IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-59546-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A short intrinsically disordered region at KtrB’s N-terminus facilitates allosteric regulation of K+ channel KtrAB

Author

Listed:
  • Janina Stautz

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • David Griwatz

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Susann Kaltwasser

    (Max Planck Institute of Biophysics)

  • Ahmad Reza Mehdipour

    (Ghent University
    Max Planck Institute of Biophysics)

  • Sophie Ketter

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Celina Thiel

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Dorith Wunnicke

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Marina Schrecker

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Deryck J. Mills

    (Max Planck Institute of Biophysics)

  • Gerhard Hummer

    (Max Planck Institute of Biophysics
    Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Janet Vonck

    (Max Planck Institute of Biophysics)

  • Inga Hänelt

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

Abstract

K+ homeostasis is crucial for bacterial survival. The bacterial K+ channel KtrAB is regulated by the binding of ADP and ATP to the cytosolic RCK subunits KtrA. While the ligand-induced conformational changes in KtrA are well described, the transmission to the gating regions within KtrB is not understood. Here, we present a cryo-EM structure of the ADP-bound, inactive KtrAB complex from Vibrio alginolyticus, which resolves part of KtrB’s N termini. They are short intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) located at the interface of KtrA and KtrB. We reveal that these IDRs play a decisive role in ATP-mediated channel opening, while the closed ADP-bound state does not depend on the N-termini. We propose an allosteric mechanism, in which ATP-induced conformational changes within KtrA trigger an interaction of KtrB’s N-terminal IDRs with the membrane, stabilizing the active and conductive state of KtrAB.

Suggested Citation

  • Janina Stautz & David Griwatz & Susann Kaltwasser & Ahmad Reza Mehdipour & Sophie Ketter & Celina Thiel & Dorith Wunnicke & Marina Schrecker & Deryck J. Mills & Gerhard Hummer & Janet Vonck & Inga Hän, 2025. "A short intrinsically disordered region at KtrB’s N-terminus facilitates allosteric regulation of K+ channel KtrAB," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59546-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59546-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59546-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-59546-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59546-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.