In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, clathrin is necessary for localization of trans-Golgi network (TGN) membrane proteins, a process that involves cycling of TGN proteins between the TGN and endosomes. To characterize further TGN protein localization, we applied a screen for mutations that cause severe growth defects in combination with a temperature-sensitive clathrin heavy chain. This screen yielded a mutant allele of RIC1. Cells carrying a deletion of RIC1 (ric1⌬) mislocalize TGN membrane proteins Kex2p and Vps10p to the vacuole. Delivery to the vacuole occurs in ric1⌬ cells also harboring end3⌬ to block endocytosis, indicative of a defect in retrieval to the TGN rather than sorting to endosomes. SYS1, originally discovered as a multicopy suppressor of defects caused by the absence of the Rab GTPase YPT6, was identified as a multicopy suppressor of ric1⌬. Further comparison of ric1⌬ and ypt6⌬ cells demonstrated identical phenotypes. Multicopy plasmids expressing v-SNAREs Gos1p or Ykt6p, but not other v-and t-SNAREs, partially suppressed phenotypes of ric1⌬ and ypt6⌬ cells. SLY1-20, a dominant activator of the cis-Golgi network t-SNARE Sed5p, also functioned as a multicopy suppressor. Because Gos1p and Ykt6p interact with Sed5p, these results raise the possibility that TGN membrane protein localization requires Ric1p-and Ypt6p-dependent retrieval to the cis-Golgi network.
INTRODUCTIONLocalization of proteins to appropriate membrane organelles is crucial for the functional compartmentalization of eukaryotic cells. For proteins that function in organelles of the secretory and endocytic pathways, localization requires not only targeting to the proper destination but mechanisms to maintain residence despite extensive membrane and protein flux through each organelle. Continued residence can be achieved through retention mechanisms that restrict incorporation into transport vesicles departing from an organelle and/or retrieval mechanisms that carry out vesicle-mediated return from distal sites in the pathway (Pelham and Munro, 1993;Rothman and Wieland, 1996).The Golgi apparatus in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, like its mammalian counterpart, is organized into dynamic, functionally distinct subcompartments that pose additional challenges for protein localization. Though not arranged into the cisternal stacks characteristic of the mammalian cell Golgi apparatus, yeast Golgi subcompartments can be considered functionally analogous to the mammalian cis-Golgi network (CGN), medial Golgi, and trans-Golgi (TGN) network (Graham and Emr, 1991;Preuss et al., 1992). The CGN serves as the site where endoplasmic reticulum-derived transport carriers dock and fuse and where mannose residues are first added to the core oligosaccharides of glycoproteins (Gaynor et al., 1994;Graham and Emr, 1991). Accordingly, this compartment is enriched for the t-SNARE Sed5p involved in the fusion of ER transport carriers and in the ␣-1,6 mannosyltransferase Och1p (Gaynor et al., 1994;Hardwick and Pelham, 1992). The medial Golgi compartment carries ...