title: The function of Alr1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in cadmium detoxification: insights from phylogenetic studies and particle-induced X-ray emission.
abstract: Two genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ALR1 and ALR2, encode transmembrane proteins involved in Mg2+ uptake. The present study investigates the phylogenetic relationship of Alr1p/Alr2p with bacterial CorA proteins and some proteins related to Mg2+ influx/efflux transport in mitochondrial and bacterial zinc transporters; including hydrophobic cluster analysis (HCA). The phylogenetic results indicate that the Alrp sequences of S. cerevisiae share a common carboxy-terminus with proteins related to zinc efflux transport. We also analyse the intracellular metal content by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) after cell exposure to cadmium. The PIXE analysis of cadmium-exposed ALR mutants and wild-type yeast cells suggests that Alrp has a central role in cell survival in a cadmium-rich environment.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biofísica/Centro de Biotecnologia, UFRGS, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, 91507-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonatto
authors.forename: Johnny Ferraz
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Maria-Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yoneama
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brendel
authors.forename: João Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pêgas Henriques
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D002470:Cell Survival; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019295:Computational Biology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005838:Genotype; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D014965:X-Rays; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C110206:ALR1 protein, S cerevisiae; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc