Structure/functional aspects of the human riboflavin transporter-3 ( SLC52A3 ): role of the predicted glycosylation and substrate-interacting sites

• Published in: American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2017-08, Vol.313 (2), p.C228-C238
• Main Authors: Subramanian, Veedamali S, Sabui, Subrata, Teafatiller, Trevor, Bohl, Jennifer A, Said, Hamid M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acids - chemistry; Binding Sites; Cell surface; Endoplasmic reticulum; Enterocytes; Enterocytes - chemistry; Enterocytes - metabolism; Epithelial cells; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Glycosylation; Humans; Intestine; Intracellular; Kidneys; Membrane Transport Proteins - chemistry; Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Docking Simulation; Mutation; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation; Proteins; Retention; Riboflavin; Riboflavin - chemistry; Riboflavin - metabolism; Studies; Substrate Specificity; Surface Properties; Vitamin B
• ISSN: 0363-6143; 1522-1563
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00101.2017

The human riboflavin (RF) transporter-3 (hRFVT-3; product of the gene) plays an essential role in the intestinal RF absorption process and is expressed exclusively at the apical membrane domain of polarized enterocytes. Previous studies have characterized different physiological/biological aspects of this transporter, but nothing is known about the glycosylation status of the hRFVT-3 protein and role of this modification in its physiology/biology. Additionally, little is known about the residues in the hRFVT-3 protein that interact with the ligand, RF. We addressed these issues using appropriate biochemical/molecular approaches, a protein-docking model, and established intestinal/renal epithelial cells. Our results showed that the hRFVT-3 protein is glycosylated and that glycosylation is important for its function. Mutating the predicted -glycosylation sites at Asn and Asn led to a significant decrease in RF uptake; it also led to a marked intracellular (in the endoplasmic reticulum, ER) retention of the mutated proteins as shown by live-cell confocal imaging studies. The protein-docking model used in this study has identified a number of putative substrate-interacting sites: Ser , Ile , Trp , Phe , Thr , and Asn Mutating these potential interacting sites was indeed found to lead to a significant inhibition in RF uptake and to intracellular (ER) retention of the mutated proteins (except for the Phe mutant). These results demonstrate that the hRFVT-3 protein is glycosylated and this glycosylation is important for its function and cell surface expression. This study also identified a number of residues in the hRFVT-3 polypeptide that are important for its function/cell surface expression.