12 research outputs found
Structure of human NTCP reveals the basis of recognition and sodium-driven transport of bile salts into the liver
Structures of ABCB4 provide insight into phosphatidylcholine translocation
ABCB4 is expressed in hepatocytes and translocates phosphatidylcholine into bile canaliculi. The mechanism of specific lipid recruitment from the canalicular membrane, which is essential to mitigate the cytotoxicity of bile salts, is poorly understood. We present cryogenic electron microscopy structures of human ABCB4 in three distinct functional conformations. An apo-inward structure reveals how phospholipid can be recruited from the inner leaflet of the membrane without flipping its orientation. An occluded structure reveals a single phospholipid molecule in a central cavity. Its choline moiety is stabilized by cation-Ď€ interactions with an essential tryptophan residue, rationalizing the specificity of ABCB4 for phosphatidylcholine. In an inhibitor-bound structure, a posaconazole molecule blocks phospholipids from reaching the central cavity. Using a proteoliposomebased translocation assay with fluorescently labeled phosphatidylcholine analogs, we recapitulated the substrate specificity of ABCB4 in vitro and confirmed the role of the key tryptophan residue. Our results provide a structural basis for understanding an essential translocation step in the generation of bile and its sensitivity to azole drugs.ISSN:0027-8424ISSN:1091-649
Structures of ABCB4 provide insight into phosphatidylcholine translocation
ABCB4 is expressed in hepatocytes and translocates phosphatidylcholine into bile canaliculi. The mechanism of specific lipid recruitment from the canalicular membrane, which is essential to mitigate the cytotoxicity of bile salts, is poorly understood. We present cryogenic electron microscopy structures of human ABCB4 in three distinct functional conformations. An apo-inward structure reveals how phospholipid can be recruited from the inner leaflet of the membrane without flipping its orientation. An occluded structure reveals a single phospholipid molecule in a central cavity. Its choline moiety is stabilized by cation-Ď€ interactions with an essential tryptophan residue, rationalizing the specificity of ABCB4 for phosphatidylcholine. In an inhibitor-bound structure, a posaconazole molecule blocks phospholipids from reaching the central cavity. Using a proteoliposome-based translocation assay with fluorescently labeled phosphatidylcholine analogs, we recapitulated the substrate specificity of ABCB4 in vitro and confirmed the role of the key tryptophan residue. Our results provide a structural basis for understanding an essential translocation step in the generation of bile and its sensitivity to azole drugs.
Keywords: ABC transporter; cryo-EM; hepatocyte; membrane transport; phosphatidylcholine
Structure of human NTCP reveals the basis of recognition and sodium-driven transport of bile salts into the liver
ISSN:1001-0602ISSN:1748-783
Fiber-optical microphones and accelerometers based on polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings:[invited]
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Structure of antiviral drug bulevirtide bound to hepatitis B and D virus receptor protein NTCP
Cellular entry of the hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV/HDV) requires binding of the viral surface polypeptide preS1 to the hepatobiliary transporter Na+-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP). This interaction can be blocked by bulevirtide (BLV, formerly Myrcludex B), a preS1 derivative and approved drug for treating HDV infection. Here, to elucidate the basis of this inhibitory function, we determined a cryo-EM structure of BLV-bound human NTCP. BLV forms two domains, a plug lodged in the bile salt transport tunnel of NTCP and a string that covers the receptor’s extracellular surface. The N-terminally attached myristoyl group of BLV interacts with the lipid-exposed surface of NTCP. Our structure reveals how BLV inhibits bile salt transport, rationalizes NTCP mutations that decrease the risk of HBV/HDV infection, and provides a basis for understanding the host specificity of HBV/HDV. Our results provide opportunities for structure-guided development of inhibitors that target HBV/HDV docking to NTCP