Toolbox: Creating a systematic database of secretory pathway proteins uncovers new cargo for COPI

A third of yeast genes encode for proteins that function in the endomembrane system. However, the precise localization for many of these proteins is still uncertain. Here, we visualized a collection of ~500 N-terminally, green fluorescent protein (GFP), tagged proteins of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By co-localizing them with 7 known markers of endomembrane compartments we determined the localization for over 200 of them. Using this approach, we create a systematic database of the various secretory compartments and identify several new residents. Focusing in, we now suggest that Lam5 resides in contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and the late Golgi. Additionally, analysis of interactions between the COPI coat and co-localizing proteins from our screen identifies a subset of proteins that are COPI-cargo. In summary, our approach defines the protein roster within each compartment enabling characterization of the physical and functional organization of the endomembrane system and its components.