Vesicle traffic in the endomembrane system: a tale of COPs, Rabs and SNAREs

Recent years have seen remarkable progress in our understanding of the endomembrane system of plants. A large number of genes and proteins that are involved in membrane exchange between the different compartments of this system have been identified on the basis of their similarity to animal and yeast homologs. These proteins indicate that the endomembrane system in plants functions in essentially the same way as those in other eukaryotes. However, a growing number of examples demonstrate that the dynamic interplay between membrane-exchange proteins can be regulated differently in plant cells. Novel tools and a better understanding of the molecular effects of the inhibitor brefeldin A are helping to unravel these plant-specific adaptations.