Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: ClC4

Title: Uncoupling of a CLC Cl-/H+ exchange transporter by polyatomic anions.

Authors: Wang Nguitragool, Christopher Miller

Journal, date & volume: J. Mol. Biol., 2006 Sep 29 , 362, 682-90

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16905147

Abstract
CLC-ec1 is a bacterial archetype of CLC transporters, a ubiquitous class of proteins that catalyze transmembrane exchange of Cl- and H+ necessary for pH regulation of numerous physiological processes. Despite a profusion of high-resolution structures, the molecular mechanism of exchange remains unknown. Here, we rigorously demonstrate strict exchange stoichiometry of 2 Cl-/1 H+. In addition to Cl- and Br-, two non-halide ions, NO3- and SCN-, are shown to be transported by CLC-ec1, but with reduced H+ counter-transport. The loss of proton coupling to these anions is accompanied by an absence of bound anions in the central and external Cl- binding sites in the protein's anion selectivity region, as revealed by crystallographic comparison of Br- and SeCN- bound to this region.