Yeast cells are surrounded by the cell wall, a rigid but dynamic structure
that is essential for their viability. The complexity and functionality of
this structure suggest that a high number of proteins must be involved in t
he biogenesis of the cell wall architecture and, as a consequence, in the m
aintenance of cell integrity. Among them, a high percentage is assumed to b
e located at the cell surface, mostly as structural or enzymatic components
of the cell wall. Therefore, the presence of a protein in the cell wall is
suggestive of its cell wall-related function. Different techniques can be
used to specifically detect the cell wall localisation of a given protein o
r to identify cell wall proteins in large-scale analyses. These include the
detection of proteins in whole cells or specific cell wall fractions by im
munological, biochemical, microscopic, or genetic approaches, as well as th
e emerging proteomic technology. The advantages, limitations, and usefulnes
s of these techniques are discussed and illustrated with some examples. (C)
2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.