Structure,subunit function and regulation of the coated vesicle and yeast vacuolar (H(+))-ATPases

The vacuolar (H(+))-ATPases (or V-ATPases) are ATP-dependent proton pumps that function to acidify intracellular compartments in eukaryotic cells. This acidification is essential for such processes as receptor-mediated endocytosis, intracellular targeting of lysosomal enzymes, protein processing and degradation and the coupled transport of small molecules. V-ATPases in the plasma membrane of specialized cells also function in such processes as renal acidification, bone resorption and pH homeostasis. Work from our laboratory has focused on the V-ATPases from clathrin-coated vesicles and yeast vacuoles.Structurally, the V-ATPases are composed of two domains: a peripheral complex (V(1)) composed of eight different subunits (A-H) that is responsible for ATP hydrolysis and an integral complex (V(0)) composed of five different subunits (a, d, c, c' and c") that is responsible for proton translocation. Electron microscopy has revealed the presence of multiple stalks connecting the V(1) and V(0) domains, and crosslinking has been used to address the arrangement of subunits in the complex. Site-directed mutagenesis has been employed to identify residues involved in ATP hydrolysis and proton translocation and to study the topology of the 100 kDa a subunit. This subunit has been shown to control intracellular targeting of the V-ATPase and to influence reversible dissociation and coupling of proton transport and ATP hydrolysis.     

CryoEM of V-ATPases: Assembly,disassembly, and inhibition

Vacuolar-type ATPases (V-ATPases) are responsible for the acidification of intracellular compartments in almost all eukaryotic cells, while in some specialized cells they acidify the extracellular environment. As ubiquitous proton pumps, these large membrane-embedded enzymes are involved in many fundamental cellular processes that require tight control of pH. Consequently, V-ATPase malfunction or aberrant activity has been linked to numerous diseases. In the past ten years, electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) of yeast V-ATPases has revealed the architecture and rotary catalytic mechanism of these macromolecular machines. More recently, studies have revealed the structures of V-ATPases in animals and plants, uncovered aspects of how V-ATPases are assembled and regulated by reversible dissociation, and shown how V-ATPase activity can be modulated by proteins and small molecule inhibitors. In this review, we highlight these recent developments.     

Characterization of vacuolar-ATPase and selective inhibition of vacuolar-H(+)-ATPase in osteoclasts

V-ATPase plays important roles in controlling the extra- and intra-cellular pH in eukaryotic cell, which is most crucial for cellular processes. V-ATPases are composed of a peripheral V(1) domain responsible for ATP hydrolysis and integral V(0) domain responsible for proton translocation. Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells responsible for bone resorption and relate to many common lytic bone disorders such as osteoporosis, bone aseptic loosening, and tumor-induced bone loss. This review summarizes the structure and function of V-ATPase and its subunit, the role of V-ATPase subunits in osteoclast function, V-ATPase inhibitors for osteoclast function, and highlights the importance of V-ATPase as a potential prime target for anti-resorptive agents.     

Inhibitors of V-ATPase proton transport reveal uncoupling functions of tether linking cytosolic and membrane domains of V0 subunit a (Vph1p)

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are important for many cellular processes, as they regulate pH by pumping cytosolic protons into intracellular organelles. The cytoplasm is acidified when V-ATPase is inhibited; thus we conducted a high-throughput screen of a chemical library to search for compounds that acidify the yeast cytosol in vivo using pHluorin-based flow cytometry. Two inhibitors, alexidine dihydrochloride (EC(50) = 39 μM) and thonzonium bromide (EC(50) = 69 μM), prevented ATP-dependent proton transport in purified vacuolar membranes. They acidified the yeast cytosol and caused pH-sensitive growth defects typical of V-ATPase mutants (vma phenotype). At concentrations greater than 10 μM the inhibitors were cytotoxic, even at the permissive pH (pH 5.0). Membrane fractions treated with alexidine dihydrochloride and thonzonium bromide fully retained concanamycin A-sensitive ATPase activity despite the fact that proton translocation was inhibited by 80-90%, indicating that V-ATPases were uncoupled. Mutant V-ATPase membranes lacking residues 362-407 of the tether of Vph1p subunit a of V(0) were resistant to thonzonium bromide but not to alexidine dihydrochloride, suggesting that this conserved sequence confers uncoupling potential to V(1)V(0) complexes and that alexidine dihydrochloride uncouples the enzyme by a different mechanism. The inhibitors also uncoupled the Candida albicans enzyme and prevented cell growth, showing further specificity for V-ATPases. Thus, a new class of V-ATPase inhibitors (uncouplers), which are not simply ionophores, provided new insights into the enzyme mechanism and original evidence supporting the hypothesis that V-ATPases may not be optimally coupled in vivo. The consequences of uncoupling V-ATPases in vivo as potential drug targets are discussed.     

Rotation,Structure, and Classification of Prokaryotic V-ATPase

The prokaryotic V-type ATPase/synthases (prokaryotic V-ATPases) have simpler subunit compositions than eukaryotic V-ATPases, and thus are useful subjects for studying chemical, physical and structural properties of V-ATPase. In this review, we focus on the results of recent studies on the structure/function relationships in the V-ATPase from the eubacterium Thermus thermophilus. First, we describe single-molecule analyses of T. thermophilus V-ATPase. Using the single-molecule technique, it was established that the V-ATPase is a rotary motor. Second, we discuss arrangement of subunits in V-ATPase. Third, the crystal structure of the C-subunit (homolog of eukaryotic d-subunit) is described. This funnel-shape subunit appears to cap the proteolipid ring in the V₀ domain in order to accommodate the V₁ central stalk. This structure seems essential for the regulatory reversible association/dissociation of the V₁ and the V₀ domains. Last, we discuss classification of the V-ATPase family. We propose that the term prokaryotic V-ATPases should be used rather than the term archaeal-type ATPase (A-ATPase).     

Subunit Composition, Structure, and Distribution of Bacterial V-Type ATPases

The overall structure of V-ATPase complexes resembles that of F-type ATPases, but the stalk region is different and more complex. Database searches followed by sequence analysis of the five water-soluble stalk region subunits C–G revealed that (i) to date V-ATPases are found in 16 bacterial species, (ii) bacterial V-ATPases are closer to archaeal A-ATPases than to eukaryotic V-ATPases, and (iii) different groups of bacterial V-ATPases exist. Inconsistencies in the nomenclature of types and subunits are addressed. Attempts to assign subunit positions in V-ATPases based on biochemical experiments, chemical cross-linking, and electron microscopy are discussed. A structural model for prokaryotic and eukaryotic V-ATPases is proposed. The prokaryotic V-ATPase is considered to have a central stalk between headpiece and membrane flanked by two peripheral stalks. The eukaryotic V-ATPases have one additional peripheral stalk.     

Assembly of the yeast vacuolar H+-ATPase and ATP hydrolysis occurs in the absence of subunit c''

The V-ATPases are ubiquitous enzymes of eukaryotes. They are involved in many cellular processes via their ability to pump protons across biological membranes. They are two domain enzymes comprising an ATP hydrolysing sector and a proton translocating sector. Both sectors are functionally coupled. The proton tanslocating sector, V0, is comprised of five polypeptides in an as yet undetermined stoichiometry. In V0 three homologous proteins, subunit c, c' and c' have previously been reported to be essential for assembly of the enzyme. However, we report that subunit c' is not essential for assembly but is for functional coupling of the enzyme.     

V-ATPases的功能及其抑制剂研究进展

V-ATPases作为一类酶,在真核细胞中广泛存在。V-ATPases是一个由多个亚基组成的复合物,主要有两个结构域,分别是位于外周的V1结构域和跨膜的V0结构域。V1结构域可以通过水解ATP供能;而V0结构域是质子的通道。它们发挥作用主要是通过水解ATP供能,泵运H＋进入囊泡腔中或泵H＋出细胞外。V-ATPases定位于细胞器膜及某些特殊细胞的细胞质膜,参与骨吸收、肿瘤的侵袭及耐药等生理及病理过程,因而V-ATPases是治疗骨质疏松、糖尿病及肿瘤等人类疾病的候选分子靶标。目前有许多研究致力于发现新的潜在的特异的V-ATPase抑制剂。     

Subunit rotation of vacuolar-type proton pumping ATPase: relative rotation of the G and C subunits

Vacuolar-type ATPases V1V0 (V-ATPases) are found ubiquitously in the endomembrane organelles of eukaryotic cells. In this study, we genetically introduced a His tag and a biotin tag onto the c and G subunits, respectively, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae V-ATPase. Using this engineered enzyme, we observed directly the continuous counter-clockwise rotation of an actin filament attached to the G subunit when the enzyme was immobilized on a glass surface through the c subunit. V-ATPase generated essentially the same torque as the F-ATPase (ATP synthase). The rotation was inhibited by concanamycin and nitrate but not by azide. These results demonstrated that the V- and F-ATPase carry out a common rotational catalysis.     

The Binding Site of the V-ATPase Inhibitor Apicularen Is in the Vicinity of Those for Bafilomycin and Archazolid

The investigation of V-ATPases as potential therapeutic drug targets and hence of their specific inhibitors is a promising approach in osteoporosis and cancer treatment because the occurrence of these diseases is interrelated to the function of the V-ATPase. Apicularen belongs to the novel inhibitor family of the benzolactone enamides, which are highly potent but feature the unique characteristic of not inhibiting V-ATPases from fungal sources. In this study we specify, for the first time, the binding site of apicularen within the membrane spanning V(O) complex. By photoaffinity labeling using derivatives of apicularen and of the plecomacrolides bafilomycin and concanamycin, each coupled to (14)C-labeled 4-(3-trifluoromethyldiazirin-3-yl)benzoic acid, we verified that apicularen binds at the interface of the V(O) subunits a and c. The binding site is in the vicinity to those of the plecomacrolides and of the archazolids, a third family of V-ATPase inhibitors. Expression of subunit c homologues from Homo sapiens and Manduca sexta, both species sensitive to benzolactone enamides, in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain lacking the corresponding intrinsic gene did not transfer this sensitivity to yeast. Therefore, the binding site of benzolactone enamides cannot be formed exclusively by subunit c. Apparently, subunit a substantially contributes to the binding of the benzolactone enamides.     

A model for the proteolipid ring and bafilomycin/concanamycin-binding site in the vacuolar ATPase of Neurospora crassa

The vacuolar ATPase has been implicated in a variety of physiological processes in eukaryotic cells. Bafilomycin and concanamycin, highly potent and specific inhibitors of the vacuolar ATPase, have been widely used to investigate the enzyme. Derivatives have been developed as possible therapeutic drugs. We have used random mutagenesis and site-directed mutagenesis to identify 23 residues in the c subunit involved in binding these drugs. We generated a model for the structure of the ring of c subunits in Neurospora crassa by using data from the crystal structure of the homologous subunits of the bacterium Enterococcus hirae (Murata, T., Yamato, I., Kakinuma, Y., Leslie, A. G., and Walker, J. E. (2005) Science 308, 654-659). In the model 10 of the 11 mutation sites that confer the highest degree of resistance are closely clustered. They form a putative drug-binding pocket at the interface between helices 1 and 2 on one c subunit and helix 4 of the adjacent c subunit. The excellent fit of the N. crassa sequence to the E. hirae structure and the degree to which the structural model predicts the clustering of these residues suggest that the folding of the bacterial and eukaryotic polypeptides is very similar.     

Structure and Properties of the Clathrin-Coated Vesicle and Yeast Vacuolar V-ATPases

The V-ATPases are a family of ATP-dependent proton pumps responsible foracidification of intracellular compartments in eukaryotic cells. This reviewfocuses on the the V-ATPases from clathrin-coated vesicles and yeastvacuoles. The V-ATPase of clathrin-coated vesicles is a precursor to thatfound in endosomes and synaptic vesicles, which function in receptorrecycling, intracellular membrane traffic, and neurotransmitter uptake. Theyeast vacuolar ATPase functions to acidify the central vacuole and to drivevarious coupled transport processes across the vacuolar membrane. TheV-ATPases are composed of two functional domains. The V₁ domain isa 570-kDa peripheral complex composed of eight subunits of molecular weight70—14 kDa (subunits A—H) that is responsible for ATP hydrolysis.The V₀ domain is a 260-kDa integral complex composed of fivesubunits of molecular weight 100—17 kDa (subunits a, d, c, c8 and c9)that is responsible for proton translocation. Using chemical modification andsite-directed mutagenesis, we have begun to identify residues that play arole in ATP hydrolysis and proton transport by the V-ATPases. A centralquestion in the V-ATPase field is the mechanism by which cells regulatevacuolar acidification. Several mechanisms are described that may play a rolein controlling vacuolar acidification in vivo. One mechanisminvolves disulfide bond formation between cysteine residues located at thecatalytic nucleotide binding site on the 70-kDa A subunit, leading toreversible inhibition of V-ATPase activity. Other mechanisms includereversible assembly and dissociation of V₁ and V₀domains, changes in coupling efficiency of proton transport and ATPhydrolysis, and regulation of the activity of intracellular chloride channelsrequired for vacuolar acidification.     

液泡ATP酶在肿瘤中的作用及机制

液泡ATP酶（vacuolar ATPases,V-ATPases）是真核细胞中高度保守的一类大型多亚基复合物,广泛分布于质膜及溶酶体、内体、囊泡等细胞内膜系统,能够借助水解ATP产生的能量控制H+的跨膜转运。V-ATPases通过对细胞内外多种结构的酸化作用调控着一系列重要的细胞活动,如膜运输、蛋白质加工和降解等。近年来,V-ATPases在肿瘤形成中的功能正逐渐成为研究热点。本文重点综述了V-ATPases通过调控细胞内外环境pH,从而在肿瘤发生过程中所行使的多种功能,例如V-ATPases抑制肿瘤细胞凋亡,参与肿瘤细胞自噬,促进肿瘤的侵袭、迁移与增殖,以及参与肿瘤耐药性的产生等。阐明V-ATPases在肿瘤中的作用机制有望为肿瘤治疗策略的探索、新型药物的开发以及相关科学研究的开展提供参考。     

Proton translocation driven by ATP hydrolysis in V-ATPases

The vacuolar H(+)-ATPases (or V-ATPases) are a family of ATP-dependent proton pumps responsible for acidification of intracellular compartments and, in certain cases, proton transport across the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. They are multisubunit complexes composed of a peripheral domain (V(1)) responsible for ATP hydrolysis and an integral domain (V(0)) responsible for proton translocation. Based upon their structural similarity to the F(1)F(0) ATP synthases, the V-ATPases are thought to operate by a rotary mechanism in which ATP hydrolysis in V(1) drives rotation of a ring of proteolipid subunits in V(0). This review is focused on the current structural knowledge of the V-ATPases as it relates to the mechanism of ATP-driven proton translocation.     

Structure and function of V-ATPases in osteoclasts: potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteolysis

Excessive activity of osteoclasts becomes manifest in many common lytic bone disorders such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, bone aseptic loosening and tumor-induced bone destruction. Vacuolar proton pump H+-adenosine triphosphatases (V-ATPases), located on the bone-apposed plasma membrane of the osteoclast, are imperative for the function of osteoclasts, and thus are a potential molecular target for the development of novel anti-resorptive agents. To date, the V-ATPases core structure has been well modeled and consists of two distinct functional domains, the V1 (A, B1, B2, C1, C2, D, E1, E2, F, G1, G2, G3, and H subunits) and V0 (a1, a2, a3, a4, d1, d2, c, c' e1, e2 subunits) as well as the accessory subunits ac45 and M8-9. However, the exact configuration of osteoclast specific V-ATPases remains to be established. Inactivation of subunit a3 leads to osteopetrosis in both mice and man because of non-functional osteoclasts that are capable of acidifying the extracellular resorption lacuna. On the other hand, inactivation of subunits c, d1 and ac45 results in early embryonic lethality, indicating that certain subunits, such as a3, are more specific to osteoclast function than others. In osteoclasts, V-ATPases also cooperate with chloride channel protein CLC-7 to acidify the resorption lacuna. In addition, development of V-ATPases inhibitors such as bafilomycin A1, SB 242784 and FR167356 that selectively target osteoclast specific V-ATPases remains a challenge. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which specific subunits of V-ATPase regulate osteoclast function might facilitate the development of novel and selective inhibitors for the treatment of lytic bone disorders. This review summarizes recent research developments in V-ATPases with particular emphasis on osteoclast biology.     

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Vacuolar H+-ATPase Regulation by Disassembly and Reassembly: One Structure and Multiple Signals

Vacuolar H⁺-ATPases (V-ATPases) are highly conserved ATP-driven proton pumps responsible for acidification of intracellular compartments. V-ATPase proton transport energizes secondary transport systems and is essential for lysosomal/vacuolar and endosomal functions. These dynamic molecular motors are composed of multiple subunits regulated in part by reversible disassembly, which reversibly inactivates them. Reversible disassembly is intertwined with glycolysis, the RAS/cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway, and phosphoinositides, but the mechanisms involved are elusive. The atomic- and pseudo-atomic-resolution structures of the V-ATPases are shedding light on the molecular dynamics that regulate V-ATPase assembly. Although all eukaryotic V-ATPases may be built with an inherent capacity to reversibly disassemble, not all do so. V-ATPase subunit isoforms and their interactions with membrane lipids and a V-ATPase-exclusive chaperone influence V-ATPase assembly. This minireview reports on the mechanisms governing reversible disassembly in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, keeping in perspective our present understanding of the V-ATPase architecture and its alignment with the cellular processes and signals involved.     

Interactions Between Vacuolar H<Superscript>+</Superscript>-ATPases and Microfilaments in Osteoclasts

Vacuolar H⁺-ATPases (V-ATPases) are transported from cytosolic compartments to the ruffled plasma membrane of osteoclasts as they activate to resorb bone. Transport of V-ATPases is essential for bone resorption, and is associated with binding interactions between V-ATPases and microfilaments that are mediated by an actin-binding site in subunit B. This site is contained within 44 amino acids in the amino terminal domain, and requires a sequence motif that resembles an actin-binding motif found in mammalian profilin 1. Small alterations in the profilin-like sequence disrupt the actin-binding activity of subunit B. The interaction between V-ATPases and microfilaments in osteoclasts is regulated in response to changes in phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase activity. During internalization of V-ATPases from the plasma membrane of osteoclasts after a cycle of resorption, V-ATPases bind microfilaments that are in podosomes, dynamic actin-based structures, also present in metastatic cancer cells. Studies are ongoing to establish the physiological role of the microfilament-binding activity of subunit B in osteoclasts and in other cells.     

New insights into structure-function relationships between archeal ATP synthase (A1A0) and vacuolar type ATPase (V1V0)

Adenosine triphosphate, ATP, is the energy currency of living cells. While ATP synthases of archae and ATP synthases of pro- and eukaryotic organisms operate as energy producers by synthesizing ATP, the eukaryotic V-ATPase hydrolyzes ATP and thus functions as energy transducer. These enzymes share features like the hydrophilic catalytic- and the membrane-embedded ion-translocating sector, allowing them to operate as nano-motors and to transform the transmembrane electrochemical ion gradient into ATP or vice versa. Since archaea are rooted close to the origin of life, the A-ATP synthase is probably more similar in its composition and function to the "original" enzyme, invented by Nature billion years ago. On the contrary, the V-ATPases have acquired specific structural, functional and regulatory features during evolution. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the structure, mechanism and regulation of A-ATP synthases and V-ATPases. The importance of V-ATPase in pathophysiology of diseases will be discussed.     

The vacuolar (H+)-ATPase: subunit arrangement and in vivo regulation

The V-ATPases are responsible for acidification of intracellular compartments and proton transport across the plasma membrane. They play an important role in both normal processes, such as membrane traffic, protein degradation, urinary acidification, and bone resorption, as well as various disease processes, such as viral infection, toxin killing, osteoporosis, and tumor metastasis. V-ATPases contain a peripheral domain (V₁) that carries out ATP hydrolysis and an integral domain (V₀) responsible for proton transport. V-ATPases operate by a rotary mechanism involving both a central rotary stalk and a peripheral stalk that serves as a stator. Cysteine-mediated cross-linking has been used to localize subunits within the V-ATPase complex and to investigate the helical interactions between subunits within the integral V₀ domain. An essential property of the V-ATPases is the ability to regulate their activity in vivo. An important mechanism of regulating V-ATPase activity is reversible dissociation of the complex into its component V₁ and V₀ domains. The dependence of reversible dissociation on subunit isoforms and cellular environment has been investigated. Qi and Wang contributed equally to this work.