Yuka Kamada, assistant professor of School of Biological and Environmental Sciences searched for degron sequences that promote endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) of CFTR, a protein containing 12 transmembrane (TM) helices that causes cystic fibrosis (CF).

In this study, we searched for degron sequences that promote endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) of CFTR, a protein containing 12 transmembrane (TM) helices that causes cystic fibrosis (CF). To evaluate, we employed the HiBiT ERAD assay, which enables the real-time quantification of ERAD substrate degradation with high fidelity. The results revealed that ERAD-promoting degron sequences are contained in several TM helices within the TM domain of CFTR. Furthermore, through analysis of variants of the ERAD-promoting TM helices, we identified several amino acid residues within the TM sequence that are critical for promoting degradation.

This research was presented both orally and as a poster at two domestic conferences in 2025.