Inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation of misfolded Yor1p does not permit ER export despite the presence of a diacidic sorting signal

Capture of newly synthesized proteins into endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived coat protomer type II (COPII) vesicles represents a critical juncture in the quality control of protein biogenesis within the secretory pathway. The yeast ATP-binding cassette transporter Yor1p is a pleiotropic drug pump that shows homology to the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Deletion of a phenylalanine residue in Yor1p, equivalent to the major disease-causing mutation in CFTR, causes ER retention and degradation via ER-associated degradation. We have examined the relationship between protein folding, ERAD and forward transport during Yor1p biogenesis. Uptake of Yor1p into COPII vesicles is mediated by an N-terminal diacidic signal that likely interacts with the "B-site" cargo-recognition domain on the COPII subunit, Sec24p. Yor1p-DeltaF is subjected to complex ER quality control involving multiple cytoplasmic chaperones and degradative pathways. Stabilization of Yor1p-DeltaF by inhibiting its degradation does not permit access of Yor1p-DeltaF to COPII vesicles. We propose that the ER quality control checkpoint engages misfolded Yor1p even after it has been stabilized by inhibition of the degradative pathway.