Grant: Operating Grant

Every cell in our body is surrounded by a membrane that protects the inside of the cell from the outside environment. Cells also have compartments inside them that are surrounded by membranes. Nutrients and other molecules that must enter the cell and gain access to the internal compartments are taken up in special containers called vesicles. Vesicles transport these molecules to a central compartment called an endosome where they are sorted for delivery to their ultimate destination. An endosome can be compared to a post office, where letters are sorted according to postal codes. Molecules contain sorting signals that act like postal codes. Special proteins recognize these signals and help direct the molecules to their proper location in the cell. The goal of our research is to discover the proteins that recognize sorting signals at endosomes. Because defects in this sorting process can cause disease, a better understanding of this process is important for human health.