BRSK2 is a valosin-containing protein (VCP)-interacting protein that affects VCP functioning in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) removes improperly-folded proteins from the ER membrane into the cytosol where they undergo proteasomal degradation. Valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97 mediates in the extraction of ERAD substrates from the ER. BRSK2 (also known as SAD-A), a serine/threonine kinase of the AMP-activated protein kinase family affected VCP/p97 activity in ERAD. In addition, BRSK2 interacted with VCP/p97 via three of the four functional domains of VCP/p97. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that BRSK2 and VCP/p97 were co-localized and also that knockdown of endogenous BRSK2 induced increased levels of CD3δ, a substrate in ERAD for VCP/p97. Thus, BRSK2 might affect the activity of VCP/p97 in ERAD.