Crystal structure of the long-chain fatty acid transporter FadL - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2004 Jun 4;304(5676):1506-9.

doi: 10.1126/science.1097524.

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Crystal structure of the long-chain fatty acid transporter FadL

Bert van den Berg et al. Science. 2004.

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Abstract

The mechanisms by which hydrophobic molecules, such as long-chain fatty acids, enter cells are poorly understood. In Gram-negative bacteria, the lipopolysaccharide layer in the outer membrane is an efficient barrier for fatty acids and aromatic hydrocarbons destined for biodegradation. We report crystal structures of the long-chain fatty acid transporter FadL from Escherichia coli at 2.6 and 2.8 angstrom resolution. FadL forms a 14-stranded beta barrel that is occluded by a central hatch domain. The structures suggest that hydrophobic compounds bind to multiple sites in FadL and use a transport mechanism that involves spontaneous conformational changes in the hatch.

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