The cysteine-rich amino-terminal domain of ZntA, a Pb(II)/Zn(II)/Cd(II)-translocating ATPase from Escherichia coli, is not essential for its function.

Soft metal-translocating P1-type ATPases have a distinctive amino-terminal domain that contains one to six copies of the conserved metal-binding motif, GXXCXXC. ZntA from Escherichia coli, a Pb(II)-, Zn(II)-, and Cd(II)-transporting ATPase, has an approximately 120 residue amino-terminal domain with one copy of the GXXCXXC motif as well as four additional cysteine residues. The function of this domain was investigated by constructing a mutant of ZntA lacking the first approximately 100 residues. The mutant, DeltaN-ZntA, was able to confer resistance to Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) salts, in a manner similar to ZntA. The soft metal dependent ATP hydrolysis activity of purified DeltaN-ZntA was characterized. Purified DeltaN-ZntA and ZntA were both inactivated by oxidation. The K(m) for MgATP was unchanged for DeltaN-ZntA relative to ZntA. DeltaN-ZntA displayed the same metal ion specificity as ZntA. Thiolates increased the activities of both ZntA and DeltaN-ZntA. The V(max) values for DeltaN-ZntA were approximately 3-fold lower than for ZntA for all three metal ions. Thus, the amino-terminal domain is not essential for the function of ZntA or for conferring specificity toward particular soft metals. Its function may be to increase the overall catalytic rate by increasing the rate of metal ion binding to the transporter. Residues involved in the ATP-dependent soft metal ion-translocating mechanism as well as those responsible for recognition of specific metal ions must be part of the core structure of the P1-type ATPases.     

The metal specificity and selectivity of ZntA from Escherichia coli using the acylphosphate intermediate

ZntA from Escherichia coli is a P-type ATPase that confers resistance to Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) in vivo. We had previously shown that purified ZntA shows ATP hydrolysis activity with the metal ions Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II). In this study, we utilized the acylphosphate formation activity of ZntA to further investigate the substrate specificity of ZntA. The site of phosphorylation was Asp-436, as expected from sequence alignments. We show that in addition to Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II), ZntA is active with Ni(II), Co(II), and Cu(II), but not with Cu(I) and Ag(I). Thus, ZntA is specific for a broad range of divalent soft metal ions. The activities with Ni(II), Co(II), and Cu(II) are extremely low; the activities with these non-physiological substrates are 10-20-fold lower compared with the values obtained with Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II). Similar results were obtained with DeltaN-ZntA, a ZntA derivative lacking the amino-terminal metal binding domain. By characterizing the acylphosphate formation reaction in ZntA in detail, we show that a step prior to enzyme phosphorylation, most likely the metal ion binding step, is the slow step in the reaction mechanism in ZntA. The low activities with Ni(II), Co(II), and Cu(II) are because of a further decrease in the rate of binding of these metal ions. Thus, metal ion selectivity in ZntA and possibly other P1-type ATPases is based on the charge and the ligand preference of particular metal ions but not on their size.     

Metal-binding characteristics of the amino-terminal domain of ZntA: binding of lead is different compared to cadmium and zinc

ZntA from Escherichia coli, a P1-type ATPase, specifically transports Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II). Most P1-type ATPases have an N-terminal domain that contains one or more copies of the conserved metal-binding motif, GXXCXXC. In ZntA, the N-terminal domain has approximately 120 residues with a single GXXCXXC motif, as well as four additional cysteine residues as part of the CCCDGAC motif. The metal-binding specificity and affinity of this domain in ZntA was investigated. Isolated proteins, N1-ZntA and N2-ZntA, containing residues 1-111 and 47-111 of ZntA, respectively, were characterized. N1-ZntA has both the CCCDGAC and GXXCXXC motifs, while N2-ZntA has only the GXXCXXC motif. ICP-MS measurements showed that N1-ZntA can bind both divalent metal ions such as Cd(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) and monovalent metal ions such as Ag(I), with a stoichiometry of 1. N2-ZntA can bind Zn(II) and Cd(II) with a stoichiometry of 1 but not Pb(II). The affinity of N1-ZntA for Zn(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II) was measured by competition titration with metallochromic indicators. Association constants of approximately 10(8) M(-)(1) were obtained for Zn(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II) binding to N1-ZntA. To investigate whether the CCCDGAC sequence has an important role in binding specifically Pb(II), a mutant of ZntA, which lacked the first 46 residues, was constructed. This mutant, Delta46-ZntA, had the same activity as wtZntA with respect to Cd(II) and Zn(II). However, its activity with Pb(II) was similar to the mutant DeltaN-ZntA, which lacks the entire N-terminal domain (Mitra, B., and Sharma, R. (2001) Biochemistry 40, 7694-7699). Thus, binding of Pb(II) appears to involve different ligands, and possibly geometry, compared to Cd(II) and Zn(II).     

Functional expression of a bacterial heavy metal transporter in Arabidopsis enhances resistance to and decreases uptake of heavy metals

Large parts of agricultural soil are contaminated with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). Although most environments are not heavily contaminated, the low levels observed nonetheless pose a high risk of heavy metal accumulation in the food chain. Therefore, approaches to develop plants with reduced heavy metal uptake are important. Recently, many transgenic plants with increased heavy metal resistance and uptake of heavy metals were developed for the purpose of phytoremediation. However, to reduce heavy metal in the food chain, plants that transfer less heavy metals to the shoot are required. We tested whether an Escherichia coli gene, ZntA, which encodes a Pb(II)/Cd(II)/Zn(II) pump, could be useful for developing plants with reduced heavy metal content. Yeast cells transformed with this gene had improved resistance to Pb(II) and Cd(II). In Arabidopsis plants transformed with ZntA, ZntA was localized at the plasma membrane and improved the resistance of the plants to Pb(II) and Cd(II). The shoots of the transgenic plants had decreased Pb and Cd content. Moreover, the transgenic protoplasts showed lower accumulation of Cd and faster release of preloaded Cd than wild-type protoplasts. These results show that a bacterial transporter gene, ZntA, can be functionally expressed in plant cells, and that that it may be useful for the development of crop plants that are safe from heavy metal contamination.     

A zinc(II)/lead(II)/cadmium(II)-inducible operon from the Cyanobacterium anabaena is regulated by AztR, an alpha3N ArsR/SmtB metalloregulator

A novel Zn(II)/Pb(II)/Cd(II)-responsive operon that consists of genes encoding a Zn(II)/Pb(II) CPx-ATPase efflux pump (aztA) and a Zn(II)/Cd(II)/Pb(II)-specific SmtB/ArsR family repressor (aztR) has been identified and characterized from the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120. In vivo real time quantitative RT-PCR assays reveal that both aztR and aztA expression are induced by divalent metal ions Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) but not by other divalent [Co(II), Ni(II)] or monovalent metal ions [Cu(I) and Ag(I)]. The introduction of a plasmid containing the azt operon into a Zn(II)/Cd(II)-hypersensitive Escherichia coli strain GG48 functionally restores Zn(II) and Pb(II) resistance with a limited effect on Cd(II) resistance. Gel mobility shift assays and aztR O/P-lacZ induction experiments confirm that AztR is the metal-regulated repressor of this operon. In vitro biochemical and mutagenesis studies indicate that AztR contains a sole metal-binding site, designated the alpha3N site, that binds Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) with a high affinity. Optical absorption spectra of Co(II)- and Cd(II)-substituted AztR and (113)Cd NMR spectroscopy of (113)Cd(II)-substituted AztR reveal that the sole alpha3N site in AztR is a CadC-like distorted tetrahedral S(3)(N,O) metal site. The first metal-coordination shell in the AztR alpha3N site differs from other alpha3N family members that sense Cd(II)/Pb(II) and those alpha5 repressors that sense Zn(II)/Co(II). Our results reveal that the alpha3N site in AztR mediates derepression of the azt operon in the presence of Zn(II), as well as Cd(II) and Pb(II); this might have provided Anabaena with an evolutionary advantage to adapt to heavy-metal-rich environments, while maintaining homeostasis of an essential metal ion, Zn(II).     

Silver(I), mercury(II), cadmium(II), and zinc(II) target exposed enzymic iron-sulfur clusters when they toxify Escherichia coli

The toxicity of soft metals is of broad interest to microbiologists, both because such metals influence the community structures in natural environments and because several metals are used as antimicrobial agents. Their potency roughly parallels their thiophilicity, suggesting that their primary biological targets are likely to be enzymes that contain key sulfhydryl moieties. A recent study determined that copper poisons Escherichia coli in part by attacking the exposed [4Fe-4S] clusters of dehydratases. The present investigation sought to test whether other soft metals also target these enzymes. In vitro experiments revealed that low-micromolar concentrations of Ag(I) and Hg(II) directly inactivated purified fumarase A, a member of the dehydratase family. The enzyme was also poisoned by higher levels of Cd(II) and Zn(II), but it was unaffected by even millimolar concentrations of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II). Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis and measurements of released iron confirmed that damage was associated with destruction of the [4Fe-4S] cluster, and indeed, the reconstruction of the cluster fully restored activity. Growth studies were then performed to test whether dehydratase damage might underlie toxicity in vivo. Barely toxic doses of Ag(I), Hg(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) inactivated all tested members of the [4Fe-4S] dehydratase family. Again, activity was recovered when the clusters were rebuilt. The metals did not diminish the activities of other sampled enzymes, including NADH dehydrogenase I, an iron-sulfur protein whose clusters are shielded by polypeptide. Thus, the data indicate that dehydratases are damaged by the concentrations of metals that initiate bacteriostasis.     

Transport and detoxification systems for transition metals,heavy metals and metalloids in eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes

Transition metals, heavy metals and metalloids are usually toxic in excess, but a number of transition metals are essential trace elements. In all cells there are mechanisms for metal ion homeostasis that frequently involve a balance between uptake and efflux systems. This review will briefly describe ATP-coupled resistance pumps. ZntA and CadA are bacterial P-type ATPases that confers resistance to Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II). Homologous copper pumps include the Menkes and Wilson disease proteins and CopA, an Escherichia coli pump that confers resistance to Cu(I). For resistance to arsenicals and antimonials there are several different families of transporters. In E. coli the ArsAB ATPase is a novel system that confers resistance to As(III) and Sb(III). Eukaryotic arsenic resistance transporters include Acr3p and Ycf1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These systems provide resistance to arsenite [As(III)]. Arsenate [As(V)] detoxification involves reduction of As(V) to As(III), a process catalyzed by arsenate reductase enzymes. There are three families of arsenate reductases, two found in bacterial systems and a third identified in S. cerevisiae.     

Spectral and thermodynamic properties of Ag(I), Au(III), Cd(II), Co(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), U(IV), and Zn(II) binding by methanobactin from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

Methanobactin (mb) is a novel chromopeptide that appears to function as the extracellular component of a copper acquisition system in methanotrophic bacteria. To examine this potential physiological role, and to distinguish it from iron binding siderophores, the spectral (UV–visible absorption, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and X-ray photoelectron) and thermodynamic properties of metal binding by mb were examined. In the absence of Cu(II) or Cu(I), mb will bind Ag(I), Au(III), Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), U(VI), or Zn(II), but not Ba(II), Ca(II), La(II), Mg(II), and Sr(II). The results suggest metals such as Ag(I), Au(III), Hg(II), Pb(II) and possibly U(VI) are bound by a mechanism similar to Cu, whereas the coordination of Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) by mb differs from Cu(II). Consistent with its role as a copper-binding compound or chalkophore, the binding constants of all the metals examined were less than those observed with Cu(II) and copper displaced other metals except Ag(I) and Au(III) bound to mb. However, the binding of different metals by mb suggests that methanotrophic activity also may play a role in either the solubilization or immobilization of many metals in situ.     

A new zinc-protein coordination site in intracellular metal trafficking: solution structure of the Apo and Zn(II) forms of ZntA(46-118)

Zinc, a metal ion that functions in a wide variety of catalytic and structural sites in metalloproteins, is shown here to adopt a novel coordination environment in the Escherichia coli transport protein ZntA. The ZntA protein is a P-type ATPase that pumps zinc out of the cytoplasm and into the periplasm. It is physiologically selective for Zn(II) and functions with metalloregulatory proteins in the cell to keep the zinc quota within strict limits. Yet, the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain contains a region that is highly homologous to the yeast Cu(I) metallochaperone Atx1. To investigate how the structure of this region may influence its function, this fragment, containing residues 46-118, has been cloned out of the gene and overexpressed. We report here the solution structure of this fragment as determined by NMR. Both the apo and Zn(II)-ZntA(46-118) structures have been determined. It contains a previously unknown protein coordination site for zinc that includes two cysteine residues, Cys59 and Cys62, and a carboxylate residue, Asp58. The solvent accessibility of this site is also remarkably high, a feature that increasingly appears to be a characteristic of domains of heavy metal ion transport proteins. The participation of Asp58 in this ZntA metal ion binding site may play an important role in modulating the relative affinities and metal exchange rates for Zn(II)/Pb(II)/Cd(II) as compared with other P-type ATPases, which are selective for Cu(I) or Ag(I).     

Functional analysis of chimeric proteins of the Wilson Cu(I)-ATPase (ATP7B) and ZntA, a Pb(II)/Zn(II)/Cd(II)-ATPase from Escherichia coli

ATP7B, the Wilson disease-associated Cu(I)-transporter, and ZntA from Escherichia coli are soft metal P1-type ATPases with mutually exclusive metal ion substrates. P1-type ATPases have a distinctive amino-terminal domain containing the conserved metal-binding motif GXXCXXC. ZntA has one copy of this motif while ATP7B has six copies. The effect of interchanging the amino-terminal domains of ATP7B and ZntA was investigated. Chimeric proteins were constructed in which either the entire amino-terminal domain of ATP7B or only its sixth metal-binding motif replaced the amino-terminal domain of ZntA. Both chimeras conferred resistance to lead, zinc, and cadmium salts but not to copper salts. The purified chimeras displayed activity with lead, cadmium, zinc, and mercury, which are substrates of ZntA. There was no activity with copper or silver, which are substrates of ATP7B. The chimeras were 2-3-fold less active than ZntA. Thus, the amino-terminal domain of P1-type ATPases cannot alter the metal specificity determined by the transmembrane segment. Also, these results suggest that this domain interacts with the rest of the transporter in a metal ion-specific manner; the amino-terminal domain of ATP7B cannot replace that of ZntA in restoring full catalytic activity.     

Conserved aspartic acid 714 in transmembrane segment 8 of the ZntA subgroup of P1B-type ATPases is a metal-binding residue

ZntA from Escherichia coli is a member of the P1B-type ATPase family that confers resistance specifically to Pb2+, Zn2+, and Cd2 salts by active efflux across the cytoplasmic membrane. P1B-type ATPases are important for homeostasis of metal ions such as Cu+, Ag+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cd2+ Cu2+, and Co2+, with different subgroups showing specificity for different metal ions. Sequence alignments of P1B-type ATPases show that ZntA and close homologues have a strictly conserved Asp714 in the eighth transmembrane domain that is not conserved in other subgroups of P1B-type ATPases. However, in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, a structurally characterized P-type ATPase, the residue corresponding to Asp714 is a metal-binding residue. Four site-specific mutants at Asp714, D714E, D714H, D714A, and D714P, were characterized. A comparison of their metal-binding affinity with that of wtZntA revealed that Asp714 is a ligand for the metal ion in the transmembrane site. Thus, Asp714 is one of the residues that determine metal ion specificity in ZntA homologues. All four substitutions at Asp714 in ZntA resulted in complete loss of in vivo resistance activity and complete or large reductions in ATPase activity, though D714E and D714H retained the ability to bind metal ions with high affinity at the transmembrane site. Thus, the ability to bind metal ions with high affinity did not correlate with high activity. The metal-binding affinity of the N-terminal site remained unchanged in all four mutants. The affinities of the two metal-binding sites in wtZntA determined in this study are similar to values reported previously for the individual sites in isolated ZntA fragments.     

Multiple metal binding domains enhance the Zn(II) selectivity of the divalent metal ion transporter AztA

Transition metal-transporting P1B-type CPx ATPases play crucial roles in mediating metal homeostasis and resistance in all cells. The degree to which N-terminal metal binding domains (MBDs) confer metal specificity to the transporter is unclear. We show that the two MBDs of the Zn/Cd/Pb effluxing pump Anabaena AztA are functionally nonequivalent, but only with respect to zinc resistance. Inactivation of the a-MBD largely abrogates resistance to high intracellular Zn(II) levels, whereas inactivation of the b-MBD is not as deleterious. In contrast, inactivation of either the a- or b-MBD has little measurable impact on Cd(II) and Pb(II) resistance. The membrane proximal b-MBD binds Zn(II) with a higher affinity than the distal N-terminal a-MBD. Facile Zn(II)-specific intermolecular transfer from the a-MBD to the higher-affinity b-MBD is readily observed by 1H-15N HSQC spectroscopy. Unlike Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) form saturated 1:1 S4 or S3(O/N) complexes with AztAaHbH, where a single metal ion bridges the two MBDs. We propose that the tandem MBDs enhance Zn(II)-specific transport, while stabilizing a non-native inter-MBD Cd/Pb cross-linked structure that is a poor substrate and/or regulator for the transporter.     

A Zn(II)-translocating P-type ATPase from Proteus mirabilis.

A mutant of Proteus mirabilis had been previously isolated as defective in swarming. The mutation had been found to be in a gene related to the Escherichia coli zntA gene, which encodes the ZntA Zn(II)-translocating P-type ATPase. In this study the P. mirabilis gene was expressed in an E. coli strain in which the zntA gene had been disrupted. The P. mirabilis gene complemented the sensitivity to salts of zinc and cadmium. Everted membrane vesicles from the zntA-disrupted strain lost ATP-driven 65Zn(II) uptake. Membranes from the complemented strain had restored 65Zn(II) transport. These results demonstrate that the P. mirabilis homologue of ZntA is a Zn(II)-translocating P-type ATPase.     

Spectral and thermodynamic properties of Ag(I), Au(III), Cd(II), Co(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), U(IV), and Zn(II) binding by methanobactin from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

Methanobactin (mb) is a novel chromopeptide that appears to function as the extracellular component of a copper acquisition system in methanotrophic bacteria. To examine this potential physiological role, and to distinguish it from iron binding siderophores, the spectral (UV–visible absorption, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and X-ray photoelectron) and thermodynamic properties of metal binding by mb were examined. In the absence of Cu(II) or Cu(I), mb will bind Ag(I), Au(III), Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), U(VI), or Zn(II), but not Ba(II), Ca(II), La(II), Mg(II), and Sr(II). The results suggest metals such as Ag(I), Au(III), Hg(II), Pb(II) and possibly U(VI) are bound by a mechanism similar to Cu, whereas the coordination of Co(II), Cd(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) by mb differs from Cu(II). Consistent with its role as a copper-binding compound or chalkophore, the binding constants of all the metals examined were less than those observed with Cu(II) and copper displaced other metals except Ag(I) and Au(III) bound to mb. However, the binding of different metals by mb suggests that methanotrophic activity also may play a role in either the solubilization or immobilization of many metals in situ.     

Glutathione and transition-metal homeostasis in Escherichia coli

Glutathione (GSH) and its derivative phytochelatin are important binding factors in transition-metal homeostasis in many eukaryotes. Here, we demonstrate that GSH is also involved in chromate, Zn(II), Cd(II), and Cu(II) homeostasis and resistance in Escherichia coli. While the loss of the ability to synthesize GSH influenced metal tolerance in wild-type cells only slightly, GSH was important for residual metal resistance in cells without metal efflux systems. In mutant cells without the P-type ATPase ZntA, the additional deletion of the GSH biosynthesis system led to a strong decrease in resistance to Cd(II) and Zn(II). Likewise, in mutant cells without the P-type ATPase CopA, the removal of GSH led to a strong decrease of Cu(II) resistance. The precursor of GSH, gamma-glutamylcysteine (gammaEC), was not able to compensate for a lack of GSH. On the contrary, gammaEC-containing cells were less copper and cadmium tolerant than cells that contained neither gammaEC nor GSH. Thus, GSH may play an important role in trace-element metabolism not only in higher organisms but also in bacteria.     

Helicobacter pylori cadA encodes an essential Cd(II)–Zn(II)–Co(II) resistance factor influencing urease activity

Inactivation of Helicobacter pylori cadA, encoding a putative transition metal ATPase, was only possible in one of four natural competent H. pylori strains, designated 69A. All tested cadA mutants showed increased growth sensitivity to Cd(II) and Zn(II). In addition, some of them showed both reduced 63Ni accumulation during growth and no or impaired urease activity, which was not due to lack of urease enzyme subunits. Gene complementation experiments with plasmid (pY178)-derived H. pylori cadA failed to correct the deficiencies, whereas resistance to Cd(II) and Zn(II) was restored. Moreover, pY178 conferred increased Co(II) resistance to both the cadA mutants and the wild-type strain 69A. Heterologous expression of H. pylori cadA in an Escherichia coli zntA mutant resulted in an elevated resistance to Cd(II) and Zn(II). Expression of cadA in E. coli SE5000 harbouring H. pylori nixA, which encodes a divalent cation importer along with the H. pylori urease gene cluster, led to about a threefold increase in urease activity compared with E. coli control cells lacking the H. pylori cadA gene. These results suggest that H. pylori CadA is an essential resistance pump with ion specificity towards Cd(II), Zn(II) and Co(II). They also point to a possible role of H. pylori CadA in high-level activity of H. pylori urease, an enzyme sensitive to a variety of metal ions.