Vesicle-trafficking protein SEC22b

SEC22B encodes a SNARE protein critical for vesicular trafficking, specifically mediating the targeting and fusion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived transport vesicles with the Golgi complex, as well as retrograde transport of Golgi-derived vesicles back to the ER (UniProt: O75396). This protein functions as a central component of the secretory pathway, regulating the bidirectional transport that maintains ER-Golgi homeostasis and proper protein trafficking in neurons and other cell types.

SEC22B is ubiquitously expressed and plays essential roles in maintaining cellular protein quality control and transport fidelity. No disease associations are documented in UniProt, though vesicular trafficking dysfunction is increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative processes.

In Alzheimer's disease, SEC22B shows reduced abundance in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics). Quantitative proteomics analysis detected a mean log2 fold-change of −0.32, indicating modest downregulation across subcellular fractions. This decreased expression may reflect compromised ER-Golgi trafficking capacity in AD pathology, potentially contributing to impaired protein homeostasis and accumulation of misfolded proteins characteristic of the disease.