Molecular basis of inhibition of the amino acid transporter B⁰AT1 (SLC6A19).

Abstract

The epithelial neutral amino acid transporter B⁰AT1 (SLC6A19) is the major transporter for the absorption of neutral amino acids in the intestine and their reabsorption in the kidney. Mouse models have demonstrated that lack of B⁰AT1 can normalize elevated plasma amino acids in rare disorders of amino acid metabolism such as phenylketonuria and urea-cycle disorders, implying a pharmacological approach for their treatment. Here we employ a medicinal chemistry approach to generate B⁰AT1 inhibitors with IC₅₀-values of 31-90 nM. High-resolution cryo-EM structures of B⁰AT1 in the presence of two compounds from this series identified an allosteric binding site in the vestibule of the transporter. Mechanistically, binding of these inhibitors prevents a movement of TM1 and TM6 that is required for the transporter to make a conformational change from an outward open state to the occluded state.