The yeast endosomal t-SNARE, Pep12p, functions in the absence of its transmembrane domain

Delivery of proteins to the vacuole of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the function of two distinct SNARE complexes. Pep12p and Vam3p are both t-SNAREs of the syntaxin family that are components of these SNARE complexes. We have used a genetic approach to address the role of Pep12p in vacuolar protein transport. Our screen for temperature-sensitive pep12 mutants yielded six alleles that were rapidly inactivated upon exposure to the non-permissive temperature. Surprisingly, the proteins encoded by these alleles were all truncated immediately prior to the transmembrane domain. Here we demonstrate that Pep12p requires its transmembrane domain for proper localization, but not for its role in vesicle fusion. In addition, we show that although Pep12p can replace Vam3p in the vacuolar SNARE complex, its transmembrane domain is required to function at this step. Therefore, the transmembrane domain of Pep12p performs different roles in the prevacuolar and vacuolar SNARE complexes.     

Vesicle-mediated protein transport pathways to the vacuole in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The vacuole of Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays essential roles not only for osmoregulation and ion homeostasis but also down-regulation (degradation) of cell surface proteins and protein and organellar turnover. Genetic selections and genome-wide screens in S. cerevisiae have resulted in the identification of a large number of genes required for delivery of proteins to the vacuole. Although the complete genome sequence of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been reported, there have been few reports on the proteins required for vacuolar protein transport and vacuolar biogenesis in S. pombe. Recent progress in the S. pombe genome project of has revealed that most of the genes required for vacuolar biogenesis and protein transport are conserved between S. pombe and S. cerevisiae. This suggests that the basic machinery of vesicle-mediated protein delivery to the vacuole is conserved between the two yeasts. Identification and characterization of the fission yeast counterparts of the budding yeast Vps and Vps-related proteins have facilitated our understanding of protein transport pathways to the vacuole in S. pombe. This review focuses on the recent advances in vesicle-mediated protein transport to the vacuole in S. pombe.     

Genetic interactions with the yeast Q-SNARE VTI1 reveal novel functions for the R-SNARE YKT6.

SNARE proteins are required for fusion of transport vesicles with target membranes. Previously, we found that the yeast Q-SNARE Vti1p is involved in transport to the cis-Golgi, to the prevacuole/late endosome, and to the vacuole. Here we identified a previously uncharacterized gene, VTS1, and the R-SNARE YKT6 both as multicopy and as low copy suppressors of the growth and vacuolar transport defect in vti1-2 cells. Ykt6p was known to function in retrograde traffic to the cis-Golgi and homotypic vacuolar fusion. We found that VTI1 and YKT6 also interacted in traffic to the prevacuole and vacuole, indicating that these SNARE complexes contain Ykt6p, Vti1p, plus Pep12p and Ykt6p, Vti1p, Vam3p, plus Vam7p, respectively. As Ykt6p was required for several transport steps, R-SNAREs cannot be the sole determinants of specificity. To study the role of the 0 layer in the SNARE motif, we introduced the mutations vti1-Q158R and ykt6-R165Q. SNARE complexes to which Ykt6p contributed a fourth glutamine residue in the 0 layer were nonfunctional, suggesting an essential function for arginine in the 0 layer of these complexes. vti1-Q158R cells had severe defects in several transport steps, indicating that the second arginine in the 0 layer interfered with function.     

Acidic Di-leucine Motif Essential for AP-3–dependent Sorting and Restriction of the Functional Specificity of the Vam3p Vacuolar t-SNARE

The transport of newly synthesized proteins through the vacuolar protein sorting pathway in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires two distinct target SNAP receptor (t-SNARE) proteins, Pep12p and Vam3p. Pep12p is localized to the pre-vacuolar endosome and its activity is required for transport of proteins from the Golgi to the vacuole through a well defined route, the carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) pathway. Vam3p is localized to the vacuole where it mediates delivery of cargoes from both the CPY and the recently described alkaline phosphatase (ALP) pathways. Surprisingly, despite their organelle-specific functions in sorting of vacuolar proteins, overexpression of VAM3 can suppress the protein sorting defects of pep12Δ cells. Based on this observation, we developed a genetic screen to identify domains in Vam3p (e.g., localization and/or specific protein–protein interaction domains) that allow it to efficiently substitute for Pep12p. Using this screen, we identified mutations in a 7–amino acid sequence in Vam3p that lead to missorting of Vam3p from the ALP pathway into the CPY pathway where it can substitute for Pep12p at the pre-vacuolar endosome. This region contains an acidic di-leucine sequence that is closely related to sorting signals required for AP-3 adaptor–dependent transport in both yeast and mammalian systems. Furthermore, disruption of AP-3 function also results in the ability of wild-type Vam3p to compensate for pep12 mutants, suggesting that AP-3 mediates the sorting of Vam3p via the di-leucine signal. Together, these data provide the first identification of an adaptor protein–specific sorting signal in a t-SNARE protein, and suggest that AP-3–dependent sorting of Vam3p acts to restrict its interaction with compartment-specific accessory proteins, thereby regulating its function. Regulated transport of cargoes such as Vam3p through the AP-3–dependent pathway may play an important role in maintaining the unique composition, function, and morphology of the vacuole.     

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae v-SNARE Vti1p Is Required for Multiple Membrane Transport Pathways to the Vacuole

The interaction between v-SNAREs on transport vesicles and t-SNAREs on target membranes is required for membrane traffic in eukaryotic cells. Here we identify Vti1p as the first v-SNARE protein found to be required for biosynthetic traffic into the yeast vacuole, the equivalent of the mammalian lysosome. Certain vti1-ts yeast mutants are defective in alkaline phosphatase transport from the Golgi to the vacuole and in targeting of aminopeptidase I from the cytosol to the vacuole. VTI1 interacts genetically with the vacuolar t-SNARE VAM3, which is required for transport of both alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase I to the vacuole. The v-SNARE Nyv1p forms a SNARE complex with Vam3p in homotypic vacuolar fusion; however, we find that Nyv1p is not required for any of the three biosynthetic pathways to the vacuole. v-SNAREs were thought to ensure specificity in membrane traffic. However, Vti1p also functions in two additional membrane traffic pathways: Vti1p interacts with the t-SNAREs Pep12p in traffic from the TGN to the prevacuolar compartment and with Sed5p in retrograde traffic to the cis-Golgi. The ability of Vti1p to mediate multiple fusion steps requires additional proteins to ensure specificity in membrane traffic.     

Aspergillus nidulans DigA, a potential homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pep3 (Vps18), is required for nuclear migration, mitochondrial morphology and polarized growth

The fungal vacuole is an acidic organelle that is involved in a variety of physiological processes, such as protein turnover, ion and pH homeostasis and osmoregulation. The function of the vacuole largely depends on vesicle transport providing the organelle with enzymes and substrates. The process of vesicle transportation has been studied best in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where several proteins that are crucial for intracellular vesicle sorting have been identified. One such protein is Pep3 (Vps18). In pep3 mutants vacuole function and vacuole morphology are affected. We cloned the gene for a potential homolog of Pep3 from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The gene, digA (for dichotomous growth), was identified in a screen for nuclear migration mutants. A. nidulans digA encodes a protein of 108.3 kDa, which includes a 122-amino acid clathrin repeat motif, two short coiled-coil regions, and a RING finger Zn-binding motif at the C-terminus. All three sequence motifs suggest interaction of DigA with other proteins. DigA is 25% identical to a homolog from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, 23% to a protein from human, 21% to the product of the Drosophila melanogaster gene deep orange (dor) and 18% to S. cerevisiae Pep3 (Vps18). We localized DigA as a HA-epitope-tagged protein in the cytoplasm of A. nidulans vegetative cells, by secondary immunofluorescence. A digA mutant displays a pleiotropic phenotype with clustered mitochondria, clustered nuclei and a defect in polarization of the actin cytoskeleton. These results suggest that vacuolar functions are required for organelle positioning and polarized growth.     

Pth1/Vam3p is the syntaxin homolog at the vacuolar membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae required for the delivery of vacuolar hydrolases.

The PEP12 homolog Pth1p (Pep twelve homolog 1) is predicted to be similar in size to Pep12p, the endosomal syntaxin homolog that mediates docking of Golgi-derived transport vesicles and, like other members of the syntaxin family, is predicted to be a cytoplasmically oriented, integral membrane protein with a C-terminal transmembrane domain. Kinetic analyses indicate that deltapth1/vam3 mutants fail to process the soluble vacuolar hydrolase precursors and that PrA, PrB and most of CpY accumulate within the cell in their Golgi-modified P2 precursor forms. This is in contrast to a pep12 mutant in which P2CpY is secreted from the cell. Furthermore, pep12 is epistatic to pth1/vam3 with respect to the CpY secretion phenotype. Alkaline phosphatase, a vacuolar membrane hydrolase, accumulates in its precursor form in the deltapth1/vam3 mutant. Maturation of pro-aminopeptidase I, a hydrolase precursor delivered directly to the vacuole from the cytoplasm, is also blocked in the deltapth1/vam3 mutant. Subcellular fractionation localizes Pth1/Vam3p to vacuolar membranes. Based on these data, we propose that Pth1/Vam3p is the vacuolar syntaxin/t-SNARE homolog that participates in docking of transport vesicles at the vacuolar membrane and that the function of Pth1/Vam3p impinges on at least three routes of protein delivery to the yeast vacuole.     

Vac1p coordinates Rab and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling in Vps45p-dependent vesicle docking/fusion at the endosome

The vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mediates transport of vacuolar protein precursors from the late Golgi to the lysosome-like vacuole. Sorting of some vacuolar proteins occurs via a prevacuolar endosomal compartment and mutations in a subset of VPS genes (the class D VPS genes) interfere with the Golgi-to-endosome transport step. Several of the encoded proteins, including Pep12p/Vps6p (an endosomal target (t) SNARE) and Vps45p (a Sec1p homologue), bind each other directly [1]. Another of these proteins, Vac1p/Pep7p/Vps19p, associates with Pep12p and binds phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P), the product of the Vps34 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) [1] [2]. Here, we demonstrate that Vac1p genetically and physically interacts with the activated, GTP-bound form of Vps21p, a Rab GTPase that functions in Golgi-to-endosome transport, and with Vps45p. These results implicate Vac1p as an effector of Vps21p and as a novel Sec1p-family-binding protein. We suggest that Vac1p functions as a multivalent adaptor protein that ensures the high fidelity of vesicle docking and fusion by integrating both phosphoinositide (Vps34p) and GTPase (Vps21p) signals, which are essential for Pep12p- and Vps45p-dependent targeting of Golgi-derived vesicles to the prevacuolar endosome.     

Vam7p, a vacuolar SNAP-25 homolog, is required for SNARE complex integrity and vacuole docking and fusion.

The vacuole v-t-SNARE complex is disassembled by Sec17p/alpha-SNAP and Sec18p/NSF prior to vacuole docking and fusion. We now report a functional characterization of the vacuolar SNARE Vam7p, a SNAP-25 homolog. Although Vam7p has no hydrophobic domains, it is tightly associated with the vacuolar membrane. Vam7p is a constituent of the vacuole SNARE complex and is released from this complex by the Sec17p/Sec18p/ATP-mediated priming of the vacuoles. Even in the absence of the vacuolar v-SNARE Nyv1p, a subcomplex which includes Vam7p and the t-SNARE Vam3p is preserved. Vam7p is necessary for the stability of the vacuolar SNARE complex, since vacuoles from mutants deleted in VAM7 do not have a Vam3p-Nyv1p complex. Furthermore, Vam7p alone, in the absence of Nyv1p and Vam3p, cannot mediate fusion with wild-type vacuoles, whereas vacuoles with only Nyv1p or Vam3p alone can fuse with wild-type vacuoles in the absence of the other two SNAREs. Thus, Vam7p is important for the stable assembly and efficient function of the vacuolar SNARE complex and maintenance of the vacuolar morphology. This functional characterization of Vam7p suggests a general role for SNAP-25 homologs, not only on the plasma membrane but along the secretory pathway.     

Purification of active HOPS complex reveals its affinities for phosphoinositides and the SNARE Vam7p

Coupling of Rab GTPase activation and SNARE complex assembly during membrane fusion is poorly understood. The homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) complex links these two processes: it is an effector for the vacuolar Rab GTPase Ypt7p and is required for vacuolar SNARE complex assembly. We now report that pure, active HOPS complex binds phosphoinositides and the PX domain of the vacuolar SNARE protein Vam7p. These binding interactions support HOPS complex association with the vacuole and explain its enrichment at the same microdomains on docked vacuoles as phosphoinositides, Ypt7p, Vam7p, and the other SNARE proteins. Concentration of the HOPS complex at these microdomains may be a key factor for coupling Rab GTPase activation to SNARE complex assembly.     

Pep3p/Pep5p complex: a putative docking factor at multiple steps of vesicular transport to the vacuole of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Pep3p and Pep5p are known to be necessary for trafficking of hydrolase precursors to the vacuole and for vacuolar biogenesis. These proteins are present in a hetero-oligomeric complex that mediates transport at the vacuolar membrane. PEP5 interacts genetically with VPS8, implicating Pep5p in the earlier Golgi to endosome step and/or in recycling from the endosome to the Golgi. To understand further the cellular roles of Pep3p and Pep5p, we isolated and characterized a set of pep3 conditional mutants. Characterization of mutants revealed that pep3(ts) mutants are defective in the endosomal and nonendosomal Golgi to vacuole transport pathways, in the cytoplasm to vacuole targeting pathway, in recycling from the endosome back to the late Golgi, and in endocytosis. PEP3 interacts genetically with two members of the endosomal SNARE complex, PEP12 (t-SNARE) and PEP7 (homologue of mammalian EEA1); Pep3p and Pep5p associate physically with Pep7p as revealed by two-hybrid analysis. Our results suggest that a core Pep3p/Pep5p complex promotes vesicular docking/fusion reactions in conjunction with SNARE proteins at multiple steps in transport routes to the vacuole. We propose that this complex may be responsible for tethering transport vesicles on target membranes.     

The Sec1/Munc18 protein, Vps33p, functions at the endosome and the vacuole of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Sec1/Munc18 (SM) family of proteins is thought to impart compartmental specificity to vesicle fusion reactions. Here we report characterization of Vps33p, an SM family member previously thought to act exclusively at the vacuolar membrane with the vacuolar syntaxin Vam3p. Vacuolar morphology of vps33Delta cells resembles that of cells lacking both Vam3p and the endosomal syntaxin Pep12p, suggesting that Vps33p may function with these syntaxins at the vacuole and the endosome. Consistent with this, vps33 mutants secrete the Golgi precursor form of the vacuolar hydrolase CPY into the medium. We also demonstrate that Vps33p acts at other steps, for vps33 mutants show severe defects in endocytosis at the late endosome. At the endosome, Vps33p and other class C members exist as a complex with Vps8p, a protein previously known to act in transport between the late Golgi and the endosome. Vps33p also interacts with Pep12p, a known interactor of the SM protein Vps45p. High copy PEP7/VAC1 suppresses vacuolar morphology defects of vps33 mutants. These findings demonstrate that Vps33p functions at multiple trafficking steps and is not limited to action at the vacuolar membrane. This is the first report demonstrating the involvement of a single syntaxin with two SM proteins at the same organelle.     

Polar transmembrane domains target proteins to the interior of the yeast vacuole

Membrane proteins transported to the yeast vacuole can have two fates. Some reach the outer vacuolar membrane, whereas others enter internal vesicles, which form in late endosomes, and are ultimately degraded. The vacuolar SNAREs Nyv1p and Vam3p avoid this fate by using the AP-3-dependent pathway, which bypasses late endosomes, but the endosomal SNARE Pep12p must avoid it more directly. Deletion analysis revealed no cytoplasmic sequences necessary to prevent the internalization of Pep12p in endosomes. However, introduction of acidic residues into the cytoplasmic half of the transmembrane domain created a dominant internalization signal. In other contexts, this same feature diverted proteins from the Golgi to endosomes and slowed their exit from the endoplasmic reticulum. The more modestly polar transmembrane domains of Sec12p and Ufe1p, which normally serve to hold these proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, also cause Pep12p to be internalized, as does that of the vacuolar protein Cps1p. It seems that quality control mechanisms recognize polar transmembrane domains at multiple points in the secretory and endocytic pathways and in endosomes sort proteins for subsequent destruction in the vacuole. These mechanisms may minimize the damaging effects of abnormally exposed polar residues while being exploited for the localization of some normal proteins.     

Functional analysis of conserved structural elements in yeast syntaxin Vam3p

Vam3p, a syntaxin-like SNARE protein involved in yeast vacuole fusion, is composed of a three-helical N-terminal domain, a canonical SNARE motif, and a C-terminal transmembrane region (TMR). Surprisingly, we find that the N-terminal domain of Vam3p is not essential for fusion, although analogous domains in other syntaxins are indispensible for fusion and/or protein-protein interactions. In contrast to the N-terminal domain, mutations in the SNARE motif of Vam3p or replacement of the SNARE motif of Vam3p with the SNARE motif from other syntaxins inhibited fusion. Furthermore, the precise distance between the SNARE motif and the TMR was critical for fusion. Insertion of only three residues after the SNARE motif significantly impaired fusion and insertion of 12 residues abolished fusion. As judged by co-immunoprecipitation experiments, the SNARE motif mutations and the insertions did not alter the association of Vam3p with Vam7p, Vti1p, Nyv1p, and Ykt6p, other vacuolar SNARE proteins implicated in fusion. In contrast, the SNARE motif substitutions interfered with the stable formation of Vam3p complexes with Nyv1p and Vti1p, although Vam3p complexes with Vam7p and Ykt6p were still present. Our data suggest that in contrast to previously characterized syntaxins, Vam3p contains only two domains essential for fusion, the SNARE motif and the TMR, and these domains have to be closely coupled to function in fusion.     

Pep7p provides a novel protein that functions in vesicle-mediated transport between the yeast Golgi and endosome.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae pep7 mutants are defective in transport of soluble vacuolar hydrolases to the lysosome-like vacuole. PEP7 is a nonessential gene that encodes a hydrophilic protein of 515 amino acids. A cysteine-rich tripartite motif in the N-terminal half of the polypeptide shows striking similarity to sequences found in many other eukaryotic proteins. Several of these proteins are thought to function in the vacuolar/lysosomal pathway. Mutations that change highly conserved cysteine residues in this motif lead to a loss of Pep7p function. Kinetic studies demonstrate that Pep7p function is required for the transport of the Golgi-precursors of the soluble hydrolases carboxypeptidase Y, proteinase A, and proteinase B to the endosome. Integral membrane hydrolase alkaline phosphatase is transported to the vacuole by a parallel intracellular pathway that does not require Pep7p function. pep7 mutants accumulate a 40-60-nm vesicle population, suggesting that Pep7p functions in a vesicle consumption step in vesicle-mediated transport of soluble hydrolases to the endosome. Whereas pep7 mutants demonstrate no defects in endocytic uptake at the plasma membrane, the mutants demonstrate defects in transport of receptor-mediated macromolecules through the endocytic pathway. Localization studies indicate that Pep7p is found both as a soluble cytoplasmic protein and associated with particulate fractions. We conclude that Pep7p functions as a novel regulator of vesicle docking and/or fusion at the endosome.     

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Ccz1p interacts with components of the endosomal fusion machinery

The yeast protein Ccz1p is necessary for vacuolar protein trafficking and biogenesis. In a complex with Mon1p, it mediates fusion of transport intermediates with the vacuole membrane by activating the small GTPase Ypt7p. Additionally, genetic data suggest a role of Ccz1p in earlier transport steps, in the Golgi. In a search for further proteins interacting with Ccz1p, we identified the endosomal soluble N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor Pep12p as an interaction partner of Ccz1p. Combining the ccz1 Δ mutation with deletions of PEP12 or other genes encoding components of the endosomal fusion machinery, VPS21, VPS9 or VPS45 , results in synthetic growth phenotypes. The genes MON1 and YPT7 also interact genetically with PEP12 . These results suggest that the Ccz1p–Mon1p–Ypt7p complex is involved in fusion of transport vesicles to multiple target membranes in yeast cells.     

Class C Vps protein complex regulates vacuolar SNARE pairing and is required for vesicle docking/fusion

In yeast, the Class C Vps protein complex (C-Vps complex), composed of Vps11, Vps16, Vps18, and Vps33, functions in Golgi-to-vacuole protein transport. In this study, we characterized and purified this complex and identified its interaction with the syntaxin homolog Vam3. Vam3 pairs with the SNAP-25 homolog Vam7 and VAMP homolog Vti1 to form SNARE complexes during vesicle docking/fusion with the vacuole. The C-Vps complex does not bind to Vam3-Vti1-Vam7 paired SNARE complexes but instead binds to unpaired Vam3. Antibodies to a component of this complex inhibited in vitro vacuole-to-vacuole fusion. Furthermore, temperature-conditional mutations in the Class C VPS genes destabilized Vam3-Vti1-Vam7 pairing. Therefore, we propose that the C-Vps complex associates with unpaired (activated) Vam3 to mediate the assembly of trans-SNARE complexes during both vesicle docking/fusion and vacuole-to-vacuole fusion.     

Characterization of Vta1p, a class E Vps protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We identified VTA1 in a screen for mutations that result in altered vacuole morphology. Deletion of VTA1 resulted in delayed trafficking of the lipophilic dye FM4-64 to the vacuole and altered vacuolar morphology when cells were exposed to the dye 5-(and 6)-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (CDCFDA). Deletion of class E vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) genes, which encode proteins that affect multivesicular body formation, also showed altered vacuolar morphology upon exposure to high concentrations of CDCFDA. These results suggest a VPS defect for Deltavta1 cells. Deletion of VTA1 did not affect growth on raffinose and only mildly affected carboxypeptidase S sorting. Turnover of the surface protein Ste3p, the a-factor receptor, was affected in Deltavta1 cells with the protein accumulating on the vacuolar membrane. Likewise the alpha-factor receptor Ste2p accumulated on the vacuolar membrane in Deltavta1 cells. We demonstrated that many class E VPS deletion strains are hyper-resistant to the cell wall disruption agent calcofluor white. Deletion of VTA1 or VPS60, another putative class E gene, resulted in calcofluor white hypersensitivity. A Vta1p-green fluorescent protein fusion protein transiently associated with a Pep12p-positive compartment. This localization was altered by deletion of many of the class E VPS genes, indicating that Vta1p binds to endosomes in a manner dependent on the assembly of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport. Membrane-associated Vta1p co-purified with Vps60p, suggesting that Vta1p is a class E Vps protein that interacts with Vps60p on a prevacuolar compartment.     

Vacuolar protein sorting in fission yeast: cloning, biosynthesis, transport, and processing of carboxypeptidase Y from Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

PCR was used to isolate a carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) homolog gene from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The cloned S. pombe cpy1+ gene has a single open reading frame, which encodes 950 amino acids with one potential N-glycosylation site. It appears to be synthesized as an inactive pre-pro protein that likely undergoes processing following translocation into appropriate intracellular organelles. The C-terminal mature region is highly conserved in other serine carboxypeptidases. In contrast, the N-terminal pro region containing the vacuolar sorting signal in CPY from Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows fewer identical residues. The pro region contains two unusual repeating sequences; repeating sequence I consists of seven contiguous repeating segments of 13 amino acids each, and repeating sequence II consists of seven contiguous repeating segments of 9 amino acids each. Pulse-chase radiolabeling analysis revealed that Cpy1p was initially synthesized in a 110-kDa pro-precursor form and via the 51-kDa single-polypeptide-chain intermediate form which has had its pro segment removed is finally converted to a heterodimer, the mature form, which is detected as a 32-kDa protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. Like S. cerevisiae CPY, S. pombe Cpy1p does not require the N-linked oligosaccharide moiety for vacuolar delivery. To investigate the vacuolar sorting signal of S. pombe Cpy1p, we have constructed cpy1+-SUC2 gene fusions that direct the synthesis of hybrid proteins consisting of N-terminal segments of various lengths of S. pombe Cpy1p fused to the secreted enzyme S. cerevisiae invertase. The N-terminal 478 amino acids of Cpy1 are sufficient to direct delivery of a Cpy1-Inv hybrid protein to the vacuole. These results showed that the pro peptide of Cpy1 contains the putative vacuolar sorting signal.     

Vam7p, a SNAP-25-Like Molecule, and Vam3p, a Syntaxin Homolog, Function Together in Yeast Vacuolar Protein Trafficking

A genetic screen to isolate gene products required for vacuolar morphogenesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified VAM7, a gene which encodes a protein containing a predicted coiled-coil domain homologous to the coiled-coil domain of the neuronal t-SNARE, SNAP-25 (Y. Wada and Y. Anraku, J. Biol. Chem. 267:18671–18675, 1992; T. Weimbs, S. H. Low, S. J. Chapin, K. E. Mostov, P. Bucher, and K. Hofmann, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:3046–3051, 1997). Analysis of a temperature-sensitive-for-function (tsf) allele of VAM7 (vam7^tsf) demonstrated that the VAM7 gene product directly functions in vacuolar protein transport. vam7^tsf mutant cells incubated at the nonpermissive temperature displayed rapid defects in the delivery of multiple proteins that traffic to the vacuole via distinct biosynthetic pathways. Examination of vam7^tsf cells at the nonpermissive temperature by electron microscopy revealed the accumulation of aberrant membranous compartments that may represent unfused transport intermediates. A fraction of Vam7p was localized to vacuolar membranes. Furthermore, VAM7 displayed genetic interactions with the vacuolar syntaxin homolog, VAM3. Consistent with the genetic results, Vam7p physically associated in a complex containing Vam3p, and this interaction was enhanced by inactivation of the yeast NSF (N-ethyl maleimide-sensitive factor) homolog, Sec18p. In addition to the coiled-coil domain, Vam7p also contains a putative NADPH oxidase p40^phox (PX) domain. Changes in two conserved amino acids within this domain resulted in synthetic phenotypes when combined with the vam3^tsf mutation, suggesting that the PX domain is required for Vam7p function. This study provides evidence for the functional and physical interaction between Vam7p and Vam3p at the vacuolar membrane, where they function as part of a t-SNARE complex required for the docking and/or fusion of multiple transport intermediates destined for the vacuole.