NSF is required for the brefeldin A-promoted disassembly of the Golgi apparatus.

N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) is required for multiple pathways of vesicle-mediated protein transport. Microinjection of a monoclonal anti-NSF antibody almost completely blocked brefeldin A-promoted Golgi disassembly without affecting the rapid release of beta-COP, a subunit of the Golgi coat proteins (COPI), from the Golgi apparatus. Similar results were obtained using a dominant-negative NSF which is known to compete with endogenous NSF. The present results suggest that an NSF-mediated step is present in the brefeldin A-promoted disassembly of the Golgi apparatus.