The SLP1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for vacuolar morphogenesis and function

The SLP1 gene, which is involved in the expression of vacuolar functions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (K. Kitamoto, K. Yoshizawa, Y. Ohsumi, and Y. Anraku, J. Bacteriol. 170:2687-2691, 1988), has been cloned from a yeast genomic library by complementation of the slp1-1 mutation. The isolated plasmid has a 7.8-kilobase BamHI-BamHI fragment that is sufficient to complement several characteristic phenotypes of the slp1-1 mutation. The fragment was integrated at the chromosomal SLP1 locus, indicating that it contains an authentic SLP1 gene. By DNA sequencing of the SLP1 gene, an open reading frame of 2,073 base pairs coding for a polypeptide of 691 amino acid residues (Mr, 79,270) was found. Gene disruption of the chromosomal SLP1 did not cause a lethal event. Vacuolar proteins in the delta slp1 mutant are not processed to vacuolar forms but remain in Golgi-modified forms. Carboxypeptidase Y in the delta slp1 mutant is localized mainly to the outsides of the cells. delta slp1 mutant cells have no prominent vacuolar structures but contain numerous vesicles in the cytoplasm, as seen by electron microscopy. Genetic and molecular biological analyses revealed that SLP1 is identical to VPS33, which is required for vacuolar protein sorting as reported by Robinson et al. (J. S. Robinson, D. J. Klionsky, L. M. Banta, and S. D. Emr, Mol. Cell. Biol. 8:4936-4948, 1988). These results indicate that the SLP1 (VPS33) gene is involved in the sorting of vacuolar proteins from the Golgi apparatus and their targeting to the vacuole and that it is required for the morphogenesis of vacuoles and subsequent expression of vacuolar functions.