Glycoprotein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum

Our understanding of eukaryotic protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulu m has increased enormously over the last 5 years. In this review, we summar ize some of the major research themes that have captivated researchers in t his field during the last years of the 20th century. We follow the path of a typical protein as it emerges from the ribosome and enters the reticular environment. While many of these events are shared between different polype ptide chains, we highlight some of the numerous differences between protein s, between cell types, and between the chaperones utilized by different ER glycoproteins. Finally, we consider the likely advances in this field as th e new century unfolds and we address the prospect of a unified understandin g of how protein folding, degradation, and translation an coordinated withi n a cell.