title: Aggregation as a determinant of protein fate in post-Golgi compartments: role of the luminal domain of furin in lysosomal targeting.
abstract: The mammalian endopeptidase furin is a type 1 integral membrane protein that is predominantly localized to the TGN and is degraded in lysosomes with a t1/2 = 2-4 h. Whereas the localization of furin to the TGN is largely mediated by sorting signals in the cytosolic tail of the protein, we show here that targeting of furin to lysosomes is a function of the luminal domain of the protein. Inhibition of lysosomal degradation results in the accumulation of high molecular weight aggregates of furin; aggregation is also dependent on the luminal domain of furin. Temperature and pharmacologic manipulations suggest that furin aggregation occurs in the TGN and thus precedes delivery to lysosomes. These findings are consistent with a model in which furin becomes progressively aggregated in the TGN, an event that leads to its transport to lysosomes. Our observations indicate that changes in the aggregation state of luminal domains can be potent determinants of biosynthetic targeting to lysosomes and suggest the possible existence of quality control mechanisms for disposal of aggregated proteins in compartments of the secretory pathway other than the endoplasmic reticulum.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institite of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wolins
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bosshart
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Küster
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bonifacino
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D045683:Furin; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013381:Subtilisins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013381:Subtilisins; D045683:Furin