title: Gas channels for NH(3): proteins from hyperthermophiles complement an Escherichia coli mutant.
abstract: Ammonium transport (Amt) proteins appear to be bidirectional channels for NH(3). The amt genes of the hyperthermophiles Aquifex aeolicus and Methanococcus jannaschii complement enteric amtB mutants for growth at 25 nM NH(3) at 37 degrees C. To our knowledge, Amt proteins are the first hyperthermophilic membrane transport proteins shown to be active in a mesophilic bacterium. Despite low expression levels, His-tagged Aquifex Amt could be purified by heating and nickel chelate affinity chromatography. It could be studied genetically in Escherichia coli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soupene
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Rebecca W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Corbin
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Sydney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kustu
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D017017:Methanococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: C111096:AmtB protein, E coli; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D000641:Ammonia