PMID: 28877507

Authors:

Tanaka Y, Iwaki S, Tsukazaki T

Title:

Crystal Structure of a Plant Multidrug and Toxic Compound Extrusion Family Protein.

Journal:

Structure. 2017 Sep 5;25(9):1455-1460.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2017.07.009.

Abstract:

The multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family of proteins consists of transporters responsible for multidrug resistance in prokaryotes. In plants, a number of MATE proteins were identified by recent genomic and functional studies, which imply that the proteins have substrate-specific transport functions instead of multidrug extrusion. The three-dimensional structure of eukaryotic MATE proteins, including those of plants, has not been reported, preventing a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of these proteins. Here, we describe the crystal structure of a MATE protein from the plant Camelina sativa at 2.9 A resolution. Two sets of six transmembrane alpha helices, assembled pseudo-symmetrically, possess a negatively charged internal pocket with an outward-facing shape. The crystal structure provides insight into the diversity of plant MATE proteins and their substrate recognition and transport through the membrane.