Vacuolar Protein Sorting-Associated Protein 33b (VPS33B) Human Recombinant Protein

Vesicle mediated protein sorting plays an important role in segregation of intracellular molecules into distinct organelles. Genetic studies in yeast have identified more than 40 vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) genes involved in vesicle transport to vacuoles. This gene is a member of the Sec-1 domain family, and encodes the human ortholog of rat Vps33b which is homologous to the yeast class C Vps33 protein. The mammalian class C vacuolar protein sorting proteins are predominantly associated with late endosomes/lysosomes, and like their yeast counterparts, may mediate vesicle trafficking steps in the endosome/lysosome pathway. Mutations in this gene are associated with arthrogryposis-renal dysfunction-cholestasis syndrome. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2014]

May play a role in vesicle-mediated protein trafficking to lysosomal compartments and in membrane docking/fusion reactions of late endosomes/lysosomes. Mediates phagolysosomal fusion in macrophages (PubMed:18474358). Proposed to be involved in endosomal maturation implicating VIPAS39. In epithelial cells, the VPS33B:VIPAS39 complex may play a role in the apical recycling pathway and in the maintenance of the apical-basolateral polarity (PubMed:20190753). Seems to be involved in the sorting of specific cargos from the trans-Golgi network to alpha-granule-destined multivesicular bodies (MVBs) promoting MVBs maturation in megakaryocytes ().