Role of conserved aspartates in the ArsA ATPase

The ArsA ATPase is the catalytic subunit of the arsenite-translocating ArsAB pump that is responsible for resistance to arsenicals and antimonials in Escherichia coli. ATPase activity is activated by either arsenite or antimonite. ArsA is composed of two homologous halves A1 and A2, each containing a nucleotide binding domain, and a single metalloid binding or activation domain is located at the interface of the two halves of the protein. The metalloid binding domain is connected to the two nucleotide binding domains through two DTAPTGH sequences, one in A1 and the other in A2. The DTAPTGH sequences are proposed to be involved in information communication between the metal and catalytic sites. The roles of Asp142 in A1 D 142TAPTGH sequence, and Asp447 in A2 D 447TAPTGH sequence was investigated after altering the aspartates individually to alanine, asparagine, and glutamate by site-directed mutagenesis. Asp142 mutants were sensitive to As(III) to varying degrees, whereas the Asp447 mutants showed the same resistance phenotype as the wild type. Each altered protein exhibited varying levels of both basal and metalloid-stimulated activity, indicating that neither Asp142 nor Asp447 is essential for catalysis. Biochemical characterization of the altered proteins imply that Asp142 is involved in Mg (2+) binding and also plays a role in signal transduction between the catalytic and activation domains. In contrast, Asp447 is not nearly as critical for Mg (2+) binding as Asp142 but appears to be in communication between the metal and catalytic sites. Taken together, the results indicate that Asp142 and Asp447, located on the A1 and A2 halves of the protein, have different roles in ArsA catalysis, consistent with our proposal that these two halves are functionally nonequivalent.