GARPs

GARPs is most commonly used as the plural form of Golgi-associated retrograde proteins, a family of tethering factors involved in intracellular vesicular trafficking. In eukaryotic cells these proteins assemble into the GARP complex, which mediates the tethering and subsequent SNARE-driven fusion of vesicles arriving at the trans-Golgi network from late endosomes.

The GARP complex is a four-subunit assembly comprising Vps51, Vps52, Vps53, and Vps54. It localizes to the trans-Golgi network and functions as a vesicle tether, helping capture and tether endosome-derived vesicles to enable proper cargo delivery and recycling within the Golgi apparatus. The complex is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to humans and is essential for maintaining Golgi architecture and protein sorting. Disruption or loss of GARP subunits impairs retrograde transport, alters Golgi function, and can affect the trafficking of a range of enzymes and receptors.

In broader literature, GARPs can occasionally be encountered as the plural form referring to these proteins or, less commonly, as an acronym used in unrelated contexts. Because “GARPs” can denote different concepts in different fields, the ferried primary biological meaning remains Golgi-associated retrograde proteins and the GARP complex, with other uses being field- or source-specific.