Main goals:

1. Find out new structural and functional elements in Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters from lower eukaryotes important for the regulation of antiporters’ activity and/or biogenesis.
2. Elucidate a connection between monovalent cation transporters with systems involved in Ca²⁺ signalling in yeast cells.

Abstract:

The tight regulation of intracellular ion concentrations is crucial for all cells. Optimal levels of cations are ensured by the coordinated activity of various transporters. If the activity of ion transporters and consequently ion homeostasis are disordered, it results in many pathological processes. The project will study the properties, regulation and cooperation of various types of cation transporters with the aim of (i) determining new structural and functional elements in a group of Na⁺(K⁺)/H⁺ antiporters, (ii) identifying new types of their activity regulation, and (iii) attempting to elucidate the relationships between potassium transporters and Ca²⁺ signalling in yeast. The results will provide new insights into the cell cation-homeostasis regulatory network in the unicellular model eukaryotic organism and will serve to identify corresponding regulatory mechanisms in higher eukaryotes.