ADP Ribosylation Factor Like Protein 8B (ARL8B)

Lysosomes are late-endocytic organelles which primarily contribute to degradation and recycling of cellular material. a protein from the Arf-family of small GTPases, Arl8b.

Although proteins of the Arf-family have roles in a wide range of cellular functions, most notably roles in protein/vesicular trafficking, Arl8b represents the first from this protein family to be associated with a late-endocytic organelle. The co-localization of this protein with various lysosomal markers in different cell lines by confocal-immunofluorescence microscopy. GTP-restricted mutant Arl8b localizes to lysosomes and causes their redistribution to the periphery of the cell and into membrane projections. This indicates that Arl8b is involved in trafficking processes for lysosomes.