Putative role for ABC multidrug exporters in yeast quorum sensing

Hlaváček, Otakar; Kučerová, Helena; Harant, Karel; Palková, Zdena; Váchová, Libuše

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.02.030

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Volume 583, Issue 7 , Pages 1107-1113, 2 April 2009

Putative role for ABC multidrug exporters in yeast quorum sensing

Edited by Francesc Posas

Otakar Hlaváček
- Department of Cell and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology AS CR, v.v.i., Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Helena Kučerová
- Department of Cell and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology AS CR, v.v.i., Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Karel Harant
- Department of Cell and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology AS CR, v.v.i., Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Zdena Palková
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Libuše Váchová
- Department of Cell and Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology AS CR, v.v.i., Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- Corresponding author.

Received 23 October 2008; received in revised form 22 January 2009; accepted 20 February 2009. published online 27 February 2009.

Abstract

Pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) transporters play essential roles in cell resistance to various toxic compounds in various organisms including bacteria, mammals and yeasts. A large group of PDR transporters have been described in yeasts so far, including those that are controlled by transcription factor Pdr1p. Here, we show that besides their role in removing extracellularly added toxic compounds, the Pdr5p and Snq2p transporters play important physiological roles and significantly influence the developmental phases and physiology of yeast populations growing in a liquid culture. They appear to be involved in population quorum sensing, which consequently influences transcription factor Pdr1p level via feedback regulation.

Abbreviations: PDR, pleiotropic drug resistance, ABC, ATP binding cassette

Keywords: Multidrug resistance, PDR transporter, Yeast physiology, Quorum sensing