Utilization of green fluorescent protein as a marker for studying the expression and turnover of the monocarboxylate permease Jen1p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria was used as an in vivo reporter protein when fused to the C-terminus of the Jen1 lactate permease of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Jen1 protein tagged with GFP is a functional lactate transporter with a cellular abundance of 1670 molecules/cell, and a catalytic-centre activity of 123 s(-1). It is expressed and tagged to the plasma membrane under induction conditions. The factors involved in proper localization and turnover of Jen1p were revealed by expression of the Jen1p-GFP fusion protein in a set of strains bearing mutations in specific steps of the secretory and endocytic pathways. The chimaeric protein Jen1p-GFP is targeted to the plasma membrane via a Sec6-dependent process; upon treatment with glucose, it is endocytosed via END3 and targeted for degradation in the vacuole. Experiments performed in a Deltadoa4 mutant strain showed that ubiquitination is associated with the turnover of the permease.