Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1
Abstract High urate levels in circulation lead to the accumulation of urate crystals in joints and ultimately inflammation and gout. The reabsorption process of urate in the kidney by the urate transporter URAT1 plays a pivotal role in controlling serum urate levels. Pharmacological inhibition of UR...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56843-5 |
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| author | Wenjun Guo Miao Wei Yunfeng Li Jiaxuan Xu Jiahe Zang Yuezhou Chen Lei Chen |
| author_facet | Wenjun Guo Miao Wei Yunfeng Li Jiaxuan Xu Jiahe Zang Yuezhou Chen Lei Chen |
| author_sort | Wenjun Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract High urate levels in circulation lead to the accumulation of urate crystals in joints and ultimately inflammation and gout. The reabsorption process of urate in the kidney by the urate transporter URAT1 plays a pivotal role in controlling serum urate levels. Pharmacological inhibition of URAT1 by uricosuric drugs is a valid strategy for gout management. Despite the clinical significance of URAT1, its structural mechanism and dynamics remain incompletely understood. Here, we report the structures of human URAT1 (hURAT1) in complex with substrate urate or inhibitors benzbromarone and verinurad at resolution ranges from 3.0 to 3.3 Å. We observe urate in the central substrate-binding site of hURAT1 in the outward-facing conformation and urate is wrapped in the center of hURAT1 by five phenylalanines and coordinated by two positively charged residues on each side. Uricosuric compounds benzbromarone and verinurad occupy the urate-binding site of hURAT1 in the inward-facing conformation. Structural comparison between different conformations of hURAT1 reveals the rocker-switch-like mechanism for urate transport. Benzbromarone and verinurad exert their inhibitory effect by blocking not only the binding of urate but also the structural isomerization of hURAT1. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-020d30e33ca14bbbaa0f0547ab85e632 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-020d30e33ca14bbbaa0f0547ab85e6322025-08-20T02:12:59ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-56843-5Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1Wenjun Guo0Miao Wei1Yunfeng Li2Jiaxuan Xu3Jiahe Zang4Yuezhou Chen5Lei Chen6State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking. University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineState Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking. University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineMOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking. University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineState Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking. University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineAcademy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Future Technology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking. University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineAbstract High urate levels in circulation lead to the accumulation of urate crystals in joints and ultimately inflammation and gout. The reabsorption process of urate in the kidney by the urate transporter URAT1 plays a pivotal role in controlling serum urate levels. Pharmacological inhibition of URAT1 by uricosuric drugs is a valid strategy for gout management. Despite the clinical significance of URAT1, its structural mechanism and dynamics remain incompletely understood. Here, we report the structures of human URAT1 (hURAT1) in complex with substrate urate or inhibitors benzbromarone and verinurad at resolution ranges from 3.0 to 3.3 Å. We observe urate in the central substrate-binding site of hURAT1 in the outward-facing conformation and urate is wrapped in the center of hURAT1 by five phenylalanines and coordinated by two positively charged residues on each side. Uricosuric compounds benzbromarone and verinurad occupy the urate-binding site of hURAT1 in the inward-facing conformation. Structural comparison between different conformations of hURAT1 reveals the rocker-switch-like mechanism for urate transport. Benzbromarone and verinurad exert their inhibitory effect by blocking not only the binding of urate but also the structural isomerization of hURAT1.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56843-5 |
| spellingShingle | Wenjun Guo Miao Wei Yunfeng Li Jiaxuan Xu Jiahe Zang Yuezhou Chen Lei Chen Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1 Nature Communications |
| title | Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1 |
| title_full | Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1 |
| title_fullStr | Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1 |
| title_short | Mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human URAT1 |
| title_sort | mechanisms of urate transport and uricosuric drugs inhibition in human urat1 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56843-5 |
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