A novel protein, Pho92, has a conserved YTH domain and regulates phosphate metabolism by decreasing the mRNA stability of PHO4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The homologue of human YTHDF2, Ydr374c (Pho92), is the only protein that has a YTH (YT521-B homology) domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on microarray analysis, genes involved in the phosphate signal transduction (PHO) pathway were up-regulated in the Δpho92 strain, as were genes regulated by Pho4, which is an important transcription factor in the PHO pathway. To identify the exact mechanism of Pho92 action with respect to phosphate metabolism, we investigated the effect of Pho92 on PHO4 expression.