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Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...

Exocytosis

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is used to release material from cells. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.

Exocytosis

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is a process that releases molecules outside the cell. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.
Exocytosis is the opposite of endocytosis, which brings molecules inside the cell. Sometimes, the released materials are signaling molecules. For example, neurons typically use exocytosis to release neurotransmitters. Cells also use exocytosis to insert proteins such as ion channels into their cell membranes, secrete proteins for use in the extracellular matrix, or...

Exocrine Glands: Methods of Secretion

Exocrine Glands: Methods of Secretion

Exocrine glands are those that release their secretions through ducts. Based on their mode of secretion, they can be classified into merocrine, apocrine, and holocrine.
Merocrine Secretion
Merocrine secretion is the most common type of exocrine secretion. The secretions are enclosed in vesicles and moved to the cell's apical surface, where the contents are released by exocytosis. For example, mucous, a watery secretion rich in the glycoprotein mucin, is a merocrine secretion. The eccrine glands...

Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane

Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane

Cell division and enlargement are processes that require precise control. The control ensures that cell division cannot proceed unless the cell has grown to a specific size. A spherical, dividing cell requires an approximately 1.6X increase in its surface area to double its volume. The secretory pathway also has a significant role in cell membrane enlargement. Secretory vesicles that bud off from the Golgi apparatus and later fuse with the plasma membrane during exocytosis are a major source of...

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Investigating Mast Cell Secretory Granules; from Biosynthesis to Exocytosis

Investigating Mast Cell Secretory Granules; from Biosynthesis to Exocytosis

Published on: January 26, 2015

Cell secretion: an update.

¹Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA. jerema@gwu.edu

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine

|March 28, 2008

Summary

The porosome is the universal cell secretion machinery. Secretory vesicles fuse with the porosome, releasing contents via regulated opening dilation and vesicle swelling.

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Recent discovery of the porosome as a permanent plasma membrane structure.
The porosome is identified as the universal machinery for cell secretion.
This finding has revolutionized the understanding of the secretory process.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and discuss the significant body of research on cell secretion and the porosome.
To consolidate current knowledge on the mechanism of porosome-mediated secretion.
To highlight the paradigm shift in cell biology introduced by the porosome discovery.

Main Methods:

Review of published scientific papers and reports on cell secretion.
Analysis of studies focusing on the porosome's role in the secretory pathway.

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Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis

Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis

Published on: February 19, 2018

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Published on: September 16, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Investigating Mast Cell Secretory Granules; from Biosynthesis to Exocytosis

Investigating Mast Cell Secretory Granules; from Biosynthesis to Exocytosis

Published on: January 26, 2015

Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis

Monitoring the Effect of Osmotic Stress on Secretory Vesicles and Exocytosis

Published on: February 19, 2018

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Published on: September 16, 2020

Discussion of experimental evidence supporting the porosome model.

Main Results:

Cell secretion involves transient docking and fusion of secretory vesicles at the porosome base.
Regulated release of vesicular contents is controlled by porosome opening dilation.
Vesicle swelling is a key factor influencing the extent of content release.

Conclusions:

The porosome is central to the regulated release of cellular products.
Understanding porosome function is critical for comprehending diverse cellular processes.
Continued research on the porosome will further elucidate secretion mechanisms.