title: The presence of cysteine in the cytoplasmic domain of the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein is required for palmitate addition.
abstract: The transmembrane glycoprotein (G protein) of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is known to contain 1-2 mol of covalently linked fatty acid (palmitate) per mol of protein. G protein is oriented in cellular membranes such that the carboxyl-terminal 29 amino acids protrude into the cytoplasm. We have obtained expression in eukaryotic cells of mutagenized cDNA clones that encode VSV G proteins lacking portions of this cytoplasmic domain. Labeling of these truncated proteins with [3H]palmitate indicated that the palmitate might be linked to an amino acid residue within the first 14 residues on the carboxyl-terminal side of the transmembrane domain. Using oligonucleotide directed mutagenesis, we changed the single codon specifying cysteine in this domain to a codon specifying serine. Expression of this mutant gene results in synthesis of a G protein lacking palmitate. We suggest that linkage of palmitate to G protein is through the cysteine in the cytoplasmic domain and that such a linkage may occur in many viral and cellular glycoproteins. The G protein lacking palmitate is glycosylated and is transported normally to the cell surface.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009154:Mutation; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C028391:G protein, vesicular stomatitis virus; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D004247:DNA