Mapping of the residues involved in a proposed beta-strand located in the ferric enterobactin receptor FepA using site-directed spin-labeling.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) site-directed spin-labeling (SDSL) has been used to characterize a proposed transmembrane β-strand of the Escherichia coli ferric enterobactin receptor, FepA. Each of nine consecutive residues was mutated to cysteine and subsequently labeled with the sulfhydryl-specific spin-label methanethiosulfonate (MTSL) and the purified protein reconstituted into liposomes. Continuous wave (CW) power saturation methods were used to determine exposure of the nitroxide side chains to a series of paramagnetic relaxation agents, including nickel acetylacetonate (NiAA), nickel ethylenediaminediacetate (NiEDDA), chromium oxalate (CROX), and molecular oxygen. The spin-label attached to Q245C, L247C, L249C, A251C, and Y253C had higher collision frequencies with molecular oxygen than with polar relaxation agents, indicating that these sites are exposed to the hydrophobic phase of the lipid bilayer. MTSL bound to residues S246C, E248C, E250C, and G252C had higher collision rates with the p...