MECHANISMS OF SIGNAL-MEDIATED PROTEIN SORTING IN THE ENDOCYTIC AND SECRETORY PATHWAYS

The ability to sort proteins to different intracellular compartments i s an essential property of all cells. Many diseases are caused by a fa ilure of certain proteins to be sorted properly in the endocytic and s ecretory pathways. In addition, various intracellular pathogens use th eir hosts' protein-sorting machinery at different stages of their life cycles. These facts underscore the importance of understanding the me chanisms of protein sorting at a molecular level. In this article, we review recent advances in the identification of signals that direct pr oteins to their correct intracellular locations and of the recognition molecules that bind to the signals. The implications of these finding s for the trafficking of various proteins are discussed.