The prolyl isomerase FKBP11 is a secretory translocon accessory factor

Eukaryotic cells encode thousands of secretory and membrane proteins, many of which are cotranslationally translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Nascent polypeptides entering the ER encounter a network of molecular chaperones and enzymes that facilitate their folding. A rate-limiting step for some proteins is the trans-to-cis isomerization of the peptide bond between proline and the residue preceding it. The human ER contains six prolyl isomerases, but the function, organization, and substrate range of these proteins is not clear. Here we show that the metazoan-specific, prolyl isomerase FKBP11 binds to ribosome-translocon complexes (RTCs) in the ER membrane, dependent on its single transmembrane domain and a conserved, positively charged region at its cytosolic C-terminus. High-throughput mRNA sequencing shows selective engagement with ribosomes synthesizing secretory and membrane proteins with long translocated segments, and functional analysis shows reduced stability of two such proteins, EpCAM and PTTG1IP, in cells depleted of FKBP11. We propose that FKBP11 is a translocon accessory factor that acts on a broad range of soluble secretory and transmembrane proteins during their synthesis at the ER.