ABCG2 Transporter: From Structure to Function-Current Insights and Open Questions

ABCG2 is a crucial ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter involved in multidrug resistance and essential physiological and pharmacological processes. In recent years, multiple ABCG2 structures have been resolved using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), providing significant insights into its conformational states during its transport cycle. However, even more than 25 years after its description, a high-resolution X-ray crystallographic structure is still unavailable, limiting the understanding of its dynamic transitions, as well as leaving aspects of the transport cycle unresolved and open to discussion. Given the complexity of ABCG2, a multidisciplinary approach is essential in order to fully elucidate its mechanism. This review compiles recent advances in ABCG2 structural biology, highlights unresolved controversies, and explores future directions to bridge the gap between structure and function. Moving forward, integrating multiple structural and functional approaches will be key to uncovering the intricate workings of this enigmatic transporter. In particular, detailed structural insights will be crucial to identifying new ABCG2 substrates and designing selective inhibitors, with important implications for therapeutic development.