Biosynthesis and folding of multidomain transmembrane proteins is a complex process. Structural fidelity is monitored by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control involving the molecular chaperone calnexin. Retained misfolded proteins undergo ER-associated degradation (ERAD) through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Our data show that the major degradation pathway of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) with F508del (the most frequent mutation found in patients with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis) from the ER is independent of calnexin. Moreover, our results demonstrate that inhibition of mannose-processing enzymes, unlike most substrate glycoproteins, does not stabilize F508del-CFTR, although wild-type (wt) CFTR is drastically stabilized under the same conditions. Together, our data support a novel model by which wt and F508del-CFTR undergo ERAD from two distinct checkpoints, the mutant being disposed of independently of N-glycosidic residues and calnexin, probably by the Hsc70/Hsp70 machinery, and wt CFTR undergoing glycan-mediated ERAD.

The CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene, defective in cystic fibrosis, codes for a polytopic apical membrane protein functioning as a chloride channel. Wild-type (wt) CFTR matures inefficiently and CFTR with a deletion of Phe-508 (F508del), the most frequent mutation, is substantially retained as a core-glycosylated intermediate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), probably due to misfolding that is recognized by the cellular quality control machinery involving molecular chaperones. Here, we overexpressed the heat-shock protein (Hsp) 70 chaperone in vivo and observed no changes in degradation rate of the core-glycosylated form, nor in the efficiency of its conversion into the fully glycosylated form, for either wt- or F508del-CFTR, contrary to previous in vitro studies on the affect of heat-shock cognate (Hsc) 70 on part of the first nucleotide-binding domain of CFTR. Co-transfection of Hsp70 with its co-chaperone human DnaJ homologue (Hdj)-1/Hsp40, however, stabilizes the immature form of wt-CFTR, but not of F508del-CFTR, suggesting that these chaperones act on a wt-specific conformation. As the efficiency of conversion into the fully glycosylated form is not increased under Hsp70/Hdj-1 overexpression, the lack of these two chaperones does not seem to be critical for CFTR maturation and ER retention. The effects of 4-phenylbutyrate and deoxyspergualin, described previously to interfere with Hsp70 binding, were also tested upon CFTR degradation and processing. The sole effect observed was destabilization of F508del-CFTR.