Yeast ABC transporters in lipid trafficking

Throughout its evolution, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily has experienced a rapid expansion in its substrate repertoire and functions. Of the diverse functions that these pumps offer, their drug transport properties have attracted considerable attention primarily owing to their clinical significance. Despite this fact, emerging evidence suggests that physiological substrates of transporters also affect the overall functioning of an organism. Lipids, as substrates of ABC transporters, constitute one feature found in all representative groups of the living kingdom. Due to the importance of lipid species in the cellular physiology of an organism, their proper distribution within cells is crucial. This fact is well exemplified by the vast number of medical conditions that have been caused as a result of perturbations in ABC transporter-mediated lipid transport in higher organisms. In yeasts, apart from providing transport functions, ABC transporters also coordinate regulatory networks with lipids. This review focuses on yeast ABC transporters involved in the transport of lipids and briefly discusses the integration of their regulatory network with that of the lipid species.