Plant and Yeast NHX Antiporters: Roles in Membrane Trafficking

The plant NHX gene family encodes Na+/H+ antiporters which are crucial for salt tolerance, potassium homeostasis and cellular pH regulation. Understanding the role of NHX antiporters in membrane trafficking is becoming an increasingly interesting subject of study. Membrane trafficking is a central cellular process during which proteins, lipids and polysaccharides are continuously exchanged among membrane compartments. Yeast ScNhx1p, a prevacuole/vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter, plays an important role in regulating pH to control trafficking out of the endosome. Evidence begins to accumulate that plant NHX antiporters might function in regulating membrane trafficking in plants.