HUMAN TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR IS ACTIVE AND PLASMA MEMBRANE-TARGETED IN YEAST

The human transferrin receptor, a type II plasma membrane protein whic h mediates iron transport in human cells, was expressed in the yeast S accharomyces cerevisiae. The transferrin receptor synthesized by yeast cells was posttranslationally modified comparable to the native recep tor with respect to glycosylation and dimer formation. The location of the expressed receptor in the yeast plasma membrane indicates that th e targeting of this type II membrane protein shares similar mechanisms in yeast and mammalian cells. The yeast-expressed transferrin recepto r showed binding activity towards its natural ligand, transferrin in a n ELISA binding assay. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies, Published by Elsevier Science B.V.