Structure/function relationships of inorganic phosphate transporters

Abstract: Of the many nutrients that make the metabolic clock tick, inorganic phosphate fulfills an essential role in all yeast (and other organisms), being necessary for both structural and metabolic purposes. In order to transport phosphate into the cell interior, Saccharomyces cerevisiae makes use of two systems, comprising high- or low-affinity transporters, which are responsible for the cellular accumulation of inorganic phosphate. Depending on the extracellular concentration of inorganic phosphate, one of the two systems will be responsible for scavenging phosphate from the surroundings.The present thesis focuses on the high-affinity transport system in S. cerevisiae, i.e. Pho84, which is induced under low phosphate conditions. The expression and degradation of Pho84 is dependent on the availability of phosphate. When confronted with ample amounts of external phosphate, the Pho84 undergoes phosphorylation, prior to ubiquitylation. These events will eventually lead to the removal of Pho84 from the plasma membrane, followed by vacuolar degradation. The Pho84, together with the ANTR1 high-affinity inorganic phosphate transporter of Arabidopsis thaliana, are integral membrane proteins belonging to the major facilitator superfamily. Both are predicted to have 12 transmembrane helices, which have been confirmed by in silico modeling of both proteins, using the glycerol-3-phosphate transporter as template. The obtained models served as a rational start point for the study of the molecular transport mechanisms by means of site-directed mutagenesis and consequently functional and biochemical characterization.The other high-affinity transporter, Pho89, has been studied less because of its lower activity (as compared to the Pho84) and its preferred alkaline operational conditions. In order to study Pho89 in more detail, a quadruple deletions strain (Pho84Δ Pho87Δ Pho90Δ Pho91Δ) was used.In conclusion, this thesis has contributed to broaden the knowledge of structural and functional aspects of inorganic phosphate transporters.