UC San Diego

The cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting (Cvt) pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae delivers aminopeptidase I (Ape 1) from the cytosol to the vacuole, bypassing the normal secretary route. The Cvt pathway, although well-studied, was known only in S. cerevisiae. We demonstrate its existence in the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, where it also delivers P pastoris Ape 1 (PpApe 1) to the vacuole. Most proteins known to be required for the Cvt pathway in S. cerevisiae were, to the extent we found orthologs, also required in P. pastoris. The P pastoris Cvt pathway differs, however, from that in S. cerevisiae, in that new proteins, such as PpAtg28 and PpAtg26, are involved. The discovery of a Cvt pathway in P pastoris makes it an excellent model system for the dissection of autophagy-related pathways in a single organism and for the discovery of new Cvt pathway components.