Several secretory proteins are released from cells by mechanisms that are distinct from the classical endoplasmic reticulmn (ER)/ Golgi-mediated secretory pathway. Recent studies unexpectedly revealed that the interaction between one such protein, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), and cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) is essential for secretion. FGF-2 mutants that cannot bind to heparan sulfates are not secreted, and cells that do not express functional HSPGs cannot secrete wild-type FGF-2. FGF-2 appears to be secreted by direct translocation across the plasma membrane in an ATP- and membrane-potential-independent manner. I propose that its translocation across the membrane is a diffusion-controlled process in which cell surface HSPGs function as an extracellular molecular trap that drives directional transport of FGF-2.
CITATION STYLE
Nickel, W. (2007). Unconventional secretion: An extracellular trap for export of fibroblast growth factor 2. Journal of Cell Science, 120(14), 2295–2299. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.011080
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