ABSTRACT Erv14 is a cargo receptor of COPII vesicles, which is necessary for the efficient trafficking of various membrane proteins. In this work, we demonstrate that the deletion of the ERV14 gene impacts various physiological functions of the vacuole. Compared to the wild‐type cells, cells lacking the ERV14 gene exhibited higher vacuolar pH and altered vacuolar morphology with increased fragmentation. In addition, erv14Δ cells exhibit a thinner cell wall and an impaired process of endocytosis. We also found the importance of ERV14 for cells to overcome environmental stresses, such as neutral external pH, increased zinc and calcium concentrations, and high temperature. Furthermore, comparing gene expression, proteome analysis, and structural modeling revealed new interactions between Erv14 and several vacuolar proteins, including subunits of V‐ATPase and other proteins involved in carbon metabolism.
Rosas‐Santiago et al. (2026) studied this question.