Secretion in yeast: structural features influencing the post-translational translocation of prepro-alpha-factor in vitro

Abstract

In vitro, efficient translocation and glycosylation of the precursor of yeast alpha-factor can take place post-translationally. This property of prepro-alpha-factor appears to be unique as it could not be extended to other yeast protein precursors such as preinvertase or preprocarboxypeptidase Y. In order to determine if specific domains of prepro-alpha-factor were involved in post-translational translocation, we carried out a series of experiments in which major domains were either deleted or fused onto reporter proteins. Fusion of various domains of prepro-alpha-factor onto the reporter protein alpha-globin did not allow post-translational translocation to occur in the yeast in vitro system. Prepro-alpha-factor retained its ability to be post-translationally translocated when parts or all of the pro region were deleted. Removal of the C-terminal repeats containing mature alpha-factor had the most profound influence as post-translational translocation decreased in proportion to the number of repeats deleted. Taken together, these results suggest that efficient post-translational translocation requires a signal sequence and the four C-terminal repeats. There does not however, appear to be specific information contained within the C-terminus, as their presence in fusion did not enable the post-translational translocation of reporter proteins. Lastly, the ability to post-translationally translocate radiochemically pure prepro-alpha-factor that had been isolated by immuno-affinity chromatography required the addition of a yeast lysate fraction. Moreover, post-translational translocation is a function of the microsomal membrane of yeast microsomes and not of a factor peculiar to the yeast lysate, as reticulocyte lysate supported this as well.