Human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) subfamily D transporter ABCD1 can transport CoA esters of saturated/monounsaturated long/very long chain fatty acid into the peroxisome for β-oxidation. Dysfunction of human ABCD1 causes X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, which is a severe progressive genetic disorder affecting the nervous system. Nevertheless, the mechanistic details of substrate recognition and translocation by ABCD1 remains obscure. Here, we present three cryo-EM structures of human ABCD1 in distinct functional states. In the apo-form structure of 3.53 Å resolution, ABCD1 exhibits an inward-facing conformation, allowing the lateral entry of substrate from the lipid bilayer. In the 3.59 Å structure of substrate-bound ABCD1, two molecules of C22:0-CoA, the physiological substrate of ABCD1, is symmetrically bound in two transmembrane domains (TMDs). Each C22:0-CoA adopts a L-shape, with its CoA portion and acyl chain components bound to two TMDs respectively, resembling a pair of strings that pull the TMDs closer, resultantly generating a narrower outward-facing conformation. In the 2.79 Å ATP-bound ABCD1 structure, the two nucleotide-binding domains dimerize, leading to an outward-facing conformation, which opens the translocation cavity exit towards the peroxisome matrix side and releases the substrates. Our study provides a molecular basis to understand the mechanism of ABCD1-mediated substrate recognition and translocation, and suggests a unique binding pattern for amphipathic molecules with long acyl chains.
Structural basis for substrate discrimination byE. colirepair enzyme, AlkB