VPS37D Activators

VPS37D, or Vacuolar Protein Sorting 37 homolog D, is a protein component of the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport-I (ESCRT-I) complex, which is pivotal in mediating the sorting of ubiquitinated membrane proteins into multivesicular bodies (MVBs) for lysosomal degradation. The ESCRT machinery, including ESCRT-I, -II, -III, and associated proteins, is crucial for the proper sorting and trafficking of proteins, particularly in the endosomal-lysosomal system.The ESCRT-I complex itself is composed of multiple proteins, including VPS37D, and is involved in the initial recognition and sequestration of ubiquitinated cargo proteins. It participates in the budding process of vesicles into the lumen of MVBs, a process that is inverse to the budding of vesicles at the plasma membrane during viral budding or exosome release.

VPS37D, as one of the four VPS37 family members (A-D) found in the ESCRT-I complex, has a role that may be redundant or partially overlapping with other VPS37 homologs, but each homolog can also have unique functions. The ESCRT-I complex is involved in various cellular processes, including receptor downregulation, retroviral budding, autophagosome closure, and cytokinesis.Dysfunction in components of the ESCRT machinery, including VPS37D, can lead to cellular abnormalities and has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and viral infections. As such, the ESCRT pathway and its components have become a target for research, with the aim of manipulating this system for diseases that involve protein sorting and trafficking.