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Yarrowia lipolytica possesses two plasma membrane alkali metal cation/H + antiporters with different functions in cell physiology
Author(s) -
Papouskova Klara,
Sychrova Hana
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.02.064
Subject(s) - antiporters , yarrowia , antiporter , saccharomyces cerevisiae , yeast , biochemistry , biology , chemistry , potassium , membrane , organic chemistry
The family of Nha antiporters mediating the efflux of alkali metal cations in exchange for protons across the plasma membrane is conserved in all yeast species. Yarrowia lipolytica is a dimorphic yeast, phylogenetically very distant from the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . A search in its sequenced genome revealed two genes (designated as YlNHA1 and YlNHA2 ) with homology to the S. cerevisiae NHA1 gene, which encodes a plasma membrane alkali metal cation/H + antiporter. Upon heterologous expression of both YlNHA genes in S. cerevisiae , we showed that Y. lipolytica antiporters differ not only in length and sequence, but also in their affinity for individual substrates. While the Yl Nha1 protein mainly increased cell tolerance to potassium, Yl Nha2p displayed a remarkable transport capacity for sodium. Thus, Y. lipolytica is the first example of a yeast species with two plasma membrane alkali metal cation/H + antiporters differing in their putative functions in cell physiology; cell detoxification vs. the maintenance of stable intracellular pH, potassium content and cell volume.