Discussion

Protein trafficking, the movement of proteins from where they're made to their final destination, is a critical component of cellular biology that is disrupted in many important diseases. Using a new fluorescence technology developed at Carnegie Mellon Univsersity, we are able to measure each individual step in trafficking, protein production and movement through the ER, Cell-surface protein, protein endocytosis, trafficking to the lysosome, and recycling. These tools provide a high throughput means of measuring protein trafficking that was previously only possible usig tedious western blotting and quantification of band intensities on a gel. We will show application of the technology to cell surface receptors, ion channels and transporters, in areas as diverse as Pain, Neurodegeneration, Cystic Fibrosis, and Gaucher's disease.