In vitro analysis of endoplasmic-reticulum-to-golgi transport in mammalian cells.

A temperature-sensitive mutant of vesicular stomatitis G protein is used to follow the movement of that protein from the endoplasmic reticulum to transport vesicles to cis-Golgi and finally medial/trans-Golgi by assessing the maturation of two asparagine-linked oligosaccharides. These assays can be used to identify the factors that are required for and regulate protein trafficking through these compartments.