Structural highlights
Function
[ZNT8_HUMAN] Facilitates the accumulation of zinc from the cytoplasm into intracellular vesicles, being a zinc-efflux transporter. May be a major component for providing zinc to insulin maturation and/or storage processes in insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cells.[1]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
ZnT8 is a Zn(2+)/H(+) antiporter that belongs to SLC30 family and plays an essential role in regulating Zn(2+) accumulation in the insulin secretory granules of pancreatic beta cells. Dysfunction of ZnT8 is associated with both type 1 and 2 diabetes. However, the Zn(2+)/H(+) exchange mechanism of ZnT8 remains unclear due to the lack of high-resolution structures. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of human ZnT8 (HsZnT8) in both outward- and inward-facing conformations. HsZnT8 forms a dimeric structure with four Zn(2+) binding sites within each subunit: a highly conserved primary site in transmembrane domain (TMD) housing the Zn(2+) substrate; an interfacial site between TMD and C-terminal domain (CTD) that modulates the Zn(2+) transport activity of HsZnT8; and two adjacent sites buried in the cytosolic domain and chelated by conserved residues from CTD and the His-Cys-His (HCH) motif from the N-terminal segment of the neighboring subunit. A comparison of the outward- and inward-facing structures reveals that the TMD of each HsZnT8 subunit undergoes a large structural rearrangement, allowing for alternating access to the primary Zn(2+) site during the transport cycle. Collectively, our studies provide the structural insights into the Zn(2+)/H(+) exchange mechanism of HsZnT8.
Cryo-EM structures of human ZnT8 in both outward- and inward-facing conformations.,Xue J, Xie T, Zeng W, Jiang Y, Bai XC Elife. 2020 Jul 29;9. pii: 58823. doi: 10.7554/eLife.58823. PMID:32723473[2]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Chimienti F, Devergnas S, Pattou F, Schuit F, Garcia-Cuenca R, Vandewalle B, Kerr-Conte J, Van Lommel L, Grunwald D, Favier A, Seve M. In vivo expression and functional characterization of the zinc transporter ZnT8 in glucose-induced insulin secretion. J Cell Sci. 2006 Oct 15;119(Pt 20):4199-206. doi: 10.1242/jcs.03164. Epub 2006, Sep 19. PMID:16984975 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jcs.03164
- ↑ Xue J, Xie T, Zeng W, Jiang Y, Bai XC. Cryo-EM structures of human ZnT8 in both outward- and inward-facing conformations. Elife. 2020 Jul 29;9. pii: 58823. doi: 10.7554/eLife.58823. PMID:32723473 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.58823