Endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transport (ER-to-Golgi transport)

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport is a fundamental cellular process responsible for the anterograde movement of proteins and lipids from their site of synthesis in the ER to the Golgi apparatus for modification and sorting (Brandizzi & Barlowe, 2013). This process is primarily mediated by COPII-coated vesicles, which assemble at ER exit sites through the coordinated action of the Sar1 GTPase and the Sec23/24 and Sec13/31 protein complexes (D'Arcangelo et al., 2013). Dysregulation of this transport pathway is implicated in several human diseases, including neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and ALS, where protein aggregates can physically or functionally block transport (Wang & Ha, 2023). While the pathway itself is a biological process rather than a single drug target, specific proteins within the machinery are explored for therapeutic modulation. However, because this pathway is essential for the secretion of most proteins, pharmacological inhibition, such as with Brefeldin A, often presents significant safety challenges and potential for broad cellular toxicity (Klausner et al., 1992).

Other names

ER-to-Golgi traffickingAnterograde transportCOPII-mediated transportVesicular transport from ER to Golgi

Inhibition of COPII vesicle formation, disruption of ARF1-mediated Golgi maintenance, or inhibition of Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs).