The yeast glycome

Dr. Michael Snyder (Yale University), Dr. Elizabeth Grayhack (University of Rochester Medical Center) and colleagues have constructed an unprecedented yeast genomic library, which will serve as an important research tool for the entire scientific community. The authors cloned over 5000 yeast open reading frames (ORFs) into a movable C-terminally tagged expression vector – creating what the authors call a “moveable ORF” or “MORF” collection.

To illustrate the utility of their MORF collection, the group used it to make a protein chip containing 5573 purified proteins and performed the first global analysis of protein glycosylation. They identified 109 new N-linked glycoproteins – nearly doubling the known yeast glycome.

“The C-terminal tag allows expressed proteins to enter the secretory pathway normally, which is important for proper post-translational modification and function of the proteins. The discovery of over 100 glycoproteins in a single pass illustrates the power of screening an entire proteome at once.”