Anti-VPS35 monoclonal antibody, clone FQS22612(C) Knockout Validated

The retromer complex, which mediates retrograde transport from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network, is a heteropentameric complex that contains a multifunctional cargo recognition heterotrimer consisted of the vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) subunits Vps26, Vps29, and Vps35. In mammals, there are two different isoforms of Vps26, Vps26a and Vps26b, that localize to the endosome, and to the plasma membrane, respectively. To elucidate the biological significance of the Vps26b isoform, we generated Vps26b knockout mice and studied their molecular, histological, and behavioral phenotypes. We found that the loss of Vps26b results in no significant defects in the behavior, body size, and health of the mice. Vps26b-deficient mice showed a severe reduction of Vps35 protein at cellular level and lacked the Vps26b-Vps29-Vps35 retromer complex, despite the normal presence of the Vps26a-Vps29-Vps35 retromer complex. Relatively, the amount of sortilin was increased approximately 20% in the Vps26b-deficient mice, whereas the sorLA was normal. These results suggest that mouse Vps26b-Vps29-Vps35 retromer complex is implicated in the transport of sortilin from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retromer (VPS26/VPS36/VPS29) is a highly conserved eukaryotic protein complex that localizes to endosomes to sort transmembrane protein cargoes into vesicles and elongated tubules. Retromer mediates retrieval pathways from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network in all eukaryotes and further facilitates recycling pathways to the plasma membrane in metazoans. In cells, retromer engages multiple partners to orchestrate the formation of tubulovesicular structures, including sorting nexin (SNX) proteins, cargo adaptors, GTPases, regulators, and actin remodeling proteins. Retromer-mediated pathways are especially important for sorting cargoes required for neuronal maintenance, which links retromer loss or mutations to multiple human brain diseases and disorders. Structural and biochemical studies have long contributed to the understanding of retromer biology, but recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography have further uncovered exciting new snapshots of reconstituted retromer structures. These new structures reveal retromer assembles into an arch-shaped scaffold and suggest the scaffold may be flexible and adaptable in cells. Interactions with cargo adaptors, particularly SNXs, likely orient the scaffold with respect to phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PtdIns3P)-enriched membranes. Pharmacological small molecule chaperones have further been shown to stabilize retromer in cultured cell and mouse models, but mechanisms by which these molecules bind remain unknown. This review will emphasize recent structural and biophysical advances in understanding retromer structure as the field moves towards a molecular view of retromer assembly and regulation on membranes.