Core Proteome and Architecture of COPI Vesicles

Retrieval of escaped ER-residents and intra-Golgi transport is facilitated by coat protein complex I (COPI)-coated vesicles. Their formation requires the activated small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) and the coat complex coatomer. Here we assess the protein composition of COPI vesicles by combining stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) with in vitro reconstitution of COPI vesicles from semi-intact cells (SIC) using the minimal set of recombinant coat proteins. This approach yields an unbiased picture of the proteome of these carriers. We define a set of ~40 proteins common to COPI vesicles produced from different human as well as murine cell lines. Almost all bona fide COPI vesicle proteins are either ER-Golgi cycling proteins or Golgi-residents, while only a minor portion of secreted proteins was found. Moreover, we have investigated a putative role of γ- and ζ-COP as well as Arf isoforms in sorting and recruitment of specific proteins into COPI vesicles. As opposed to the related COPII system, all isoforms of coatomer and all COPI-forming isoforms of the small GTPase Arf produce COPI-coated vesicles with strikingly similar protein compositions. We present a model for the core architecture of COPI vesicles.