The Nramp orthologue of Cryptococcus neoformans is a pH-dependent transporter of manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel

Cryptococcus neoformans is an important human opportunistic pathogen and a facultative intracellular parasite, particularly in HIV-infected individuals. Little is known about metal ion transport in this organism. C. neoformans encodes a single member of the Nramp (natural resistance-associated macrophage protein) family of bivalent cation transporters, known as Cramp, which we have cloned and expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and Spodoptera frugiperda Sf 21 insect cells. Cramp induces saturable transport of a broad range of bivalent transition series cations, including Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺. Maximal cation transport occurs at pH 5.5–6.0, consistent with the proton gradient-based energetics of other Nramp orthologues. Mn²⁺ transport is diminished in the presence of 140 mM Na⁺, compatible with a Na⁺ slippage mechanism proposed for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nramp orthologue Smf1p. Cramp resembles Smf1p with respect to predicted membrane topology, substrate specificity and pH dependence, but differs in terms of its apparent affinity for Mn²⁺ and negligible inhibition by Zn²⁺. Cramp is the first Nramp orthologue from a fungal pathogen to be functionally characterized. Insights afforded by these findings will allow the formulation of new hypotheses regarding the role of metal ions in the pathophysiology of cryptococcosis.