Abstract 2920 Glial-specific function of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Protein Complex (EMC): distinct roles of individual subunits

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle critical for modifying, packaging, and inserting membrane proteins into the cell. The ER membrane protein complex (EMC), composed of 8–10 subunits, facilitates these processes. Malfunctions in several EMC subunits have been implicated in a range of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases, visual impairments, metabolic disorders, and certain cancers. Previous findings from our lab demonstrated that fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) with a genetic reduction of EMC subunit 4 specifically in glial cells exhibited delayed development, severe locomotor impairments, and a dramatically shortened lifespan of 5–6 days compared to the typical 2–3 months.