CORVET complex

GO:0033263 · Other · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A multimeric protein complex that acts as an endosomal tethering complex (CORVET = class C core vacuole/endosome tethering) by cooperating with Rab GTPases to capture endosomal vesicles and trap them prior to the action of SNAREs; the complex is involved in endo-lysosomal biogenesis and required for transport between endosome and vacuole. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae complex contains Vps8p, Vps3p, Pep5p, Vps16p, Pep3p, and Vps33p. [GO:0033263]

Synonyms: class C core vacuole/endosome tethering complex

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Essential	Role
Vps3 CORVET subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	VPS3	UNKNOWN	CORVET-specific Vam6/Vps39-homologous endosomal tethering subunit. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 identified Vps3 as a CORVET-specific subunit.
Vps8 CORVET subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	VPS8	UNKNOWN	CORVET-specific Vam2/Vps41-homologous endosomal tethering subunit. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 identified Vps8 as a CORVET-specific subunit.
Vps11/Pep5 CORVET subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	VPS11, PEP5	UNKNOWN	Class C Vps subunit shared between the CORVET and HOPS complexes. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 placed Vps11 in the shared class C Vps core.
Vps16 CORVET subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	VPS16	UNKNOWN	Class C Vps subunit shared between the CORVET and HOPS complexes. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 placed Vps16 in the shared class C Vps core.
Vps18/Pep3 CORVET subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	VPS18, PEP3	UNKNOWN	Class C Vps subunit shared between the CORVET and HOPS complexes. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 placed Vps18 in the shared class C Vps core.
Vps33 CORVET subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	VPS33	UNKNOWN	Sec1/Munc18-family class C Vps subunit shared between CORVET and HOPS. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 placed Vps33 in the shared class C Vps core.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast uses Vps3, Vps8 and the Vps11/Vps16/Vps18/Vps33 class C core as an endosomal CORVET tethering complex. [DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Model in which CORVET was defined as the Vps3/Vps8-bearing endosomal homolog of the Vps39/Vps41-bearing HOPS complex. [DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006]

Functions

endo-lysosomal biogenesis — CORVET is an endosomal Vps21-interacting tethering complex involved in endo-lysosomal biogenesis.
- DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006 Peplowska et al. 2007 found that CORVET interacts with Vps21 and is involved in endo-lysosomal biogenesis.

Mechanism graphs

CORVET supports yeast endosomal tethering (FUNCTION)

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Vps3 and Vps8 join Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33 to form the CORVET complex, an endosomal tethering complex that interacts with Rab5 homolog Vps21 during endo-lysosomal biogenesis.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
Vps3 CORVET subunit	is part of	CORVET complex	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 defined yeast CORVET as Vps3, Vps8, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
Vps8 CORVET subunit	is part of	CORVET complex	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 defined yeast CORVET as Vps3, Vps8, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
Vps11/Pep5 CORVET subunit	is part of	CORVET complex	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 defined yeast CORVET as Vps3, Vps8, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
Vps16 CORVET subunit	is part of	CORVET complex	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 defined yeast CORVET as Vps3, Vps8, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
Vps18/Pep3 CORVET subunit	is part of	CORVET complex	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 defined yeast CORVET as Vps3, Vps8, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
Vps33 CORVET subunit	is part of	CORVET complex	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 defined yeast CORVET as Vps3, Vps8, Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
CORVET complex	binds	Vps21 Rab5 homolog	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 found that CORVET interacts with the yeast Rab5 homolog Vps21.
CORVET complex	localizes to	endosome membrane	`GO:0033263` GO:0033263 defines CORVET as an endosomal tethering complex. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 described CORVET as a novel endosomal tethering complex.
CORVET complex	participates in	endo-lysosomal biogenesis	`DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006` Peplowska et al. 2007 connected CORVET to endo-lysosomal biogenesis.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral InterPro, Pfam, or Complex Portal groundings for the six CORVET subunit classes. This first CORVET record records the named Saccharomyces cerevisiae subunits without asserting paralogy boundaries or source-neutral family identifiers unless those identifiers are reviewed exactly.
CURATION_TODO (RESOLVED): Do not model Vps39/Vam6, Vps41/Vam2, or the mixed Vam6-Vps8 and Vps3-Vps41 complexes as canonical CORVET components. Peplowska et al. 2007 identified HOPS-specific Vps39/Vam6 and Vps41/Vam2 subunits and two mixed complexes during CORVET-HOPS interconversion, but defined canonical CORVET as Vps3 and Vps8 plus Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.
CURATION_TODO (RESOLVED): Do not model Vps21 as a constituent CORVET component. Peplowska et al. 2007 found that CORVET interacts with the yeast Rab5 homolog Vps21, but defined the canonical CORVET complex as Vps3 and Vps8 plus Vps11, Vps16, Vps18 and Vps33.

Evidence

GO:0033263 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the CORVET complex.
GO:0099023 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for vesicle tethering complexes.
DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.006 Peplowska, Markgraf, Ostrowicz, Bange and Ungermann 2007, The CORVET tethering complex interacts with the yeast Rab5 homolog Vps21 and is involved in endo-lysosomal biogenesis, Developmental Cell.

Curation history

2026-09-16T18:11:06Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-16T18:12:23Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added the full GO definition, vesicle-tethering parentage, CORVET synonymy, reviewed-label-only Vps3/Vps8/Vps11/Vps16/Vps18/Vps33 yeast components, Saccharomyces scope, an endo-lysosomal biogenesis function, GO/DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic Vps21/endosomal graph, a subunit-grounding TODO, and a resolved CORVET-HOPS boundary decision.
2026-09-16T18:20:25Z codex · ADDRESSED_PR_REVIEW — Addressed PR #1116 / issue #1117 by adding a resolved boundary discussion that keeps Vps21 as a CORVET interactor, not a constituent.

Source: data/structures/other/corvet_complex.yaml