Zinc transport and the inhibition of the L-type calcium channel are two separable functions of ZnT-1

Metallomics. 2017 Mar 22;9(3):228-238. doi: 10.1039/c6mt00296j.

Abstract

Traditionally, proteins are considered to perform a single role, be it as an enzyme, a channel, a transporter or as a structural scaffold. However, recent studies have described moonlighting proteins that perform distinct and independent functions; for example, TRPM7 is both an ion channel and a kinase. ZnT-1 is a member of the Carrier Diffusion Facilitator family that is expressed throughout the phylogenetic tree from bacteria to humans. Since its cloning in 1995, ZnT-1 is considered a major extruder of Zn2+ based on its capability to protect cells against zinc toxicity. Recently, we reported that ZnT-1 inhibits the L-type calcium channel (LTCC), a major Zn2+ and Ca2+ entry pathway. Here we show that ZnT-1 is a dual-function protein by demonstrating that its abilities to exchange Zn2+/H+ and to inhibit the LTCC are independent of each other and are mediated by different parts of the protein. Specifically, mutations in the membrane-spanning helices that render ZnT-1 unable to transport zinc do not prevent it from inhibiting the LTCC. Moreover, a fragment consisting of the intracellular ZnT-1 C-terminal, which lacks all ion-transfer segments, inhibits the LTCC as efficiently as wild-type ZnT-1. Our data therefore indicates that ZnT-1 performs two structurally independent functions related to zinc homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • CHO Cells
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / chemistry*
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / metabolism
  • Cation Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Cation Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Cytoplasm / drug effects
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Ion Transport
  • Mutant Proteins / genetics
  • Mutant Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Oocytes / cytology
  • Oocytes / drug effects
  • Oocytes / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Xenopus / physiology*
  • Zinc / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Calcium Channels, L-Type
  • Cation Transport Proteins
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Zinc