Molecular switch controls how cells load cargo for recycling
Researchers at the University of Basel have identified a protein called ARF-1 that acts as a molecular switch to control cellular recycling. This mechanism determines how cells sort and load cargo into transport vesicles.
Why it matters
Understanding cellular recycling mechanisms is fundamental to cell biology and could have long-term implications for treating diseases related to protein degradation.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources Fluorescent microscopic image: The protein ARF-1 (yellow) controls cellular recycling. Credit: Biozentrum, University of Basel Cells constantly recycle proteins and other cellular components. But how do they ensure that the right cargo ends up in the right recycling vesicle—one of the cell's transport carriers? A team at the University of Basel has identified a molecular switch that controls this process. The small protein ARF-1 ensures that recyclable cargo is efficiently loaded into transport vesicles and returned to the cell's surface.
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