Structural and Functional Studies of Nucleoside Transporters

Abstract

Nucleoside transport is required for the salvage pathway of DNA and RNA, provides a transport route for nucleoside-like drugs and regulates adenosine signaling. The eukaryotic cell possesses two evolutionarily unrelated protein families of nucleoside transporters, the concentrative nucleoside transporters and the equilibrative nucleoside transporters. We aimed to elucidate their transport mechanisms using X-ray crystallography and biochemical assays. We solved multiple crystal structures of CNT along its transport cycle at 3.45-4.2 Å, which provide novel insights into the elevator-type transport mechanism of secondary active transporters.