CzcD Is a Heavy Metal Ion Transporter Involved in Regulation of Heavy Metal Resistance in Ralstonia sp. Strain CH34

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Czc system of Ralstonia sp. strain CH34 mediates resistance to cobalt, zinc, and cadmium through ion efflux catalyzed by the CzcCB 2 A cation-proton antiporter. The CzcD protein is involved in the regulation of the Czc system. It is a membrane-bound protein with at least four transmembrane α-helices and is a member of a subfamily of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) protein family, which occurs in all three domains of life. The deletion of czcD in a Ralstonia sp. led to partially constitutive expression of the Czc system due to an increased transcription of the structural czcCBA genes, both in the absence and presence of inducers. The czcD deletion could be fully complemented in trans by CzcD and two other CDF proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae , ZRC1p and COT1p. All three proteins mediated a small but significant resistance to cobalt, zinc, and cadmium in Ralstonia , and this resistance was based on a reduced accumulation of the cations. Thus, CzcD appeared to repress the Czc system by an export of the inducing cations.