Magnesium Transporter MgtA revealed as a Dimeric P-type ATPase

Magnesium (Mg²⁺) uptake systems are present in all domains of life given the vital role of this ion. Bacteria acquire Mg²⁺ via conserved Mg²⁺ channels and transporters. The transporters are required for growth when Mg²⁺ is limiting or during bacterial pathogenesis, but, despite their significance, there are no known structures for these transporters. Here we report the first structure of the Mg²⁺ transporter MgtA solved by single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Using mild membrane extraction, we obtained high resolution structures of both a homodimeric form (2.9 Å), the first for a P-type ATPase, and a monomeric form (3.6 Å). Each monomer unit of MgtA displays a structural architecture that is similar to other P-type ATPases with a transmembrane domain and two soluble domains. The dimer interface consists of contacts between residues in adjacent soluble nucleotide binding and phosphotransfer regions of the haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) domain. We suggest oligomerization is a conserved structural feature of the diverse family of P-type ATPase transporters. The ATP binding site and conformational dynamics upon nucleotide binding to MgtA were characterized using a combination of cryo-EM, molecular dynamics simulations, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, and mutagenesis. Our structure also revealed a Mg²⁺ ion in the transmembrane segments, which, when combined with sequence conservation and mutagenesis studies, allowed us to propose a model for Mg²⁺ transport across the lipid bilayer. Finally, our work revealed the N-terminal domain structure and cytoplasmic Mg²⁺ binding sites, which have implications for related P-type ATPases defective in human disease.