Essential Cys-Pro-Cys Motif of Caenorhabditis elegans Copper Transport ATPase

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans putative copper ATPase (CUA-1) had been functionally expressed in a yeast Δ ccc2 mutant (copper ATPase gene disruptant). We found that CUA-1 with Cys-Pro-Cys to Cys-Pro-Ala mutation could not rescue the yeast Δ ccc2 mutant, suggesting that the carboxyl terminal cysteine residue in the conserved Cys-Pro-Cys motif is essential for copper transport.

• Caenorhabditis elegans
• copper ATPase
• cysteine residue
• Menkes and Wilson diseases
• yeast CCC2 gene