Background: FUN26 is a nucleoside transporter expressed in yeast vacuoles. Results: Proteoliposome studies of purified FUN26 reveal broad nucleoside and nucleobase uptake that is sensitive to C(2Ј)-ribose modifications. Conclusion: FUN26 is a high affinity and broad selectivity nucleoside and nucleobase transporter. Significance: FUN26 has a unique substrate transport profile relative to other ENTs and retains activity following detergent solubilization and purification.

p66Shc is an oxidoreductase that responds to cell stress by translocating to mitochondria, where p66Shc produces pro-apoptotic reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study identifies ROS-active p66Shc as a monomer that produces superoxide anion independent of metal ions, inhibits cytochrome c peroxidase, and is regulated by environmental condition-induced structural changes. p66Shc anti-apoptotic functions, including: cytochrome c reduction, increased electron transport chain activity, and caspase cascade inhibition were also discovered. This study also demonstrates that p66Shc is a stress-dependent rheostat of apoptosis, regulated by p66Shc-mortalin complexes. These complexes decrease pro-apoptotic ROS production, without blocking p66Shc-mediated cytochrome c reduction. However, stress disrupts p66Shc-mortalin interactions, promoting apoptosis. Tipping p66Shc apoptotic balance toward anti-apoptotic functions by genetic knockdown or p66Shc-selective ROS inhibition decreased pro-apoptotic effects and improved outcomes in zebrafish myocardial infarction models, representing a potential new myocardial infarction treatment with promising results.

Nucleosides play an essential role in the physiology of eukaryotes by acting as metabolic precursors in de novo nucleic acid synthesis and energy metabolism. Nucleosides also act as ligands for purinergic receptors. Equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) are polytopic integral membrane proteins that aid in regulating plasmalemmal flux of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleobases. ENTs exhibit broad substrate selectivity across different isoforms and utilize diverse mechanisms to drive substrate flux across membranes. However, the molecular mechanisms and chemical determinants of ENT-mediated substrate recognition, binding, inhibition, and transport are poorly understood. To determine how ENT-mediated transport occurs at the molecular level, greater chemical insight and assays employing purified protein are essential. This article focuses on the expression and purification of human ENT1, human ENT2, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScENT1 using novel expression and purification strategies to isolate recombinant ENTs. ScENT1, hENT1, and hENT2 were expressed in W303 Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and detergent solubilized from the membrane. After detergent extraction, these ENTs were further purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and size exclusion chromatography. This effort resulted in obtaining quantities of purified protein sufficient for future biophysical analysis.