HAK transporters from physcomitrella patens and Yarrowia lipolytica mediate sodium uptake

Abstract

The widespread presence of Na +-specific uptake systems across plants and fungi is a controversial topic. In this study, we identify two HAK genes, one in the moss Physcomitrella patens and the other in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, that encode Na +-specific transporters. Because HAK genes are numerous in plants and are duplicated in many fungi, our findings suggest that some HAK genes encode Na + transporters and that Na + might play physiological roles in plants and fungi more extensively than is currently thought. © 2012 The Author.