Evidence for altered ion transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae overexpressing human MDR 1 protein

Recently [Hoffman, M. M., and Roepe, P. D. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 11153−11168] we presented evidence for a novel Na+- and Cl--dependent H+ transport process in LR73/hu MDR 1 CHO transfectants that likely explains pHi, volume, and membrane potential changes in eukaryotic cells overexpressing the hu MDR 1 protein. To further explore this process, we have overexpressed human MDR 1 protein in yeast strain 9.3 following a combination of approaches used previously [Kuchler, K., and Thorner, J. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 2302−2306; Ruetz, S., et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 11588−11592]. Thus, a truncated hu MDR 1 cDNA was cloned behind a tandem array of sterile 6 (Ste6) and alchohol dehydrogenase (Adh) promoters to create the yeast expression vector pFF1. Valinomycin resistance of intact cells and Western blot analysis with purified yeast plasma membranes confirmed the overexpression of full length, functional, and properly localized hu MDR 1 protein in independently isolated 9.3/...