Excess phosphate (Pi) is stored into the vacuole through Pi transporters so that cytoplasmic Pi levels remain stable in plant cells. We hypothesized that the vacuolar Pi transporters may harbor a Pi-sensing mechanism so that they are activated to deliver Pi into the vacuole only when cytosolic Pi re...

Vacuolar storage of phosphate (Pi) is essential for Pi homeostasis in plants. Recent studies have identified a family of vacuolar Pi transporters, VPTs (PHT5s), responsible for vacuolar sequestration of Pi. We report here that both VPT1 and VPT3 contribute to cytosol-to-vacuole Pi partitioning. Alth...

To survive in most soils in which inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels are limited and constantly changing, plants universally use the vacuoles as cellular Pi “sink” and “source” to maintain Pi homeostasis. However, the transporters that mediate Pi sequestration into the vacuoles remain unknown. Recently...

Plant vacuoles serve as the primary intracellular compartments for inorganic phosphate (Pi) storage. Passage of Pi across vacuolar membranes plays a critical role in buffering the cytoplasmic Pi level against fluctuations of external Pi and metabolic activities. To gain new insights into the protein...

A transporter orthologous to a yeast vacuole phosphate transporter mediates phosphate efflux from the vacuole into the cytosol.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for plant growth and development. Vacuoles play a fundamental role in the storage and remobilization of P in plants, while our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms of creating and reusing P stores are limited. Besides, we also know very little about the...