title: Engineered Zn(2+) switches in the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter-1. Differential effects on GABA uptake and currents.
abstract: Two high affinity Zn(2+) binding sites were engineered in the otherwise Zn(2+)-insensitive rat gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter-1 (rGAT-1) based on structural information derived from Zn(2+) binding sites engineered previously in the homologous dopamine transporter. Introduction of a histidine (T349H) at the extracellular end of transmembrane segment (TM) 7 together with a histidine (E370H) or a cysteine (Q374C) at the extracellular end of TM 8 resulted in potent inhibition of [3H]GABA uptake by Zn(2+) (IC(50) = 35 and 44 microM, respectively). Upon expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes it was similarly observed that Zn(2+) was a potent inhibitor of the GABA-induced current (IC(50) = 21 microM for T349H/E370H and 51 microM for T349H/Q374C), albeit maximum inhibition was only approximately 40% in T349H/E370H versus approximately 90% in T349H/Q374C. In the wild type, Zn(2+) did not affect the Na(+)-dependent transient currents elicited by voltage jumps and thought to reflect capacitive charge movements associated with Na(+) binding. However, in both mutants Zn(2+) caused a reduction of the inward transient currents upon jumping to hyperpolarized potentials as reflected in rightward-shifted Q/V relationships. This suggests that Zn(2+) is inhibiting transporter function by stabilizing the outward-facing Na(+)-bound state. Translocation of lithium by the transporter does not require GABA binding and analysis of this uncoupled Li(+) conductance revealed a potent inhibition by Zn(2+) in T349H/E370H, whereas surprisingly the T349H/Q374C leak was unaffected. This differential effect supports that the leak conductance represents a unique operational mode of the transporter involving conformational changes different from those of the substrate translocation process. Altogether our results support both an evolutionary conserved structural organization of the TM 7/8 domain and a key role of this domain in GABA-dependent and -independent conformational changes of the transporter.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Department of Medical Physiology, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: MacAulay
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bendahan
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Loland
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeuthen
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Kanner
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gether
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D019556:COS Cells; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D014982:Xenopus laevis; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D015032:Zinc