Mapping ATP's journey: Key protein identified as gateway for energy delivery into endoplasmic reticulum

Originally published by Stockholm University on May 21, 2025

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan

 

Scientists reveal how ATP is transported into the ER by the protein SLC35B1. Credit: Surabhi Kokane using Biorender.

A team of scientists has answered a long-standing question in cell biology, uncovering how the cell's main energy currency, ATP, is transported into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Disrupted energy transport could affect diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.

The study, "Step-wise ATP translocation into the ER by human SLC35B1" published in Nature, confirms that the transporter protein SLC35B1 is the key gateway for ATP entry into the ER.

The research, led by David Drew, professor of biochemistry at Stockholm University and located at SciLifeLab, reveals the first structural and mechanistic insight into how ATP enters the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) using the transporter protein SLC35B1. The ER is the cell's main "shipping port" that packages proteins and lipids, checks their quality, and facilitates their transport within the cell. For these vital processes, energy, in the form of ATP, is required.

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