An isoprenylation and palmitoylation motif promotes intraluminal vesicle delivery of proteins in cells from distant species.

ABSTRACT: The C-terminal ends of small GTPases contain hypervariable sequences which may be posttranslationally modified by defined lipid moieties. The diverse structural motifs generated direct proteins towards specific cellular membranes or organelles. However, knowledge on the factors that determine these selective associations is limited. Here we show, using advanced microscopy, that the isoprenylation and palmitoylation motif of human RhoB (-CINCCKVL) targets chimeric proteins to intraluminal vesicles of endolysosomes in human cells, displaying preferential co-localization with components of the late endocytic pathway. Moreover, this distribution is conserved in distant species, including cells from amphibians, insects and fungi. Blocking lipidic modifications results in accumulation of CINCCKV

SUBMITTER: Oeste CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4160200 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature