A P-type ATPase importer that discriminates between essential and toxic transition metals.

ABSTRACT: Transition metals, although being essential cofactors in many physiological processes, are toxic at elevated concentrations. Among the membrane-embedded transport proteins that maintain appropriate intracellular levels of transition metals are ATP-driven pumps belonging to the P-type ATPase superfamily. These metal transporters may be differentiated according to their substrate specificities, where the majority of pumps can extrude either silver and copper or zinc, cadmium, and lead. In the present report, we have established the substrate specificities of nine previously uncharacterized prokaryotic transition-metal P-type ATPases. We find that all of the newly identified exporters indeed fall into one of the two above-mentioned categories. In addition to these exporters, one importer, Pse

SUBMITTER: Lewinson O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2651836 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature