Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) represents an important anchoring molecule for cell surface proteins. The first step in its synthesis is the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to phosphatidylinositol (PI). This step involves products of three or four genes in both yeast (GPI1, GPI2 and GPI3) and mammals (GPI1, PIG A, PIG H and PIG C), respectively.

1: The GPI1 homologue from Plasmodium falciparum complements a Saccharomyces cerevisiae GPI1 anchoring mutant. Shams-Eldin H, Azzouz N, Kedees MH, Orlean P, Kinoshita T, Schwarz RT; Mol Biochem Parasitol 2002;120:73-81. PMID:11849707

2: Ynl038wp (Gpi15p) is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue of human Pig-Hp and participates in the first step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol assembly. Yan BC, Westfall BA, Orlean P; Yeast 2001;18:1383-1389. PMID:11746600

3: Cloning of two putative Giardia lamblia glucosamine 6-phosphate isomerase genes only one of which is transcriptionally activated during encystment. Van Keulen H, Steimle PA, Bulik DA, Borowiak RK, Jarroll EL; J Eukaryot Microbiol 1998;45:637-642. PMID:9864853

4: Gpi1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein that participates in the first step in glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor synthesis. Leidich SD, Orlean P; J Biol Chem 1996;271:27829-27837. PMID:8910381