TSPO translocator proteins bind steroids and porphyrins, and they are implicated in many human diseases, for which they serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. TSPOs have tryptophan-rich sequences that are fhighly conserved from bacteria to mammals. We report crystal structures for Bacillus cereus TSPO (BcTSPO) down to 1.7Å resolution, including a complex with the benzodiazepine-like inhibitor PK11195. We also describe BcTSPO-mediated protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) reactions, including catalytic degradation to a previously undescribed heme derivative. We used structure-inspired mutations to investigate reaction mechanisms, and we showed that TSPOs from Xenopus and man have similar PpIX-directed activities. Although TSPOs have been regarded as transporters, the catalytic activity in PpIX degradation suggests physiological importance for TSPOs in protection against oxidative stress.

Bile acids are synthesized from cholesterol in hepatocytes and secreted via the biliary tract into the small intestine, where they aid in absorption of lipids and fat-soluble vitamins. Through a process known as enterohepatic recirculation, more than 90% of secreted bile acids are then retrieved from the intestine and returned to the liver for re-secretion1. In humans, there are two Na+-dependent bile acid transporters involved in enterohepatic recirculation, the Na+-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP or SLC10A1) expressed in hepatocytes, and the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT or SLC10A2) expressed on enterocytes in the terminal ileum2. In recent years, ASBT has attracted much interest as a potential drug target for treatment of hypercholesterolemia, because inhibition of ASBT reduces reabsorption of bile acids, thus increasing bile acid synthesis and consequently cholesterol consumption3,4. However, a lack of 3-dimensional structures of bile acid transporters hampers our ability to understand the molecular mechanisms of substrate selectivity and transport, and to interpret the wealth of existing functional data2,5-8. The crystal structure of an ASBT homolog from Neisseria meningitidis (ASBTNM) in detergent was reported recently9, showing the protein in an inward-open conformation bound to two Na+ and a taurocholic acid. However, the structural changes that bring bile acid and Na+ across the membrane are difficult to infer from a single structure. To understand better the structural changes associated with the coupled transport of Na+ and bile acids, we crystallized and solved two structures of a ASBT homolog from Yersinia frederiksenii (ASBTYf) in a lipid environment, which reveal that a large rigid-body rotation of a substrate-binding domain gives alternate accessibility to the highly conserved “crossover” region, where two discontinuous transmembrane helices cross each other. This result has implications for the location and orientation of the bile acid during transport, as well as for the translocation pathway for Na+.

SummaryThe plant SLAC1 anion channel controls turgor pressure in the aperture-defining guard cells of plant stomata, thereby regulating exchange of water vapor and photosynthetic gases in response to environmental signals such as drought or high levels of carbon dioxide. We determined the crystal structure of a bacterial homolog of SLAC1 at 1.20Å resolution, and we have used structure-inspired mutagenesis to analyze the conductance properties of SLAC1 channels. SLAC1 is a symmetric trimer composed from quasi-symmetric subunits, each having ten transmembrane helices arranged from helical hairpin pairs to form a central five-helix transmembrane pore that is gated by an extremely conserved phenylalanine residue. Conformational features suggest a mechanism for control of gating by kinase activation, and electrostatic features of the pore coupled with electrophysiological characteristics suggest that selectivity among different anions is largely a function of the energetic cost of ion dehydration.

Human bestrophin 1 (hBest1) is a calcium-activated chloride channel from the retinal pigment epithelium, where it can suffer mutations associated with vitelliform macular degeneration, or Best disease. We describe the structure of a bacterial homolog (KpBest) of hBest1 and functional characterizations of both channels. KpBest is a pentamer that forms a five-helix transmembrane pore, closed by three rings of conserved hydrophobic residues, and has a cytoplasmic cavern with a restricted exit. From electrophysiological analysis of structure-inspired mutations in KpBest and hBest1, we find a subtle control of ion selectivity in the bestrophins, including reversal of anion/cation selectivity, and dramatic activation by mutations at the exit restriction. A homology model of hBest1 shows the locations of disease-causing mutations and suggests possible roles in regulation.

Calcium homeostasis balances passive calcium leak and active calcium uptake. Human Bax inhibitor 1 (hBI-1) is an anti-apoptotic protein that mediates a calcium leak and is representative of highly conserved and widely distributed family, the transmembrane Bax inhibitor motif (TMBIM) proteins. Here we present crystal structures of a bacterial homolog and characterize its calcium leak activity. The structure has a seven-transmembrane-helix fold that features two triple-helix sandwiches wrapped around a central C-terminal helix. Structures obtained in closed and open conformations are reversibly inter-convertible by change of pH. A hydrogen-bonded, pKa-perturbed pair of conserved aspartate residues explains the pH dependence of this equilibrium, and biochemical studies show that pH regulates calcium influx in proteoliposomes. Homology models for hBI-1 provide insights into TMBIM-mediated calcium leak and cytoprotective activity.