Domain structure of an N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein involved in vesicular transport.

N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) is an essential component for protein transport between Golgi cisternae. Sequence analysis and proteolytic dissection reveal that NSF contains two tandem "ATP domains," each containing the consensus sequence for the binding of nucleotide. When Escherichia coli-produced Chinese hamster ovary NSF is purified, it exhibits a low, but significant, ATPase activity. The ATPase activity of NSF is sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and influenced by monoclonal antibodies against recombinant NSF.