A PEST-like sequence in the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of Saccharomyces maltose permease is required for glucose-induced proteolysis and rapid inactivation of transport activity

Maltose permease is required for maltose transport into Saccharomyces cells. Glucose addition to maltose-fermenting cells causes selective delivery of this integral plasma membrane protein to the yeast vacuole via endocytosis for degradation by resident proteases. This glucose-induced degradation is independent of the proteasome but requires ubiquitin and certain ubiquitin conjugating enzymes. We used mutation analysis to identify target sequences in Mal61MA maltose permease involved in its selective glucose-induced degradation. A nonsense mutation was introduced at codon 581, creating a truncated functional maltose permease. Additional missense mutations were introduced into the mal61/HA-581NS allele, altering potential phosphorylation and ubiquitination sites. No significant effect was seen on the rate of glucose-induced degradation of these mutant proteins. Deletion mutations were constructed, removing residues 2-30, 31-60, 61-90, and 49-78 of the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain, as well as a missense mutation of a dileucine motif. Results indicate that the proline-, glutamate-, aspartate-, serine-, and threonine-rich (PEST) sequence found in the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain, particularly residues 49-78, is required for glucose-induced degradation of Mal61/HAp and for the rapid glucose-induced inactivation of maltose transport activity. The decreased rate of glucose-induced degradation correlates with a decrease in the level of glucose-induced ubiquitination of the Delta PEST mutant permease. In addition, newly synthesized mutant permease proteins lacking residues 49-78 or carrying an alteration in the dileucine motif, residues 69 and 70, are resistant to glucose-induced inactivation of maltose transport activity. This N-terminal PEST-like sequence is the target of both the Rgt2p-dependent and the Glc7p-Reg1p-dependent glucose signaling pathways.