Structure of a Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter and insights into mechanism of action and regulation by pH

The control by Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters of sodium/proton concentration and cell volume is crucial for the viability of all cells. Adaptation to high salinity and/or extreme pH in plants and bacteria or in human heart muscles requires the action of Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters. Their activity is tightly controlled by pH. Here we present the crystal structure of pH-downregulated NhaA, the main antiporter of Escherichia coli and many enterobacteria. A negatively charged ion funnel opens to the cytoplasm and ends in the middle of the membrane at the putative ion-binding site. There, a unique assembly of two pairs of short helices connected by crossed, extended chains creates a balanced electrostatic environment. We propose that the binding of charged substrates causes an electric imbalance, inducing movements, that permit a rapid alternating-access mechanism. This ion-exchange machinery is regulated by a conformational change elicited by a pH signal perceived at the entry to the cytoplasmic funnel.