title: Characterization of hexose transporters in Yarrowia lipolytica reveals new groups of Sugar Porters involved in yeast growth.
abstract: Sugar assimilation has been intensively studied in the model yeast S. cerevisiae, and for two decades, it has been clear that the homologous HXT genes, which encode a set of hexose transporters, play a central role in this process. However, in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, which is well-known for its biotechnological applications, sugar assimilation is only poorly understood, even though this yeast exhibits peculiar intra-strain differences in fructose uptake: some strains (e.g., W29) are known to be slow-growing in fructose while others (e.g., H222) grow rapidly under the same conditions. Here, we retrieved 24 proteins of the Sugar Porter family from these two strains, and determined that at least six of these proteins can function as hexose transporters in the heterologous host Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY.VW4000. Transcriptional studies and deletion analysis in Y. lipolytica indicated that two genes, YHT1 and YHT4, are probably the main players in both strains, with a similar role in the uptake of glucose, fructose, and mannose at various concentrations. The other four genes appear to constitute a set of 'reservoir' hexose transporters with an as-yet unclear physiological role. Furthermore, through examining Sugar Porters of the entire Yarrowia clade, we show that they constitute a dynamic family, within which hexose transport genes have been duplicated and lost several times. Our phylogenetic analyses support the existence of at least three distinct evolutionary groups of transporters which allow yeasts to grow on hexoses. In addition to the well-known and widespread Hxt-type transporters (which are not essential in Y. lipolytica), we highlight a second group of transporters, represented by Yht1, which are phylogenetically related to sensors that play a regulatory role in S. cerevisiae, and a third group, represented by Yht4, previously thought to contain only high-affinity glucose transporters related to Hgt1of Kluyveromyces lactis.
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France; Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neuvéglise
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rossignol
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Devillers
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robak
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nicaud
authors.affiliation: Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France. Electronic address: anne-marie.le-coq@inra.fr.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Crutz-Le Coq
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport / Q000235:genetics; D005632:Fructose / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D025062:Yarrowia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D005632:Fructose; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Evolution; Fructose metabolism; Hexose sensor; MFS transporters; Sugar uptake; Yeasts