Saccharomyces cerevisiae HOC1, a suppressor of pkc1, encodes a putative glycosyltransferase

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene PKC1 encodes a protein kinase C isozyme that regulates cell wall synthesis. Here we describe the characterization of HOC1, a gene identified by its ability to suppress the cell lysis phenotype of pkc1-371 cells. The HOC1 gene (Homologous to OCH1) is predicted to encode a type II integral membrane protein that strongly resembles Och1p, an α-1,6-mannosyltransferase. Immunofluorescence studies localized Hoc1p to the Golgi apparatus. While overexpression of HOC1 rescued the pkc1-371 temperature-sensitive cell lysis phenotype, disruption of HOC1 lowered the restrictive temperature of the pkc1-371 allele. Disruption of HOC1 also resulted in hypersensitivity to Calcofluor White and hygromycin B, phenotypes characteristic of defects in cell wall integrity and protein glycosylation, respectively. The function of HOC1 appears to be distinct from that of OCH1. Taken together, these results suggest that HOC1 encodes a Golgi-localized putative mannosyltransferase required for the proper construction of the cell wall.