Role for Phospholipid Flippase Complex of ATP8A1 and CDC50A Proteins in Cell Migration

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) and CDC50 family proteins form a putative phospholipid flippase complex that mediates the translocation of aminophospholipids such as phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) from the outer to inner leaflets of the plasma membrane. In Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, at least eight members of P4-ATPases were identified, but only a single CDC50 family protein, CDC50A, was expressed. We demonstrated that CDC50A associated with and recruited P4-ATPase ATP8A1 to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of CDC50A induced extensive cell spreading and greatly enhanced cell migration. Depletion of either CDC50A or ATP8A1 caused a severe defect in the formation of membrane ruffles, thereby inhibiting cell migration. Analyses of phospholipid translocation at the plasma membrane revealed that the depletion of CDC50A inhibited the inward translocation of both PS and PE, whereas the depletion of ATP8A1 inhibited the translocation of PE but not that of PS, suggesting that the inward translocation of cell-surface PE is involved in cell migration. This hypothesis was further examined by using a PE-binding peptide and a mutant cell line with defective PE synthesis; either cell-surface immobilization of PE by the PE-binding peptide or reduction in the cell-surface content of PE inhibited the formation of membrane ruffles, causing a severe defect in cell migration. These results indicate that the phospholipid flippase complex of ATP8A1 and CDC50A plays a major role in cell migration and suggest that the flippase-mediated translocation of PE at the plasma membrane is involved in the formation of membrane ruffles to promote cell migration.     

Phospholipid Flippase Activities and Substrate Specificities of Human Type IV P-type ATPases Localized to the Plasma Membrane

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) are believed to translocate aminophospholipids from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflets of cellular membranes. The yeast P4-ATPases, Drs2p and Dnf1p/Dnf2p, flip nitrobenzoxadiazole-labeled phosphatidylserine at the Golgi complex and nitrobenzoxadiazole-labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC) at the plasma membrane, respectively. However, the flippase activities and substrate specificities of mammalian P4-ATPases remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we established an assay for phospholipid flippase activities of plasma membrane-localized P4-ATPases using human cell lines stably expressing ATP8B1, ATP8B2, ATP11A, and ATP11C. We found that ATP11A and ATP11C have flippase activities toward phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine but not PC or sphingomyelin. By contrast, ATPase-deficient mutants of ATP11A and ATP11C did not exhibit any flippase activity, indicating that these enzymes catalyze flipping in an ATPase-dependent manner. Furthermore, ATP8B1 and ATP8B2 exhibited preferential flippase activities toward PC. Some ATP8B1 mutants found in patients of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1), a severe liver disease caused by impaired bile flow, failed to translocate PC despite their delivery to the plasma membrane. Moreover, incorporation of PC mediated by ATP8B1 can be reversed by simultaneous expression of ABCB4, a PC floppase mutated in PFIC3 patients. Our findings elucidate the flippase activities and substrate specificities of plasma membrane-localized human P4-ATPases and suggest that phenotypes of some PFIC1 patients result from impairment of the PC flippase activity of ATP8B1.     

CDC50 proteins are critical components of the human class-1 P4-ATPase transport machinery

Members of the P(4) subfamily of P-type ATPases catalyze phospholipid transport and create membrane lipid asymmetry in late secretory and endocytic compartments. P-type ATPases usually pump small cations and the transport mechanism involved appears conserved throughout the family. How this mechanism is adapted to flip phospholipids remains to be established. P(4)-ATPases form heteromeric complexes with CDC50 proteins. Dissociation of the yeast P(4)-ATPase Drs2p from its binding partner Cdc50p disrupts catalytic activity (Lenoir, G., Williamson, P., Puts, C. F., and Holthuis, J. C. (2009) J. Biol. Chem. 284, 17956-17967), suggesting that CDC50 subunits play an intimate role in the mechanism of transport by P(4)-ATPases. The human genome encodes 14 P(4)-ATPases while only three human CDC50 homologues have been identified. This implies that each human CDC50 protein interacts with multiple P(4)-ATPases or, alternatively, that some human P(4)-ATPases function without a CDC50 binding partner. Here we show that human CDC50 proteins each bind multiple class-1 P(4)-ATPases, and that in all cases examined, association with a CDC50 subunit is required for P(4)-ATPase export from the ER. Moreover, we find that phosphorylation of the catalytically important Asp residue in human P(4)-ATPases ATP8B1 and ATP8B2 is critically dependent on their CDC50 subunit. These results indicate that CDC50 proteins are integral part of the P(4)-ATPase flippase machinery.     

P4-ATPase ATP8A2 acts in synergy with CDC50A to enhance neurite outgrowth

P(4)-ATPases are lipid flippases that transport phospholipids across cellular membranes, playing vital roles in cell function. In humans, the disruption of the P(4)-ATPase ATP8A2 gene causes a severe neurological phenotype. Here, we found that Atp8a2 mRNA was highly expressed in PC12 cells, hippocampal neurons and the brain. Overexpression of ATP8A2 increased the length of neurite outgrowth in NGF-induced PC12 cells and in primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons. Inducing the loss of function of CDC50A in hippocampal neurons via RNA interference reduced neurite outgrowth, and the co-overexpression of CDC50A and ATP8A2 in PC12 cells enhanced NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. These results indicate that ATP8A2, acting in synergy with CDC50A, performs an important role in neurite outgrowth in neurons.     

ATP9B, a P4-ATPase (a putative aminophospholipid translocase), localizes to the trans-Golgi network in a CDC50 protein-independent manner

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) are putative phospholipid flippases that translocate phospholipids from the exoplasmic (lumenal) to the cytoplasmic leaflet of lipid bilayers and are believed to function in complex with CDC50 proteins. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, five P4-ATPases are localized to specific cellular compartments and are required for vesicle-mediated protein transport from these compartments, suggesting a role for phospholipid translocation in vesicular transport. The human genome encodes 14 P4-ATPases and three CDC50 proteins. However, the subcellular localization of human P4-ATPases and their interactions with CDC50 proteins are poorly understood. Here, we show that class 5 (ATP10A, ATP10B, and ATP10D) and class 6 (ATP11A, ATP11B, and ATP11C) P4-ATPases require CDC50 proteins, primarily CDC50A, for their exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and final subcellular localization. In contrast, class 2 P4-ATPases (ATP9A and ATP9B) are able to exit the ER in the absence of exogenous CDC50 expression: ATP9B, but not ATP11B, was able to exit the ER despite depletion of CDC50 proteins by RNAi. Although ATP9A and ATP9B show a high overall sequence similarity, ATP9A localizes to endosomes and the trans-Golgi network (TGN), whereas ATP9B localizes exclusively to the TGN. A chimeric ATP9 protein in which the N-terminal cytoplasmic region of ATP9A was replaced with the corresponding region of ATP9B was localized exclusively to the Golgi. These results indicate that ATP9B is able to exit the ER and localize to the TGN independently of CDC50 proteins and that this protein contains a Golgi localization signal in its N-terminal cytoplasmic region.     

Heteromeric interactions required for abundance and subcellular localization of human CDC50 proteins and class 1 P4-ATPases

Members of the P(4) family of P-type ATPases (P(4)-ATPases) are believed to function as phospholipid flippases in complex with CDC50 proteins. Mutations in the human class 1 P(4)-ATPase gene ATP8B1 cause a severe syndrome characterized by impaired bile flow (intrahepatic cholestasis), often leading to end-stage liver failure in childhood. In this study, we determined the specificity of human class 1 P(4)-ATPase interactions with CDC50 proteins and the functional consequences of these interactions on protein abundance and localization of both protein classes. ATP8B1 and ATP8B2 co-immunoprecipitated with CDC50A and CDC50B, whereas ATP8B4, ATP8A1, and ATP8A2 associated only with CDC50A. ATP8B1 shifted from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the plasma membrane upon coexpression of CDC50A or CDC50B. ATP8A1 and ATP8A2 translocated from the ER to the Golgi complex and plasma membrane upon coexpression of CDC50A, but not CDC50B. ATP8B2 and ATP8B4 already displayed partial plasma membrane localization in the absence of CDC50 coexpression but displayed a large increase in plasma membrane abundance upon coexpression of CDC50A. ATP8B3 did not bind CDC50A and CDC50B and was invariably present in the ER. Our data show that interactions between CDC50 proteins and class 1 P(4)-ATPases are essential for ER exit and stability of both subunits. Furthermore, the subcellular localization of the complex is determined by the P(4)-ATPase, not the CDC50 protein. The interactions of CDC50A and CDC50B with multiple members of the human P(4)-ATPase family suggest that these proteins perform broader functions in human physiology than thus far assumed.     

Type IV P-type ATPases Distinguish Mono- versus Diacyl Phosphatidylserine Using a Cytofacial Exit Gate in the Membrane Domain

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) use the energy from ATP to “flip” phospholipid across a lipid bilayer, facilitating membrane trafficking events and maintaining the characteristic plasma membrane phospholipid asymmetry. Preferred translocation substrates for the budding yeast P4-ATPases Dnf1 and Dnf2 include lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, derivatives of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine containing a 7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl (NBD) group on the sn-2 C6 position, and were presumed to include phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine species with two intact acyl chains. We previously identified several mutations in Dnf1 transmembrane (TM) segments 1 through 4 that greatly enhance recognition and transport of NBD phosphatidylserine (NBD-PS). Here we show that most of these Dnf1 mutants cannot flip diacylated PS to the cytosolic leaflet to establish PS asymmetry. However, mutation of a highly conserved asparagine (Asn-550) in TM3 allowed Dnf1 to restore plasma membrane PS asymmetry in a strain deficient for the P4-ATPase Drs2, the primary PS flippase. Moreover, Dnf1 N550 mutants could replace the Drs2 requirement for growth at low temperature. A screen for additional Dnf1 mutants capable of replacing Drs2 function identified substitutions of TM1 and 2 residues, within a region called the exit gate, that permit recognition of dually acylated PS. These TM1, 2, and 3 residues coordinate with the “proline + 4” residue within TM4 to determine substrate preference at the exit gate. Moreover, residues from Atp8a1, a mammalian ortholog of Drs2, in these positions allow PS recognition by Dnf1. These studies indicate that Dnf1 poorly recognizes diacylated phospholipid and define key substitutions enabling recognition of endogenous PS.     

Characterization of P4 ATPase Phospholipid Translocases (Flippases) in Human and Rat Pancreatic Beta Cells: THEIR GENE SILENCING INHIBITS INSULIN SECRETION*

The negative charge of phosphatidylserine in lipid bilayers of secretory vesicles and plasma membranes couples the domains of positively charged amino acids of secretory vesicle SNARE proteins with similar domains of plasma membrane SNARE proteins enhancing fusion of the two membranes to promote exocytosis of the vesicle contents of secretory cells. Our recent study of insulin secretory granules (ISG) (MacDonald, M. J., Ade, L., Ntambi, J. M., Ansari, I. H., and Stoker, S. W. (2015) Characterization of phospholipids in insulin secretory granules in pancreatic beta cells and their changes with glucose stimulation. J. Biol. Chem. 290, 11075–11092) suggested that phosphatidylserine and other phospholipids, such as phosphatidylethanolamine, in ISG could play important roles in docking and fusion of ISG to the plasma membrane in the pancreatic beta cell during insulin exocytosis. P4 ATPase flippases translocate primarily phosphatidylserine and, to a lesser extent, phosphatidylethanolamine across the lipid bilayers of intracellular vesicles and plasma membranes to the cytosolic leaflets of these membranes. CDC50A is a protein that forms a heterodimer with P4 ATPases to enhance their translocase catalytic activity. We found that the predominant P4 ATPases in pure pancreatic beta cells and human and rat pancreatic islets were ATP8B1, ATP8B2, and ATP9A. ATP8B1 and CDC50A were highly concentrated in ISG. ATP9A was concentrated in plasma membrane. Gene silencing of individual P4 ATPases and CDC50A inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin release in pure beta cells and in human pancreatic islets. This is the first characterization of P4 ATPases in beta cells. The results support roles for P4 ATPases in translocating phosphatidylserine to the cytosolic leaflets of ISG and the plasma membrane to facilitate the docking and fusion of ISG to the plasma membrane during insulin exocytosis.     

Mammalian P4-ATPases and ABC transporters and their role in phospholipid transport

Transport of phospholipids across cell membranes plays a key role in a wide variety of biological processes. These include membrane biosynthesis, generation and maintenance of membrane asymmetry, cell and organelle shape determination, phagocytosis, vesicle trafficking, blood coagulation, lipid homeostasis, regulation of membrane protein function, apoptosis, etc. P₄-ATPases and ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are the two principal classes of membrane proteins that actively transport phospholipids across cellular membranes. P₄-ATPases utilize the energy from ATP hydrolysis to flip aminophospholipids from the exocytoplasmic (extracellular/lumen) to the cytoplasmic leaflet of cell membranes generating membrane lipid asymmetry and lipid imbalance which can induce membrane curvature. Many ABC transporters play crucial roles in lipid homeostasis by actively transporting phospholipids from the cytoplasmic to the exocytoplasmic leaflet of cell membranes or exporting phospholipids to protein acceptors or micelles. Recent studies indicate that some ABC proteins can also transport phospholipids in the opposite direction. The importance of P₄-ATPases and ABC transporters is evident from the findings that mutations in many of these transporters are responsible for severe human genetic diseases linked to defective phospholipid transport. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Phospholipids and Phospholipid Metabolism.     

Phosphatidylserine stimulation of Drs2p·Cdc50p lipid translocase dephosphorylation is controlled by phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate

Here, Drs2p, a yeast lipid translocase that belongs to the family of P(4)-type ATPases, was overexpressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae together with Cdc50p, its glycosylated partner, as a result of the design of a novel co-expression vector. The resulting high yield allowed us, using crude membranes or detergent-solubilized membranes, to measure the formation from [γ-(32)P]ATP of a (32)P-labeled transient phosphoenzyme at the catalytic site of Drs2p. Formation of this phosphoenzyme could be detected only if Cdc50p was co-expressed with Drs2p but was not dependent on full glycosylation of Cdc50p. It was inhibited by orthovanadate and fluoride compounds. In crude membranes, the phosphoenzyme formed at steady state at 4 °C displayed ADP-insensitive but temperature-sensitive decay. Solubilizing concentrations of dodecyl maltoside left this decay rate almost unaltered, whereas several other detergents accelerated it. Unexpectedly, the dephosphorylation rate for the solubilized Drs2p·Cdc50p complex was inhibited by the addition of phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylserine exerted its anticipated accelerating effect on the dephosphorylation of Drs2p·Cdc50p complex only in the additional presence of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate. These results explain why phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate tightly controls Drs2p-catalyzed lipid transport and establish the functional relevance of the Drs2p·Cdc50p complex overexpressed here.     

A High-Yield Co-Expression System for the Purification of an Intact Drs2p-Cdc50p Lipid Flippase Complex,Critically Dependent on and Stabilized by Phosphatidylinositol-4-Phosphate

P-type ATPases from the P4 subfamily (P4-ATPases) are energy-dependent transporters, which are thought to establish lipid asymmetry in eukaryotic cell membranes. Together with their Cdc50 accessory subunits, P4-ATPases couple ATP hydrolysis to lipid transport from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet of plasma membranes, late Golgi membranes, and endosomes. To gain insights into the structure and function of these important membrane pumps, robust protocols for expression and purification are required. In this report, we present a procedure for high-yield co-expression of a yeast flippase, the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex. After recovery of yeast membranes expressing both proteins, efficient purification was achieved in a single step by affinity chromatography on streptavidin beads, yielding ∼1–2 mg purified Drs2p-Cdc50p complex per liter of culture. Importantly, the procedure enabled us to recover a fraction that mainly contained a 1∶1 complex, which was assessed by size-exclusion chromatography and mass spectrometry. The functional properties of the purified complex were examined, including the dependence of its catalytic cycle on specific lipids. The dephosphorylation rate was stimulated in the simultaneous presence of the transported substrate, phosphatidylserine (PS), and the regulatory lipid phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P), a phosphoinositide that plays critical roles in membrane trafficking events from the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Likewise, overall ATP hydrolysis by the complex was critically dependent on the simultaneous presence of PI4P and PS. We also identified a prominent role for PI4P in stabilization of the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex towards temperature- or C₁₂E₈-induced irreversible inactivation. These results indicate that the Drs2p-Cdc50p complex remains functional after affinity purification and that PI4P as a cofactor tightly controls its stability and catalytic activity. This work offers appealing perspectives for detailed structural and functional characterization of the Drs2p-Cdc50p lipid transport mechanism.     

Mapping functional interactions in a heterodimeric phospholipid pump

Type 4 P-type ATPases (P(4)-ATPases) catalyze phospholipid transport to generate phospholipid asymmetry across membranes of late secretory and endocytic compartments, but their kinship to cation-transporting P-type transporters raised doubts about whether P(4)-ATPases alone are sufficient to mediate flippase activity. P(4)-ATPases form heteromeric complexes with Cdc50 proteins. Studies of the enzymatic properties of purified P(4)-ATPase·Cdc50 complexes showed that catalytic activity depends on direct and specific interactions between Cdc50 subunit and transporter, whereas in vivo interaction assays suggested that the binding affinity for each other fluctuates during the transport reaction cycle. The structural determinants that govern this dynamic association remain to be established. Using domain swapping, site-directed, and random mutagenesis approaches, we here show that residues throughout the subunit contribute to forming the heterodimer. Moreover, we find that a precise conformation of the large ectodomain of Cdc50 proteins is crucial for the specificity and functionality to transporter/subunit interactions. We also identified two highly conserved disulfide bridges in the Cdc50 ectodomain. Functional analysis of cysteine mutants that disrupt these disulfide bridges revealed an inverse relationship between subunit binding and P(4)-ATPase-catalyzed phospholipid transport. Collectively, our data indicate that a dynamic association between subunit and transporter is crucial for the transport reaction cycle of the heterodimer.     

Linking phospholipid flippases to vesicle-mediated protein transport

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) are a large family of putative phospholipid translocases (flippases) implicated in the generation of phospholipid asymmetry in biological membranes. P4-ATPases are typically the largest P-type ATPase subgroup found in eukaryotic cells, with five members in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, six members in Caenorhabditis elegans, 12 members in Arabidopsis thaliana and 14 members in humans. In addition, many of the P4-ATPases require interaction with a noncatalytic subunit from the CDC50 gene family for their transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Deficiency of a P4-ATPase (Atp8b1) causes liver disease in humans, and studies in a variety of model systems indicate that P4-ATPases play diverse and essential roles in membrane biogenesis. In addition to their proposed role in establishing and maintaining plasma membrane asymmetry, P4-ATPases are linked to vesicle-mediated protein transport in the exocytic and endocytic pathways. Recent studies have also suggested a role for P4-ATPases in the nonvesicular intracellular trafficking of sterols. Here, we discuss the physiological requirements for yeast P4-ATPases in phospholipid translocase activity, transport vesicle budding and ergosterol metabolism, with an emphasis on Drs2p and its noncatalytic subunit, Cdc50p.     

ATP11C mutation is responsible for the defect in phosphatidylserine uptake in UPS-1 cells

Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) translocate phospholipids from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflets of cellular membranes. We and others previously showed that ATP11C, a member of the P4-ATPases, translocates phosphatidylserine (PS) at the plasma membrane. Twenty years ago, the UPS-1 (uptake of fluorescent PS analogs) cell line was isolated from mutagenized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells with a defect in nonendocytic uptake of nitrobenzoxadiazole PS. Due to its defect in PS uptake, the UPS-1 cell line has been used in an assay for PS-flipping activity; however, the gene(s) responsible for the defect have not been identified to date. Here, we found that the mRNA level of ATP11C was dramatically reduced in UPS-1 cells relative to parental CHO-K1 cells. By contrast, the level of ATP11A, another PS-flipping P4-ATPase at the plasma membrane, or CDC50A, which is essential for delivery of most P4-ATPases to the plasma membrane, was not affected in UPS-1 cells. Importantly, we identified a nonsense mutation in the ATP11C gene in UPS-1 cells, indicating that the intact ATP11C protein is not expressed. Moreover, exogenous expression of ATP11C can restore PS uptake in UPS-1 cells. These results indicate that lack of the functional ATP11C protein is responsible for the defect in PS uptake in UPS-1 cells and ATP11C is crucial for PS flipping in CHO-K1 cells.     

Toxoplasma gondii phosphatidylserine flippase complex ATP2B-CDC50.4 critically participates in microneme exocytosis

Regulated microneme secretion governs motility, host cell invasion and egress in the obligate intracellular apicomplexans. Intracellular calcium oscillations and phospholipid dynamics critically regulate microneme exocytosis. Despite its importance for the lytic cycle of these parasites, molecular mechanistic details about exocytosis are still missing. Some members of the P4-ATPases act as flippases, changing the phospholipid distribution by translocation from the outer to the inner leaflet of the membrane. Here, the localization and function of the repertoire of P4-ATPases was investigated across the lytic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Of relevance, ATP2B and the non-catalytic subunit cell division control protein 50.4 (CDC50.4) form a stable heterocomplex at the parasite plasma membrane, essential for microneme exocytosis. This complex is responsible for flipping phosphatidylserine, which presumably acts as a lipid mediator for organelle fusion with the plasma membrane. Overall, this study points toward the importance of phosphatidylserine asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane for microneme exocytosis.     

Phospholipid Flippase ATP10A Translocates Phosphatidylcholine and Is Involved in Plasma Membrane Dynamics

We showed previously that ATP11A and ATP11C have flippase activity toward aminophospholipids (phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)) and ATP8B1 and that ATP8B2 have flippase activity toward phosphatidylcholine (PC) (Takatsu, H., Tanaka, G., Segawa, K., Suzuki, J., Nagata, S., Nakayama, K., and Shin, H. W. (2014) J. Biol. Chem. 289, 33543–33556). Here, we show that the localization of class 5 P4-ATPases to the plasma membrane (ATP10A and ATP10D) and late endosomes (ATP10B) requires an interaction with CDC50A. Moreover, exogenous expression of ATP10A, but not its ATPase-deficient mutant ATP10A(E203Q), dramatically increased PC flipping but not flipping of PS or PE. Depletion of CDC50A caused ATP10A to be retained at the endoplasmic reticulum instead of being delivered to the plasma membrane and abrogated the increased PC flipping activity observed by expression of ATP10A. These results demonstrate that ATP10A is delivered to the plasma membrane via its interaction with CDC50A and, specifically, flips PC at the plasma membrane. Importantly, expression of ATP10A, but not ATP10A(E203Q), dramatically altered the cell shape and decreased cell size. In addition, expression of ATP10A, but not ATP10A(E203Q), delayed cell adhesion and cell spreading onto the extracellular matrix. These results suggest that enhanced PC flipping activity due to exogenous ATP10A expression alters the lipid composition at the plasma membrane, which may in turn cause a delay in cell spreading and a change in cell morphology.     

Introduction: A Close Look at the Vacuolar ATPase

The vacuolar ATPases (V-type ATPases) are a family of ATP-dependent ion pumps and found in two principal locations, in endomembranes and in plasma membranes. This family of ATPases is responsible for acidification of intracellulare compartments and, in certain cases, ion transport across the plasma membrane of eucaryotic cells. V-ATPases are composed of two distinct domains: a catalytic V₁ sector, in which ATP hydrolysis takes place, and the membrane-embedded sector, V₀, which functions in ion conduction. In the past decade impressive progress has been made in elucidating the properties structure, function and moleculare biology. These knowledge sheds light also on the evolution of V-ATPases and their related families of A-(A₁A₀-ATPase) and F-type (F₁F₀-ATPases)ATPases.     

The A-loop, a novel conserved aromatic acid subdomain upstream of the Walker A motif in ABC transporters, is critical for ATP binding

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters represent one of the largest families of proteins, and transport a variety of substrates ranging from ions to amphipathic anticancer drugs. The functional unit of an ABC transporter is comprised of two transmembrane domains and two cytoplasmic ABC ATPase domains. The energy of the binding and hydrolysis of ATP is used to transport the substrates across membranes. An ABC domain consists of conserved regions, the Walker A and B motifs, the signature (or C) region and the D, H and Q loops. We recently described the A-loop (Aromatic residue interacting with the Adenine ring of ATP), a highly conserved aromatic residue approximately 25 amino acids upstream of the Walker A motif that is essential for ATP-binding. Here, we review the mutational analysis of this subdomain in human P-glycoprotein as well as homology modeling, structural and data mining studies that provide evidence for a functional role of the A-loop in ATP-binding in most members of the superfamily of ABC transporters.