A two-lane mechanism for selective biological ammonium transport | Zendy

Gordon Williamson | Zendy; Gaëtan Dias Mirandela | Zendy; Giulia Tamburrino | Zendy; Mélanie Boeckstaens | Zendy; Adriana Bizior | Zendy; Eilidh Terras | Zendy; Marcus Bage | Zendy; Callum M. Ives | Zendy; Andrei V. Pisliakov | Zendy; Anna Maria Marini | Zendy; Paul A. Hoskisson | Zendy; Ulrich Zachariae | Zendy; Arnaud Javelle | Zendy

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A two-lane mechanism for selective biological ammonium transport

Author(s) -

Gordon Williamson,

Gaëtan Dias Mirandela,

Giulia Tamburrino,

Mélanie Boeckstaens,

Adriana Bizior,

Eilidh Terras,

Marcus Bage,

Callum M. Ives,

Andrei V. Pisliakov,

Anna Maria Marini,

Paul A. Hoskisson,

Ulrich Zachariae,

Arnaud Javelle

Publication year - 2020

Publication title -

access microbiology

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

ISSN - 2516-8290

DOI - 10.1099/acmi.ac2020.po0133

Subject(s) - mechanism (biology) , deprotonation , chemistry , membrane , biophysics , complementation , transporter , substrate (aquarium) , ion transporter , ammonium , membrane transport protein , biological membrane , ion , biochemistry , mutant , biology , membrane protein , physics , ecology , gene , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics

The transport of charged molecules across biological membranes faces the dual problem of accommodating charges in a highly hydrophobic environment while maintaining selective substrate translocation. A particular controversy has existed around the mechanism of ammonium exchange by the ubiquitous Amt/Mep/Rh transporter family, an essential process in all kingdoms of life. Here, using a combination of SSME electrophysiology, yeast functional complementation, and extended molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal a unique two-lane pathway for electrogenic NH4+transport in two archetypal members of the family. The pathway underpins a mechanism by which charged H+and neutral NH3 are carried separately across the membrane after NH4+deprotonation. This mechanism defines a new principle of achieving transport selectivity against competing ions in a biological transport process.

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