Is the multidrug transporter a flippase?

The phenomenon of multidrug resistance is correlated with the presence of a membrane protein, P-glycoprotein, which pumps a wide variety of drugs out of cells thus reducing their toxicity. However, the mechanism of this pumping action remains unclear. In this article, we suggest that several properties of the multidrug transporter may be explained if it acts as a 'flippase' to transport drugs from the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer to the outer or to the external medium.     

CFTR–SLC26 transporter interactions in epithelia

Transport mechanisms that mediate the movements of anions must be coordinated tightly in order to respond appropriately to physiological stimuli. This process is of paramount importance in the function of diverse epithelial tissues of the body, such as, for example, the exocrine pancreatic duct and the airway epithelia. Disruption of any of the finely tuned components underlying the transport of anions such as Cl⁻, HCO₃ ⁻, SCN⁻, and I⁻ may contribute to a plethora of disease conditions. In many anion-secreting epithelia, the interactions between the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and solute carrier family 26 (SLC26) transporters determine the final exit of anions across the apical membrane and into the luminal compartment. The molecular identification of CFTR and many SLC26 members has enabled the acquisition of progressively more detailed structural information about these transport molecules. Studies employing a vast array of increasingly sophisticated approaches have culminated in a current working model which places these key players within an interactive complex, thereby setting the stage for future work.     

Multiple physiological functions for multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein?

Multidrug resistance mediated by the drug-efflux protein P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is one mechanism that tumor cells use to escape death induced by chemotherapeutic drugs. Although it is irrefutable that P-gp can efflux xenobiotics out of cells, biological regulatory functions for P-gp in multicellular organisms have yet to be established firmly. Recent observations have challenged the notion that P-gp has evolved merely to efflux xenotoxins out of healthy cells and raised the possibility that P-gp and related transporter molecules might play a fundamental role in regulating cell differentiation, proliferation and survival.     

Pendrin: the thyrocyte apical membrane iodide transporter?

In the thyroid, the transport of iodide from the extracellular space to the follicular lumen requires two steps: the transport in the cell at the basal side and in the lumen at the apical side. The first step is mediated by the Na(+)/I(-) symporter (NIS). In most reviews and textbooks, the second step is presented as mediated by pendrin. In this review, we analyze this assumption. There are several arguments supporting the concept that indeed pendrin plays an important role in thyroid physiology. However, biochemical, clinical and histological data on the thyroid of a patient with Pendred syndrome do not suggest an essential role in iodide transport, which is corroborated by the lack of a thyroid phenotype in pendrin knockout mice. Experiments in vivo and in vitro on polarized and unpolarized cells show that iodide is transported transport of iodide at the apex of the thyroid cell. Moreover, ectopic expression of pendrin in transfected non-thyroid cells is capable of mediating iodide efflux. It is concluded that pendrin may participate in the iodide efflux into thyroid lumen but not as the unique transporter. Moreover, another role of pendrin in mediating Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchange and controlling luminal pH is suggested.     

The Hill analysis and co-ion–driven transporter kinetics

ConclusionIn mechanistic models for binding of multiple ligands to a biological unit, the saturation behavior depends on the experimental readout. In the binding model, the Hill analysis does not provide information on the number of binding sites N. In contrast, the Hill analysis of the response model does contain this information, in which case the slope of the curve in the lower concentration range corresponds to the number of binding sites. In neither model does the Hill coefficient—defined as the slope of the curve at half-maximal saturation—report this number. In the binding model, the Hill coefficient varies between a value of 1 in the absence of interaction and a value of N in case of extremely strong interaction. In the response model, it varies between a number larger than 1 and N. In both models, the derived Hill coefficient is a measure of the cooperativity and sets a lowest possible number of sites.Ion-coupled transporters are of the response model type, and the saturation behavior of the rate with the co-ion in the lower concentration limit contains the information on the number of cotransported ions. Additionally, in the case of an ordered-binding mechanism, in which the co-ions bind before the transported substrate, the Hill coefficient of co-ion binding is a function of the substrate concentration. The apparent interaction between the co-ion sites increases with the substrate concentration and, consequently, the Hill coefficient extrapolates to the number of co-ions. Measurements of the Hill coefficient over the entire range of substrate concentrations provide information on both the extent of interaction between the sites and the number of sites.

Online supplemental material

Five supplemental texts accompany this review: (1) derivation of the equations for the binding and response models; (2) derivation of the equations for the ordered-binding transporter mechanism; (3) derivation of the equations for the Hill analysis of the saturation level functions; (4) derivation of the equations for substrate-dependent kinetics of mechanistic transporter models; (5) data analysis by curve fitting. The online supplemental material is available at http://www.jgp.org/cgi/content/full/jgp.201411332/DC1.     

PKCβ-dependent phosphorylation of the glycine transporter 1

The extracellular levels of the neurotransmitter glycine in the brain are tightly regulated by the glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) and the clearance rate for glycine depends on its rate of transport and the levels of cell surface GlyT1. Over the years, it has been shown that PKC tightly regulates the activity of several neurotransmitter transporters. In the present work, by stably expressing three N-terminus GlyT1 isoforms in porcine aortic endothelial cells and assaying for [³²P]-orthophosphate metabolic labeling, we demonstrated that the isoforms GlyT1a, GlyT1b, and GlyT1c were constitutively phosphorylated, and that phosphorylation was dramatically enhanced, in a time dependent fashion, after PKC activation by phorbol ester. The phosphorylation was PKC-dependent, since pre-incubation of the cells with bisindolylmaleimide I, a selective PKC inhibitor, abolished the phorbol ester-induced phosphorylation. Blotting with specific anti-phospho-tyrosine antibodies did not yield any signal that could correspond to GlyT1 tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that the phosphorylation occurs at serine and/or threonine residues. In addition, a 23-40%-inhibition on V_max was obtained by incubation with phorbol ester without a significant change on the apparent Km value. Furthermore, pre-incubation of the cells with the selective PKCα/β inhibitor Gö6976 abolished the downregulation effect of phorbol ester on uptake and phosphorylation, whereas the selective PKCβ inhibitors (PKCβ inhibitor or LY333531) prevented the phosphorylation without affecting glycine uptake, defining a specific role of classical PKC on GlyT1 uptake and phosphorylation. Taken together, these data suggest that conventional PKCα/β regulates the uptake of glycine, whereas PKCβ is responsible for GlyT1 phosphorylation.     

The blood—nerve barrier is rich in glucose transporter

Brain Cell Biology - The glucose transporter of the facilitated diffusion type has been localized in sections of innervated rat diaphragm muscle and sciatic nerve by immunofluorescence, using...     

The multidrug transporter Pdr5: a molecular diode?

A subset of the family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters has been in focus owing to their involvement in conferring multidrug resistance in cancer cells and among immune compromised individuals. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is protected against xenobiotics by similar machineries that are part of the pleitropic drug resistance (PDR) network. The ABC transporter Pdr5 is an important member of this PDR network in yeast and is involved in cellular detoxification by the efflux of a wide variety of drugs and substrates. In this review, we focus on the aspects of detergent effects and the degeneracy in conserved sequences that is observed in the nucleotide binding domains of Pdr5 and discuss their functional relevance.     

The choline transporter resurfaces: new roles for synaptic vesicles?

Presynaptic choline uptake is vital to sustained neuronal acetylcholine (ACh) release; however, only with the recent cloning of choline transporters (CHTs) (i.e., SLC5A7), has a picture emerged of the regulatory pathways supporting CHT modulation. Studies arising from the development of CHT-specific antibodies reveal a large, intracellular reserve of CHT proteins, localized to ACh-containing, synaptic vesicles. The intersection of mechanisms supporting vesicular ACh release and choline uptake demonstrates an elegant mechanism for linking regulation of CHT membrane density to rates of ACh release. Furthermore, these studies point to control of the CHT endocytic process as an important target for novel therapeutics that could offset functional deficits in disorders bearing diminished cholinergic tone, including myasthenias and dementias.     

PPARα and PPARγ regulate the nucleoside transporter hENT1

Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) is an important determinant for nucleoside analog based chemotherapy success. Preliminary data suggest hENT1 regulation by PPARs. Using A2780 cells, we investigated the role of PPARs on hENT1 expression and activity. PPARα and PPARγ agonists, Wy14,643 and RGZ, increased hENT1 expression, but only PPARα activation or overexpression resulted in higher hENT1 transport activity. On the other hand, promoter analysis showed two putative PPRE in hENT1 promoter and luciferase-coupled promoter constructs were generated and analyzed. Our results suggest that PPARα-but not PPARγ-mediated expression regulation of hENT1 is PPRE-dependent. In conclusion, PPARα and PPARγ activation modulate hENT1 expression.     

Diacylglycerol kinase δ destabilizes serotonin transporter protein through the ubiquitin-proteasome system

Brain-specific diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) δ-knockout mice exhibited serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitor-sensitive obsessive-compulsive disorder-like behaviors. Moreover, SERT protein levels were markedly increased in the DGKδ-deficient brain. However, its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We found that the catalytic subdomain-a and the coiled-coil structure-containing region of DGKδ interacted with the C-terminal cytoplasmic region (CTC) of SERT. Moreover, the protein levels of full-length SERT and SERT-CTC alone were significantly decreased by DGKδ in a catalytic activity-dependent manner. A proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, inhibited DGKδ-dependent SERT degradation. Notably, DGKδ interacted with MAGE-D1 adaptor protein and Praja-1 E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, and enhanced the ubiquitination of SERT through Praja-1. Taken together, these results indicate that DGKδ interacts with SERT and induces SERT degradation in an activity-dependent manner through the Praja-1 ubiquitin ligase-proteasome system. These new findings provide novel insights into serotonergic system regulation and the pathophysiology/therapeutics of serotonin-/SERT-related diseases such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, autism and schizophrenia.     

Transgenic mice overexpressingγ-aminobutyric acid transporter subtypeⅠ develop obesity

INTRODUCTION7-aminobutyricacid(GABA)isthemajorinhibitoryneurotransmitterinthevertebratecelltralnervoussystemwhereitactingesavaxietyofGABAreceptortypes.TheneurotransmissionofGABAisthoughttobeterllilnatedbyit'srapidre-uptakeviaGABAtransportersintopresynapticneuronsandsurroundingglialcellsll,2].BesidesfUnctioningintheterminationofsynaptictransmission,GABAtransportersplayacriticalroleintheregUlationofthemagnitudeanddurationofGABA'sactionandmayajsomediatethereleaseofGABAintotheedrac…     

Is the bacterial ferrous iron transporter FeoB a living fossil?

The cytoplasmic membrane protein FeoB of Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, Legionella pneumophila and Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is necessary for Fe(2+) uptake. The C-terminal part of FeoB is predicted to contain 8-12 membrane-spanning helices. The N-terminal domain shows much similarity to eukaryotic and prokaryotic G proteins and, indeed, GTPase activity is necessary for Fe(2+) transport. Four of the five characteristic conserved G protein motifs have been identified in FeoB proteins. Whether FeoB is involved directly, via its Me(2+) binding site, or indirectly in Fe(2+) transport, remains to be investigated.     

The lysosomal polypeptide transporter TAPL: more than a housekeeping factor?

The transporter associated with antigen processing-like (TAPL) is a polypeptide transporter translocating cytosolic peptides into the lumen of lysosomes driven by ATP hydrolysis. TAPL belongs to the family of ABC transporters and forms a homodimer. This ABC transporter not only shows a broad tissue but also a wide phylogenetic distribution, because orthologs are still found in nematodes and insects. Here, we present the topology, substrate specificity, and distribution of this intracellular polypeptide transporter. Additionally, we will discuss its proposed physiological functions such as housekeeping together with a specialized factor for metabolite storage as well as for the adaptive immunity.