VAMP-Associated Protein A ( or Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein-Associated Protein A) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the VAPA gene. Together with VAPB and VAPC it forms the VAP protein family. They are integral endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins of the type II and are ubiquitous among eukaryotes. VAPA is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues and is thought to be involved in membrane trafficking by interaction with SNAREs, in regulation of lipid transport and metabolism, and in the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). Protein structure The protein is divided in three different domains. First, an N-terminal beta-sheet with an immunoglobulin-like fold that shares homology with the Nematode major sperm protein (MSP). Secondly, a central coiled-coil domain. Then finally a C-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) which is usually present in proteins of the t-SNARE superfamily and has been found in other proteins associated with vesicular transport. VAPA can form homo-dimers and also hetero dimers with VAPB by interactions through their (TMD). Intracellular Localisation Because of its ubiquitous expression, the intracellular localisation and function of VAPA may vary between cell types. It is however mainly located in the ER, Golgi apparatus and the Vesicular Tubular Compartment or ER-Golgi Intermediate Compartment, an organelle of eukaryotic cells consisting in fused ER-derived vesicles that transports proteins from the ER to the Golgi apparatus. Interactions VAPA has been documented to interact with three different groups of proteins: proteins associated with vesicle traffic and fusion, proteins containing the FFAT motif and viral proteins. Vesicle traffic and fusion VAPA is able to bind a range of SNARE proteins including syntaxin1A, rbet1 and rsec22. It also binds to proteins associated with membrane fusion machinery such as alphaSNAP and NSF.These interaction suggest that VAPA could have a general role in the regulation of the function of these proteins that are mainly involved in membrane fusion Viral Proteins VAP proteins have been found to be essential host factors for several viruses. VAP proteins binds with non-structural proteins of the hepatitis C virus NS5A and NS5B allowing the RNA replication machinery of the virus to set up on the lipid raft membrane of the host cell. VAPA also binds to several viral proteins from the Norovirus family and is important for the virus replication efficiency. The non-structural proteins NS1 and NS2 are able to bind VAPA thanks to sequence mimicry of the FFAT motif probably yielding the same advantage to viral replication as