文摘
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Summary
Energy coupling factor (ECF) transporters are a recently discovered class of ABC transporters that mediate vitamin uptake in prokaryotes. Characteristic for ECF-type ABC transporters are small integral membrane proteins (S-components) that bind the transported substrates with high affinity. S-components associate with a second membrane protein (EcfT) and two peripheral ATPases to form a complete ATP-dependent transporter. Here, we have used EPR spectroscopy, stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to determine the structural rearrangements that take place in the S-component ThiT from Lactococcus lactis upon binding of thiamin. Thiamin-induced conformational changes were confined to the long and partially membrane-embedded loop between transmembrane helices 1?and 2 that acts as a lid to occlude the binding site. The results indicate that solitary ThiT functions as a bona fide high-affinity substrate binding protein,?which lacks a translocation pathway within the protein.