The role of Ynt1 in nitrate and nitrite transport in the yeast Hansenula polymorpha.

Ynt1 is the only high-affinity nitrate uptake system in Hansenula polymorpha. Nitrate uptake was directly correlated with the Ynt1 levels and shown to be independent of nitrate reductase (NR) activity levels. Ynt1 failed to transport chlorate and, as a result, strains lacking YNT1 were sensitive to chlorate, as is the wild-type. Nitrite uptake in a wild-type strain was partially inhibited by nitrate to levels shown by a YNT1-disrupted strain in which, in turn, nitrite transport was not inhibited by nitrate. It is concluded that nitrite uptake takes place by two different transport systems: Ynt1 and a nitrite-specific transporter(s). The nitrite-specific transport system was induced by nitrate; consistently, no induction was observed in strains lacking the transcription factor YNA1, which is involved in nitrate and nitrite induction of the nitrate assimilatory structural genes. Ynt1 presents its optimal rate for nitrite uptake at pH 6, while pH 4 was optimal for the specific nitrite uptake system(s). At pH 5.5, the contribution of Ynt1 to high-affinity nitrate and nitrite uptake was around 95% and 60%, respectively. The apparent Km of Ynt1 for nitrate and nitrite is in the microM range, as is the specific nitrite uptake system for nitrite. The analysis of the effect of the reduced nitrogen sources on nitrate assimilation revealed that glutamine inactivates nitrate and nitrite transport, dependent on Ynt1, but not the nitrite-specific system. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.