TitleSubstrate-bound outward-open structure of a Na-coupled sialic acid symporter reveals a new Na site.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsWahlgren WY, Dunevall E, North RA, Paz, iv A, Scalise M, Bisignano P, Bengtsson-Palme J, Goyal P, Claesson E, Caing-Carlsson R, Andersson R, Beis K, Nilsson UJ, Farewell A, Pochini L, Indiveri C, Grabe M, Dobson RCJ, Abramson J, Ramaswamy S, Friemann R
JournalNat Commun
Volume9
Issue1
Pagination1753
Date Published2018 May 01
ISSN2041-1723
Abstract

Many pathogenic bacteria utilise sialic acids as an energy source or use them as an external coating to evade immune detection. As such, bacteria that colonise sialylated environments deploy specific transporters to mediate import of scavenged sialic acids. Here, we report a substrate-bound 1.95 Å resolution structure and subsequent characterisation of SiaT, a sialic acid transporter from Proteus mirabilis. SiaT is a secondary active transporter of the sodium solute symporter (SSS) family, which use Na gradients to drive the uptake of extracellular substrates. SiaT adopts the LeuT-fold and is in an outward-open conformation in complex with the sialic acid N-acetylneuraminic acid and two Na ions. One Na binds to the conserved Na2 site, while the second Na binds to a new position, termed Na3, which is conserved in many SSS family members. Functional and molecular dynamics studies validate the substrate-binding site and demonstrate that both Na sites regulate N-acetylneuraminic acid transport.

DOI10.1038/s41467-018-04045-7
Alternate JournalNat Commun
PubMed ID29717135
PubMed Central IDPMC5931594
Grant List / / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom
R01 GM078844 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
R01 GM089740 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States