The influence of naturally occurring and in silico-informed mutations of MRP1/ABCC1 on the transport of arsenic triglutathione.

Chronic exposure of humans to arsenic causes skin, bladder, and lung tumors and is associated with multiple non-malignant diseases including atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus. The multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/gene ABCC1) is an established cellular export pathway for arsenic metabolites including arsenic triglutathione (As(GS)3). Little is known about the relationship between interindividual variation in susceptibility to arsenic-induced diseases and the highly polymorphic ABCC1. Eleven naturally occurring mutants (C43S-, R230Q-, R433S-, R633Q-, G671V-, R723Q-, A989T-, C1047S-, R1058Q-, V1146I-, and S1512L-MRP1) were tested for leukotriene C4 (LTC4, prototypical MRP1 substrate) and As(GS)3 transport using MRP1-enriched vesicles, prepared from human embryonic kidney 293T cells. Mutant-MRP1 levels and LTC4 transport activity were similar to wild-type (WT)-MRP1, except R433S-MRP1 LTC4 transport was reduced by 71 %. As(GS)3 transport by R230Q-, R433S- and A989T-MRP1-enriched membrane vesicles was reduced to 64 ± 9 %, 30 ± 16 %, and 44 ± 33 % of WT-MRP1, respectively. The reduction in R230Q-, R433S-, and A989T-MRP1 As(GS)3 transport activity was due to reduced Vmax values. Computational modeling indicated structural destabilization of these three mutants, and predicted multiple key As(GS)3-binding residues in WT-MRP1. Five of these residues were mutated and tested for As(GS)3 transport activity. As(GS)3 transport by W553A-, R593E-, and W1246A-MRP1 was 34 ± 9 %, 34 ± 13 %, and 48 ± 13 % of WT-MRP1, respectively, while V554A- and E1089Q-MRP1 activity was similar to WT-MRP1. Thus, naturally occurring and in silico informed mutations negatively affect As(GS)3 transport by MRP1. Individuals with R230Q-, R433S-, and A989T-MRP1 mutations may be more susceptible to arsenic-induced diseases.