title: The crystal structure of the Escherichia coli AmtB-GlnK complex reveals how GlnK regulates the ammonia channel.
abstract: Amt proteins are ubiquitous channels for the conduction of ammonia in archaea, eubacteria, fungi, and plants. In Escherichia coli, previous studies have indicated that binding of the PII signal transduction protein GlnK to the ammonia channel AmtB regulates the channel thereby controlling ammonium influx in response to the intracellular nitrogen status. Here, we describe the crystal structure of the complex between AmtB and GlnK at a resolution of 2.5 A. This structure of PII in a complex with one of its targets reveals physiologically relevant conformations of both AmtB and GlnK. GlnK interacts with AmtB almost exclusively via a long surface loop containing Y51 (T-loop), the tip of which inserts deeply into the cytoplasmic pore exit, blocking ammonia conduction. Y51 of GlnK is also buried in the pore exit, explaining why uridylylation of this residue prevents complex formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Conroy
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Per A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bullough
authors.forename: Fritz K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merrick
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051922:PII Nitrogen Regulatory Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011522:Protons; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C111096:AmtB protein, E coli; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D051922:PII Nitrogen Regulatory Proteins; D011522:Protons; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C497878:glnK protein, E coli; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases