Crystal structure of the high-affinity Na+,K+-ATPase–ouabain complex with Mg2+ bound in the cation binding site

TY - JOUR

T1 - Crystal structure of the high-affinity Na+,K+-ATPase–ouabain complex with Mg2+ bound in the cation binding site

AU - Laursen, Mette

AU - Yatime, Laure

AU - Nissen, Poul

AU - Fedosova, Natalya

PY - 2013/7

Y1 - 2013/7

N2 - The Na+,K+-ATPase maintains electrochemical gradients for Na+ and K+ that are critical for animal cells. Cardiotonic steroids (CTSs), widely used in the clinic and recently assigned a role as endogenous regulators of intracellular processes, are highly specific inhibitors of the Na+,K+-ATPase. Here we describe a crystal structure of the phosphorylated pig kidney Na+,K+-ATPase in complex with the CTS representative ouabain, extending to 3.4 Å resolution. The structure provides key details on CTS binding, revealing an extensive hydrogen bonding network formed by the β-surface of the steroid core of ouabain and the side chains of αM1, αM2, and αM6. Furthermore, the structure reveals that cation transport site II is occupied by Mg2+, and crystallographic studies indicate that Rb+ and Mn2+, but not Na+, bind to this site. Comparison with the low-affinity [K2]E2–MgFx–ouabain structure [Ogawa et al. (2009) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(33):13742–13747) shows that the CTS binding pocket of [Mg]E2P allows deep ouabain binding with possible long-range interactions between its polarized five-membered lactone ring and the Mg2+. K+ binding at the same site unwinds a turn of αM4, dragging residues Ile318–Val325 toward the cation site and thereby hindering deep ouabain binding. Thus, the structural data establish a basis for the interpretation of the biochemical evidence pointing at direct K+–Mg2+ competition and explain the well-known antagonistic effect of K+ on CTS binding.

AB - The Na+,K+-ATPase maintains electrochemical gradients for Na+ and K+ that are critical for animal cells. Cardiotonic steroids (CTSs), widely used in the clinic and recently assigned a role as endogenous regulators of intracellular processes, are highly specific inhibitors of the Na+,K+-ATPase. Here we describe a crystal structure of the phosphorylated pig kidney Na+,K+-ATPase in complex with the CTS representative ouabain, extending to 3.4 Å resolution. The structure provides key details on CTS binding, revealing an extensive hydrogen bonding network formed by the β-surface of the steroid core of ouabain and the side chains of αM1, αM2, and αM6. Furthermore, the structure reveals that cation transport site II is occupied by Mg2+, and crystallographic studies indicate that Rb+ and Mn2+, but not Na+, bind to this site. Comparison with the low-affinity [K2]E2–MgFx–ouabain structure [Ogawa et al. (2009) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(33):13742–13747) shows that the CTS binding pocket of [Mg]E2P allows deep ouabain binding with possible long-range interactions between its polarized five-membered lactone ring and the Mg2+. K+ binding at the same site unwinds a turn of αM4, dragging residues Ile318–Val325 toward the cation site and thereby hindering deep ouabain binding. Thus, the structural data establish a basis for the interpretation of the biochemical evidence pointing at direct K+–Mg2+ competition and explain the well-known antagonistic effect of K+ on CTS binding.

KW - membrane proteins

KW - crystallography

KW - cardiac glycosides

KW - phosphoenzyme

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1222308110

DO - 10.1073/pnas.1222308110

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23776223

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 110

SP - 10958

EP - 10963

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

IS - 27

T2 - International Plant & Animal Genome XXI (PAG XXI)

Y2 - 12 January 2013 through 16 January 2013

ER -