Elucidating the interactions of the Golgi Associated Retrograde Protein (GARP) complex in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Date
2015
Authors
Moedt, Ryan
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
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Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences
Abstract
Plants contain a diversified endomembrane system and transport within the network requires efficient and accurate vesicle transport. Tethering factors represent a group of loosely related proteins and protein complexes that act to physically link vesicles to the target membrane. UNH was previously identified as the VPS51 homolog of the Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex, known to tether vesicles in endosome to trans-golgi network (TGN) retrograde transport. The unh cellular phenotype is similar to secretion/vacuole defects observed in yeast and metazoan GARP complex mutants suggesting a conserved function in plants. This study was designed to assess whether the Arabidopsis GARP complex members participate in similar protein interactions as found in other eukaryotes. All of the plant GARP subunits contain predicted N-terminal coiled coils, important for interaction in other organisms. We show through deletional mutagenesis that these predicted N-terminal coiled coils are required for UNH to interact with VPS52 in vivo via yeast two-hybrid.
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Keywords
GARP , vesicle , transport , VPS51 , UNHINGED
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