Oriented adsorption of purple membrane to cationic surfaces

We have investigated the orientation of isolated fragments of Halobacterium halobium purple membrane (PM) adsorbed to poly-L-lysine- treated glass (PL-glass), by quanitative electron microscopy. Three lines of evidence support the conclusion that the cytoplasmic side of the membrane is preferentially absorbed. First, monolayer freeze- fracture reveals nonrandom orientation; more fracture faces (89%) are particulate than smooth. Second, the amount of each membrane surface present can be assayed using polycationic ferritin; 90% of all adsorbed membrane fragments are labeled. Third, it is possible to distinguish two surfaces, "cracked" (the extracellular surface) and "pitted" (the cytoplasmic surface) , in slowly air-dried, platinum-carbon-shadowed membranes. When applied under standard conditions, more than 80% appear cracked. Selection for the cytoplasmic by the cationic substrate suggests that the isolated PM, buffered at pH 7.4 and in the light, has a higher negative charge on its cytoplasmic surface than on its extracellular surface. Nevertheless, cationic ferritin (CF) preferentially adsorbs to the extracellular surface. Orientation provides a striking example of biomembrane surface asymmetry as well as the means to examine the chemical reactivity and physical properties of surfaces of a purified, nonvesicular membrane fragment.     

The glycosylation and orientation in the membrane of the third cytoplasmic loop of human P-glycoprotein is affected by mutations and substrates

Multiple topologies have been detected for the COOH-terminal half of the human multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein (P-gp). In one topology, the predicted third cytoplasmic loop (CL3) is on the cytoplasmic side (P-gp-CL3-cyt) of the membrane. In an alternate topology, CL3 is on the extracellular side of the membrane (P-gp-CL3-ext). It is not known if both forms of P-gp are active because it is difficult to distinguish either topology in the full-length molecule. When the halves of P-gp are expressed as separate polypeptides, the two topologies of the C-Half are readily distinguished on SDS-PAGE, because only the C-Half (CL3-ext) is glycosylated. To test whether both topologies can fold into an active enzyme, we assayed for interaction between the N- and C-Halves of P-gp since functional P-gp requires interaction between both halves. In a mutant P-gp (E875C) that gave about equal amounts of both topologies, only the C-Half (CL3-cyt) could be recovered by nickel chromatography after coexpression with the histidine-tagged N-Half P-gp. The isolated N-Half and E875C C-Half (CL3-cyt) polypeptides, when expressed together, exhibited verapamil- and vinblastine-stimulated ATPase activities that were similar to the wild-type enzyme. We also found that biosynthesis of mutant E875C C-Half in the presence of the N-Half P-gp resulted in enhanced expression of C-Half (CL3-cyt). By contrast, interaction of C-Half (CL3-ext) with N-Half P-gp was not detected. These results show that the topology of the C-Half portion of P-gp greatly influences its interactions with the amino-terminal half of the molecule.     

The acrosomal membrane of boar sperm: a Golgi-derived membrane poor in glycoconjugates

The acrosome is a large secretory vesicle of the sperm head that carries enzymes responsible for the digestion of the oocyte's investments. The event leads to sperm penetration and allows fertilization to occur. Release of the acrosomal enzymes is mediated by the interaction between sperm acrosomal and plasma membranes (acrosome reaction). Biochemical characterization of the acrosomal membrane has been restrained by a lack of methods to isolate uncontaminated fractions of the membrane. Here, we use new methods to expose the membrane to in situ cytochemical labeling by lectin-gold complexes. We study the topology and relative density of glycoconjugates both across and along the plane of the acrosomal membrane of boar sperm. Detachment of the plasma membrane from glutaraldehyde-fixed cells exposed the cytoplasmic surface of the acrosome to the lectin markers; freeze-fractured halves of the acrosomal membrane were marked by "fracture-label" (Aguas, A. P., and P. Pinto da Silva, 1983, J. Cell Biol. 97:1356-1364). We show that the cytoplasmic surface of the intact acrosome is devoid of binding sites for both concanavalin A (Con A) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). By contrast, it contains a high density of neuraminidase-resistant anionic sites detected by cationic ferritin. On freeze-fractured sperm, the receptors for Con A partitioned with the exoplasmic membrane half of the acrosomal membrane. The Con A-binding glycoconjugates were accumulated on the equatorial segment of the membrane. A low density of WGA receptors, as well as of intramembrane particles, was found on the freeze-fracture halves of the acrosomal membrane. The plasma membrane displayed, in the same preparations, a high density of receptors for both Con A and WGA. We conclude that the acrosome is limited by a membrane poor in glycoconjugates, which are exclusively exposed on the exoplasmic side of the bilayer. Regionalization of Con A receptors on the acrosome shows that sperm intracellular membranes, like the sperm surface, express domain distribution of glycocomponents.     

Characterization of a low density cytoplasmic membrane subfraction isolated from Escherichia coli

We have used freeze fracture electron microscopy to study the distribution of membrane proteins in the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli W 3110. While these proteins were distributed randomly at the growth temperature (37 °C), there was extensive protein lipid segregation when the temperature was lowered, resulting in bare patches containing no visible particles (protein), and areas of tightly packed or aggregated particles. To understand the segregation process, we have separated the bare patches from the particle rich membrane areas. Lysis of spheroplasts at 0 °C leads to cytoplasmic membrane fragments with different amounts of membrane particles per unit area; such fragments have been separated on isopycnic sucrose gradients. The bare patches occurred as low density membranes which were completely devoid of particles. They were compared to normal density cytoplasmic membranes with respect to fatty acid composition, protein distribution as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their content of several cytoplasmic membrane marker enzymes.The phospholipid to protein ratio of low density membranes was five times greater than that of normal membranes; unsaturated fatty acids were more abundant in the low density membranes. Most proteins had disappeared from the low density membranes. One protein, which had an apparent molecular weight of 26000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels appeared to be concentrated in the low density membranes; it accounted for about 50% of the total protein found in this membrane fraction.Of the cytoplasmic membrane markers tested, NADH oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase were excluded, while d-lactate dehydrogenase remained, and even appeared to be concentrated in the low density membranes.These results indicate that while most membrane proteins are associated with the fluid portion of the bilayer, some proteins evidently associate preferentially with phospholipids in the gel or frozen state.     

血红蛋白对人红细胞膜脂质分子侧向运动的影响

用荧光漂白恢复法测定了血红蛋白对红细胞膜脂质分子侧向扩散的限制作用.血红蛋白主要是通过和内侧膜脂质的结合而产生影响的,pH6及PH7.7时都显示出效应的存在.和膜结合较强的高铁血红蛋白,表现出对膜脂质侧向扩散亦有较大的限制作用.     

On tight-junction structure

We have analyzed previous thin-section and freeze-fracture observations of the tight junction. We propose that the tight-junction strands represent intramembranous, cylindrical, inverted micelles. At the junctional site, the exoplasmic halves of the plasma membranes are fused into a continuous leaflet. Therefore, topologically and structurally the tight junction is viewed as the outcome of a process of linear fusion between the plasma membranes of epithelial cells. The extracellular spaces delimited by the junction are separated by two distinct exoplasmic membrane halves and the cylindrical micelles. Junctional stability, fostered by the environmental symmetry of the cytoplasmic milieux of contiguous cells, may be maintained by transmembrane integral proteins at the junctional site, interacting at the cytoplasmic surface with cytoskeletal components.     

Modification of ion transport in lipid bilayer membranes in the presence of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. II. Suppression of tetraphenylborate conductance and changes of interfacial potentials.

It has been shown that the blocking of negatively charged tetraphenylborate ion transport in phosphatidylcholine (PC)-cholesterol membranes by the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is dominated by suppression of TPhB- diffusion across the membrane interior, rather than by the decrease of adsorption of TPhB- ions at the membrane surface. The blocking effect can be associated with the decrease of electric potential inside the membrane with respect to that of the aqueous medium, this decreases being proportional to the concentration of 2,4-D in the aqueous solution. It has been estimated that 25 - 30% of the total 2,4-D-induced change of the potential difference is between the plane of absorption of TPhB- and the aqueous solution, and the remaining fraction is between the membrane interior and the absorption plane. The results of this study support the dipolar hypothesis of 2,4-D action in lipid membranes. These conclusions are further supported by measurements changes of electric potential difference across air/water and air/lipid monolayer/water interfaces. It has been found that the electric potential of the nonpolar side of the interface decreases in the presence of neutral molecules of 2,4-D and that this effect becomes more prominent in presence of electrolyte. We have confirmed that PC-cholesterol monolayer cannot be considered as a model for half of the bilayer membrane because of the disagreement between the changes of the interfacial potential difference of PC-cholesterol monolayers and those determined from studied of transport of positive and negative ions across bilayer membranes. In contract, we have found close agreement between the 2,4-D-induced changes of electric potential of the lipid hydrocarbon region in glycerolmonooleate (GMO) membranes and GMO monolayers. We suggest that the action of 2,4-D in lipid membranes is not associated with the changes of orientation of dipoles of lipids constituting the membranes, but rather with a layer of 2,4-D molecules absorbed at the nonpolar/polar membrane boundary.     

Cytoplasmic surface structure in postsynaptic membranes from electric tissue visualized by tannic-acid-mediated negative contrasting

In this study, acetylcholine receptor-rich postsynaptic membranes from electric tissues of the electric rays Narcine brasiliensis and Torpedo californica are negatively contrasted for thin-section electron microscopy through the use of tannic acid. Both outer (extracellular) and inner (cytoplasmic) membrane surfaces are negatively contrasted, and can be studied together in transverse sections. The hydrophobic portion of the membrane appears as a thin (approximately 2 nm), strongly contrasted band. This band is the only image given by membrane regions which are devoid of acetylcholine receptor. In regions of high receptor density, however, both surfaces of the membrane are seen to bear or be associated with material which extends approximately 6.5 nm beyond the center of the bilayer. The material on the outer surface can be identified with the well-known extracellular portion of the receptor molecule. A major portion of the inner surface image is eliminated by extraction of the membranes at pH 11 to remove peripheral membrane proteins, principally the 43,000 Mr (43K) protein. The images thus suggest a cytoplasmic localization of the 43K protein, with its distribution being coextensive with that of the receptor. They also suggest that the 43K protein extends farther from the cytoplasmic surface than does the receptor.     

Effects on membrane lateral pressure suggest permeation mechanisms for bacterial quorum signaling molecules

Quorum sensing is an intricate example of "social" behavior in microbial communities mediated by small secreted molecules (autoinducers). The mechanisms of membrane permeation remain elusive for many of them. Here we present the assessment of membrane permeability for three natural autoinducers and four synthetic analogues based on their polarity, surface activity, affinity for lipid monolayers, and ability to induce lateral pressure changes in the inner E. coli membrane sensed by the bacterial tension-activated channel MscS. AI-1 (N-(3-oxodecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone) is surface-active, and it robustly inserts into lipid monolayers, indicating strong propensity toward membranes. When presented to membrane patches from the cytoplasmic side, AI-1 transiently shifts MscS's activation curve toward higher tensions due to intercalation into the cytoplasmic leaflet followed by redistribution to the opposite side. Indole showed no detectable surface activity at the air-water interface but produced a moderate increase of lateral pressure in monolayers and was potent at shifting activation curves of MscS, demonstrating transients on sequential additions. AI-2 (4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione, DPD) showed little activity at the interfaces, correspondingly with no effect on MscS activation. After chemical modification with isobutyl, hexyl, or heptyl chains, AI-2 displayed strong surface activity. Hexyl and especially heptyl AI-2 induced robust transient shifts of MscS activation curves. The data strongly suggest that both AI-1 and indole are directly permeable through the membrane. AI-2, more hydrophilic, shows low affinity toward lipids and thus requires a transport system, whereas alkyl analogues of AI-2 should permeate the membrane directly.     

ELECTRON MICROSCOPE OBSERVATIONS ON THE SURFACE ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE-LIKE ENZYMES OF HELA CELLS INFECTED WITH HERPES VIRUS

HeLa cells infected with herpes simplex virus have been examined in thin sections by electron microscopy after cytochemical staining for the presence of surface enzymes splitting adenosine triphosphate. As with uninfected HeLa cultures (18), the opaque enzyme reaction product was localized at the plasma membranes of about half the cells, tending to be present where there were microvilli and absent on smooth surfaces. Where mature extracellular herpes particles were found in association with cell membranes showing the enzyme activity, they were invariably likewise stained, and conversely, those mature particles which lay close against cells without reaction product at the surface were themselves free of it. Particles found budding into cytoplasmic vacuoles were also always without opaque deposit since this was never seen at vacuolar membranes, even in cells having the activity at the surface. The enzyme reaction product thus provided a marker indicating the manner in which the particles escape from cells and mature by budding out through cellular membranes, carrying, in the process, a portion of the latter on to themselves to form the outer viral limiting membrane. In some instances, virus particles were observed with more opaque material covering them than was present at the cell membrane with which they were associated. This finding has been taken as evidence for a physiological waxing and waning of surface enzyme activity of adenosine triphosphatase type. The fine structure of the mature extracellular virus as prepared here, using glutaraldehyde fixation, is also recorded. The observations and interpretations are discussed in full.     

Reassociation of ankyrin with band 3 in erythrocyte membranes and in lipid vesicles

The binding of human erythrocyte ankyrin (band 2.1) to the erythrocyte membrane has been characterized by reassociating purified ankyrin with ankyrin-depleted inside-out vesicles. Ankyrin reassociates at high affinity with a limited number of protease-sensitive sites located only on the cytoplasmic side of the erythrocyte membrane. Depleting the vesicles of band 4.2 does not affect their binding capacity. A 45,000-dalton polypeptide derived from the cytoplasmic portion of band 3 competitively inhibits the binding of ankyrin to inside-out vesicles. Although the bulk of band 3 molecules appear to have the potential for binding ankyrin, nly a fraction of the band 3 molecules in native membranes or in reconstituted liposomes actually provides accessible high affinity ankyrin binding sites.     

Effect of membrane splitting on transmembrane polypeptides

We investigated the effect of membrane splitting on the primary structure of human erythrocyte membrane polypeptides. Monolayers of intact, chemically unmodified cells were freeze-fractured and examined by one-dimensional SDS PAGE. Silver-stained gels revealed all major polypeptides that stain with Coomassie Blue as well as all bands that stain with periodic acid Schiff's reagent. Both nonglycosylated and glycosylated membrane polypeptides could be detected at concentrations of only a few nanograms per band. Membrane splitting had no effect on the position or number of bands. Monolayers of intact erythrocytes that had been enzymatically radioiodinated with lactoperoxidase were examined by electrophoresis, fluorography, and liquid scintillation counting. Radioactivity was quantified before and after monolayer formation and splitting, and at several stages of gel staining, drying, and fluorography. Although overexposed fluorographs revealed several minor radioiodinated bands in addition to band 3 and the glycophorins, no new bands were detected in split membrane samples derived from intact cells. These observations support the conclusion that neither the band 3 anion channel nor the glycophorin sialoglycoproteins are fragmented during freeze-fracturing. Although both band 3 and glycophorin partition to the cytoplasmic side of the membrane, preliminary quantitative observations suggest an enrichment of glycophorin in the split extracellular "half" membrane. We conclude that the process of membrane splitting by planar monolayer freeze-fracture does not cleave the covalent polypeptide backbone of any erythrocyte membrane protein, peripheral or integral.     

P-glycoprotein structure and evolutionary homologies

Analysis of multidrug resistant cell lines has led to the identification of the P-glycoprotein multigene family. Two of the three classes of mammalian P-glycoproteins have the ability to confer cellular resistance to a broad range of structurally and functionally diverse cytotoxic agents. P-glycoproteins are integral membrane glycoproteins comprised of two similar halves, each consisting of six membrane spanning domains followed by a cytoplasmic domain which includes a nucleotide binding fold. The P-glycoprotein is a member of a large superfamily of transport proteins which utilize ATP to translocate a wide range of substrates across biological membranes. This superfamily includes transport complexes comprised of multicomponent systems, half P-glycoproteins and P-glycoprotein-like homologs which appear to require 12 -helical transmembrane domains and two nucleotide binding folds for substrate transport. P-glycoprotein homologs have been isolated and characterized from a wide range of species. Amino acid sequences, the similarities between the halves and intron/exon boundaries have been compared to understand the evolutionary origins of the P-glycoprotein.     

Detection of lateral heterogeneity in the cytoplasmic membrane of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

Lateral heterogeneity in the cytoplasmic membrane of Bacillus subtilis was found by using density gradient centrifugation. Crude membranes (CM) present in the whole cell lysate were separated into three fractions of increasing density (F, CI, CII). Substantial difference exists in the amount of protein recovered from these fractions, the relative ratio being 15 : 35 : 50. The qualitative protein composition (by SDS-PAGE) of the fractions varies markedly as well. The lipid components extracted from the fractions are also distributed in different proportions, viz. 40 : 40 : 20. The spectrum of fatty acids (FA), detected in lipids of F fraction and analyzed by GC-MS exhibits the same profile as that found in CM; in contrast, fractions CI and CII undergo extensive FA reconstruction. Thermotropic behavior of fractions measured by the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene indicates significant variations of microviscosity (r(s)) within the F, CI and CII fractions. The protein-to-lipid ratio plays evidently a key role in affecting the physical state of the cytoplasmic membrane. Microdomains of different density coexist in the membrane and exhibit heterogeneity in both chemical composition and "physical state"; the increased de novo synthesis of FA induced by the cold exclusively in fractions CI and CII indicates correlation with an altered physiological state of bacterial metabolism.     

Study of membrane orientation and glycosylated extracellular loops of mouse P-glycoprotein by in vitro translation.

Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) has been demonstrated to cause multidrug resistance (MDR) in vitro, and it may be responsible for chemotherapy failure in a number of human cancers. Pgp is a plasma membrane protein thought to function as an energy-dependent drug transporter. From its deduced protein sequence the topology of Pgp was proposed to contain 12 transmembrane domains with six extracellular loops and two cytoplasmic ATP-binding sites. To investigate further the membrane orientation of Pgp, we have expressed a full length cDNA of mouse mdr1, as well as its truncated forms, in a cell-free system supplemented with dog pancreatic microsomal membranes (RM). We determined which domains of the in vitro-synthesized Pgp had transversed the RM membranes by analyzing their resistance to protease digestion and their glycosylation state. To our surprise, this system revealed that a significant portion of in vitro-synthesized Pgp molecules has an additional glycosylated domain in the C-terminal half. Previously, only the first predicted extracellular loop near the N terminus had been thought to be glycosylated. Furthermore, we discovered that Pgp has at least two functional signal recognition particle/docking protein dependent signal sequences, one at the N-terminal half and the other at the C-terminal half. These findings suggest a new topological model for in vitro synthesized P-glycoprotein which may be relevant to its in vivo topology.     

GO-PROMTO illuminates protein membrane topologies of glycan biosynthetic enzymes in the Golgi apparatus of living tissues

The Golgi apparatus is the main site of glycan biosynthesis in eukaryotes. Better understanding of the membrane topology of the proteins and enzymes involved can impart new mechanistic insights into these processes. Publically available bioinformatic tools provide highly variable predictions of membrane topologies for given proteins. Therefore we devised a non-invasive experimental method by which the membrane topologies of Golgi-resident proteins can be determined in the Golgi apparatus in living tissues. A Golgi marker was used to construct a series of reporters based on the principle of bimolecular fluorescence complementation. The reporters and proteins of interest were recombinantly fused to split halves of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and transiently co-expressed with the reporters in the Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue. Output signals were binary, showing either the presence or absence of fluorescence with signal morphologies characteristic of the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The method allows prompt and robust determinations of membrane topologies of Golgi-resident proteins and is termed GO-PROMTO (for GOlgi PROtein Membrane TOpology). We applied GO-PROMTO to examine the topologies of proteins involved in the biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides including xyloglucan and arabinan. The results suggest the existence of novel biosynthetic mechanisms involving transports of intermediates across Golgi membranes.     

Recognition of incomplete patterns by bumble bees

Bumble bees were trained to discriminate between two visual patterns, one of which was rewarding (S+) and one of which was unrewarding (S-). Subsequently, they were tested for discrimination between two non-rewarding patterns: the top halves of the training patterns, the bottom halves or the side halves. Three conditions were tested: (1) When the S+ was a star and the S- was a circle, all halves of the star were chosen above chance level, which may reflect an unlearned preference for radial patterns. (2) When the S+ and S- were reversed, the bottom half and the side half of the circle were chosen above chance level, but not the top half. (3) In the last condition, the S+ was again a circle, but the feeder tube was placed below the training pattern rather than above, and again the bottom halves were discriminated but neither the top nor the side halves were. In learning pattern discriminations, the ventral portion of the pattern is weighted more strongly than the dorsal portion, which enables recognition of incomplete patterns, and the weighting depends little on angle of approach.     

Interactions of voltage-sensing dyes with membranes. II. Spectrophotometric and electrical correlates of cyanine-dye adsorption to membranes.

The adsorption to bilayer membranes of the thiadicarbocyanine dyes, diSCn(5), has been studied as a function of the membrane's surface-charge density, the aqueous ionic strength, and the length (n) of the hydrocarbon side chain of the dye. "Probe" measurements in planar bilayers, microelectrophoresis of liposomes, and measurement of changes in dye absorbance and fluorescence in liposomes were used to study dye adsorption to membranes. These measurements indicated that the membrane:water partition coefficient for the dye monomer increases with the length of the hydrocarbon side chain. However, the formation of large aggregates in the aqueous phase also increases with increasing chain length and ionic strength so that the actual dye adsorbing to the membrane goes through a maximum at high but not at low ionic strengths. More dye adsorbs to negatively charged than neutral membranes. Membrane-bound dye spectra were easily resolved in negatively charged liposomes where it was observed that these dyes could exist as monomers, dimers, and large aggregates. For diSC1(5) a spectral peak was observed at low but not high ionic strengths (i.e. the conditions in which this dye appears to form voltage-gated channels) corresponding to small aggregates which appeared to adsorb to the membrane. Finally, the adsorption of these dyes to membranes results in more positive electrostatic potentials composed primarily of dye-induced "boundary" potentials and somewhat less of "double-layer" potentials.     

Molecular motors are differentially distributed on Golgi membranes from polarized epithelial cells

Microtubules (MT) are required for the efficient transport of membranes from the trans-Golgi and for transcytosis of vesicles from the basolateral membrane to the apical cytoplasm in polarized epithelia. MTs in these cells are primarily oriented with their plus ends basally near the Golgi and their minus-ends in the apical cytoplasm. Here we report that isolated Golgi and Golgi-enriched membranes from intestinal epithelial cells possess the actin based motor myosin-I, the MT minus- end-directed motor cytoplasmic dynein and its in vitro motility activator dynactin (p150/Glued). The Golgi can be separated into stacks, possessing features of the Golgi cisternae, and small membranes enriched in the trans-Golgi network marker TGN 38/41. Whereas myosin-I is present on all membranes in the Golgi fraction, dynein is present only on the small membrane fraction. Dynein, like myosin-I, is associated with membranes as a cytoplasmic peripheral membrane protein. Dynein and myosin-I coassociate with membranes that bind to MTs and cross-link actin filaments and MTs in a nucleotide-dependent manner. We propose that cytoplasmic dynein moves Golgi membranes along MTs to the cell cortex where myosin-I provides local delivery through the actin- rich cytoskeleton to the apical membrane.     

Membrane topology of the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCR and its relationship to ABC1 and related ABCA transporters: identification of N-linked glycosylation sites

ABCR is a member of the ABCA subclass of ATP binding cassette transporters that is responsible for Stargardt macular disease and implicated in retinal transport across photoreceptor disc membranes. It consists of a single polypeptide chain arranged in two tandem halves, each having a multi-spanning membrane domain followed by a nucleotide binding domain. To delineate between several proposed membrane topological models, we have identified the exocytoplasmic (extracellular/lumen) N-linked glycosylation sites on ABCR. Using trypsin digestion, site-directed mutagenesis, concanavalin A binding, and endoglycosidase digestion, we show that ABCR contains eight glycosylation sites. Four sites reside in a 600-amino acid exocytoplasmic domain of the N-terminal half between the first transmembrane segment H1 and the first multi-spanning membrane domain, and four sites are in a 275-amino acid domain of the C half between transmembrane segment H7 and the second multi-spanning membrane domain. This leads to a model in which each half has a transmembrane segment followed by a large exocytoplasmic domain, a multi-spanning membrane domain, and a nucleotide binding domain. Other ABCA transporters, including ABC1 linked to Tangier disease, are proposed to have a similar membrane topology based on sequence similarity to ABCR. Studies also suggest that the N and C halves of ABCR are linked through disulfide bonds.