Cryo-EM structure of GABA transporter 1 reveals substrate recognition and transport mechanism

Smruti Ranjan Nayak, Deepthi Joseph, Georg Höfner, Archishman Dakua, Arunabh Athreya, Klaus T. Wanner, Baruch I. Kanner, Aravind Penmatsa*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is cleared from the synaptic cleft by the sodium- and chloride-coupled GABA transporter GAT1. Inhibition of GAT1 prolongs the GABAergic signaling at the synapse and is a strategy to treat certain forms of epilepsy. In this study, we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Rattus norvegicus GABA transporter 1 (rGAT1) at a resolution of 3.1 Å. The structure elucidation was facilitated by epitope transfer of a fragment-antigen binding (Fab) interaction site from the Drosophila dopamine transporter (dDAT) to rGAT1. The structure reveals rGAT1 in a cytosol-facing conformation, with a linear density in the primary binding site that accommodates a molecule of GABA, a displaced ion density proximal to Na site 1 and a bound chloride ion. A unique insertion in TM10 aids the formation of a compact, closed extracellular gate. Besides yielding mechanistic insights into ion and substrate recognition, our study will enable the rational design of specific antiepileptics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1023-1032
Number of pages10
JournalNature Structural and Molecular Biology
Volume30
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2023

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© 2023, The Author(s).

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