Structural and biochemical analysis of the unique interactions of the Campylobacter jejuni CorA channel protein with divalent cations

CorA is a Mg2+ channel that plays a key role in the homeostasis of intracellular Mg2+ in bacteria and archaea. CorA consists of a cytoplasmic domain and a transmembrane domain and generates a Mg2+ pathway by forming a pentamer in the cell membrane. CorA gating is regulated via negative feedback by Mg2+, which is accommodated by the pentamerization interface of the CorA cytoplasmic domain (CorACD). The Mg2+-binding sites of CorACD differ depending on the species, suggesting that the Mg2+-binding modes and Mg2+-mediated gating mechanisms of CorA vary across prokaryotes. To define the Mg2+-binding mechanism of CorA in the Campylobacter jejuni pathogen, we structurally and biochemically characterized C. jejuni CorACD (cjCorACD). cjCorACD adopts a three-layered α/β/α structure as observed in other CorA orthologs. Interestingly, cjCorACD exhibited enhanced thermostability in the presence of Ca2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, or Mn2+ in addition to Mg2+, indicating that cjCorACD interacts with diverse divalent cations. This cjCorACD stabilization is mediated by divalent cation accommodation by negatively charged residues located at the bottom of the cjCorACD structure away from the pentamerization interface. Consistently, cjCorACD exists as a monomer irrespective of the presence of divalent cations. We concluded that cjCorACD binds divalent cations in a unique pentamerization-independent manner.