O-Glycosylation of Axl2/Bud10p by Pmt4p Is Required for Its Stability, Localization, and Function in Daughter Cells

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae choose bud sites in a manner that is dependent upon cell type: a and α cells select axial sites; a/α cells utilize bipolar sites. Mutants specifically defective in axial budding were isolated from an α strain using pseudohyphal growth as an assay. We found that a and α mutants defective in the previously identified PMT4 gene exhibit unipolar, rather than axial budding: mother cells choose axial bud sites, but daughter cells do not. PMT4 encodes a protein mannosyl transferase (pmt) required for O-linked glycosylation of some secretory and cell surface proteins (Immervoll, T., M. Gentzsch, and W. Tanner. 1995. Yeast. 11:1345–1351). We demonstrate that Axl2/Bud10p, which is required for the axial budding pattern, is an O-linked glycoprotein and is incompletely glycosylated, unstable, and mislocalized in cells lacking PMT4. Overexpression of AXL2 can partially restore proper bud-site selection to pmt4 mutants. These data indicate that Axl2/Bud10p is glycosylated by Pmt4p and that O-linked glycosylation increases Axl2/ Bud10p activity in daughter cells, apparently by enhancing its stability and promoting its localization to the plasma membrane.