Cryo-EM of human P-glycoprotein reveals an intermediate occluded conformation during active drug transport

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is an important human multidrug transporter that contributes to pharmacokinetics and multidrug resistance. Despite decades of study, the conformation transition cycle of Pgp undergoing active drug transport is not defined, thus the precise relevance of all available Pgp structures to uninterrupted multidrug transport remains unclear. Here, we use cryo-EM of membrane-embedded human Pgp under continuous turnover conditions to analyze the conformational ensembles of Pgp transporting distinct substrates. These results delineate multiple conformations including inward-facing and closed conformations, highlighting the occluded conformation as a critical intermediate state between transporter closure and substrate release. A combination of structural, functional, and computational studies reveals the transmembrane helices 4 and 10 undergoing drastic rearrangement to coordinate substrate binding, occlusion, and release, and identifies a peripheral site involved in substrate capture and Pgp inhibition. Together, our results provide a set of snapshots of Pgp undergoing continuous drug transport, unveiling the intricate interplay between transporter dynamics and drug movement, and shed light on the mechanism of polyspecificity. In this work, the authors determine the conformational ensemble of human P-glycoprotein during active drug transport using cryo-EM. This reveals key intermediate states and a peripheral substrate-binding site providing insights into P-glycoprotein’s transport mechanism.