Biosynthesis and characterization of large dolichyl diphosphate-linked oligosaccharides in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast membranes incorporate radioactivity from GDP[14C]mannose into various glycolipids. These can be separated by thin layer chromatography into at least seven components. The major component has been identified previously as dolichyl monophosphate mannose. Only one additional component is not sensitive to mild alkaline saponification, but is hydrolyzed instead under mild acidic conditions. This latter glycolipid has all the characteristics of a polyprenyl diphosphate oligosaccharide with a sugar moiety of more than 12 hexose units. It runs like dolichyl diphosphate derivatives on a DEAE column and evidence is presented that the lipid moiety is a polyprenol. When radioactive Dol-PP-di-N-acetylchitobiose is incubated with yeast membranes in the presence of non-radioactive GDPmannose a small amount of a larger lipid oligosaccharides is formed besides the previously-described Dol-PP-(GlcNAc)2 mannose. This oligosaccharide has all the properties of the glycolipid described above. Its formation is greatly increased when Triton is omitted from the incubation. Radioactivity of the polyprenyl diphosphate [14C]oligosaccharide is transferred to ethanol-insoluble material, most likely endogenous membrane glycoproteins.