Lipid particles and their function in degradation of pfosphatidylglycerol in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is a minor mitochondrial phospholipid. It can be utilized for cardiolipin biosynthesis or alternatively it can be degraded by phospholipase Pgclp. In our recent work we observed that accumulation of PG leads to increased respiration rates due to increased activity of cytochrome c activity and also accumulation of PG results in increased fragmentation of mitochondria. Pgclp is a membrane protein that in cells ensures the maintenance of a permanent low level of PG. We have verified the subcellular localization of Pgclp by fluorescence microscopy - it is located in the lipid particles (LP). Moreover , we have found that in strain without LP is Pgclp imported into the endoplasmatic reticulum. We suppose that LP represent a place for storage of protein Pgcl which in case of need can be transported to another place and be active there. Our further experimental order is to determine the region within the cell where Pgclp is functional. (authors)