Background of the antigen
Cycling proteins play important roles in the organization and function of the early secretory pathway by participating in membrane traffic and selective transport of cargo between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the intermediate compartment (ERGIC), and the Golgi. A family of membrane bound, ubiquitous proteins involved in the selective transport of newly synthesized glycoproteins from the ER to the ERGIC include VIP36, ERGIC-53, ERGIC-1, ERGIC-2 and ERGIC-3. ERGIC-1, also designated ERGIC32, is thought to modulate the activity of a complex formed by ERGIC-2, also designated Erv41, and ERGIC-3, also designated Erv46. ERGIC-2 and ERGIC-3 are both mammalian homologs of yeast proteins abundant in COPII-coated vesicles and localize to the Cis-face of the Golgi apparatus.
