Gene Ontology Help

SPOTS complex Overview

GO Annotations consist of four mandatory components: a gene product, a term from one of the three Gene Ontology (GO) controlled vocabularies (Molecular Function, Biological Process, and Cellular Component), a reference, and an evidence code.


Summary
Serine C-palmitoyltransferase (SPT) catalyzes the first committed step in the biosynthesis of sphingolipids: condensation of serine with palmitoyl-CoA to form 3-ketosphinganine. The catalytic activity depends on LCB1 and LCB2, and is stimulated several-fold by TSC3. The remaining components are believed to play regulatory roles. Mature sphingolipids are an essential component of the plasma membrane. Moreover, several intermediates in sphingolipid metabolism are important signaling molecules involved in control of growth and stress response. Tight regulation of this rate-limiting step in sphingolipid synthesis is therefore critical for lipid homeostasis, membrane biogenesis, protein quality control and trafficking through the secretory pathway. Regulation of sphingolipid synthesis is mediated by phosphorylation of ORM1 and ORM2 as well as by up-regulation of ORM2 protein levels. Sphingolipid depletion activates the TORC2 complex (CPX-1717), which triggers ORM1 and ORM2 phosphorylation by the protein kinase YPK1 (P12688). Inhibition of the nutrient-sensitive TORC1 complex (CPX-1715 /CPX-1716) triggers phosphorylation of ORM proteins by the protein kinase NPR1 (P22211). Increased phosphorylation of ORM proteins reduces their inhibitory activity resulting in stimulation of SPOTS and increased sphingolipid synthesis. In addition, the presence of the phosphoinositide phosphatase SAC1 (P32368) in the SPOTS complex appears to link sphingolipid synthesis to phosphoinositide signaling that controls ER functions and ER-to-Golgi traffic. Thus, the SPOTS complex may be responsible for coordinating sphingolipid homeostasis with a variety of processes that control cell growth and response to nutrients.
GO Slim Terms

The yeast GO Slim terms are higher level terms that best represent the major S. cerevisiae biological processes, functions, and cellular components. The GO Slim terms listed here are the broader parent terms for the specific terms to which this gene product is annotated, and thus represent the more general processes, functions, and components in which it is involved.

acyltransferase activity, transferase activity, homeostatic process