Ref2, a regulatory subunit of the yeast protein phosphatase 1, is a novel component of cation homeostasis
Résumé
Maintenance of cation homeostasis is a key process for any living organism. Specific mutations in Glc7, the essential catalytic subunit of yeast protein phosphatase 1, result in salt and alkaline pH sensitivity, suggesting a role for this protein in cation homeostasis. We screened a collection of Glc7 regulatory subunit mutants for altered tolerance to diverse cations (Na+, Li+, Ca+2) and alkaline pH. Among eighteen candidates, only deletion of REF2 yielded increased sensitivity to these conditions, as well as to diverse organic toxic cations. A Phe-374 to Ala mutated version of Ref2, which cannot bind Glc7, is unable to rescue the salt-related phenotypes of the ref2 strain, suggesting that Ref2 function in cation homeostasis is mediated by Glc7. The ref2 deletion mutant displays a marked decrease in lithium efflux, which can be explained by the inability of these cells to fully induce the Na+-ATPase ENA1 gene. The effect of lack of Ref2 is additive to that of blockage of the calcineurin pathway and might disrupt multiple mechanisms controlling ENA1 expression. ref2 cells display a striking defect in vacuolar morphogenesis, which probably accounts for the increased calcium levels observed under standard growth conditions and the strong calcium sensitivity of this mutant. Remarkably, the evidence collected indicates that the role of Ref2 in cation homeostasis may be unrelated to its previously identified function as a component of the APT complex.
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