囊性纤维化跨膜电导调节体:ATP结合和水解门控Cl-通道

囊性纤维化跨膜电导调节体（cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator,CFTR）是一种Cl^-通道,属于ATP结合（ATP-binding cassette,ABC）转运体超家族。CFTR功能缺陷是高加索人种中普遍存在的致死性常染色体隐性遗传疾病囊性纤维化（cystic fibrosis,CF）发生的主要原因。这种疾病患者各组织上皮细胞内Cl^-转运失调。目前,与CF相关的不同突变超过1400种。CFTR调节（regulatory,R）域负责调控,核苷酸结合域（nucleotide-binding domains,NBDs）NBD1和NBD2负责ATP结合和水解门控。近期研究发现CFFR的NBDs与其它ABC蛋白一样可以二聚化。二聚化过程中,NBD1和NBD2首-尾相连,一个NBD上的WalkerA和B模块与另一个NBD提供的标签序列（signature sequence）形成ATP结合袋（ATP-binding pockets,ABPs）ABP1和ABP2。ABPs中与ATP结合相关的氨基酸突变实验揭示,ABP1和ABP2在CFTR的ATP依赖门控中发挥不同作用。ABP2由NBD2上的WalkA和B模块与NBD1提供的标签序列形成,它与ATP结合催化通道开放,而ABP1单独与ATP结合不能促进通道开放,只能稳定通道构象。有一些CFrR突变相关疾病的特征就是门控失调,进一步深入研究CFTR的NBD1和NBD2如何通过相互作用而达到通道门控,将为药理学研究提供更多所需的机制信息,有利于为CF治疗的药物设计铺平道路。

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator: a chloride channel gated by ATP binding and hydrolysis

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel that belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily. Defective function of CFTR is responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common lethal autosomal recessive disorder in Caucasian populations. The disease is manifested in defective chloride transport across the epithelial cells in various tissues. To date, more than 1400 different mutations have been identified as CF-associated. CFTR is regulated by phosphorylation in its regulatory (R) domain, and gated by ATP binding and hydrolysis at its two nucleotide-binding domains (NBD1 and NBD2). Recent studies reveal that the NBDs of CFTR may dimerize as observed in other ABC proteins. Upon dimerization of CFTR's two NBDs, in a head-to-tail configuration, the two ATP-binding pockets (ABP1 and ABP2) are formed by the canonical Walker A and B motifs from one NBD and the signature sequence from the partner NBD. Mutations of the amino acids that interact with ATP reveal that the two ABPs play distinct roles in controlling ATP-dependent gating of CFTR. It was proposed that binding of ATP to the ABP2, which is formed by the Walker A and B in NBD2 and the signature sequence in NBD1, is critical for catalyzing channel opening. While binding of ATP to the ABP1 alone may not increase the opening rate, it does contribute to the stabilization of the open channel conformation. Several disease-associated mutations of the CFTR channel are characterized by gating defects. Understanding how CFTR's two NBDs work together to gate the channel could provide considerable mechanistic information for future pharmacological studies, which could pave the way for tailored drug design for therapeutical interventions in CF.