Correct GPI-anchor synthesis is required for the incorporation of endoglucanase/glucanosyltransferase Bgl2p into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall.

The SSU21/MCD4 gene encodes an essential component of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor synthesis pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we demonstrate that the ssu21 mutation affected the transport and the incorporation into the cell wall of the major non-GPI yeast cross-linker – endoglucanase/glucanosyltransferase Bgl2p. This mutation also led to a decrease in the levels of both known types of cell wall mannoproteins, those covalently linked with glucan and SDS-extractable proteins. Our results indicate that the precision of the GPI-anchor synthesis is essential for cell wall assembly and suggest the strong interdependence of different groups of cell wall proteins during their incorporation into the cell wall.