Translocation of a long amino-terminal domain through ER membrane by following signal-anchor sequence

Type I signal-anchor sequences mediate translocation of the N-terminal domain (N-domain) across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. To examine the translocation in detail, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) was fused to the N-terminus of synaptotagmin II as a long N-domain. Translocation was arrested by the DHFR ligand methotrexate, which stabilizes the folding of the DHFR domain, and resumed after depletion of methotrexate. The targeting of the ribosome-nascent chain complex to the ER requires GTP, whereas N-domain translocation does not require any nucleotide triphosphates. Significant translocation was observed even in the absence of a lumenal hsp70 (BiP). When the nascent polypeptide was released from the ribosomes after the membrane targeting, the N-domain translocation was suppressed and the nascent chain was released from the translocon. Ribosomes have a crucial role in maintaining the translocation-intermediate state. The translocation of the DHFR domain was greatly impaired when it was separated from the signal-anchor sequence. Unfolding and translocation of the DHFR domain must be driven by the stroke of the signal-anchor sequence into translocon.