Mnaimneh et al [1] identified Sec39p as a protein involved in ER-Golgi transport in a large scale promoter shut down analysis of essential yeast genes. Kraynack et al. (2005) [2] showed that Sec39p (Dsl3p) is required for Golgi-ER retrograde transport and is part of a very stable protein complex that also includes Dsl1p (in mammals ZW10), Tip20p (Rint-1) and the ER localized Q-SNARE proteins Ufe1p (syntaxin-18), Sec20p and Use1p. This was confirmed in a genome-wide analysis of protein complexes by Gavin et al (2006) [3].

1: Exploration of essential gene functions via titratable promoter alleles. Mnaimneh S, Davierwala AP, Haynes J, Moffat J, Peng WT, Zhang W, Yang X, Pootoolal J, Chua G, Lopez A, Trochesset M, Morse D, Krogan NJ, Hiley SL, Li Z, Morris Q, Grigull J, Mitsakakis N, Roberts CJ, Greenblatt JF, Boone C, Kaiser CA, Andrews BJ, Hughes T Cell. 2004;118:31-44. PMID:15242642

2: Dsl1p, Tip20p, and the Novel Dsl3(Sec39) Protein Are Required for the Stability of the Q/t-SNARE Complex at the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Yeast. Kraynack BA, Chan A, Rosenthal E, Essid M, Umansky B, Waters MG, Schmitt HD; Mol Biol Cell 2005;16:3963-3977. PMID:15958492

3: Proteome survey reveals modularity of the yeast cell machinery. Gavin AC, Aloy P, Grandi P, Krause R, Boesche M, Marzioch M, Rau C, Jensen LJ, Bastuck S, Dumpelfeld B, Edelmann A, Heurtier MA, Hoffman V, Hoefert C, Klein K, Hudak M, Michon AM, Schelder M, Schirle M, Remor M, Rudi T, Hooper S, Bauer A, Bouwmeester T, C Nature. 2006;440:631-636. PMID:16429126

4: Global analysis of protein localization in budding yeast. Huh WK, Falvo JV, Gerke LC, Carroll AS, Howson RW, Weissman JS, O'Shea EK; Nature 2003;425:686-691. PMID:14562095