Impact of Calreticulin and Its Mutants on Endoplasmic Reticulum Function in Health and Disease

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) performs key cellular functions including protein synthesis, lipid metabolism and signaling. While these functions are spatially isolated in structurally distinct regions of the ER, there is cross-talk between the pathways. One vital player that is involved in ER function is the ER-resident protein calreticulin (CALR). It is a calcium ion-dependent lectin chaperone that primarily assists in glycoprotein synthesis in the ER as part of the protein quality control machinery. CALR also buffers calcium ion release and mediates other glycan-independent protein interactions. Mutations in CALR have been reported in a subset of chronic blood tumors called myeloproliferative neoplasms. The mutations consist of insertions or deletions in the CALR gene that all cause a + 1 bp shift in the reading frame and lead to a dramatic alteration of the amino acid sequence of the C-terminal domain of CALR. This alters CALR function and affects cell homeostasis. This chapter will discuss how CALR and mutant CALR affect ER health and disease.