title: Protein quality control at the endoplasmic reticulum.
abstract: The ER (endoplasmic reticulum) is the protein folding 'factory' of the secretory pathway. Virtually all proteins destined for the plasma membrane, the extracellular space or other secretory compartments undergo folding and maturation within the ER. The ER hosts a unique PQC (protein quality control) system that allows specialized modifications such as glycosylation and disulfide bond formation essential for the correct folding and function of many secretory proteins. It is also the major checkpoint for misfolded or aggregation-prone proteins that may be toxic to the cell or extracellular environment. A failure of this system, due to aging or other factors, has therefore been implicated in a number of serious human diseases. In this article, we discuss several key features of ER PQC that maintain the health of the cellular secretome.
authors.affiliation: Cellular Protein Chemistry, Utrecht University, 3584CH Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands k.mccaffrey@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCaffrey
authors.affiliation: Cellular Protein Chemistry, Utrecht University, 3584CH Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ineke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Braakman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D060746:Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D017510:Protein Folding; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D056811:Unfolded Protein Response
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins
keywords: BiP; COPII vesicles; ER translocon; ER-associated degradation (ERAD); ER-exit sites; ERManI; Golgi; Grp94; PDI; calnexin/calreticulin; disulfide bond formation; endoplasmic reticulum (ER); glycosylation; signal peptide; unfolded protein response (UPR)