Zinc Transporters and Trafficking in Yeast

Abstract

Zinc is an essential nutrient that plays important roles in cells as a structural or catalytic cofactor in hundreds of different proteins. The functions of many zinc transporter genes, including genes with orthologs that play similar roles in mammals, were first characterized in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The study of zinc metabolism using this yeast as a model organism has had profound impact on the field of zinc biology. It has advanced the zinc field by aiding the identification of new transporter genes and improving our understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying various cellular stresses and responses in higher eukaryotes as well as other organisms. This report provides a comprehensive review of yeast zinc homeostasis, emphasizing our current knowledge of the regulation of zinc transport mechanisms and cellular distributions of zinc.