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Sci. Signal., 17 August 2010
Vol. 3, Issue 135, p. ec253
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.3135ec253]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Cell Biology Peripheral Quality Control

Stella M. Hurtley

Science, AAAS, Cambridge CB2 1LQ, UK

Protein misfolding diseases often lead to the retention and degradation of important proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Strategies to reduce the stringency of ER quality control that allow the proteins to carry on through the secretory pathway to reach their destination at the cell surface have shown some promise. Okiyoneda et al. (see the Perspective by Hutt and Balch) wanted to understand how, even if a protein reaches its destination, it may still be subjected to a second level of quality control and be cleared from the plasma membrane. Using functional small-interfering RNA screens in cells expressing the common cystic fibrosis mutation F508CFTR, the authors identified a pair of chaperones that promoted clearance of defective proteins from the plasma membrane. This peripheral quality-control step will also need to be overcome to increase the effectiveness of strategies to overcome protein misfolding disorders.

T. Okiyoneda, H. Barrière, M. Bagdány, W. M. Rabeh, K. Du, J. Höhfeld, J. C. Young, G. L. Lukacs, Peripheral protein quality control removes unfolded CFTR from the plasma membrane. Science 329, 805–810 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text]

D. Hutt, W. E. Balch, The proteome in balance. Science 329, 766–767 (2010). [Summary] [Full Text]

Citation: S. M. Hurtley, Peripheral Quality Control. Sci. Signal. 3, ec253 (2010).

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