A glutamine residue conserved in the neurotransmitter:sodium:symporters is essential for the interaction of chloride with the GABA transporter GAT-1.

Neurotransmitter:sodium symporters are crucial for efficient synaptic transmission. The transporter GAT-1 mediates electrogenic cotransport of GABA, sodium, and chloride. The presence of chloride enables the transporter to couple the transport of the neurotransmitter to multiple sodium ions, thereby enabling its accumulation against steep concentration gradients. Here we study the functional impact of mutations of the putative chloride-binding residues on transport by GAT-1, with the emphasis on a conserved glutamine residue. In contrast to another putative chloride coordinating residue, Ser-331, where mutation to glutamate led to chloride-independent GABA transport, the Q291E mutant was devoid of any transport activity, despite substantial expression at the plasma membrane. Low but significant transport activity was observed with substitution mutants with small side chains such as Q291S/A/G. Remarkably, when these mutations were combined with the S331E mutation, transport was increased significantly, even though the activity of the S331E single mutant was only ∼25% of that of wild type GAT-1. Transport by these double mutants was largely chloride-independent. Like mutants of other putative chloride coordinating residues, the apparent affinity of the active Gln-291 single mutants for chloride was markedly reduced along with a change their anion selectivity. In addition to the interaction of the transporter with chloride, Gln-291 is also required at an additional step during transport. Electrophysiological analysis of the Q291N and Q291S mutants, expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, is consistent with the idea that this additional step is associated with the gating of the transporter.