Exploring Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Rab GTPases

我们实验室的总体研究计划是表征导致膜接触位点（MCS）形成的机制，即两个细胞器之间的接触。我们的计划的一个方面是表征的内质网（ER）和线粒体之间的连接的线粒体相关膜（MAM）。我们的实验室已经确定了MAM信号传导机制，MAM靶向基序和决定MAM富集的因素。例如，我们的研究已经发现小GTTRab32作为MAM富集和ER和线粒体之间的Ca 2+通量的决定因素。Rab32是Rab蛋白的成员，Rab蛋白是蛋白分泌的重要调节因子，其中约有十几个定位于ER。在这里，这些Rabs执行的功能多样性，一些很好地表征和类似的“地址标签”功能的Rabs的后期分泌途径，而其他人执行的功能仍然知之甚少。所有这些ER相关Rab的共同点是，它们在不同程度上通过各种方式决定ER蛋白在膜结构域的定位。

The overarching research program of our laboratory is the characterization of mechanisms that lead to the formation of membrane contact sites (MCS), contacts between two organelles. One aspect of our program is the characterization of the mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM), a connection between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. Our lab has identified MAM signaling mechanisms, MAM targeting motifs and factors that determine MAM enrichment. For instance, our research has discovered the small GTPase Rab32 as a determinant of MAM enrichment and of the flux of Ca2+ between the ER and mitochondria. Rab32 is a member of the Rab proteins, important regulatory factors for protein secretion, of which about a dozen localize to the ER. Here, these Rabs perform a diversity of functions, some well characterized and resembling the “address tag” function of Rabs of the late secretory pathway, whereas others perform functions that remain poorly understood. What all these ER-associated Rabs have in common is that they determine to varying extents and by various means the localization of ER proteins to membrane domains.