<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kosti, Vasiliki</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Lambrinidis, George</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Myrianthopoulos, Vassilios</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Diallinas, George</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mikros, Emmanuel</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Identification of the substrate recognition and transport pathway in a eukaryotic member of the nucleobase-ascorbate transporter (NAT) family.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PLoS One</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Amino Acid Sequence</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aspergillus nidulans</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Biological Transport</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Cytoplasm</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Evolution</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Fungal Proteins</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Membrane Transport Proteins</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Molecular</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Molecular Docking Simulation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Molecular Dynamics Simulation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Molecular Sequence Data</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mutagenesis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mutation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Protein Binding</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Protein Conformation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Site-Directed</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Structure-Activity Relationship</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Substrate Specificity</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Xanthines</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">7</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">e41939</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Using the crystal structure of the uracil transporter UraA of Escherichia coli, we constructed a 3D model of the Aspergillus nidulans uric acid-xanthine/H(+) symporter UapA, which is a prototype member of the Nucleobase-Ascorbate Transporter (NAT) family. The model consists of 14 transmembrane segments (TMSs) divided into a core and a gate domain, the later being distinctly different from that of UraA. By implementing Molecular Mechanics (MM) simulations and quantitative structure-activity relationship (SAR) approaches, we propose a model for the xanthine-UapA complex where the substrate binding site is formed by the polar side chains of residues E356 (TMS8) and Q408 (TMS10) and the backbones of A407 (TMS10) and F155 (TMS3). In addition, our model shows several polar interactions between TMS1-TMS10, TMS1-TMS3, TMS8-TMS10, which seem critical for UapA transport activity. Using extensive docking calculations we identify a cytoplasm-facing substrate trajectory (D360, A363, G411, T416, R417, V463 and A469) connecting the proposed substrate binding site with the cytoplasm, as well as, a possible outward-facing gate leading towards the substrate major binding site. Most importantly, re-evaluation of the plethora of available and analysis of a number of herein constructed UapA mutations strongly supports the UapA structural model. Furthermore, modeling and docking approaches with mammalian NAT homologues provided a molecular rationale on how specificity in this family of carriers might be determined, and further support the importance of selectivity gates acting independently from the major central substrate binding site.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>