Vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 33A (VPS33A)

Vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 33A (VPS33A) is a member of the Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein family and serves as a core component of both the CORVET and HOPS multisubunit tethering complexes, which are essential regulators of endosomal trafficking and vesicle fusion in mammalian cells. VPS33A interacts specifically with VPS16 and forms part of a four-protein "class C core" within both CORVET (for early endosomes) and HOPS (for late endosomes and autolysosomes), mediating the tethering and SNARE-dependent fusion of endosomes, lysosomes, and autophagosomes. VPS33A is critical for correct vesicle targeting, fusion, and maintenance of cellular homeostasis, with loss-of-function mutations resulting in severe trafficking and metabolic disorders, including newly described diseases with mucopolysaccharidosis-like symptoms. VPS33A is evolutionarily conserved, not directly a drug target, but is essential for fundamental membrane trafficking functions.

Other names

hVPS33AMPSPSCORVET/HOPS core subunitVacuolar protein sorting 33 homolog AVacuolar protein sorting 33A