Functional oligomerization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase, Ste14p

J Biol Chem. 2010 Apr 30;285(18):13380-7. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.061366. Epub 2010 Mar 3.

Abstract

The isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (Icmt) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also designated Ste14p, is a 26-kDa integral membrane protein that contains six transmembrane spanning segments. This protein is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane where it performs the methylation step of the CAAX post-translational processing pathway. Sequence analysis reveals a putative GXXXG dimerization motif located in transmembrane 1 of Ste14p, but it is not known whether Ste14p forms or functions as a dimer or higher order oligomer. We determined that Ste14p predominantly formed a homodimer in the presence of the cross-linking agent, bis-sulfosuccinimidyl suberate. Wild-type untagged Ste14p also co-immunoprecipitated and co-purified with N-terminal-tagged His(10)-myc(3)-Ste14p (His-Ste14p). Furthermore, enzymatically inactive His-Ste14p variants L81F and E213Q both exerted a dominant-negative effect on methyltransferase activity when co-expressed and co-purified with untagged wild-type Ste14p. Together, these data, although indirect, suggest that Ste14p forms and functions as a homodimer or perhaps a higher oligomeric species.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / enzymology*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / genetics
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Protein Methyltransferases / chemistry
  • Protein Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Protein Methyltransferases / isolation & purification
  • Protein Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Protein Multimerization / physiology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Succinimides

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Succinimides
  • Protein Methyltransferases
  • Ste14 protein, S cerevisiae