scholarly journals Coarse-grained simulations of conformational changes in the multidrug efflux transporter AcrB

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2006-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yead Jewel ◽  
Jin Liu ◽  
Prashanta Dutta
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Efflux Transporter ◽  
Multidrug Efflux ◽  
Coarse Grained Simulations

Deprotonation of Asp408 in the transmembrane domain induces opening of the cleft and closing of the exit in the porter domain.

scholarly journals Drug-Induced Conformational Changes in Multidrug Efflux Transporter AcrB from Haemophilus influenzae

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (15) ◽  
pp. 5550-5558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishakha Dastidar ◽  
Weimin Mao ◽  
Olga Lomovskaya ◽  
Helen I. Zgurskaya
Keyword(s):  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Haemophilus Influenzae ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Efflux Transporter ◽  
Multidrug Efflux ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Membrane Fusion Protein ◽  
Outer Membrane Channel

ABSTRACT In gram-negative bacteria, transporters belonging to the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily of proteins are responsible for intrinsic multidrug resistance. Haemophilus influenzae, a gram-negative pathogen causing respiratory diseases in humans and animals, constitutively produces the multidrug efflux transporter AcrB (AcrBHI). Similar to other RND transporters AcrBHI associates with AcrAHI, the periplasmic membrane fusion protein, and the outer membrane channel TolCHI. Here, we report that AcrABHI confers multidrug resistance when expressed in Escherichia coli and requires for its activity the E. coli TolC (TolCEC) protein. To investigate the intracellular dynamics of AcrABHI, single cysteine mutations were constructed in AcrBHI in positions previously identified as important for substrate recognition. The accessibility of these strategically positioned cysteines to the hydrophilic thiol-reactive fluorophore fluorescein-5-maleimide (FM) was studied in vivo in the presence of various substrates of AcrABHI and in the presence or absence of AcrAHI and TolCEC. We report that the reactivity of specific cysteines with FM is affected by the presence of some but not all substrates. Our results suggest that substrates induce conformational changes in AcrBHI.

scholarly journals Covalently Linked Trimer of the AcrB Multidrug Efflux Pump Provides Support for the Functional Rotating Mechanism

2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (6) ◽  
pp. 1729-1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumiko Takatsuka ◽  
Hiroshi Nikaido
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Residual Activity ◽  
Salt Bridge ◽  
Relay Network ◽  
Multidrug Efflux ◽  
Multidrug Efflux Pump ◽  
Intact Cells

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli AcrB is a proton motive force-dependent multidrug efflux transporter that recognizes multiple toxic chemicals having diverse structures. Recent crystallographic studies of the asymmetric trimer of AcrB suggest that each protomer in the trimeric assembly goes through a cycle of conformational changes during drug export (functional rotation hypothesis). In this study, we devised a way to test this hypothesis by creating a giant gene in which three acrB sequences were connected together through short linker sequences. The “linked-trimer” AcrB was expressed well in the inner membrane fraction of ΔacrB ΔrecA strains, as a large protein of ∼300 kDa which migrated at the same rate as the wild-type AcrB trimer in native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The strain expressing the linked-trimer AcrB showed resistance to some toxic compounds that was sometimes even higher than that of the cells expressing the monomeric AcrB, indicating that the linked trimer functions well in intact cells. When we inactivated only one of the three protomeric units in the linked trimer, either with mutations in the salt bridge/H-bonding network (proton relay network) in the transmembrane domain or by disulfide cross-linking of the external cleft in the periplasmic domain, the entire trimeric complex was inactivated. However, some residual activity was seen, presumably as a result of random recombination of monomeric fragments (produced by protease cleavage or by transcriptional/translational truncation). These observations provide strong biochemical evidence for the functionally rotating mechanism of AcrB pump action. The linked trimer will be useful for further biochemical studies of mechanisms of transport in the future.

scholarly journals The P1 and P2 helices of the Guanidinium-II riboswitch interact in a ligand-dependent manner

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christin Fuks ◽  
Sebastian Falkner ◽  
Nadine Schwierz ◽  
Martin Hengesbach
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Regulation Mechanism ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Loop Formation ◽  
Coarse Grained Simulations ◽  
Kissing Loop

ABSTRACTRiboswitch RNAs regulate gene expression by conformational changes induced by environmental conditions and specific ligand binding. The guanidine-II riboswitch is proposed to bind the small molecule guanidinium and to subsequently form a kissing loop interaction between the P1 and P2 hairpins. While an interaction was shown for isolated hairpins in crystallization and EPR experiments, an intrastrand kissing loop formation has not been demonstrated. Here, we report the first evidence of this interaction in cis in a ligand and Mg2+ dependent manner. Using single-molecule FRET spectroscopy and detailed structural information from coarse-grained simulations, we observe and characterize three interconvertible states representing an open and kissing loop conformation as well as a novel Mg2+ dependent state for the guanidine-II riboswitch from E. coli. The results further substantiate the proposed switching mechanism and provide detailed insight into the regulation mechanism for the guanidine-II riboswitch class. Combining single molecule experiments and coarse-grained simulations therefore provides a promising perspective in resolving the conformational changes induced by environmental conditions and to yield molecular insights into RNA regulation.

scholarly journals Trapping On-Pathway Intermediates for Large Scale Conformational Changes with Coarse-Grained Simulations

2017 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 485a
Author(s):  
Laura Orellana ◽  
Özge Yoluk ◽  
Oliver Carrillo ◽  
Modesto Orozco ◽  
Erik Lindahl
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Coarse Grained Simulations

scholarly journals Conformation of the AcrB Multidrug Efflux Pump in Mutants of the Putative Proton Relay Pathway

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (20) ◽  
pp. 7290-7296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Chia Su ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Ruoyu Gu ◽  
Yumiko Takatsuka ◽  
Gerry McDermott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Multidrug Efflux ◽  
Multidrug Efflux Pump ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Proton Relay ◽  
Initial Binding

ABSTRACT We previously reported the X-ray structures of wild-type Escherichia coli AcrB, a proton motive force-dependent multidrug efflux pump, and its N109A mutant. These structures presumably reflect the resting state of AcrB, which can bind drugs. After ligand binding, a proton may bind to an acidic residue(s) in the transmembrane domain, i.e., Asp407 or Asp408, within the putative network of electrostatically interacting residues, which also include Lys940 and Thr978, and this may initiate a series of conformational changes that result in drug expulsion. Herein we report the X-ray structures of four AcrB mutants, the D407A, D408A, K940A, and T978A mutants, in which the structure of this tight electrostatic network is expected to become disrupted. These mutant proteins revealed remarkably similar conformations, which show striking differences from the previously known conformations of the wild-type protein. For example, the loop containing Phe386 and Phe388, which play a major role in the initial binding of substrates in the central cavity, becomes prominently extended into the center of the cavity, such that binding of large substrate molecules may become difficult. We believe that this new conformation may mimic, at least partially, one of the transient conformations of the transporter during the transport cycle.

Constant pH Molecular Dynamics Reveals How Proton Release Drives the Conformational Transition of a Transmembrane Efflux Pump

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Shen ◽  
Zhi Yue ◽  
Helen Zgurskaya ◽  
Wei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Conformational Transition ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
Proton Release ◽  
Intrinsic Resistance ◽  
Constant Ph ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Constant Ph Molecular Dynamics

AcrB is the inner-membrane transporter of E. coli AcrAB-TolC tripartite efflux complex, which plays a major role in the intrinsic resistance to clinically important antibiotics. AcrB pumps a wide range of toxic substrates by utilizing the proton gradient between periplasm and cytoplasm. Crystal structures of AcrB revealed three distinct conformational states of the transport cycle, substrate access, binding and extrusion, or loose (L), tight (T) and open (O) states. However, the specific residue(s) responsible for proton binding/release and the mechanism of proton-coupled conformational cycling remain controversial. Here we use the newly developed membrane hybrid-solvent continuous constant pH molecular dynamics technique to explore the protonation states and conformational dynamics of the transmembrane domain of AcrB. Simulations show that both Asp407 and Asp408 are deprotonated in the L/T states, while only Asp408 is protonated in the O state. Remarkably, release of a proton from Asp408 in the O state results in large conformational changes, such as the lateral and vertical movement of transmembrane helices as well as the salt-bridge formation between Asp408 and Lys940 and other sidechain rearrangements among essential residues.Consistent with the crystallographic differences between the O and L protomers, simulations offer dynamic details of how proton release drives the O-to-L transition in AcrB and address the controversy regarding the proton/drug stoichiometry. This work offers a significant step towards characterizing the complete cycle of proton-coupled drug transport in AcrB and further validates the membrane hybrid-solvent CpHMD technique for studies of proton-coupled transmembrane proteins which are currently poorly understood. <p><br></p>

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