RESUMEN
Methylglyoxal (MG) is a cytotoxic by-product of glycolysis. MG has inhibitory effect on the growth of cells ranging from microorganisms to higher eukaryotes, but its molecular targets are largely unknown. The yeast cell-surface glucose sensors Rgt2 and Snf3 function as glucose receptors that sense extracellular glucose and generate a signal for induction of expression of genes encoding glucose transporters (HXTs). Here we provide evidence that these glucose sensors are primary targets of MG in yeast. MG inhibits the growth of glucose-fermenting yeast cells by inducing endocytosis and degradation of the glucose sensors. However, the glucose sensors with mutations at their putative ubiquitin-acceptor lysine residues are resistant to MG-induced degradation. These results suggest that the glucose sensors are inactivated through ubiquitin-mediated endocytosis and degraded in the presence of MG. In addition, the inhibitory effect of MG on the glucose sensors is greatly enhanced in cells lacking Glo1, a key component of the MG detoxification system. Thus the stability of these glucose sensors seems to be critically regulated by intracellular MG levels. Taken together, these findings suggest that MG attenuates glycolysis by promoting degradation of the cell-surface glucose sensors and thus identify MG as a potential glycolytic inhibitor.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Facilitadoras del Transporte de la Glucosa/genética , Proteínas de Transporte de Monosacáridos/metabolismo , Piruvaldehído/metabolismo , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Endocitosis/fisiología , Complejos de Clasificación Endosomal Requeridos para el Transporte/genética , Complejos de Clasificación Endosomal Requeridos para el Transporte/metabolismo , Regulación Fúngica de la Expresión Génica , Glucosa/metabolismo , Proteínas Facilitadoras del Transporte de la Glucosa/metabolismo , Lactoilglutatión Liasa/genética , Lactoilglutatión Liasa/metabolismo , Proteínas de Transporte de Monosacáridos/genética , Piruvaldehído/farmacología , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/efectos de los fármacos , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Complejos de Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasa/genética , Complejos de Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasa/metabolismoRESUMEN
The transport of glucose across the plasma membrane is mediated by members of the glucose transporter family. In this study, we investigated glucose uptake through the yeast hexose transporter 1 (Hxt1) by measuring incorporation of 2-NBDG, a non-metabolizable, fluorescent glucose analog, into the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that 2-NBDG is not incorporated into the hxt null strain lacking all glucose transporter genes and that this defect is rescued by expression of wild type Hxt1, but not of Hxt1 with mutations at the putative glucose-binding residues, inferred from the alignment of yeast and human glucose transporter sequences. Similarly, the growth defect of the hxt null strain on glucose is fully complemented by expression of wild type Hxt1, but not of the mutant Hxt1 proteins. Thus, 2-NBDG, like glucose, is likely to be transported into the yeast cells through the glucose transport system. Hxt1 is internalized and targeted to the vacuole for degradation in response to glucose starvation. Among the mutant Hxt1 proteins, Hxt1N370A and HXT1W473A are resistant to such degradation. Hxt1N370A, in particular, is able to neither uptake 2-NBDG nor restore the growth defect of the hxt null strain on glucose. These results demonstrate 2-NBDG as a fluorescent probe for glucose uptake in the yeast cells and identify N370 as a critical residue for the stability and function of Hxt1.