The pro-region of the yeast prepro-alpha-factor is essential for membrane translocation of human insulin-like growth factor 1 in vivo.

Four yeast secretion signals, the 19-amino-acid invertase signal sequence, the 17-amino-acid acid-phosphatase signal sequence, and the pre-sequence and prepro-sequence of prepro-alpha-factor have been used to look for the secretion of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Only the prepro-sequence, often referred to as the alpha-factor leader and consisting of an N-terminal 19-amino-acid pre-sequence or signal sequence attached to a 66-amino-acid pro-region, permits secretion of IGF1. The signal sequences alone do not allow the translocation of IGF1 into the endoplasmic reticulum. This is evident from the fact that IGF1-like molecules, to which the signal sequences are still attached, accumulate intracellularly in the cytosol. Fusion of the pro-region of the alpha-factor leader to the C-terminus of the acid-phosphatase and invertase signal sequences allows IGF1 to be secreted once again. These results reveal the essential role of the pro-region of the alpha-factor leader in the secretion of IGF1 and indicate that it may have a function in guiding a nascent IGF1 polypeptide to a state in which translocation can occur.