Myristoylation of proteins in the yeast secretory pathway.

Abstract Protein myristoylation was investigated in the yeast secretory pathway. Conditional secretory mutations were used to accumulate inteRmediaries in the pathway between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi (sec 18, 20), within the Golgi (sec 7), and between the Golgi and plasma membrane (sec 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9). The accumulation of vesicles was paralleled by the enrichment of a defined subset of proteins modified either via ester or amide linkages to myristic acid: Myristoylated proteins of 21, 32, 49, 56, 75, and 136 kDa were enriched between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi; proteins of 21, 32, 45, 56, 75, 136 kDa were enriched by blocks within the Golgi; and proteins of 18, 21, 32, 36, 49, 68, and 136 kDa were trapped in a myristoylated form by blocks between the Golgi and plasma membrane. This enrichment of myristoylated proteins was reversed upon returning the cells to the permissive temperature for secretion. The fatty acid was linked to the 21-kDa protein via a hydroxylamine-resistant amide linkage (N-myristoylation) and to the proteins of 24, 32, 49, 56, 68, 136 kDa via hydroxylamine-labile ester linkage (E-myristoylation). In addition, myristoylated proteins of 21, 56, and 136 kDa were glycosylated via amino linkages to asparagine. This suggests they are exposed to the lumen of the secretory pathway. Three proteins (24, 32, and 56) were E-myristoylated in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors, indicating this modification can occur posttranslationally. After using cycloheximide to clear protein passengers from the secretory pathway the 21-, 32-, and 56-kDa proteins continued to accumulate in a myristoylated form when vesicular transport was blocked between the Golgi and plasma membrane. These data suggest that myristoylation occurs on a component of the secretory machinery rather than on a passenger protein.