KDEL is a target peptide sequence in mammals and plants[1][2] located on the C-terminal end of the amino acid structure of a protein.
The KDEL sequence prevents a protein from being secreted from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and facilitates its return if it is accidentally exported.
A protein with a functional KDEL motif will be retrieved from the Golgi apparatus by retrograde transport to the ER lumen.
KDEL receptors initiate the mechanism by which proteins are transported from the Golgi to the ER.
[11] A study conducted by Becker et al. demonstrated through experimentation and simulation that KDEL receptors/cargo clustering at the cell surface is caused by the transport of cargo-synchronized receptors from and to the plasma membrane.