title: Polyamine-sensitive magnesium transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: In Saccharomyces cerevisiae we found a toxic effect of polyamines, well-known metabolites important for cell proliferation; in magnesium-limited (50 microM Mg2+) synthetic medium, cell growth was severely inhibited by spermine, spermidine and putrescine in descending order. In conjunction with a decrease in the growth rate by the addition of 0.5 mM spermine, the internal Mg2+ content decreased and the spermine content increased. When cell growth ceased, the Mg2+ content had finally decreased to about 40% of the value before the addition of spermine (120-130 nmol/mg dry weight), and the spermine content concomitantly increased 30-fold (from 1 to 30 nmol/mg dry weight); spermine4+ apparently took the internal place of Mg2+ with a probable stoichiometry of 1:2. However, the total amount of Mg2+ retained in the cells remained constant even with the addition of spermine, suggesting that spermine blocks Mg2+ accumulation. In high (2 mM) Mg2+ medium, cell growth was hardly affected by polyamines, and an exchange of spermine and Mg2+ was minimal. Energy-dependent Mg2+ uptake by whole cells was inhibited by spermine, spermidine and putrescine in a similar manner as the growth rates. On the other hand, Mg2+ inhibited spermine uptake. These results suggest that competition takes place between extracellular spermine and Mg2+ for their accumulations. It is thus clear that polyamine-sensitive Mg2+ transport system is indispensable for the physiology of this organism.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakinuma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Igarashi
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011073:Polyamines; D008274:Magnesium