Study on yeast vacuolar arginine transporters published in PLoS Genetics

In a novel article entitled “Nitrogen coordinated import and export of arginine across the yeast vacuolar membrane” just published in PLoS Genetics, we report an extensive study of the arginine transporters  localized at the yeast vacuolar membrane. We describe Vsb1 as a novel  transmembrane protein acting as the main vacuolar arginine import system. We also report that Ypq2, a vacuolar transporter homologous to the human lysosomal PQLC2 protein, importantly contributes to arginine export from the vacuole where the amino acid is stored at high levels Finally, we provide clear evidence that Vsb1 and Ypq2 are inversely regulated by nitrogen supply. This paper is signed as a first author by Melody Cools who did her PhD in our lab and who established the methodology needed for conducting this study. Melody is now scientist at the Labiris institute where she pursues her research work on yeast vacuolar transporters and their regulation.  This work has benefited from the valuable collaboration of Dr. Isabelle Georis (Labiris) and Pr. Alexander DeLuna (Guanajuato, Mexico).