Structural and functional separation of the N- and C-terminal domains of the yeast V-ATPase subunit H

Structural and functional understanding of disease-associated mutations in V-ATPase subunit a1 and other isoforms

The vacuolar-type ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multisubunit protein composed of the cytosolic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis catalyzing V1 complex, and the integral membrane complex, Vo, responsible for proton translocation. The largest subunit of the Vo complex, subunit a, enables proton translocation upon ATP hydrolysis, mediated by the cytosolic V1 complex. Four known subunit a isoforms (a1-a4) are expressed in different cellular locations. Subunit a1 (also known as Voa1), the neural isoform, is strongly expressed in neurons and is encoded by the ATP6V0A1 gene. Global knockout of this gene in mice causes embryonic lethality, whereas pyramidal neuron-specific knockout resulted in neuronal cell death with impaired spatial and learning memory. Recently reported, de novo and biallelic mutations of the human ATP6V0A1 impair autophagic and lysosomal activities, contributing to neuronal cell death in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) and early onset progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). The de novo heterozygous R740Q mutation is the most recurrent variant reported in cases of DEE. Homology studies suggest R740 deprotonates protons from specific glutamic acid residues in subunit c, highlighting its importance to the overall V-ATPase function. In this paper, we discuss the structure and mechanism of the V-ATPase, emphasizing how mutations in subunit a1 can lead to lysosomal and autophagic dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders, and how mutations to the non-neural isoforms, a2-a4, can also lead to various genetic diseases. Given the growing discovery of disease-causing variants of V-ATPase subunit a and its function as a pump-based regulator of intracellular organelle pH, this multiprotein complex warrants further investigation.

Chimeric a-subunit isoforms generate functional yeast V-ATPases with altered regulatory properties in vitro and in vivo

V-ATPases are highly regulated proton pumps that acidify organelles. The V-ATPase a-subunit is a two-domain protein containing a C-terminal transmembrane domain responsible for proton transport and an N-terminal cytosolic domain (aNT) that is a regulatory hub, integrating environmental inputs to regulate assembly, localization, and V-ATPase activity. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes only two organelle-specific a-isoforms, Stv1 in the Golgi and Vph1 in the vacuole. On the basis of recent structures, we designed chimeric yeast aNTs in which the globular proximal and distal ends are exchanged. The Vph1 proximal-Stv1 distal (VPSD) aNT chimera binds to the glucose-responsive RAVE assembly factor in vitro but exhibits little binding to PI(3,5)P₂. The Stv1 proximal-Vph1 distal (SPVD) aNT lacks RAVE binding but binds more tightly to phosphoinositides than Vph1 or Stv1. When attached to the Vph1 C-terminal domain in vivo, both chimeras complement growth defects of a vph1∆ mutant, but only the SPVD chimera exhibits wild-type V-ATPase activity. Cells containing the SPVD chimera adapt more slowly to a poor carbon source than wild-type cells but grow more rapidly than wild-type cells after a shift to alkaline pH. This is the first example of a "redesigned" V-ATPase with altered regulatory properties and adaptation to specific stresses.

High throughput analysis of vacuolar acidification

Eukaryotic cells are compartmentalized into membrane-bound organelles, allowing each organelle to maintain the specialized conditions needed for their specific functions. One of the features that change between organelles is lumenal pH. In the endocytic and secretory pathways, lumenal pH is controlled by isoforms and concentration of the vacuolar-type H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase). In the endolysosomal pathway, copies of complete V-ATPase complexes accumulate as membranes mature from early endosomes to late endosomes and lysosomes. Thus, each compartment becomes more acidic as maturation proceeds. Lysosome acidification is essential for the breakdown of macromolecules delivered from endosomes as well as cargo from different autophagic pathways, and dysregulation of this process is linked to various diseases. Thus, it is important to understand the regulation of the V-ATPase. Here we describe a high-throughput method for screening inhibitors/activators of V-ATPase activity using Acridine Orange (AO) as a fluorescent reporter for acidified yeast vacuolar lysosomes. Through this method, the acidification of purified vacuoles can be measured in real-time in half-volume 96-well plates or a larger 384-well format. This not only reduces the cost of expensive low abundance reagents, but it drastically reduces the time needed to measure individual conditions in large volume cuvettes.

The Plant V-ATPase

V-ATPase is the dominant proton pump in plant cells. It contributes to cytosolic pH homeostasis and energizes transport processes across endomembranes of the secretory pathway. Its localization in the trans Golgi network/early endosomes is essential for vesicle transport, for instance for the delivery of cell wall components. Furthermore, it is crucial for response to abiotic and biotic stresses. The V-ATPase's rather complex structure and multiple subunit isoforms enable high structural flexibility with respect to requirements for different organs, developmental stages, and organelles. This complexity further demands a sophisticated assembly machinery and transport routes in cells, a process that is still not fully understood. Regulation of V-ATPase is a target of phosphorylation and redox-modifications but also involves interactions with regulatory proteins like 14-3-3 proteins and the lipid environment. Regulation by reversible assembly, as reported for yeast and the mammalian enzyme, has not be proven in plants but seems to be absent in autotrophic cells. Addressing the regulation of V-ATPase is a promising approach to adjust its activity for improved stress resistance or higher crop yield.

Downregulation of ATP6V1A Involved in Alzheimer's Disease via Synaptic Vesicle Cycle, Phagosome, and Oxidative Phosphorylation

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms of ATPase H⁺ transporting V1 subunit A (ATP6V1A) underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

Microarray expression data of human temporal cortex samples from the GSE118553 dataset were profiled to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between AD/control and ATP6V1A-low/high groups. Correlations of coexpression modules with AD and ATP6V1A were assessed by weight gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). DEGs strongly interacting with ATP6V1A were extracted to construct global regulatory network. Further cross-talking pathways of ATP6V1A were identified by functional enrichment analysis. Diagnostic performance of ATP6V1A in AD prediction was evaluated using area under the curve (AUC) analysis.

Results

The mean expression of ATP6V1A was significantly downregulated in AD compared with nondementia controls. A total of 1,364 DEGs were overlapped from AD/control and ATP6V1A-low/high groups. Based on these DEGs, four coexpression modules were predicted by WGCNA. The blue, brown, and turquoise modules were significantly correlated with AD and low ATP6V1A, whose DEGs were enriched in phagosome, oxidative phosphorylation, synaptic vesicle cycle, focal adhesion, and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) synapse. Global regulatory network was constructed to identify the cross-talking pathways of ATP6V1A, such as synaptic vesicle cycle, phagosome, and oxidative phosphorylation. According to the AUC value of 74.2%, low ATP6V1A expression accurately predicted the occurrence of AD.

Conclusions

Our findings highlighted the pleiotropic roles of low ATP6V1A in AD pathogenesis, possibly mediated by synaptic vesicle cycle, phagosome, and oxidative phosphorylation.

Structures of a Complete Human V-ATPase Reveal Mechanisms of Its Assembly

Vesicular- or vacuolar-type adenosine triphosphatases (V-ATPases) are ATP-driven proton pumps comprised of a cytoplasmic V₁ complex for ATP hydrolysis and a membrane-embedded V_o complex for proton transfer. They play important roles in acidification of intracellular vesicles, organelles, and the extracellular milieu in eukaryotes. Here, we report cryoelectron microscopy structures of human V-ATPase in three rotational states at up to 2.9-Å resolution. Aided by mass spectrometry, we build all known protein subunits with associated N-linked glycans and identify glycolipids and phospholipids in the V_o complex. We define ATP6AP1 as a structural hub for V_o complex assembly because it connects to multiple V_o subunits and phospholipids in the c-ring. The glycolipids and the glycosylated V_o subunits form a luminal glycan coat critical for V-ATPase folding, localization, and stability. This study identifies mechanisms of V-ATPase assembly and biogenesis that rely on the integrated roles of ATP6AP1, glycans, and lipids.

The Ccr4-Not complex regulates TORC1 signaling and mitochondrial metabolism by promoting vacuole V-ATPase activity

The Ccr4-Not complex functions as an effector of multiple signaling pathways that control gene transcription and mRNA turnover. Consequently, Ccr4-Not contributes to a diverse array of processes, which includes a significant role in cell metabolism. Yet a mechanistic understanding of how it contributes to metabolism is lacking. Herein, we provide evidence that Ccr4-Not activates nutrient signaling through the essential target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) pathway. Ccr4-Not disruption reduces global TORC1 signaling, and it also upregulates expression of the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway terminal kinase Mpk1. Although CWI signaling represses TORC1 signaling, we find that Ccr4-Not loss inhibits TORC1 independently of CWI activation. Instead, we demonstrate that Ccr4-Not promotes the function of the vacuole V-ATPase, which interacts with the Gtr1 GTPase-containing EGO complex to stimulate TORC1 in response to nutrient sufficiency. Bypassing the V-ATPase requirement in TORC1 activation using a constitutively active Gtr1 mutant fully restores TORC1 signaling in Ccr4-Not deficient cells. Transcriptome analysis and functional studies revealed that loss of the Ccr4 subunit activates the TORC1 repressed retrograde signaling pathway to upregulate mitochondrial activity. Blocking this mitochondrial upregulation in Ccr4-Not deficient cells further represses TORC1 signaling, and it causes synergistic deficiencies in mitochondrial-dependent metabolism. These data support a model whereby Ccr4-Not loss impairs V-ATPase dependent TORC1 activation that forces cells to enhance mitochondrial metabolism to sustain a minimal level of TORC1 signaling necessary for cell growth and proliferation. Therefore, Ccr4-Not plays an integral role in nutrient signaling and cell metabolism by promoting V-ATPase dependent TORC1 activation.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Vacuolar H+-ATPase Subunit H Gene Family in Crop Plants

The vacuolar H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase) plays many important roles in cell growth and in response to stresses in plants. The V-ATPase subunit H (VHA-H) is required to form a stable and active V-ATPase. Genome-wide analyses of VHA-H genes in crops contribute significantly to a systematic understanding of their functions. A total of 22 VHA-H genes were identified from 11 plants representing major crops including cotton, rice, millet, sorghum, rapeseed, maize, wheat, soybean, barley, potato, and beet. All of these VHA-H genes shared exon-intron structures similar to those of Arabidopsis thaliana. The C-terminal domain of VHA-H was shorter and more conserved than the N-terminal domain. The VHA-H gene was effectively used as a genetic marker to infer the phylogenetic relationships among plants, which were congruent with currently accepted taxonomic groupings. The VHA-H genes from six species of crops (Gossypium raimondii, Brassica napus, Glycine max, Solanum tuberosum, Triticum aestivum, and Zea mays) showed high gene structural diversity. This resulted from the gains and losses of introns. Seven VHA-H genes in six species of crops (Gossypium raimondii, Hordeum vulgare, Solanum tuberosum, Setaria italica, Triticum aestivum, and Zea mays) contained multiple transcript isoforms arising from alternative splicing. The study of cis-acting elements of gene promoters and RNA-seq gene expression patterns confirms the role of VHA-H genes as eco-enzymes. The gene structural diversity and proteomic diversity of VHA-H genes in our crop sampling facilitate understanding of their functional diversity, including stress responses and traits important for crop improvement.

Functional complementation reveals that 9 of the 13 human V-ATPase subunits can functionally substitute for their yeast orthologs

Vacuolar-type H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a highly conserved proton pump responsible for acidification of intracellular organelles and potential drug target. It is a multisubunit complex comprising a cytoplasmic V₁ domain responsible for ATP hydrolysis and a membrane-embedded V_o domain that contributes to proton translocation across the membrane. Saccharomyces cerevisiae V-ATPase is composed of 14 subunits, deletion of any one of which results in well-defined growth defects. As the structure of V-ATPase and the function of each subunit have been well-characterized in yeast, this organism has been recognized as a preferred model for studies of V-ATPases. In this study, to assess the functional relatedness of the yeast and human V-ATPase subunits, we investigated whether human V-ATPase subunits can complement calcium- or pH-sensitive growth, acidification of the vacuolar lumen, assembly of the V-ATPase complex, and protein sorting in yeast mutants lacking the equivalent yeast genes. These assessments revealed that 9 of the 13 human V-ATPase subunits can partially or fully complement the function of the corresponding yeast subunits. Importantly, sequence similarity was not necessarily correlated with functional complementation. We also found that besides all V_o domain subunits, the V₁ F subunit is required for proper assembly of the V_o domain at the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, the human H subunit fully restored the level of vacuolar acidification, but only partially rescued calcium-sensitive growth, suggesting a specific role of the H subunit in V-ATPase activity. These findings provide important insights into functional homologies between yeast and human V-ATPases.

Interaction of the late endo-lysosomal lipid PI(3,5)P2 with the Vph1 isoform of yeast V-ATPase increases its activity and cellular stress tolerance

The low-level endo-lysosomal signaling lipid, phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P2), is required for full assembly and activity of vacuolar H⁺-ATPases (V-ATPases) containing the vacuolar a-subunit isoform Vph1 in yeast. The cytosolic N-terminal domain of Vph1 is also recruited to membranes in vivo in a PI(3,5)P2-dependent manner, but it is not known if its interaction with PI(3,5)P2 is direct. Here, using biochemical characterization of isolated yeast vacuolar vesicles, we demonstrate that addition of exogenous short-chain PI(3,5)P2 to Vph1-containing vacuolar vesicles activates V-ATPase activity and proton pumping. Modeling of the cytosolic N-terminal domain of Vph1 identified two membrane-oriented sequences that contain clustered basic amino acids. Substitutions in one of these sequences (²³¹KTREYKHK) abolished the PI(3,5)P2-dependent activation of V-ATPase without affecting basal V-ATPase activity. We also observed that vph1 mutants lacking PI(3,5)P2 activation have enlarged vacuoles relative to those in WT cells. These mutants exhibit a significant synthetic growth defect when combined with deletion of Hog1, a kinase important for signaling the transcriptional response to osmotic stress. The results suggest that PI(3,5)P2 interacts directly with Vph1, and that this interaction both activates V-ATPase activity and protects cells from stress.

Functional reconstitution of vacuolar H+-ATPase from Vo proton channel and mutant V1-ATPase provides insight into the mechanism of reversible disassembly

The vacuolar H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase; V₁V_o-ATPase) is an ATP-dependent proton pump that acidifies subcellular compartments in all eukaryotic organisms. V-ATPase activity is regulated by reversible disassembly into autoinhibited V₁-ATPase and V_o proton channel subcomplexes, a process that is poorly understood on the molecular level. V-ATPase is a rotary motor, and recent structural analyses have revealed different rotary states for disassembled V₁ and V_o, a mismatch that is likely responsible for their inability to reconstitute into holo V-ATPase in vitro Here, using the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we show that a key impediment for binding of V₁ to V_o is the conformation of the inhibitory C-terminal domain of subunit H (H_CT). Using biolayer interferometry and biochemical analyses of purified mutant V₁-ATPase and V_o proton channel reconstituted into vacuolar lipid-containing nanodiscs, we further demonstrate that disruption of H_CT's V₁-binding site facilitates assembly of a functionally coupled and stable V₁V_o-ATPase. Unlike WT, this mutant enzyme was resistant to MgATP hydrolysis-induced dissociation, further highlighting H_CT's role in the mechanism of V-ATPase regulation. Our findings provide key insight into the molecular events underlying regulation of V-ATPase activity by reversible disassembly.

V-ATPases and osteoclasts: ambiguous future of V-ATPases inhibitors in osteoporosis

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) play a critical role in regulating extracellular acidification of osteoclasts and bone resorption. The deficiencies of subunit a3 and d2 of V-ATPases result in increased bone density in humans and mice. One of the traditional drug design strategies in treating osteoporosis is the use of subunit a3 inhibitor. Recent findings connect subunits H and G1 with decreased bone density. Given the controversial effects of ATPase subunits on bone density, there is a critical need to review the subunits of V-ATPase in osteoclasts and their functions in regulating osteoclasts and bone remodeling. In this review, we comprehensively address the following areas: information about all V-ATPase subunits and their isoforms; summary of V-ATPase subunits associated with human genetic diseases; V-ATPase subunits and osteopetrosis/osteoporosis; screening of all V-ATPase subunits variants in GEFOS data and in-house data; spectrum of V-ATPase subunits during osteoclastogenesis; direct and indirect roles of subunits of V-ATPases in osteoclasts; V-ATPase-associated signaling pathways in osteoclasts; interactions among V-ATPase subunits in osteoclasts; osteoclast-specific V-ATPase inhibitors; perspective of future inhibitors or activators targeting V-ATPase subunits in the treatment of osteoporosis.

MgATP hydrolysis destabilizes the interaction between subunit H and yeast V1-ATPase, highlighting H's role in V-ATPase regulation by reversible disassembly

Vacuolar H⁺-ATPases (V-ATPases; V₁V_o-ATPases) are rotary-motor proton pumps that acidify intracellular compartments and, in some tissues, the extracellular space. V-ATPase is regulated by reversible disassembly into autoinhibited V₁-ATPase and V_o proton channel sectors. An important player in V-ATPase regulation is subunit H, which binds at the interface of V₁ and V_o H is required for MgATPase activity in holo-V-ATPase but also for stabilizing the MgADP-inhibited state in membrane-detached V₁ However, how H fulfills these two functions is poorly understood. To characterize the H-V₁ interaction and its role in reversible disassembly, we determined binding affinities of full-length H and its N-terminal domain (H_NT) for an isolated heterodimer of subunits E and G (EG), the N-terminal domain of subunit a (a_NT), and V₁ lacking subunit H (V₁ΔH). Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and biolayer interferometry (BLI), we show that H_NT binds EG with moderate affinity, that full-length H binds a_NT weakly, and that both H and H_NT bind V₁ΔH with high affinity. We also found that only one molecule of H_NT binds V₁ΔH with high affinity, suggesting conformational asymmetry of the three EG heterodimers in V₁ΔH. Moreover, MgATP hydrolysis-driven conformational changes in V₁ destabilized the interaction of H or H_NT with V₁ΔH, suggesting an interplay between MgADP inhibition and subunit H. Our observation that H binding is affected by MgATP hydrolysis in V₁ points to H's role in the mechanism of reversible disassembly.

Analysis of two transcript isoforms of vacuolar ATPase subunit H in mouse and zebrafish

ATP6V1H encodes the subunit H of vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) and has been recently proved to regulate osteoclast function. The alternative splicing of ATP6V1H gene results in two isoforms, and it is not clear whether and how the two isoforms function differently. In this report, we used bioinformatics methods to compare the differences of two isoforms in different species. The distributions and amounts of two isoforms were analyzed in eleven kinds of mouse tissues and mouse osteoclasts using RT-PCR, Q-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemical staining methods, respectively. In order to observe the in vivo biological differences of two isoforms during development, the zebrafish mRNA of two wild type atp6v1h transcripts as well as their mutant forms were also injected into zebrafish embryos, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that two isoforms were quite different in many ways, especially in protein size, internal space, phosphorylation state and H-bond binding. The amounts of two transcripts and the ratio of long and short transcript varied a lot from tissue to tissue or cell to cell, and osteoclasts were the cells only expressing long isoform among the tissues or cells we detected. The in vivo selective expression of two subunit H splice variants showed their different effects on the craniofacial development of zebrafish. The short isoform reduced the size of zebrafish head and did not play a complete function compared with the long isoform. We propose that long isoform of subunit H is necessary for the normal craniofacial bone development and the lack of short transcript might be necessary for the normal osteoclastic function.

Breaking up and making up: The secret life of the vacuolar H+ -ATPase

The vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase; V₁ V_o -ATPase) is a large multisubunit proton pump found in the endomembrane system of all eukaryotic cells where it acidifies the lumen of subcellular organelles including lysosomes, endosomes, the Golgi apparatus, and clathrin-coated vesicles. V-ATPase function is essential for pH and ion homeostasis, protein trafficking, endocytosis, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), and Notch signaling, as well as hormone secretion and neurotransmitter release. V-ATPase can also be found in the plasma membrane of polarized animal cells where its proton pumping function is involved in bone remodeling, urine acidification, and sperm maturation. Aberrant (hypo or hyper) activity has been associated with numerous human diseases and the V-ATPase has therefore been recognized as a potential drug target. Recent progress with moderate to high-resolution structure determination by cryo electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography together with sophisticated single-molecule and biochemical experiments have provided a detailed picture of the structure and unique mode of regulation of the V-ATPase. This review summarizes the recent advances, focusing on the structural and biophysical aspects of the field.

Effect of vacuolar ATPase subunit H (VmaH) on cellular pH, asexual cycle, stress tolerance and virulence in Beauveria bassiana

Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) is a conserved multi-subunit protein complex that mediates intracellular acidification in fungi. Here we show functional diversity of V-ATPase subunit H (BbVmaH) in Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous fungal insect pathogen. Deletion of BbvmaH resulted in elevated vacuolar pH, increased Ca²⁺ level in cytosol but not in vacuoles, accelerated culture acidification and reduced accumulation of extracellular ammonia. Aerial conidiation and submerged blastospore production were largely delayed and reduced in the deletion mutant, respectively, accompanied with a significant delay in conidial germination, alterations of conidia and blastospores in morphology, size and/or density, and severe growth defects in minimal media with different carbon and nitrogen sources. Despite null responses to osmotic, oxidative and cell wall perturbing stresses, the deletion mutant showed increased sensitivity to Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ during growth while its conidia were less tolerant to a wet-heat stress at 45°C and UV-B irradiation. Intracellular glycerol and mannitol contents also decreased significantly. Its virulence to Galleria mellonella larvae was significantly attenuated when conidia were topically applied for normal cuticle infection or injected into haemocoel for cuticle-bypassing infection. All phenotypic changes were restored by targeted gene complementation. Our results indicate that BbVmaH plays an important role in sustaining not only vacuolar acidification but also cytosolic calcium accumulation, ambient pH homeostasis, in vitro asexual cycle and virulence in B. bassiana.

Crystal structure of yeast V1-ATPase in the autoinhibited state

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are essential proton pumps that acidify the lumen of subcellular organelles in all eukaryotic cells and the extracellular space in some tissues. V-ATPase activity is regulated by a unique mechanism referred to as reversible disassembly, wherein the soluble catalytic sector, V1, is released from the membrane and its MgATPase activity silenced. The crystal structure of yeast V1 presented here shows that activity silencing involves a large conformational change of subunit H, with its C-terminal domain rotating ~150° from a position near the membrane in holo V-ATPase to a position at the bottom of V1 near an open catalytic site. Together with biochemical data, the structure supports a mechanistic model wherein subunit H inhibits ATPase activity by stabilizing an open catalytic site that results in tight binding of inhibitory ADP at another site.

Validation of the Target Protein of Insecticidal Dihydroagarofuran Sesquiterpene Polyesters

A series of insecticidal dihydroagarofuran sesquiterpene polyesters were isolated from the root bark of Chinese bittersweet (Celastrus angulatus Max). A previous study indicated that these compounds affect the digestive system of insects, and aminopeptidase N3 and V-ATPase have been identified as the most putative target proteins by affinity chromatography. In this study, the correlation between the affinity of the compounds to subunit H and the insecticidal activity or inhibitory effect on the activity of V-ATPase was analyzed to validate the target protein. Results indicated that the subunit H of V-ATPase was the target protein of the insecticidal compounds. In addition, the possible mechanism of action of the compounds was discussed. The results provide new ideas for developing pesticides acting on V-ATPase of insects.

Perturbation of the Vacuolar ATPase: A NOVEL CONSEQUENCE OF INOSITOL DEPLETION

Depletion of inositol has profound effects on cell function and has been implicated in the therapeutic effects of drugs used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. We have previously shown that the anticonvulsant drug valproate (VPA) depletes inositol by inhibiting myo-inositol-3-phosphate synthase, the enzyme that catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step of inositol biosynthesis. To elucidate the cellular consequences of inositol depletion, we screened the yeast deletion collection for VPA-sensitive mutants and identified mutants in vacuolar sorting and the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase). Inositol depletion caused by starvation of ino1Δ cells perturbed the vacuolar structure and decreased V-ATPase activity and proton pumping in isolated vacuolar vesicles. VPA compromised the dynamics of phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI3,5P2) and greatly reduced V-ATPase proton transport in inositol-deprived wild-type cells. Osmotic stress, known to increase PI3,5P2 levels, did not restore PI3,5P2 homeostasis nor did it induce vacuolar fragmentation in VPA-treated cells, suggesting that perturbation of the V-ATPase is a consequence of altered PI3,5P2 homeostasis under inositol-limiting conditions. This study is the first to demonstrate that inositol depletion caused by starvation of an inositol synthesis mutant or by the inositol-depleting drug VPA leads to perturbation of the V-ATPase.

The study of vacuolar-type ATPases by single particle electron microscopy

Nature’s molecular machines often work through the concerted action of many different protein subunits, which can give rise to large structures with complex activities. Vacuolar-type ATPases (V-ATPases) are membrane-embedded protein assemblies with a unique rotary catalytic mechanism. The dynamic nature and instability of V-ATPases make structural and functional studies of these enzymes challenging. Electron microscopy (EM) techniques, especially single particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) and negative-stain EM, have provided extensive insight into the structure and function of these protein complexes. This minireview outlines what has been learned about V-ATPases using electron microscopy, highlights current challenges for their structural study, and discusses what cryo-EM will allow us to learn about these fascinating enzymes in the future.

Mutations in the proteolipid subunits of the vacuolar H+-ATPase provide resistance to indolotryptoline natural products

Indolotryptoline natural products represent a small family of structurally unique chromopyrrolic acid-derived antiproliferative agents. Like many prospective anticancer agents before them, the exploration of their potential clinical utility has been hindered by the limited information known about their mechanism of action. To study the mode of action of two closely related indolotryptolines (BE-54017, cladoniamide A), we selected for drug resistant mutants using a multidrug resistance-suppressed (MDR-sup) Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain. As fission yeast maintains many of the basic cancer-relevant cellular processes present in human cells, it represents an appealing model to use in determining the potential molecular target of antiproliferative natural products through resistant mutant screening. Full genome sequencing of resistant mutants identified mutations in the c and c′ subunits of the proteolipid substructure of the vacuolar H⁺-ATPase complex (V-ATPase). This collection of resistance-conferring mutations maps to a site that is distant from the nucleotide-binding sites of V-ATPase and distinct from sites found to confer resistance to known V-ATPase inhibitors. Acid vacuole staining, cross-resistance studies, and direct c/c′ subunit mutagenesis all suggest that indolotryptolines are likely a structurally novel class of V-ATPase inhibitors. This work demonstrates the general utility of resistant mutant selection using MDR-sup S. pombe as a rapid and potentially systematic approach for studying the modes of action of cytotoxic natural products.

Cloning, expression and purification of subunit H of vacuolar H⁺-ATPase from Mythimna separata Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The vacuolar (H+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) of insect, which is composed of membrane-bound V0 complex and peripheral V1 complex, participates in lots of important physiological process. Subunit H, as a subunit of V1 complex, plays a vital role in bridging the communication between V1 and V0 complexes and interaction with other proteins. Yeast subunit H has been successfully crystallized through expression in E. coli, but little is known about the structure of insect subunit H. In this study, we cloned, expressed and purified the subunit H from midgut of Mythimna separata Walker. Through RACE (rapidly amplification of cDNA ends) technique, we got 1807 bp full length of subunit H, and to keep the nature structure of subunit H, we constructed Baculovirus expression vector with His-tag in the C-terminal and expressed the recombinant protein in insect sf9 cells, thereafter, purified the recombinant protein by Ni-NTA columns. Results of SDS-PAGE, western blotting and mass spectrometry showed that the recombinant protein was successfully expressed. The method of expressing and purifying M. separata subunit H will provide a foundation for obtaining the crystal of subunit H and further study of the design of novel insecticides based on its structure and function.

The signaling lipid PI(3,5)P₂ stabilizes V₁-V(o) sector interactions and activates the V-ATPase

Vacuolar proton-translocating ATPases (V-ATPases) are highly conserved, ATP-driven proton pumps regulated by reversible dissociation of its cytosolic, peripheral V1 domain from the integral membrane V(o) domain. Multiple stresses induce changes in V1-V(o) assembly, but the signaling mechanisms behind these changes are not understood. Here we show that certain stress-responsive changes in V-ATPase activity and assembly require the signaling lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P2). V-ATPase activation through V1-V(o) assembly in response to salt stress is strongly dependent on PI(3,5)P2 synthesis. Purified V(o) complexes preferentially bind to PI(3,5)P2 on lipid arrays, suggesting direct binding between the lipid and the membrane sector of the V-ATPase. Increasing PI(3,5)P2 levels in vivo recruits the N-terminal domain of V(o)-sector subunit Vph1p from cytosol to membranes, independent of other subunits. This Vph1p domain is critical for V1-V(o) interaction, suggesting that interaction of Vph1p with PI(3,5)P2-containing membranes stabilizes V1-V(o) assembly and thus increases V-ATPase activity. These results help explain the previously described vacuolar acidification defect in yeast fab1 and vac14 mutants and suggest that human disease phenotypes associated with PI(3,5)P2 loss may arise from compromised V-ATPase stability and regulation.

Subunit positioning and stator filament stiffness in regulation and power transmission in the V1 motor of the Manduca sexta V-ATPase

The vacuolar H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase) is an ATP-driven proton pump essential to the function of eukaryotic cells. Its cytoplasmic V₁ domain is an ATPase, normally coupled to membrane-bound proton pump V_o via a rotary mechanism. How these asymmetric motors are coupled remains poorly understood. Low energy status can trigger release of V₁ from the membrane and curtail ATP hydrolysis. To investigate the molecular basis for these processes, we have carried out cryo-electron microscopy three-dimensional reconstruction of deactivated V₁ from Manduca sexta. In the resulting model, three peripheral stalks that are parts of the mechanical stator of the V-ATPase are clearly resolved as unsupported filaments in the same conformations as in the holoenzyme. They are likely therefore to have inherent stiffness consistent with a role as flexible rods in buffering elastic power transmission between the domains of the V-ATPase. Inactivated V₁ adopted a homogeneous resting state with one open active site adjacent to the stator filament normally linked to the H subunit. Although present at 1:1 stoichiometry with V₁, both recombinant subunit C reconstituted with V₁ and its endogenous subunit H were poorly resolved in three-dimensional reconstructions, suggesting structural heterogeneity in the region at the base of V₁ that could indicate positional variability. If the position of H can vary, existing mechanistic models of deactivation in which it binds to and locks the axle of the V-ATPase rotary motor would need to be re-evaluated.

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Dissociation of vacuolar H⁺-ATPase domains deactivates its V₁ motor.

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V₁ has one “open” catalytic site linked to the stator filament bound by subunit H.

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Movement of subunit H to prevent rotary catalysis is possible.

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Three stator filaments project from deactivated V₁, indicating inherent stiffness.

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This work gives new insight into energetic coupling and control in V-ATPases.

Structural analysis of the N-terminal domain of subunit a of the yeast vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) using accessibility of single cysteine substitutions to chemical modification

The vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multisubunit complex that carries out ATP-driven proton transport. It is composed of a peripheral V1 domain that hydrolyzes ATP and an integral V0 domain that translocates protons. Subunit a is a 100-kDa integral membrane protein (part of V0) that possesses an N-terminal cytoplasmic domain and a C-terminal hydrophobic domain. Although the C-terminal domain functions in proton transport, the N-terminal domain is critical for intracellular targeting and regulation of V-ATPase assembly. Despite its importance, there is currently no high resolution structure for subunit a of the V-ATPase. Recently, the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of the related subunit I from the archaebacterium Meiothermus ruber was reported. We have used homology modeling to construct a model of the N-terminal domain of Vph1p, one of two isoforms of subunit a expressed in yeast. To test this model, unique cysteine residues were introduced into a Cys-less form of Vph1p and their accessibility to modification by the sulfhydryl reagent 3-(N-maleimido-propionyl) biocytin (MPB) was determined. In addition, accessibility of introduced cysteine residues to MPB modification was compared in the V1V0 complex and the free V0 domain to identify residues protected from modification by the presence of V1. The results provide an experimental test of the proposed model and have identified regions of the N-terminal domain of subunit a that likely serve as interfacial contact sites with the peripheral V1 domain. The possible significance of these results for in vivo regulation of V-ATPase assembly is discussed.

Energization of vacuolar transport in plant cells and its significance under stress

The plant vacuole is of prime importance in buffering environmental perturbations and in coping with abiotic stress caused by, for example, drought, salinity, cold, or UV. The large volume, the efficient integration in anterograde and retrograde vesicular trafficking, and the dynamic equipment with tonoplast transporters enable the vacuole to fulfill indispensible functions in cell biology, for example, transient and permanent storage, detoxification, recycling, pH and redox homeostasis, cell expansion, biotic defence, and cell death. This review first focuses on endomembrane dynamics and then summarizes the functions, assembly, and regulation of secretory and vacuolar proton pumps: (i) the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) which represents a multimeric complex of approximately 800 kDa, (ii) the vacuolar H(+)-pyrophosphatase, and (iii) the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. These primary proton pumps regulate the cytosolic pH and provide the driving force for secondary active transport. Carriers and ion channels modulate the proton motif force and catalyze uptake and vacuolar compartmentation of solutes and deposition of xenobiotics or secondary compounds such as flavonoids. ABC-type transporters directly energized by MgATP complement the transport portfolio that realizes the multiple functions in stress tolerance of plants.

Rational identification of enoxacin as a novel V-ATPase-directed osteoclast inhibitor

Binding between vacuolar H⁺-ATPases (V-ATPases) and microfilaments is mediated by an actin binding domain in the B-subunit. Both isoforms of mammalian B-subunit bind microfilaments with high affinity. A similar actin-binding activity has been demonstrated in the B-subunit of yeast. A conserved “profilin-like” domain in the B-subunit mediates this actin-binding activity, named due to its sequence and structural similarity to an actin-binding surface of the canonical actin binding protein profilin. Subtle mutations in the “profilin-like” domain eliminate actin binding activity without disrupting the ability of the altered protein to associate with the other subunits of V-ATPase to form a functional proton pump. Analysis of these mutated B-subunits suggests that the actin-binding activity is not required for the “housekeeping” functions of V-ATPases, but is important for certain specialized roles. In osteoclasts, the actin-binding activity is required for transport of V-ATPases to the plasma membrane, a prerequisite for bone resorption. A virtual screen led to the identification of enoxacin as a small molecule that bound to the actin-binding surface of the B2-subunit and competitively inhibited B2-subunit and actin interaction. Enoxacin disrupted osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro, but did not affect osteoblast formation or mineralization. Recently, enoxacin was identified as an inhibitor of the virulence of Candidaalbicans and more importantly of cancer growth and metastasis. Efforts are underway to determine the mechanisms by which enoxacin and other small molecule inhibitors of B2 and microfilament binding interaction selectively block bone resorption, the virulence of Candida, cancer growth, and metastasis.

Inhibitors of V-ATPase proton transport reveal uncoupling functions of tether linking cytosolic and membrane domains of V0 subunit a (Vph1p)

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are important for many cellular processes, as they regulate pH by pumping cytosolic protons into intracellular organelles. The cytoplasm is acidified when V-ATPase is inhibited; thus we conducted a high-throughput screen of a chemical library to search for compounds that acidify the yeast cytosol in vivo using pHluorin-based flow cytometry. Two inhibitors, alexidine dihydrochloride (EC(50) = 39 μM) and thonzonium bromide (EC(50) = 69 μM), prevented ATP-dependent proton transport in purified vacuolar membranes. They acidified the yeast cytosol and caused pH-sensitive growth defects typical of V-ATPase mutants (vma phenotype). At concentrations greater than 10 μM the inhibitors were cytotoxic, even at the permissive pH (pH 5.0). Membrane fractions treated with alexidine dihydrochloride and thonzonium bromide fully retained concanamycin A-sensitive ATPase activity despite the fact that proton translocation was inhibited by 80-90%, indicating that V-ATPases were uncoupled. Mutant V-ATPase membranes lacking residues 362-407 of the tether of Vph1p subunit a of V(0) were resistant to thonzonium bromide but not to alexidine dihydrochloride, suggesting that this conserved sequence confers uncoupling potential to V(1)V(0) complexes and that alexidine dihydrochloride uncouples the enzyme by a different mechanism. The inhibitors also uncoupled the Candida albicans enzyme and prevented cell growth, showing further specificity for V-ATPases. Thus, a new class of V-ATPase inhibitors (uncouplers), which are not simply ionophores, provided new insights into the enzyme mechanism and original evidence supporting the hypothesis that V-ATPases may not be optimally coupled in vivo. The consequences of uncoupling V-ATPases in vivo as potential drug targets are discussed.

Vacuolar H+-ATPase works in parallel with the HOG pathway to adapt Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells to osmotic stress

Hyperosmotic stress activates an array of cellular detoxification mechanisms, including the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway. We report here that vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) activity helps provide osmotic tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. V-ATPase subunit genes exhibit complex haploinsufficiency interactions with HOG pathway components. vma mutants lacking V-ATPase function are sensitive to high concentrations of salt and exhibit Hog1p activation even at low salt concentrations, as demonstrated by phosphorylation of Hog1p, a shift in Hog1-green fluorescent protein localization, transcriptional activation of a subset of HOG pathway effectors, and transcriptional inhibition of parallel mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway targets. vma2Δ hog1Δ and vma3Δ pbs2Δ double mutants have a synthetic growth phenotype, poor salt tolerance, and an aberrant, hyper-elongated morphology on solid media, accompanied by activation of a filamentous response element-LacZ construct, indicating cross talk into the filamentous growth pathway. Vacuoles isolated from wild-type cells briefly exposed to salt show higher levels of V-ATPase activity, and Na(+)/H(+) exchange in isolated vacuolar vesicles suggests a biochemical basis for the genetic interactions observed. V-ATPase activity is upregulated during salt stress by increasing assembly of the catalytic V(1) sector with the membrane-bound V(o) sector. Together, these data suggest that the V-ATPase acts in parallel with the HOG pathway in order to mediate salt detoxification.

Decreased expression of ATP6V1H in type 2 diabetes: a pilot report on the diabetes risk study in Mexican Americans

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies in mice and humans observed down-regulation of the gene expression of ATP6V1H associated with type 2 diabetes. This study identified prospectively changes in ATP6V1H expression before and after overt diabetes.

METHODS

Expression of ATP6V1H in peripheral blood was compared pre and post development of diabetes in nine individuals.

RESULTS

Considerable variation of ATP6V1H mRNA levels was observed between different individuals. However, within each individual the decrease in expression of ATP6V1H with the development of diabetes was highly statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

ATP6V1H may represent a critical molecular mechanism involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and its compilations through its important regulatory effect on vacuolar-ATPase activity.

Consequences of loss of Vph1 protein-containing vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) for overall cellular pH homeostasis

In yeast cells, subunit a of the vacuolar proton pump (V-ATPase) is encoded by two organelle-specific isoforms, VPH1 and STV1. V-ATPases containing Vph1 and Stv1 localize predominantly to the vacuole and the Golgi apparatus/endosomes, respectively. Ratiometric measurements of vacuolar pH confirm that loss of STV1 has little effect on vacuolar pH. Loss of VPH1 results in vacuolar alkalinization that is even more rapid and pronounced than in vma mutants, which lack all V-ATPase activity. Cytosolic pH responses to glucose addition in the vph1Δ mutant are similar to those in vma mutants. The extended cytosolic acidification in these mutants arises from reduced activity of the plasma membrane proton pump, Pma1p. Pma1p is mislocalized in vma mutants but remains at the plasma membrane in both vph1Δ and stv1Δ mutants, suggesting multiple mechanisms for limiting Pma1 activity when organelle acidification is compromised. pH measurements in early prevacuolar compartments via a pHluorin fusion to the Golgi protein Gef1 demonstrate that pH responses of these compartments parallel cytosolic pH changes. Surprisingly, these compartments remain acidic even in the absence of V-ATPase function, possibly as a result of cytosolic acidification. These results emphasize that loss of a single subunit isoform may have effects far beyond the organelle where it resides.

The C-H peripheral stalk base: a novel component in V1-ATPase assembly

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are molecular machines responsible for creating electrochemical gradients and preserving pH-dependent cellular compartments by way of proton translocation across the membrane. V-ATPases employ a dynamic rotary mechanism that is driven by ATP hydrolysis and the central rotor stalk. Regulation of this rotational catalysis is the result of a reversible V₁V_o-domain dissociation that is required to preserve ATP during instances of cellular starvation. Recently the method by which the free V₁-ATPase abrogates the hydrolytic breakdown of ATP upon dissociating from the membrane has become increasingly clear. In this instance the central stalk subunit F adopts an extended conformation to engage in a bridging interaction tethering the rotor and stator components together. However, the architecture by which this mechanism is stabilized has remained ambiguous despite previous work. In an effort to elucidate the method by which the rotational catalysis is maintained, the architecture of the peripheral stalks and their respective binding interactions was investigated using cryo-electron microscopy. In addition to confirming the bridging interaction exuded by subunit F for the first time in a eukaryotic V-ATPase, subunits C and H are seen interacting with one another in a tight interaction that provides a base for the three EG peripheral stalks. The formation of a CE₃G₃H sub-assembly appears to be unique to the dissociated V-ATPase and highlights the stator architecture in addition to revealing a possible intermediate in the assembly mechanism of the free V₁-ATPase.

Regulation of vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase activity and assembly by extracellular pH

Vacuolar proton-translocating ATPases (V-ATPases) are responsible for organelle acidification in all eukaryotic cells. The yeast V-ATPase, known to be regulated by reversible disassembly in response to glucose deprivation, was recently reported to be regulated by extracellular pH as well (Padilla-López, S., and Pearce, D. A. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 10273-10280). Consistent with those results, we find 57% higher V-ATPase activity in vacuoles isolated after cell growth at extracellular pH of 7 than after growth at pH 5 in minimal medium. Remarkably, under these conditions, the V-ATPase also becomes largely insensitive to reversible disassembly, maintaining a low vacuolar pH and high levels of V(1) subunit assembly, ATPase activity, and proton pumping during glucose deprivation. Cytosolic pH is constant under these conditions, indicating that the lack of reversible disassembly is not a response to altered cytosolic pH. We propose that when alternative mechanisms of vacuolar acidification are not available, maintaining V-ATPase activity becomes a priority, and the pump is not down-regulated in response to energy limitation. These results also suggest that integrated pH and metabolic inputs determine the final assembly state and activity of the V-ATPase.

The tether connecting cytosolic (N terminus) and membrane (C terminus) domains of yeast V-ATPase subunit a (Vph1) is required for assembly of V0 subunit d

V-ATPases are molecular motors that reversibly disassemble in vivo. Anchored in the membrane is subunit a. Subunit a has a movable N terminus that switches positions during disassembly and reassembly. Deletions were made at residues securing the N terminus of subunit a (yeast isoform Vph1) to its membrane-bound C-terminal domain in order to understand the role of this conserved region for V-ATPase function. Shrinking of the tether made cells pH-sensitive (vma phenotype) because assembly of V(0) subunit d was harmed. Subunit d did not co-immunoprecipitate with subunit a and the c-ring. Cells contained pools of V(1) and V(0)(-d) that failed to form V(1)V(0), and very low levels of V-ATPase subunits were found at the membrane. Although subunit d expression was stable and at wild-type levels, growth defects were rescued by exogenous VMA6 (subunit d). Stable V(1)V(0) assembled after yeast cells were co-transformed with VMA6 and mutant VPH1. Tether-less V(1)V(0) was delivered to the vacuole and active. It retained 63-71% of the wild-type activity and was responsive to glucose. Tether-less V(1)V(0) disassembled and reassembled after brief glucose depletion and readdition. The N terminus retained binding to V(1) subunits and the C terminus to phosphofructokinase. Thus, no major structural change was generated at the N and C termini of subunit a. We concluded that early steps of V(0) assembly and trafficking were likely impaired by shorter tethers and rescued by VMA6.

Subunit interactions and requirements for inhibition of the yeast V1-ATPase

Disassembly of the yeast V-ATPase into cytosolic V(1) and membrane V(0) sectors inactivates MgATPase activity of the V(1)-ATPase. This inactivation requires the V(1) H subunit (Parra, K. J., Keenan, K. L., and Kane, P. M. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 21761-21767), but its mechanism is not fully understood. The H subunit has two domains. Interactions of each domain with V(1) and V(0) subunits were identified by two-hybrid assay. The B subunit of the V(1) catalytic headgroup interacted with the H subunit N-terminal domain (H-NT), and the C-terminal domain (H-CT) interacted with V(1) subunits B, E (peripheral stalk), and D (central stalk), and the cytosolic N-terminal domain of V(0) subunit Vph1p. V(1)-ATPase complexes from yeast expressing H-NT are partially inhibited, exhibiting 26% the MgATPase activity of complexes with no H subunit. The H-CT domain does not copurify with V(1) when expressed in yeast, but the bacterially expressed and purified H-CT domain inhibits MgATPase activity in V(1) lacking H almost as well as the full-length H subunit. Binding of full-length H subunit to V(1) was more stable than binding of either H-NT or H-CT, suggesting that both domains contribute to binding and inhibition. Intact H and H-CT can bind to the expressed N-terminal domain of Vph1p, but this fragment of Vph1p does not bind to V(1) complexes containing subunit H. We propose that upon disassembly, the H subunit undergoes a conformational change that inhibits V(1)-ATPase activity and precludes V(0) interactions.

Structure of the yeast vacuolar ATPase

The subunit architecture of the yeast vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) was analyzed by single particle transmission electron microscopy and electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry. A three-dimensional model of the intact V-ATPase was calculated from two-dimensional projections of the complex at a resolution of 25 angstroms. Images of yeast V-ATPase decorated with monoclonal antibodies against subunits A, E, and G position subunit A within the pseudo-hexagonal arrangement in the V1, the N terminus of subunit G in the V1-V0 interface, and the C terminus of subunit E at the top of the V1 domain. ESI tandem mass spectrometry of yeast V1-ATPase showed that subunits E and G are most easily lost in collision-induced dissociation, consistent with a peripheral location of the subunits. An atomic model of the yeast V-ATPase was generated by fitting of the available x-ray crystal structures into the electron microscopy-derived electron density map. The resulting atomic model of the yeast vacuolar ATPase serves as a framework to help understand the role the peripheral stalk subunits are playing in the regulation of the ATP hydrolysis driven proton pumping activity of the vacuolar ATPase.

Cardiolipin mediates cross-talk between mitochondria and the vacuole

Cardiolipin (CL) is an anionic phospholipid with a dimeric structure predominantly localized in the mitochondrial inner membrane, where it is closely associated with mitochondrial function, biogenesis, and genome stability (Daum, 1985; Janitor and Subik, 1993; Jiang et al., 2000; Schlame et al., 2000; Zhong et al., 2004). Previous studies have shown that yeast mutant cells lacking CL due to a disruption in CRD1, the structural gene encoding CL synthase, exhibit defective colony formation at elevated temperature even on glucose medium (Jiang et al., 1999; Zhong et al., 2004), suggesting a role for CL in cellular processes apart from mitochondrial bioenergetics. In the current study, we present evidence that the crd1Delta mutant exhibits severe vacuolar defects, including swollen vacuole morphology and loss of vacuolar acidification, at 37 degrees C. Moreover, vacuoles from crd1Delta show decreased vacuolar H(+)-ATPase activity and proton pumping, which may contribute to loss of vacuolar acidification. Deletion mutants in RTG2 and NHX1, which mediate vacuolar pH and ion homeostasis, rescue the defective colony formation phenotype of crd1Delta, strongly suggesting that the temperature sensitivity of crd1Delta is a consequence of the vacuolar defects. Our results demonstrate the existence of a novel mitochondria-vacuole signaling pathway mediated by CL synthesis.

Functional characterization of the N-terminal domain of subunit H (Vma13p) of the yeast vacuolar ATPase

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multisubunit complex responsible for acidifying intracellular organelles and is highly regulated. One of the regulatory subunits, subunit H, is encoded by the VMA13 gene in yeast and is composed of two domains, the N-terminal domain (amino acids (aa) 1-352) and the C-terminal domain (aa 353-478). The N-terminal domain is required for the activation of the complex, whereas the C-terminal domain is required for coupling ATP hydrolysis to proton translocation (Liu, M., Tarsio, M., Charsky, C. M., and Kane, P. M. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. 280, 36978-36985). Experiments with epitope-tagged copies of Vma13p revealed that there is only one copy of Vma13p/subunit H per V-ATPase complex. Analysis of the N-terminal domain shows that the first 179 amino acids are not required for the activation and full function of the V-ATPase complex and that the minimal region of Vma13p/subunit H capable of activating the V-ATPase is aa 180-353 of the N-terminal domain. Subunit H is expressed as two splice variants in mammals, and deletion of 18 amino acids in yeast Vma13p corresponding to the mammalian subunit H beta isoform results in reduced V-ATPase activity and significantly lower coupling of ATPase hydrolysis to proton translocation. Intriguingly, the yeast Vma13p mimicking the mammalian subunit H beta isoform is functionally equivalent to Vma13p lacking the entire C-terminal domain. These results suggest that the mammalian V-ATPase complexes with subunit H splice variant SFD-alpha or SFD-beta are likely to have different activities and may perform distinct cellular functions.

Function, structure and regulation of the vacuolar (H+)-ATPases

The vacuolar ATPases (or V-ATPases) are ATP-driven proton pumps that function to both acidify intracellular compartments and to transport protons across the plasma membrane. Intracellular V-ATPases function in such normal cellular processes as receptor-mediated endocytosis, intracellular membrane traffic, prohormone processing, protein degradation and neurotransmitter uptake, as well as in disease processes, including infection by influenza and other viruses and killing of cells by anthrax and diphtheria toxin. Plasma membrane V-ATPases are important in such physiological processes as urinary acidification, bone resorption and sperm maturation as well as in human diseases, including osteopetrosis, renal tubular acidosis and tumor metastasis. V-ATPases are large multi-subunit complexes composed of a peripheral domain (V(1)) responsible for hydrolysis of ATP and an integral domain (V(0)) that carries out proton transport. Proton transport is coupled to ATP hydrolysis by a rotary mechanism. V-ATPase activity is regulated in vivo using a number of mechanisms, including reversible dissociation of the V(1) and V(0) domains, changes in coupling efficiency of proton transport and ATP hydrolysis and changes in pump density through reversible fusion of V-ATPase containing vesicles. V-ATPases are emerging as potential drug targets in treating a number of human diseases including osteoporosis and cancer.

Subunit H of the vacuolar (H+) ATPase inhibits ATP hydrolysis by the free V1 domain by interaction with the rotary subunit F

The vacuolar (H+) ATPases (V-ATPases) are large, multimeric proton pumps that, like the related family of F1F0 ATP synthases, employ a rotary mechanism. ATP hydrolysis by the peripheral V1 domain drives rotation of a rotary complex (the rotor) relative to the stationary part of the enzyme (the stator), leading to proton translocation through the integral V0 domain. One mechanism of regulating V-ATPase activity in vivo involves reversible dissociation of the V1 and V0 domains. Unlike the corresponding domains in F1F0, the dissociated V1 domain does not hydrolyze ATP, and the free V0 domain does not passively conduct protons. These properties are important to avoid generation of an uncoupled ATPase activity or an unregulated proton conductance upon dissociation of the complex in vivo. Previous results (Parra, K. J., Keenan, K. L., and Kane, P. M. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 21761-21767) showed that subunit H (part of the stator) inhibits ATP hydrolysis by free V1. To test the hypothesis that subunit H accomplishes this by bridging rotor and stator in free V1, cysteine-mediated cross-linking studies were performed. Unique cysteine residues were introduced over the surface of subunit H from yeast by site-directed mutagenesis and used as the site of attachment of the photo-activated cross-linking reagent maleimido benzophenone. After UV-activated cross-linking, cross-linked products were identified by Western blot using subunit-specific antibodies. The results indicate that the subunit H mutant S381C shows cross-linking between subunit H and subunit F (a rotor subunit) in the free V1 domain but not in the intact V1V0 complex. These results indicate that subunits H and F are proximal in free V1, supporting the hypothesis that subunit H inhibits free V1 by bridging the rotary and stator domains.

Vacuolar ATPases: rotary proton pumps in physiology and pathophysiology

The acidity of intracellular compartments and the extracellular environment is crucial to various cellular processes, including membrane trafficking, protein degradation, bone resorption and sperm maturation. At the heart of regulating acidity are the vacuolar (V-)ATPases--large, multisubunit complexes that function as ATP-driven proton pumps. Their activity is controlled by regulating the assembly of the V-ATPase complex or by the dynamic regulation of V-ATPase expression on membrane surfaces. The V-ATPases have been implicated in a number of diseases and, coupled with their complex isoform composition, represent attractive and potentially highly specific drug targets.

Diploids heterozygous for a vma13Delta mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae highlight the importance of V-ATPase subunit balance in supporting vacuolar acidification and silencing cytosolic V1-ATPase activity

The V-ATPase H subunit (encoded by the VMA13 gene) activates ATP-driven proton pumping in intact V-ATPase complexes and inhibits MgATPase activity in cytosolic V1 sectors (Parra, K. J., Keenan, K. L., and Kane, P. M. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 21761-21767). Yeast diploids heterozygous for a vma13Delta mutation show the pH- and calcium-dependent conditional lethality characteristic of mutants lacking V-ATPase activity, although they still contain one wild-type copy of VMA13. Vacuolar vesicles from this strain have approximately 50% of the ATPase activity of those from a wild-type diploid but do not support formation of a proton gradient. Compound heterozygotes with a second heterozygous deletion in another V1 subunit gene exhibit improved growth, vacuolar acidification, and ATP-driven proton transport in vacuolar vesicles. In contrast, compound heterozygotes with a second deletion in a Vo subunit grow even more poorly than the vma13Delta heterozygote, have very little vacuolar acidification, and have very low levels of V-ATPase subunits in isolated vacuoles. In addition, cytosolic V1 sectors from this strain and from the strain containing only the heterozygous vma13Delta mutation have elevated MgATPase activity. The results suggest that balancing levels of subunit H with those of other V-ATPase subunits is critical, both for allowing organelle acidification and for preventing unproductive hydrolysis of cytosolic ATP.

The emerging structure of vacuolar ATPases

Bioenergetics and physiology of primary pumps have been revitalized by new insights into the mechanism of energizing biomembranes. Structural information is becoming available, and the three-dimensional structure of F-ATPase is being resolved. The growing understanding of the fundamental mechanism of energy coupling may revolutionize our view of biological processes. The F- and V-ATPases (vacuolar-type ATPase) exhibit a common mechanical design in which nucleotide-binding on the catalytic sector, through a cycle of conformation changes, drives the transmembrane passage of protons by turning a membrane-embedded rotor. This motor can run in forward or reverse directions, hydrolyzing ATP as it pumps protons uphill or creating ATP as protons flow downhill. In contrast to F-ATPases, whose primary function in eukaryotic cells is to form ATP at the expense of the proton-motive force (pmf), V-ATPases function exclusively as an ATP-dependent proton pump. The pmf generated by V-ATPases in organelles and membranes of eukaryotic cells is utilized as a driving force for numerous secondary transport processes. V- and F-ATPases have similar structure and mechanism of action, and several of their subunits evolved from common ancestors. Electron microscopy studies of V-ATPase revealed its general structure at low resolution. Recently, several structures of V-ATPase subunits, solved by X-ray crystallography with atomic resolution, were published. This, together with electron microscopy low-resolution maps of the whole complex, and biochemistry cross-linking experiments, allows construction of a structural model for a part of the complex that may be used as a working hypothesis for future research.

The E and G Subunits of the Yeast V-ATPase Interact Tightly and Are Both Present at More Than One Copy per V1 Complex

The E and G subunits of the yeast V-ATPase are believed to be part of the peripheral or stator stalk(s) responsible for physically and functionally linking the peripheral V1 sector, responsible for ATP hydrolysis, to the membrane V0 sector, containing the proton pore. The E and G subunits interact tightly and specifically, both on a far Western blot of yeast vacuolar proteins and in the yeast two-hybrid assay. Amino acids 13-79 of the E subunit are critical for the E-G two-hybrid interaction. Different tagged versions of the G subunit were expressed in a diploid cell, and affinity purification of cytosolic V1 sectors via a FLAG-tagged G subunit resulted in copurification of a Myc-tagged G subunit, implying more than one G subunit was present in each V1 complex. Similarly, hemagglutinin-tagged E subunit was able to affinity-purify V1 sectors containing an untagged version of the E subunit from heterozygous diploid cells, suggesting that more than one E subunit is present. Overexpression of the subunit G results in a destabilization of subunit E similar to that seen in the complete absence of subunit G (Tomashek, J. J., Graham, L. A., Hutchins, M. U., Stevens, T. H., and Klionsky, D. J. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 26787-26793). These results are consistent with recent models showing at least two peripheral stalks connecting the V1 and V0 sectors of the V-ATPase and would allow both stalks to be based on an EG dimer.

Close-Up and Genomic Views of the Yeast Vacuolar H+-ATPase

The yeast V-ATPase has emerged as an excellent model for other eukaryotic V-ATPases. In this review, recent biochemical and genomic studies of the yeast V-ATPase are described, with a focus on: 1) the role of V(1) subunit H in coupling ATP hydrolysis and proton pumping and 2) identification of the full set of yeast haploid deletion mutants that exhibit the pH and calcium-sensitive growth characteristic of loss of V-ATPase activity. The combination of "close-up" biochemical views of V-ATPase structure and mechanism and "geomic" views of its functional reach promises to provide new insights into the physiological of V-ATPases.