Molecular dissection of the NH2-terminal signal/anchor sequence of rat dipeptidyl peptidase IV

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) is a membrane glycoprotein with a type II orientation in the plasma membrane. As shown in a cell-free translation system, the amino-terminal 34 amino acids of rat DPPIV are involved in translocating nascent polypeptide across the membrane of microsomes and in anchoring the translocated polypeptide in the microsomal membrane. The amino-terminal sequence performing this dual function is composed of: a central hydrophobic core of 22 amino acid residues; 6 amino-terminal residues preceding the hydrophobic core (MKTPWK); and 6 residues following the hydrophobic core. The six residues preceding the hydrophobic core are exposed on the outside (cytoplasmic side) of the microsomal membrane. Site-directed mutagenesis studies show that deletion of this cytoplasmic domain, excluding the amino-terminal initiating methionine, does not affect translocation of nascent DPPIV polypeptide, but does affect significantly anchoring of the translocated polypeptide in the microsomal membrane. In contrast, changing the two cytoplasmic Lys to Glu residues or shortening of the hydrophobic core from 22 to 15 residues or converting the last 11e of the shortened hydrophobic core into Ala affects neither translocation across nor anchoring of the DPPIV polypeptide in the microsomal membrane. These and other structural features of the DPPIV amino-terminal signal-anchor sequences are discussed along with other types of sequences for their role in targeting nascent polypeptides to the RER.