H662 is the linchpin of ATP hydrolysis in the nucleotide-binding domain of the ABC transporter HlyB

The ABC transporter HlyB is a central element of the HlyA secretion machinery, a paradigm of Type I secretion. Here, we describe the crystal structure of the HlyB‐NBD (nucleotide‐binding domain) with H662 replaced by Ala in complex with ATP/Mg 2+ . The dimer shows a composite architecture, in which two intact ATP molecules are bound at the interface of the Walker A motif and the C‐loop, provided by the two monomers. ATPase measurements confirm that H662 is essential for activity. Based on these data, we propose a model in which E631 and H662, highly conserved among ABC transporters, form a catalytic dyad. Here, H662 acts as a ‘linchpin’, holding together all required parts of a complicated network of interactions between ATP, water molecules, Mg 2+ , and amino acids both in cis and trans , necessary for intermonomer communication. Based on biochemical experiments, we discuss the hypothesis that substrate‐assisted catalysis, rather than general base catalysis might operate in ABC‐ATPases.