Cell-surface anchoring of proteins via glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol structures.

A class of membrane molecules has been identified whose primary translation product includes a COOH-terminal protein sequence that signals attachment of a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor at a COOH-terminal residue that is newly formed by cleavage of the signaling sequence. This class includes a wide diversity of protein types from eukaryotes at many stages of evolution. The structures of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchors are being resolved, but their functions aside from membrane attachment and dynamics remain to be determined.