Establishment and analysis of conditional Rab1 and Rab5 knockout cells by using the auxin-inducible degron system.

Two small GTPases, Rab1 and Rab5, are key membrane trafficking regulators that are conserved in all eukaryotes. Since they have recently been shown to be essential for cell survival and/or growth in cultured mammalian cells, thereby precluding the establishment of Rab1-knockout (KO) and Rab5-KO cells, it has been extremely difficult to assess the impact of complete Rab1 or Rab5 protein depletion on cellular functions. Here, we generated and analyzed conditional KO (CKO) cells for Rab1 (Rab1A/1B) and Rab5 (Rab5A/5B/5C) by using the auxin-inducible protein degradation system. Rab1-CKO and Rab5-CKO led to eventual cell death >18 h and >48 h, respectively, after auxin exposure. After acute Rab1 protein depletion, the Golgi stack and ribbon structures were completely disrupted, and ER-to-Golgi trafficking was severely inhibited. Moreover, we discovered a novel Rab1-depletion phenotype: perinuclear clustering of early endosomes and delayed transferrin recycling. In contrast, acute Rab5 protein depletion resulted in loss of early endosomes and late endosomes, but lysosomes appeared to be normal. We also observed a dramatic reduction in the intracellular signals of endocytic cargos via receptor-mediated or fluid-phase endocytosis in Rab5-depleted cells.