Cysteine-scanning mutagenesis of the fifth external loop of serotonin transporter

Biochemistry. 2004 Jul 6;43(26):8510-6. doi: 10.1021/bi035971g.

Abstract

External loop 5 (EL5) of serotonin transporter was analyzed by mutating each of the residues from Thr-480 to Ala-511, one at a time, with cysteine. Cysteine was well-tolerated at most positions, although G485C, Y495C, and E508C had low transport activities. Replacement with cysteine rendered mutants G484C-P499C sensitive to partial or complete inactivation by [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl] methanethiosulfonate and (2-sulfonatoethyl) methanethiosulfonate. Within this sensitive region, the rates of reaction varied by over 2 orders of magnitude. Rates of inactivation were not significantly affected by removal of Na(+) or by addition of cocaine or serotonin. These results suggest that modification of EL5 interferes with the transport process but is not sensitive to substrate and ion binding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Alanine / chemistry
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Biological Transport
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cocaine / chemistry
  • Cysteine / chemistry*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Epitopes
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Ions
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Transport Proteins*
  • Mesylates / pharmacology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed*
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rats
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Serotonin / chemistry
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Sodium / chemistry
  • Threonine / chemistry

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Epitopes
  • Ions
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Mesylates
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • SLC6A4 protein, human
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Slc6a4 protein, rat
  • (2-sulfonatoethyl)methanethiosulfonate
  • (2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl)methanethiosulfonate
  • Threonine
  • Serotonin
  • Sodium
  • Cocaine
  • Cysteine
  • Alanine