The kinesin Kar3 is required for endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation

Degradation of aberrant, excess, and regulatory proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a conserved feature of eukaryotic cells, disruption of which contributes to disease. While remarkable progress has been made in recent years, mechanisms and genetic requirements for ER-associated degradation (ERAD) remain incompletely understood. We recently conducted a screen for genes required for turnover of a model ER translocon-associated substrate of the Hrd1 ubiquitin ligase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This screen revealed loss of Kar3 impedes degradation of Deg1*-Sec62, which persistently and aberrantly engages the translocon. Kar3 is a microtubule-associated kinesin 14 family member that impacts multiple aspects of microtubule dynamics during cell division and karyogamy. We investigated involvement of Kar3 and its cofactors in ERAD. Loss of Kar3 hindered ERAD mediated by three ubiquitin ligases but did not impair turnover of a soluble nuclear protein. Further, KAR3 deletion caused hypersensitivity to conditions associated with proteotoxic stress. Kar3's cytoplasmic cofactor Vik1 was also required for efficient degradation of Deg1*-Sec62. Our results reveal a profound and underappreciated role for microtubule-associated proteins in ERAD.