CopA: An Escherichia coli Cu(I)-Translocating P-Type ATPase

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2000-01, Vol.97 (2), p.652-656
• Main Authors: Rensing, Christopher, Fan, Bin, Sharma, Rakesh, Mitra, Bharati, Rosen, Barry P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphatases; Adenosine Triphosphatases - genetics; Adenosine Triphosphatases - metabolism; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biological Sciences; Biological Transport; Cadmium - metabolism; Cadmium - pharmacology; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Cation Transport Proteins; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cellular biology; copA gene; CopA protein; copB gene; Copper; Copper - metabolism; Copper - pharmacology; Copper Radioisotopes; Copper-transporting ATPases; Disease; Disease models; Enterococcus hirae; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - enzymology; Escherichia coli - genetics; Genes; Ions; kanamycin; Mutagenesis; Plasmids; Plasmids - genetics; Polymerase chain reaction; Proteins; Pumps; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Salts; Silver - pharmacology; Zinc - metabolism; Zinc - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.97.2.652

The copA gene product, a putative copper-translocating P-type ATPase, has been shown to be involved in copper resistance in Escherichia coli. The copA gene was disrupted by insertion of a kanamycin gene through homologous recombination. The mutant strain was more sensitive to copper salts but not to salts of other metals, suggesting a role in copper homeostasis. The copper-sensitive phenotype could be rescued by complementation by a plasmid carrying copA from E. coli or copB from Enterococcus hirae. Expression of copA was induced by salts of copper or silver but not zinc or cobalt. Everted membrane vesicles from cells expressing copA exhibited ATP-coupled accumulation of copper, presumably as Cu(I). The results indicate that CopA is a Cu(I)-translocating efflux pump that is similar to the copper pumps related to Menkes and Wilson diseases and provides a useful prokaryotic model for these human diseases.