Abstract
Plastidic dicarboxylate transporters (DiTs) function as the interface between plastidic and cytosolic carbon- and nitrogen-metabolism in plants, because they supply the carbon skeleton 2-oxoglutalate (2OG) to the plastidic GS/GOGAT cycle and export the end product of nitrogen assimilation, glutamate (Glu), from plastids. They are also essential in the photorespiratory pathway. Structurally, it is known that two types of transporters (DiT1 and DiT2) transport 2OG and Glu via malate exchange, respectively. They both have eubacterial origin, although their functions have diversified in the plant kingdom during evolution due to their crucial role in plant metabolism. In addition to these two well-characterized DiTs, Arabidopsis encodes a third DiT (pdct2), the function of which is still unknown (Taniguchi M et al. (2002) PCP, 43: 706- 711). We will report a functional analysis of pdct2.
