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The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is dedicated to import, folding and assembly of all proteins that travel along or reside in the secretory pathway of eukaryotic cells. Folding in the ER is special. For instance, newly synthesized proteins are N-glycosylated and by default form disulfide bonds in the ER, but not elsewhere in the cell. In this review, we discuss which features distinguish the ER as an efficient folding factory, how the ER monitors its output and how it disposes of folding failures.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a factory where secretory proteins are manufactured, and where stringent quality-control systems ensure that only correctly folded proteins are sent to their final destinations. The changing needs of the ER factory are monitored by integrated signalling pathways that constantly adjust the levels of folding assistants. ER chaperones and signalling molecules are emerging as drug targets in amyloidoses and other protein-conformational diseases.