Energy coupling factor (ECF) proteins are ATP-binding cassette transporters involved in the import of micronutrients in prokaryotes. They consist of two nucleotide-binding subunits and the integral membrane subunit EcfT, which together form the ECF module and a second integral membrane subunit that captures the substrate (the S component). Different S components, unrelated in sequence and specific for different ligands, can interact with the same ECF module. Here, we present a high-resolution crystal structure at 2.1 Å of the biotin-specific S component BioY from Lactococcus lactis. BioY shares only 16% sequence identity with the thiaminspecific S component ThiT from the same organism, of which we recently solved a crystal structure. Consistent with the lack of sequence similarity, BioY and ThiT display large structural differences (rmsd ¼ 5.1 Å), but the divergence is not equally distributed over the molecules: The S components contain a structurally conserved N-terminal domain that is involved in the interaction with the ECF module and a highly divergent C-terminal domain that binds the substrate. The domain structure explains how the S components with large overall structural differences can interact with the same ECF module while at the same time specifically bind very different substrates with subnanomolar affinity. Solitary BioY (in the absence of the ECF module) is monomeric in detergent solution and binds D-biotin with a high affinity but does not transport the substrate across the membrane. membrane transport | biotin transport | vitamine uptake E nergy coupling factor (ECF) proteins are an abundant class of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters involved in the import of vitamins and transition metal ions in prokaryotes (1-4). Like all ABC transporters, ECF transporters consist of two cytosolic nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), which are associated with integral membrane subunits that form the translocation pore. In ECF transporters the two NBDs (EcfA and EcfA', which may be identical or homologous) and a single membrane subunit (EcfT) form a so-called energizing or ECF module. A second integral membrane protein (the S component) binds the substrate and forms a complex with the ECF module to create a functional transporter. This organization is typical for ECF transporters (3-5), because other ABC importers utilize a soluble substrate-binding protein to capture ligands (6, 7). In many ECF transporters multiple S components (specific for different substrates) can interact with the same energizing module (3, 5). Strikingly, S components from a single organism, which interact with the same ECF module, are generally not homologous at the sequence level.To gain insight in the characteristic modularity of ECF transporters, one needs to compare crystal structures of different S components that interact with the same ECF module (i.e., S components from a single organism). Crystal structures of the S components ThiT from Lactococcus lactis (thiamin-specific) and RibU from Staphylococcus aureus (riboflavin-spe...

Energy coupling factor (ECF) transporters are a recently discovered class of ABC transporters that mediate vitamin uptake in prokaryotes. Characteristic for ECF-type ABC transporters are small integral membrane proteins (S-components) that bind the transported substrates with high affinity. S-components associate with a second membrane protein (EcfT) and two peripheral ATPases to form a complete ATP-dependent transporter. Here, we have used EPR spectroscopy, stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to determine the structural rearrangements that take place in the S-component ThiT from Lactococcus lactis upon binding of thiamin. Thiamin-induced conformational changes were confined to the long and partially membrane-embedded loop between transmembrane helices 1 and 2 that acts as a lid to occlude the binding site. The results indicate that solitary ThiT functions as a bona fide high-affinity substrate binding protein, which lacks a translocation pathway within the protein.

High concentrations of l-arginine or l-citrulline in the growth medium provided the wine bacterium with a significant growth advantage. The arginine deiminase pathway (ADI) gene cluster of contains three genes-, , and-encoding putative l-arginine/l-ornithine exchangers. Uptake experiments with cells expressing the genes showed that all three transported l-ornithine with affinities in the micromolar range. Similarly, ArcD and ArcE2 transported l-arginine, while ArcE1 transported l-citrulline, an intermediate of the ADI pathway. Chase experiments showed very efficient exchange of l-arginine and l-ornithine by ArcD and ArcE2 and of l-citrulline and l-ornithine by ArcE1. Low affinities (millimolar range) combined with low translocation rates were found for ArcD and ArcE2 with l-citrulline and for ArcE1 with l-arginine. Resting cells of grown in the presence of l-arginine and l-citrulline rapidly consumed l-arginine and l-citrulline, respectively, while producing ammonia and l-ornithine. About 10% of l-arginine degraded was excreted by the cells as l-citrulline. Degradation of l-arginine and l-citrulline was not subject to carbon catabolite repression by glucose in the medium. At a high medium pH, l-citrulline in the medium was required for induction of the l-citrulline degradation pathway. Pathways are proposed for the catabolic breakdown of l-arginine and l-citrulline that merge at the level of ornithine transcarbamylase in the ADI pathway. l-Arginine uptake is catalyzed by ArcD and/or ArcE2, l-citrulline by ArcE1. l-Citrulline excretion during l-arginine breakdown is proposed to be catalyzed by ArcD and/or ArcE2 through l-arginine/l-citrulline exchange., a bacterium isolated from wine, as well as other food environments, expresses a catabolic pathway for the breakdown of l-citrulline in the medium that consists of the l-citrulline/l-ornithine exchanger ArcE1 and part of the catabolic arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway enzymes. The proposed pathways for l-arginine and l-citrulline breakdown provide a mechanism for l-citrulline accumulation in fermented food products that is the precursor of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate.

Energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters mediate import of micronutrients in prokaryotes. They consist of an integral membrane S-component (that binds substrate) and ECF module (that powers transport by ATP hydrolysis). It has been proposed that different S-components compete for docking onto the same ECF module, but a minimal liposome-reconstituted system, required to substantiate this idea, is lacking. Here, we co-reconstituted ECF transporters for folate (ECF-FolT2) and pantothenate (ECF-PanT) into proteoliposomes, and assayed for crosstalk during active transport. The kinetics of transport showed that exchange of S-components is part of the transport mechanism. Competition experiments suggest much slower substrate association with FolT2 than with PanT. Comparison of a crystal structure of ECF-PanT with previously determined structures of ECF-FolT2 revealed larger conformational changes upon binding of folate than pantothenate, which could explain the kinetic differences. Our work shows that a minimal in vitro system with two reconstituted transporters recapitulates intricate kinetics behaviour observed in vivo.

Energy coupling factor (ECF) transporters take up micronutrients in Bacteria and Archaea. They consist of a membrane-embedded S-component that provides substrate specificity and a three-subunit ECF module that couples ATP hydrolysis to transport. The S-components ThiT (for thiamin) and NiaX (for niacin) from Lactococcus lactis form complexes with the same ECF module. Here, we assayed the uptake of thiamin and niacin in Escherichia coli cells expressing the transporter genes. We demonstrate that the two different S-components compete for the ECF module, and that competition is more efficient in the presence of the transported substrate. The data suggest that binding and release of the S-components is a step in the transport cycle.