Abstract
Cellular activities, such as growth and secretion, are dependent on correct protein folding and intracellular protein transport. Injury, like ischemia, malnutrition, and invasion of toxic substances, affect the folding environment in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER senses this information, following which cells adapt their response to varied situations through the unfolded protein response. Activation of the KDEL receptor, resulting from the secretion from the ER of chaperones containing the KDEL sequence, plays an important role in this adaptation. The KDEL receptor was initially shown to be necessary for the retention of KDEL sequence-containing proteins in the ER. However, it has become clear that the activated KDEL receptor also regulates bidirectional transport between the ER and the Golgi complex, as well as from the Golgi to the secretory pathway. In addition, it has been suggested that the signal for KDEL receptor activation may also affect several other cellular activities. In this review, we discuss KDEL receptor-mediated bidirectional transport and signaling and describe disease models and human diseases related to KDEL receptor dysfunction.