Molecular determinants of sugar transport regulation by ATP

Intracellular ATP inhibits human erythrocyte net sugar transport by binding cooperatively to the glucose transport protein (GluT1). ATP binding produces altered transporter affinity for substrate and promotes substrate occlusion within a post-translocation vestibule formed by GluT1 cytosolic domains. The accompanying paper (Cloherty, E. K., Levine, K. B., Graybill, C., and Carruthers, A. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 12639-12651) demonstrates that reduced intracellular pH promotes high-affinity ATP binding to GluT1 but inhibits ATP-modulation of GluT1-mediated sugar transport. The present study explores the role of GluT1 residues 326-343 (a proposed GluT1 ATP-binding site subdomain) in GluT1 ATP binding by using alanine scanning mutagenesis. Cos-7 and HEK cells were transfected with a cDNA encoding full-length human GluT1 terminating in a carboxyl-terminal hemagglutinin (HA)-His6 epitope. The transporter (GluT1.HA.H6) is expressed at the surface of both cell-types and is catalytically active. In HEK cells, both parental GluT1- and GluT1.HA.H6-mediated sugar transport are acutely sensitive to cellular metabolic inhibition. Isolated, detergent-solubilized GluT1.HA.H6 is photolabeled by [gamma-32P]-azidoATP in an ATP-protectable manner. Alanine substitution of E329 or G332/R333/R334 enhances GluT1.HA.H6 [gamma-32P]azidoATP photoincorporation but blocks acute modulation of net sugar transport by cellular metabolic inhibition. These actions resemble those of reduced pH on ATP binding to and modulation of red cell GluT1. It is proposed that cooperative nucleotide binding to GluT1 and nucleotide modulation of GluT1-mediated sugar transport are regulated by a proton-sensitive saltbridge (Glu329-Arg333/334).