title: Outer membrane active transport: structure of the BtuB:TonB complex.
abstract: In Gram-negative bacteria, the import of essential micronutrients across the outer membrane requires a transporter, an electrochemical gradient of protons across the inner membrane, and an inner membrane protein complex (ExbB, ExbD, TonB) that couples the proton-motive force to the outer membrane transporter. The inner membrane protein TonB binds directly to a conserved region, called the Ton-box, of the transporter. We solved the structure of the cobalamin transporter BtuB in complex with the C-terminal domain of TonB. In contrast to its conformations in the absence of TonB, the Ton-box forms a beta strand that is recruited to the existing beta sheet of TonB, which is consistent with a mechanical pulling model of transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Shultis
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: Christian N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Banchs
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wiener
mesh_terms: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004926:Escherichia coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C044592:BtuB protein, E coli; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C489181:tonB protein, E coli