title: Function and Regulation of Fungal Amino Acid Transporters: Insights from Predicted Structure.
abstract: Amino acids constitute a major nutritional source for probably all fungi. Studies of model species such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans have shown that they possess multiple amino acid transporters. These proteins belong to a limited number of superfamilies, now defined according to protein fold in addition to sequence criteria, and differ in subcellular location, substrate specificity range, and regulation. Structural models of several of these transporters have recently been built, and the detailed molecular mechanisms of amino acid recognition and translocation are now being unveiled. Furthermore, the particular conformations adopted by some of these transporters in response to amino acid binding appear crucial to promoting their ubiquitin-dependent endocytosis and/or to triggering signaling responses. We here summarize current knowledge, derived mainly from studies on S. cerevisiae and A. nidulans, about the transport activities, regulation, and sensing role of fungal amino acid transporters, in relation to predicted structure.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), IBMM, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gournas
authors.affiliation: Structure and Function of Biological Membranes, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prévost
authors.affiliation: Structure and Function of Biological Membranes, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Krammer
authors.affiliation: Molecular Physiology of the Cell, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), IBMM, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium. bran@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: André
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D000596:Amino Acids; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
keywords: Amino acid transporters; Endocytosis; Signaling; Yeast