The primary function of coat proteins like COPI and COPII is:
Formation of transport vesicles requires peripheral coat proteins that deform donor membrane into bud and select cargo through direct recognition of sorting motifs. COPII coat assembly initiates when Sar1 activated by Sec12 GEF at ER exit sites embeds N-terminal amphipathic helix into ER membrane, recruiting Sec23-Sec24 heterodimer where Sec24 contains multiple cargo-binding sites for di-acidic Asp-X-Glu, di-phenylalanine and motifs presented by cargo receptors like ERGIC-53 and p24 family. Outer layer Sec13-Sec31 forms cuboctahedral cage providing curvature and scaffold. COPI coat activated b
Ref: Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 6th ed., Chapter 13: COPI and COPII Vesicle Coats.