Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Cell biology

Sort of unexpected

Nature volume 540, pages 45–46 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

To reach the cell surface, membrane proteins are first targeted to an organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum. Several targeting pathways are known, but it now emerges that there is yet another pathway. See Letter p.134

Secreted proteins and membrane proteins are made and transported to the cell's exterior through what is known as the secretory pathway: a set of linked membrane-bound compartments that includes an organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Protein sorting to the ER has been studied for more than 40 years1, and three pathways2,3,4 that transport proteins to the ER have been identified. However, there is still plenty to learn about this process because, on page 134, Aviram et al.5 report a previously unknown pathway that can target membrane proteins to the ER in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Ways to target membrane proteins to the secretory pathway.

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Blobel, G. & Dobberstein, B. J. Cell Biol. 67, 835–851 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Cross, B. C. S., Sinning, I., Luirink, J. & High, S. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 10, 255–264 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang, X. & Shan, S. Annu. Rev. Biophys. 43, 381–408 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Deshaies, R. J. & Schekman, R. J. Cell Biol. 109, 2653–2664 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Aviram, N. et al. Nature 540, 134–138 (2016).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. von Heijne, G. J. Mol. Biol. 184, 99–105 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pool, M. R. Mol. Membr. Biol. 22, 3–15 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lakkaraju, A. K. K. et al. Mol. Biol. Cell 23, 2712–2722 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lang, S. et al. J. Cell Sci. 125, 1958–1969 (2012).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Hegde, R. S. & Keenan, R. J. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 12, 787–798 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Denic, V. Trends Biochem. Sci. 37, 411–417 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Schuldiner, M. et al. Cell 134, 634–645 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ng, D. T., Brown, J. D. & Walter, P. J. Cell Biol. 134, 269–278 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jan, C. H., Williams, C. C. & Weissman, J. S. Science 346, 1257521 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chartron, J. W., Hunt, K. C. L. & Frydman, J. Nature 536, 224–228 (2016).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Rane, N. S. et al. Dev. Cell 15, 359–370 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Martin R. Pool is in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.,

    Martin R. Pool

Authors
  1. Martin R. Pool
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin R. Pool.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Cell biology: Countercurrents in lipid flow

Cell biology: The organelle replication connection

Cell biology: All clear for ribosome landing

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pool, M. Sort of unexpected. Nature 540, 45–46 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/540045a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/540045a

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing