Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel

Abstract The otopetrin (OTOP) proteins were recently characterized as extracellular proton-activated proton channels. Several recent OTOP channel structures demonstrated that the channels form a dimer with each subunit adopting a double-barrel architecture. However, the structural mechanisms underly...

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Main Authors: Ninghai Gan, Weizhong Zeng, Yan Han, Qingfeng Chen, Youxing Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-08-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51803-x
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author Ninghai Gan
Weizhong Zeng
Yan Han
Qingfeng Chen
Youxing Jiang
author_facet Ninghai Gan
Weizhong Zeng
Yan Han
Qingfeng Chen
Youxing Jiang
author_sort Ninghai Gan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The otopetrin (OTOP) proteins were recently characterized as extracellular proton-activated proton channels. Several recent OTOP channel structures demonstrated that the channels form a dimer with each subunit adopting a double-barrel architecture. However, the structural mechanisms underlying some basic functional properties of the OTOP channels remain unresolved, including extracellular pH activation, proton conducting pathway, and rapid desensitization. In this study, we performed structural and functional characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans OTOP8 (CeOTOP8) and mouse OTOP2 (mOTOP2) and illuminated a set of conformational changes related to the proton-conducting process in OTOP. The structures of CeOTOP8 reveal the conformational change at the N-terminal part of TM12 that renders the channel in a transiently proton-transferring state, elucidating an inter-barrel, Glu/His-bridged proton passage within each subunit. The structures of mOTOP2 reveal the conformational change at the N-terminal part of TM6 that exposes the central glutamate to the extracellular solution for protonation. In addition, the structural comparison between CeOTOP8 and mOTOP2, along with the structure-based mutagenesis, demonstrates that an inter-subunit movement at the OTOP channel dimer interface plays a central role in regulating channel activity. Combining the structural information from both channels, we propose a working model describing the multi-step conformational changes during the proton conducting process.
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spelling doaj-art-fee8b1b0a20045809bc5c4255dda1df32024-11-24T12:33:46ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-08-0115111310.1038/s41467-024-51803-xStructural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channelNinghai Gan0Weizhong Zeng1Yan Han2Qingfeng Chen3Youxing Jiang4Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterHoward Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDepartment of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterCenter for Life Sciences, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Cell Metabolism and Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan UniversityHoward Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterAbstract The otopetrin (OTOP) proteins were recently characterized as extracellular proton-activated proton channels. Several recent OTOP channel structures demonstrated that the channels form a dimer with each subunit adopting a double-barrel architecture. However, the structural mechanisms underlying some basic functional properties of the OTOP channels remain unresolved, including extracellular pH activation, proton conducting pathway, and rapid desensitization. In this study, we performed structural and functional characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans OTOP8 (CeOTOP8) and mouse OTOP2 (mOTOP2) and illuminated a set of conformational changes related to the proton-conducting process in OTOP. The structures of CeOTOP8 reveal the conformational change at the N-terminal part of TM12 that renders the channel in a transiently proton-transferring state, elucidating an inter-barrel, Glu/His-bridged proton passage within each subunit. The structures of mOTOP2 reveal the conformational change at the N-terminal part of TM6 that exposes the central glutamate to the extracellular solution for protonation. In addition, the structural comparison between CeOTOP8 and mOTOP2, along with the structure-based mutagenesis, demonstrates that an inter-subunit movement at the OTOP channel dimer interface plays a central role in regulating channel activity. Combining the structural information from both channels, we propose a working model describing the multi-step conformational changes during the proton conducting process.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51803-x
spellingShingle Ninghai Gan
Weizhong Zeng
Yan Han
Qingfeng Chen
Youxing Jiang
Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
Nature Communications
title Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
title_full Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
title_fullStr Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
title_full_unstemmed Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
title_short Structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
title_sort structural mechanism of proton conduction in otopetrin proton channel
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51803-x
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AT yanhan structuralmechanismofprotonconductioninotopetrinprotonchannel
AT qingfengchen structuralmechanismofprotonconductioninotopetrinprotonchannel
AT youxingjiang structuralmechanismofprotonconductioninotopetrinprotonchannel