O-mannosylation of misfolded ER proteins promotes ERAD

Protein quality control (PQC) in the secretory pathway, a process critically linked to numerous human diseases, begins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and involves ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of terminally misfolded proteins. In this study, we conducted genome-wide screens in baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to investigate the degradation of Gas1*, a misfolded version of an O-mannosylated, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein. In combination with detailed biochemical and genetic analyses, these screens revealed an unexpected bifunctionality of the evolutionarily conserved heteromeric enzyme complex Pbn1-Gpi14: while it has been previously recognized as a GPI-mannosyltransferase, we here find that it catalyzes the O-mannosylation of misfolded proteins, thereby promoting their ERAD. This process is particularly relevant for misfolded proteins that lack N-glycans. Our results suggest that protein O-mannosylation constitutes a distinct type of glycan-dependent mechanism for promoting ERAD.