Abstract
Soluble secretory proteins are first translocated across endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and folded in a specialized ER luminal environment. Fully folded and assembled secretory cargo are then segregated from ER-resident proteins into COPII-derived vesicles or tubular elements for anterograde transport. Mechanisms of bulk-flow, ER-retention and receptor-mediated export have been suggested to operate during this transport step, although these mechanisms are poorly understood1,2,3,4,5,6,7. In yeast, there is evidence to suggest that Erv29p functions as a transmembrane receptor for the export of certain soluble cargo proteins including glycopro-α-factor (gpαf), the precursor of α-factor mating pheromone8. Here we identify a hydrophobic signal within the pro-region of gpαf that is necessary for efficient packaging into COPII vesicles and for binding to Erv29p. When fused to Kar2p, an ER-resident protein, the pro-region sorting signal was sufficient to direct Erv29p-dependent export of the fusion protein into COPII vesicles. These findings indicate that specific motifs within soluble secretory proteins function in receptor-mediated export from the ER. Moreover, positive sorting signals seem to predominate over potential ER-retention mechanisms that may operate in localizing ER-resident proteins such as Kar2p.
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Acknowledgements
We thank E. Harris and Y. Jun for their assistance in the early stages of this study and T. Stevens for providing anti-Pdi1p serum. We also thank J. Flanagan and M. Heidtman for their comments on this manuscript. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
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Otte, S., Barlowe, C. Sorting signals can direct receptor-mediated export of soluble proteins into COPII vesicles. Nat Cell Biol 6, 1189–1194 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1195
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1195
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