Sorting nexins are a family of phox homology domain containing proteins that are homologous to yeast proteins involved in protein trafficking. We have identified a novel 342-amino acid residue sorting nexin, SNX15, and a 252-amino acid splice variant, SNX15A. Unlike many sorting nexins, a SNX15 ortholog has not been identified in yeast or Caenorhabditis elegans. By Northern blot analysis, SNX15 mRNA is widely expressed. Although predicted to be a soluble protein, both endogenous and overexpressed SNX15 are found on membranes and in the cytosol. The phox homology domain of SNX15 is required for its membrane association and for association with the platelet-derived growth factor receptor. We did not detect association of SNX15 with receptors for epidermal growth factor or insulin. However, overexpression of SNX15 led to a decrease in the processing of insulin and hepatocyte growth factor receptors to their mature subunits. Immunofluorescence studies showed that SNX15 overexpression resulted in mislocalization of furin, the endoprotease responsible for cleavage of insulin and hepatocyte growth factor receptors. Based on our data and the existing findings with yeast orthologs of other sorting nexins, we propose that overexpression of SNX15 disrupts the normal trafficking of proteins from the plasma membrane to recycling endosomes or the trans-Golgi network.Intracellular vesicle traffic in both yeast and mammals requires the function of numerous proteins that mediate multiple processes including cargo selection, vesicle budding, and fusion of vesicles with specific targets (1-3). Sorting nexins (SNXs) 1 are a family of widely expressed proteins believed to be part of the complex molecular machinery required for protein trafficking (4). Mammalian SNXs are homologous to several yeast proteins (e.g. Vps5p, Mvp1p, and Grd19p) for which there is strong genetic evidence demonstrating a role in protein trafficking (5-7). SNX1 was identified using the yeast two-hybrid system by virtue of its ability to bind to the cytoplasmic domain of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (8). Subsequently, SNX1 was shown to also interact with receptors for insulin, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transferrin, and leptin (4). Furthermore, SNX1 is the mammalian ortholog of Vps5p, a yeast protein that is a component of a multimeric complex (termed the "retromer complex") involved in retrograde transport of proteins from prevacuolar endosomes to the TGN (9). We have previously described three additional sorting nexins: SNX2, SNX3, and SNX4 (4); and 10 additional sorting nexins (SNX5-14) have been deposited in GenBank TM . Like SNX1, both SNX2 and SNX4 associate with various receptors. In addition, SNX1, SNX2, and SNX4 assemble into oligomeric structures (4). All 14 SNX molecules contain a phox homology (PX) domain, a conserved sequence of unknown function first identified in the p40 phox and p47 phox subunits of the NADPH oxidase complex (10). PX domains consist of ϳ100 amino acid residues, and most contain a proline-rich sequence ...