Solubilization and reconstitution of the Na(+)-dependent citrate carrier of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Structural insights into the elevator-like mechanism of the sodium/citrate symporter CitS

The sodium-dependent citrate transporter of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpCitS) belongs to the 2-hydroxycarboxylate transporter (2-HCT) family and allows the cell to use citrate as sole carbon and energy source in anaerobic conditions. Here we present crystal structures of KpCitS in citrate-bound outward-facing, citrate-bound asymmetric, and citrate-free inward-facing state. The structures reveal that the KpCitS dimerization domain remains stationary throughout the transport cycle due to a hydrogen bond network as well as extensive hydrophobic interactions. In contrast, its transport domain undergoes a ~35° rigid-body rotation and a ~17 Å translocation perpendicular to the membrane to expose the substrate-binding site alternately to either side of the membrane. Furthermore, homology models of two other 2-HCT proteins based on the KpCitS structure offer structural insights into their differences in substrate specificity at a molecular level. On the basis of our results and previous biochemical data, we propose that the activity of the 2-HCT CitS involves an elevator-like movement in which the transport domain itself traverses the lipid bilayer, carrying the substrate into the cell in a sodium-dependent manner.

A Surfactant-Induced Functional Modulation of a Global Virulence Regulator from Staphylococcus aureus

Triton X-100 (TX-100), a useful non-ionic surfactant, reduced the methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus significantly. Many S. aureus proteins were expressed in the presence of TX-100. SarA, one of the TX-100-induced proteins, acts as a global virulence regulator in S. aureus. To understand the effects of TX-100 on the structure, and function of SarA, a recombinant S. aureus SarA (rSarA) and its derivative (C9W) have been investigated in the presence of varying concentrations of this surfactant using various probes. Our data have revealed that both rSarA and C9W bind to the cognate DNA with nearly similar affinity in the absence of TX-100. Interestingly, their DNA binding activities have been significantly increased in the presence of pre-micellar concentration of TX-100. The increase of TX-100 concentrations to micellar or post-micellar concentration did not greatly enhance their activities further. TX-100 molecules have altered the secondary and tertiary structures of both proteins to some extents. Size of the rSarA-TX-100 complex appears to be intermediate to those of rSarA and TX-100. Additional analyses show a relatively moderate interaction between C9W and TX-100. Binding of TX-100 to C9W has, however, occurred by a cooperative pathway particularly at micellar and higher concentrations of this surfactant. Taken together, TX-100-induced structural alteration of rSarA and C9W might be responsible for their increased DNA binding activity. As TX-100 has stabilized the somewhat weaker SarA-DNA complex effectively, it could be used to study its structure in the future.

Sodium ion cycle in bacterial pathogens: evidence from cross-genome comparisons

Analysis of the bacterial genome sequences shows that many human and animal pathogens encode primary membrane Na+ pumps, Na+-transporting dicarboxylate decarboxylases or Na+ translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, and a number of Na+ -dependent permeases. This indicates that these bacteria can utilize Na+ as a coupling ion instead of or in addition to the H+ cycle. This capability to use a Na+ cycle might be an important virulence factor for such pathogens as Vibrio cholerae, Neisseria meningitidis, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, and Yersinia pestis. In Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Chlamydia pneumoniae, the Na+ gradient may well be the only energy source for secondary transport. A survey of preliminary genome sequences of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, and Treponema denticola indicates that these oral pathogens also rely on the Na+ cycle for at least part of their energy metabolism. The possible roles of the Na+ cycling in the energy metabolism and pathogenicity of these organisms are reviewed. The recent discovery of an effective natural antibiotic, korormicin, targeted against the Na+ -translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, suggests a potential use of Na+ pumps as drug targets and/or vaccine candidates. The antimicrobial potential of other inhibitors of the Na+ cycle, such as monensin, Li+ and Ag+ ions, and amiloride derivatives, is discussed.

Sodium-substrate cotransport in bacteria

A variety of sodium-substrate cotransport systems are known in bacteria. Sodium enters the cell down an electrochemical concentration gradient. There is obligatory coupling between the entry of the ion and the entry of substrate with a stoichiometry (in the cases studied) of 1:1. Thus, the downhill movement of sodium ion into the cell leads to the accumulation of substrate within the cell. The melibiose carrier of Escherichia coli is perhaps the most carefully studied of the sodium cotransport systems in bacteria. This carrier is of special interest because it can also use protons or lithium ions for cotransport. Other sodium cotransport carriers that have been studied recently are for proline, glutamate, serine-threonine, citrate and branched chain amino acids.

Cellular localisation by immunolabelling and transmission electron microscopy of oxaloacetate decarboxylase or its individual subunits synthesised in Escherichia coli

The genes oadGAB encoding the oxaloacetate decarboxylase gamma, alpha and beta-subunits from Klebsiella pneumoniae were expressed in Escherichia coli. Using different expression vectors, the entire enzyme or its individual subunits were synthesised. The expression was evidenced immunologically in whole cells with polyclonal antibodies raised against the purified oxaloacetate decarboxylase. The expressed alpha-subunit or a combination of alpha and beta-subunits were shown to reside in the cytoplasm, while the entire oxaloacetate decarboxylase or a gammaalpha-complex were located mostly in the cytoplasmic membrane. Interestingly, overexpression of the gammaalpha-complex or the entire oxaloacetate decarboxylase in E. coli led to a significant immunogold labelling in the cytoplasm, indicating that the alpha-subunit was not completely complexed to the membrane-bound gamma or betagamma-subunits.

Functional properties of the purified Na(+)-dependent citrate carrier of Klebsiella pneumoniae: evidence for asymmetric orientation of the carrier protein in proteoliposomes

The sodium-ion-dependent citrate carrier of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CitS) was purified and reconstituted into liposomes to investigate the properties of this transport system without interference from other proteins. Citrate uptake was an electroneutral process, where delta pNa+ and/or delta pH are driving forces. Delta psi was unable to stimulate citrate transport, either alone or in addition to the other driving forces. Sodium ions on the inside of the proteoliposomes stimulated the uptake of citrate, indicating that Na+ ions recycle during the transport of citrate. CitS also performed Na+ counterflow in the absence of citrate. The citrate carrier performed citrate/citrate counterflow but no heterologous antiport of citrate with one of the end products arising from the anaerobic citrate fermentation pathway (acetate, formate, or bicarbonate) in K. pneumoniae. Citrate counterflow kinetics revealed that CitS transports citrate according to a simultaneous type of mechanism. The Km and Ki values revealed two binding sites for citrate: one with low and one with high affinity. This transport mode is in accord with an asymmetric organization of the carrier protein in proteoliposomes.

Purification of two active fusion proteins of the Na(+)-dependent citrate carrier of Klebsiella pneumoniae

The sodium-ion-dependent citrate carrier of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CitS) was purified by means of bioengineerical methods. By fusing the biotin acceptor domain of the alpha-subunit of the oxaloacetate decarboxylase of K. pneumoniae to the C-terminus of CitS, purification of the carrier was achieved by use of a monomeric avidin-Sepharose column. Additionally, we were able to purify a CitS-protein with an N-terminal histidine-tag by immobilized metal chelate affinity chromatography (with Ni2(+)-nitrilotriacetic acid-(NTA-) resin). Both purified fusion proteins showed citrate transport activity after reconstitution into liposomes by the freeze/thaw/sonication procedure.

Transport of citrate catalyzed by the sodium-dependent citrate carrier of Klebsiella pneumoniae is obligatorily coupled to the transport of two sodium ions

Aerobically grown Escherichia coli GM48 harboring plasmid pKScitS that codes for the sodium-dependent citrate carrier from Klebsiella pneumoniae (CitS) allows initial-rate measurements of citrate uptake in whole cells. The cation stoichiometry and selectivity of CitS was studied using this experimental system. The relationship between the initial rate of uptake of citrate and the Na+ concentration was sigmoidal at pH values between 5 and 7 suggesting a Na+ stoichiometry higher than 1. Rates of uptake increased quadratically in a range of non-saturating Na+ concentrations showing that two Na+ are translocated/catalytic cycle. Symport of Na+ is absolutely required in the range pH 5-7 because no uptake could be detected in the absence of Na+. Protons cannot replace Na+ in the translocation step but the decrease in apparent affinity for Na+ towards lower pH suggests that protons can compete with Na+ for the cation-binding sites. Li+ can replace Na+ in the symport reaction but it takes about a 200-fold higher concentration of Li+ over Na+ to achieve the same rate of uptake, showing that the affinity of CitS for Li+ is much lower than for Na+. Though high Li+ concentrations have an inhibitory effect on citrate uptake, the data suggest that the Li+ stoichiometry is also 2.

Bacterial sodium ion-coupled energetics

For many bacteria Na+ bioenergetics is important as a link between exergonic and endergonic reactions in the membrane. This article focusses on two primary Na+ pumps in bacteria, the Na(+)-translocating oxaloacetate decarboxylase of Klebsiella pneumoniae and the Na(+)-translocating F1Fo ATPase of Propionigenium modestum. Oxaloacetate decarboxylase is an essential enzyme of the citrate fermentation pathway and has the additional function to conserve the free energy of decarboxylation by conversion into a Na+ gradient. Oxaloacetate decarboxylase is composed of three different subunits and the related methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase consists of five different subunits. The genes encoding these enzymes have been cloned and sequenced. Remarkable are large areas of complete sequence identity in the integral membrane-bound beta-subunits including two conserved aspartates that may be important for Na+ translocation. The coupling ratio of the decarboxylase Na+ pumps depended on delta muNa+ and decreased from two to zero Na+ uptake per decarboxylation event as delta mu Na+ increased from zero to the steady state level. In P. modestum, delta mu Na+ is generated in the course of succinate fermentation to propionate and CO2. This delta mu Na+ is used by a unique Na(+)-translocating F1Fo ATPase for ATP synthesis. The enzyme is related to H(+)-translocating F1Fo ATPases. The Fo part is entirely responsible for the coupling of ion specificity. A hybrid ATPase formed by in vivo complementation of an Escherichia coli deletion mutant was completely functional as a Na(+)-ATP synthase conferring the E. coli strain the ability of Na(+)-dependent growth on succinate. The hybrid consisted of subunits a, c, b, delta and part of alpha from P. modestum and of the remaining subunits from E. coli. Studies on Na+ translocation through the Fo part of the P. modestum ATPase revealed typical transporter-like properties. Sodium ions specifically protected the ATPase from the modification of glutamate-65 in subunit c by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in a pH-dependent manner indicating that the Na+ binding site is at this highly conserved acidic amino acid residue of subunit c within the middle of the membrane.

Mechanism of Na(+)-dependent citrate transport in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Citrate transport via CitS of Klebsiella pneumoniae has been shown to depend on the presence of Na+. This transport system has been expressed in Escherichia coli, and uptake of citrate in E. coli membrane vesicles via this uptake system was found to be an electrogenic process, although the pH gradient is the main driving force for citrate uptake (M. E. van der Rest, R. M. Siewe, T. Abee, E. Schwartz, D. Oesterhelt, and W. N. Konings, J. Biol. Chem. 267:8971-8976, 1992). Analysis of the affinity constants for the different citrate species at different pH values of the medium indicates that H-citrate2- is the transported species. Since the electrical potential across the membrane is a driving force for citrate transport, this indicates that transport occurs in symport with at least three monovalent cations. Citrate efflux is stimulated by Na+ concentrations of up to 5 mM but inhibited by higher Na+ concentrations. Citrate exchange, however, is stimulated by all Na+ concentrations, indicating sequential events in which Na+ binds before citrate for translocation followed by a release of Na+ after release of citrate. CitS has, at pH 6.0 and in the presence of 5 mM citrate on both sides of the membrane, an apparent affinity (K(app)) for Na+ of 200 microM. The Na+/citrate stoichiometry was found to be 1. It is postulated that H-citrate2- is transported via CitS in symport with one Na+ and at least two H+ ions.

NADH formation by Na(+)-coupled reversed electron transfer in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Citrate is fermented by Klebsiella pneumoniae to 2 acetate, 0.5 formate and 1.2 CO2. The formation of less than 1 formate and greater than 1 CO2 per citrate can be accounted for by the oxidation of formate to CO2 in order to provide reducing equivalents for the assimilation of citrate into cell carbon. A membrane-bound electron transport chain is apparently involved in NADH synthesis by these cells. The electrons from formate oxidation to CO2 are used to reduce ubiquinone to ubiquinol by membrane-bound formate dehydrogenase and ubiquinol further delivers its electrons to NAD+, if this endergonic reaction is powered by delta mu Na+. The endogenous NADH level of K. pneumoniae cells thus increased in the presence of formate in response to a delta pNa+ greater than -100 mV. NADH formation was completely abolished in the presence of oxygen or after addition of hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide, a specific inhibitor of the Na(+)-translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase. The increase of endogenous NADH was dependent on the delta pNa+ applied to the cells. Inverted membrane vesicles of K. pneumoniae catalysed the reduction of NAD+ to NADH with formate as electron donor after application of delta mu Na+ of about 120 mV consisting of delta pNa+ of 60 mV and delta psi of the same magnitude. Neither the delta pNa+ nor the delta psi of this size alone was sufficient to drive the endergonic reaction. Strictly anaerobic conditions were required for NADH formation and hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide completely inactivated the reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

On the mechanism of sodium ion translocation by methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase from Veillonella alcalescens

Veillonella alcalescens during lactate degradation developed an Na+ concentration gradient with 7-8 times higher external than internal Na+ concentrations in the logarithmic growth phase. The gradient declined to a factor of 1.9 in the late stationary phase. Methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase reconstituted into proteoliposomes performed an active electrogenic Na+ transport, creating delta psi of 60 mV, delta pNa+ of 50 mV, and delta mu Na+ of 110 mV. In the initial phase of the transport, the decarboxylase catalyzed the uptake of 2 Na+ ions malonyl-CoA molecule decarboxylated. During further development of the electrochemical Na+ gradient, this ratio gradually declined to zero, when decarboxylation continued without further increase of the internal Na+ concentration. The rate of malonyl-CoA decarboxylation declined initially during development of the membrane potential, but remained unchanged later on. Monensin abolished the Na+ gradient and increased the malonyl-CoA decarboxylation rate 2.8-fold. On dissipating the membrane potential with valinomycin, the internal Na+ concentration reached three times higher values than in its absence, and the decarboxylation rate increased 2.8-fold. Methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase catalyzed an exchange of internal and external Na+ ions in addition to net Na+ accumulation. The initial rate of Na+ influx was double that of malonyl-CoA decarboxylation. In the following, both rates decreased about twofold in parallel to values which remained constant during further development of the electrochemical Na+ gradient. Thus, Na+ influx and malonyl-CoA decarboxylation follow a stoichiometry of approximately 2:1, independent of the magnitude of the electrochemical Na+ gradient and are thus highly coupled events.