Evidence for colocalization and interaction between 37 and 39 kDa isoforms of secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs).

Secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) are proteins of post-Golgi recycling carriers, including regulated secretory organelles. The two major size variants, SCAMP1 (37 kDa) and SCAMP2 (39 kDa), extensively colocalize in membranes of fibroblasts and parotid acinar cells based on immunocytochemistry and velocity centrifugation, although the relative amounts of each variant may differ in selected organelles. SCAMP1, and to a lesser extent, SCAMP2, are substrates for chemical crosslinking in situ, and the recognizable crosslinking products of SCAMP1 suggest potential formation of homomultimers. SCAMP1 and SCAMP2 can be co-immunoprecipitated following detergent solubilization, using antibodies that specifically react with only one of the variants. Both the localization and interactions of SCAMPs are reiterated using transfected SCAMP1 that is epitope tagged (myc) at either the NH2 or COOH terminus and an anti-myc antibody. Like other transport vesicle membrane proteins, SCAMPs form complexes that apparently include homomultimers. Furthermore, these studies suggest that both SCAMP1 and SCAMP2 may function together in a single protein complex.