Does Rft1 flip an N-glycan lipid precursor?

Overview

Protein N-glycosylation requires flipping of the glycolipid Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-diphosphate dolichol (Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol) across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Helenius et al. report genetic evidence suggesting that Rft1, an essential ER membrane protein in yeast, is required directly to translocate Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol. We now show that a specific ER protein(s), but not Rft1, is required to flip Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol in reconstituted vesicles. Rft1 may have a critical accessory role in translocating Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol in vivo, but the Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol flippase itself remains to be identified.