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The molecular basis of phosphite and hypophosphite recognition by ABC-transporters

The molecular basis of phosphite and hypophosphite recognition by ABC-transporters
The molecular basis of phosphite and hypophosphite recognition by ABC-transporters
Inorganic phosphate is the major bioavailable form of the essential nutrient phosphorus. However, the concentration of phosphate in most natural habitats is low enough to limit microbial growth. Under phosphate-depleted conditions some bacteria utilise phosphite and hypophosphite as alternative sources of phosphorus, but the molecular basis of reduced phosphorus acquisition from the environment is not fully understood. Here, we present crystal structures and ligand binding affinities of periplasmic binding proteins from bacterial phosphite and hypophosphite ATP-binding cassette transporters. We reveal that phosphite and hypophosphite specificity results from a combination of steric selection and the presence of a P-H…π interaction between the ligand and a conserved aromatic residue in the ligand-binding pocket. The characterisation of high affinity and specific transporters has implications for the marine phosphorus redox cycle, and might aid the use of phosphite as an alternative phosphorus source in biotechnological, industrial and agricultural applications.
Bisson, Claudine
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Adams, Nathan B. P.
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Stevenson, Ben
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Brindley, Amanda A.
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Polyviou, Despo
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Bibby, Thomas S.
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Baker, Patrick J.
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Hunter, C. Neil
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Hitchcock, Andrew
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Bisson, Claudine
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Adams, Nathan B. P.
b6ffad84-4202-4edd-b9fe-654c65f12f46
Stevenson, Ben
7bba4877-3384-4398-bca6-a42b571ee296
Brindley, Amanda A.
5736a351-5ea2-4484-867d-f34420efa8eb
Polyviou, Despo
7fcaf51c-0615-4967-a180-f5405f7b8070
Bibby, Thomas S.
e04ea079-dd90-4ead-9840-00882de27ebd
Baker, Patrick J.
1230622a-cc9b-41b9-94b9-1ca47be5aa9b
Hunter, C. Neil
d738ea61-3cf9-47fb-957a-a04b96330f26
Hitchcock, Andrew
f34c34c4-fac4-42df-8dcd-61fa76409518

Bisson, Claudine, Adams, Nathan B. P., Stevenson, Ben, Brindley, Amanda A., Polyviou, Despo, Bibby, Thomas S., Baker, Patrick J., Hunter, C. Neil and Hitchcock, Andrew (2017) The molecular basis of phosphite and hypophosphite recognition by ABC-transporters. Nature Communications, 8 (1), [1746]. (doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01226-8).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Inorganic phosphate is the major bioavailable form of the essential nutrient phosphorus. However, the concentration of phosphate in most natural habitats is low enough to limit microbial growth. Under phosphate-depleted conditions some bacteria utilise phosphite and hypophosphite as alternative sources of phosphorus, but the molecular basis of reduced phosphorus acquisition from the environment is not fully understood. Here, we present crystal structures and ligand binding affinities of periplasmic binding proteins from bacterial phosphite and hypophosphite ATP-binding cassette transporters. We reveal that phosphite and hypophosphite specificity results from a combination of steric selection and the presence of a P-H…π interaction between the ligand and a conserved aromatic residue in the ligand-binding pocket. The characterisation of high affinity and specific transporters has implications for the marine phosphorus redox cycle, and might aid the use of phosphite as an alternative phosphorus source in biotechnological, industrial and agricultural applications.

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Accepted/In Press date: 20 August 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 23 November 2017
Published date: 1 December 2017

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Local EPrints ID: 416352
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/416352
PURE UUID: 69e92d54-6433-49d0-a724-a1fda368b432

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Date deposited: 14 Dec 2017 17:30
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 17:29

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Contributors

Author: Claudine Bisson
Author: Nathan B. P. Adams
Author: Ben Stevenson
Author: Amanda A. Brindley
Author: Despo Polyviou
Author: Thomas S. Bibby
Author: Patrick J. Baker
Author: C. Neil Hunter
Author: Andrew Hitchcock

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