title: CLN6, which is associated with a lysosomal storage disease, is an endoplasmic reticulum protein.
abstract: The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are severe inherited neurodegenerative disorders affecting children. In this disease, lysosomes accumulate autofluorescent storage material and there is death of neurons. Five types of NCL are caused by mutations in lysosomal proteins (CTSD, CLN1/PPT1, CLN2/TTPI, CLN3 and CLN5), and one type is caused by mutations in a protein that recycles between the ER and ERGIC (CLN8). The CLN6 gene underlying a variant of late infantile NCL (vLINCL) was recently identified. It encodes a novel 311 amino acid transmembrane protein. Antisera raised against CLN6 peptides detected a protein of 30 kDa by Western blotting of human cells, which was missing in cells from some CLN6 deficient patients. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, CLN6 was shown to reside in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). CLN6 protein tagged with GFP at the C-terminus and expressed in HEK293 cells was also found within the ER. Investigation of the effect of five CLN6 disease mutations that affect single amino acids showed that the mutant proteins were retained in the ER. These data suggest that CLN6 is an ER resident protein, the activity of which, despite this location, must contribute to lysosomal function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, London WC1E 6JJ, UK. s.mole@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mole
authors.forename: Gregoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michaux
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Codlin
authors.forename: Ruth B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Julie D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Cutler
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D011992:Endosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009472:Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D022022:Nuclear Pore / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000091346:Tripeptidyl-Peptidase 1
chemical_list: C447500:CLN6 protein, human; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000091346:Tripeptidyl-Peptidase 1; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C000717267:TPP1 protein, human