ER quality control through reticulophagy and protein secretion.

Abstract

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the site of multiple cellular events and maintaining its quality control is thus crucial for cell homeostasis. Through a morphology-based gain-of-function screen, we identified the cytosolic protein FKBPL as a regulator of reticulophagy. With multiple protein-binding domains, FKBPL binds to the ER-resident CKAP4, acting as a bridge that connects the ER to the phagophore and facilitating the delivery of ER contents for lysosomal degradation. The FKBPL-CKAP4 axis is essential for both basal and stress-induced reticulophagy. Loss of the FKBPL-CKAP4 interaction attenuates reticulophagy and enhances protein secretion via microvesicle shedding. Here, we propose a dual role for the FKBPL-CKAP4 axis in regulating reticulophagy and protein secretion.