadate in a profile diagnostic of ABC transporters (apparent K(I) = 12 microm). Modest stimulation (approximately 40%) was observed upon the addition of a-factor either synthetic or in native form. We also used an 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ATP binding and vanadate-trapping assay to examine the behavior of wild-type Ste6p and two different double mutants (G392V/G1087V and G509D/G1193D) shown previously to be mating-deficient in vivo. Both mutants displayed a diminished ability to hydrolyze ATP, with the latter uncoupled from pheromone transport. We conclude that Ste6p catalyzes ATP hydrolysis coupled to a-factor transport, which in turn promotes mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Ketchum
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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21
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Hall JA, Maloney PC. Transmembrane segment 11 of UhpT, the sugar phosphate carrier of Escherichia coli, is an alpha-helix that carries determinants of substrate selectivity. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:25107-13. [PMID: 11349129 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m102017200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In Escherichia coli, transport of hexose 6-phosphates is mediated by the P(i)-linked antiport carrier, UhpT, a member of the major facilitator superfamily. We showed earlier that Lys(391), a member of an intrahelical salt bridge (Asp(388)/Lys(391)) in the eleventh transmembrane segment (TM11) of this transporter, can function as a determinant of substrate selectivity (Hall, J. A., Fann, M.-C., and Maloney, P. C. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 6148-6153). Here, we examine in detail the role of TM11 in setting substrate preference. Derivatives having an uncompensated cationic charge at either position 388 or 391 (the D388C, D388V, or D388K/K391C variants) are gain-of-function mutants in which phosphoenolpyruvate, not sugar 6-phosphate, is the preferred organic substrate. By contrast, when an uncompensated anionic charge is placed at position 388 (K391C), we observed behavior consistent with an increased preference for monovalent rather than divalent sugar 6-phosphate. Because positions 388 and 391 lie deep within the UhpT hydrophobic sector, these findings suggested that an extended length of TM11 may be accessible to external substrates and probes. To explore this issue, we used a panel of TM11 single cysteine variants to examine the transport of glucose 6-phosphate in the presence and absence of the membrane-impermeant, thiol-reactive agent p-chloromercuribenzosulfonate (PCMBS). Accessibility to PCMBS, together with the pattern of substrate protection against PCMBS inhibition, leads us to conclude that TM11 spans the membrane as an alpha-helix, with approximately two-thirds of its surface lining a substrate translocation pathway. We suggest that this feature is a general property of carrier proteins in the major facilitator superfamily and that for this reason residues in TM11 will serve to carry determinants of substrate selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Hall
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University Medical School, 725 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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22
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Ye L, Jia Z, Jung T, Maloney PC. Topology of OxlT, the oxalate transporter of Oxalobacter formigenes, determined by site-directed fluorescence labeling. J Bacteriol 2001; 183:2490-6. [PMID: 11274108 PMCID: PMC95165 DOI: 10.1128/jb.183.8.2490-2496.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The topology of OxlT, the oxalate:formate exchange protein of Oxalobacter formigenes, was established by site-directed fluorescence labeling, a simple strategy that generates topological information in the context of the intact protein. Accessibility of cysteine to the fluorescent thiol-directed probe Oregon green maleimide (OGM) was examined for a panel of 34 single-cysteine variants, each generated in a His(9)-tagged cysteine-less host. The reaction with OGM was readily scored by examining the fluorescence profile after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of material purified by Ni2+ linked affinity chromatography. A position was assigned an external location if its single-cysteine derivative reacted with OGM added to intact cells; a position was designated internal if OGM labeling required cell lysis. We also showed that labeling of external, but not internal, positions was blocked by prior exposure of cells to the impermeable and nonfluorescent thiol-specific agent ethyltrimethylammonium methanethiosulfonate. Of the 34 positions examined in this way, 29 were assigned unambiguously to either an internal or external location; 5 positions could not be assigned, since the target cysteine failed to react with OGM. There was no evidence of false-positive assignment. Our findings document a simple and rapid method for establishing the topology of a membrane protein and show that OxlT has 12 transmembrane segments, confirming inferences from hydropathy analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ye
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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