ESCRT complex

GO:0036452 · Other · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

An endosomal sorting complex involved in membrane fission processes related to sorting of multivesicular bodies (MVB) in the endocytic pathway, cytokinesis and viral budding among other processes. [GO:0036452]

Synonyms: endosomal sorting complex required for transport

Part of: endosome (GO:0005768)

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

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast uses ESCRT complexes to sort ubiquitinated cargo and remodel membranes during multivesicular-body sorting. [DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2011.05.015]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Model eukaryote in which ESCRT-0, ESCRT-I, ESCRT-II and ESCRT-III complexes act in the endosomal MVB sorting pathway. [DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2011.05.015]

Functions

multivesicular body sorting pathway GO:0071985 — ESCRT complexes sort ubiquitinated endosomal cargo and remodel endosomal membranes to form multivesicular-body intraluminal vesicles.
- GO:0036452 GO defines ESCRT complexes as endosomal sorting complexes involved in MVB sorting and related membrane-fission processes.
- DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2011.05.015 Henne, Buchkovich and Emr 2011 reviewed the ESCRT pathway as conserved machinery for endosomal cargo sorting and membrane remodeling.

Mechanism graphs

ESCRT complexes drive yeast MVB sorting (FUNCTION)

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ESCRT-0, ESCRT-I, ESCRT-II and ESCRT-III complexes act as endosomal sorting machinery during multivesicular-body cargo sorting and membrane remodeling.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
ESCRT-0 complex	is a	ESCRT complex	`GO:0036452` QuickGO lists GO:0033565 ESCRT-0 complex as an is_a child of GO:0036452.
ESCRT I complex	is a	ESCRT complex	`GO:0036452` QuickGO lists GO:0000813 ESCRT I complex as an is_a child of GO:0036452.
ESCRT II complex	is a	ESCRT complex	`GO:0036452` QuickGO lists GO:0000814 ESCRT II complex as an is_a child of GO:0036452.
ESCRT III complex	is a	ESCRT complex	`GO:0036452` QuickGO lists GO:0000815 ESCRT III complex as an is_a child of GO:0036452.
ESCRT IV complex	is a	ESCRT complex	`GO:1990621` GO defines ESCRT IV as an ESCRT complex with AAA-ATPase activity that catalyzes ESCRT-III disassembly.
ESCRT complex	is part of	endosome	`GO:0036452` OLS returns a direct part_of relation from GO:0036452 to GO:0005768.
ESCRT complex	participates in	multivesicular body sorting pathway	`GO:0036452` GO defines ESCRT complexes by their involvement in MVB sorting and related membrane fission processes. `DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2011.05.015` Henne, Buchkovich and Emr 2011 reviewed ESCRT complexes as sequential machinery for endosomal MVB sorting.

Discussions

INTERPRETATION (RESOLVED): Should individual ESCRT-0, ESCRT-I, ESCRT-II, ESCRT-III and ESCRT-IV subunits be curated on the generic ESCRT complex record? GO:0036452 is the generic ESCRT complex parent for several distinct ESCRT complexes. The ESCRT-0, ESCRT-I, ESCRT-II, ESCRT-III and ESCRT-IV child terms carry different subunit and assembly boundaries that should not be merged into a single parent component table.

Evidence

GO:0036452 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the ESCRT complex class.
GO:0032991 OLS places the ESCRT complex under the protein-containing complex.
GO:0005768 OLS places the ESCRT complex within the endosome.
GO:0033565 Gene Ontology places the ESCRT-0 complex under the ESCRT complex.
GO:0000813 Gene Ontology places ESCRT I complex under the ESCRT complex.
GO:0000814 Gene Ontology places ESCRT II complex under the ESCRT complex.
GO:0000815 Gene Ontology places ESCRT III complex under the ESCRT complex.
GO:1990621 Gene Ontology places ESCRT IV complex under the ESCRT complex.
GO:0071985 Gene Ontology biological-process term for the multivesicular body sorting pathway.
DOI:10.1016/j.devcel.2011.05.015 Henne, Buchkovich and Emr 2011, The ESCRT Pathway, Developmental Cell.

Curation history

2026-09-24T00:31:28Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-24T00:32:44Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO synonymy, protein-complex parentage and endosome parthood, Saccharomyces scope, an MVB-sorting function, GO and DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic ESCRT cascade graph, and a resolved child-complex component-boundary discussion.
2026-09-24T00:33:12Z codex · REFINE_ESCRT_IV_SCOPE — Clarified that ESCRT-specific subunits and stoichiometry remain on dedicated child records or future ESCRT-IV curation because the ESCRT IV GO child does not yet have a CellStructureMech record.

Source: data/structures/other/escrt_complex.yaml