| VPS11 — Vacuolar Protein Sorting 11 | |
|---|---|
| Gene Symbol | VPS11 |
| Full Name | Vacuolar Protein Sorting 11 Homolog |
| Chromosome | 11p15.5 |
| NCBI Gene ID | [221527](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/221527) |
| OMIM | [610157](https://www.omim.org/entry/610157) |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000160602 |
| UniProt ID | [Q9Y5G6](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9Y5G6) |
| Protein Name | VPS11 |
| Associated Diseases | [Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease), [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease), Lysosomal Storage Disorders |
VPS11 is a human gene whose product VPS11 (Vacuolar Protein Sorting 11) is a core component of the HOPS (Homotypic fusion and Vacuole Protein Sorting) complex, which mediates late endosome-lysosome and autophagosome-lysosome fusion. It functions as a tethering factor essential for membrane trafficking and lysosomal degradation[1]. This page covers the gene's normal function, disease associations, expression patterns, and key research findings relevant to neurodegeneration.
VPS11 (Vacuolar Protein Sorting 11) is a core component of the HOPS (Homotypic fusion and Vacuole Protein Sorting) complex, which mediates late endosome-lysosome and autophagosome-lysosome fusion. It functions as a tethering factor essential for membrane trafficking and lysosomal degradation[1:1].
The HOPS complex consists of:
This complex functions as a tethering factor and promotes SNARE complex assembly for membrane fusion.
VPS11 mutations linked to hereditary spastic paraplegia and early-onset PD. Implicated in alpha-synuclein clearance through lysosomal pathways[2]:
The HOPS complex is critical for:
| Target | Approach | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HOPS enhancement | Small molecule promoters | Research |
| Gene therapy | AAV-VPS11 | Preclinical |
| Autophagy modulation | mTOR inhibitors | Clinical trials |
Balderhaar et al. The HOPS complex (2013). 2013. ↩︎ ↩︎
Zhang et al. VPS11 and autophagy in PD (2020). 2020. ↩︎
Mehta et al. HOPS complex dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease (2021). 2021. ↩︎