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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Protein Sorting and Transport01:45

Overview of Protein Sorting and Transport

Eukaryotic cells have different membrane-bound organelles with distinct protein requirements. The process by which proteins are targeted to a specific organelle is called protein sorting.
Protein sorting can be of two types: signal-based sorting and vesicle-based trafficking. In signal-based sorting, specific amino acid sequences called sorting signals target proteins to the proper location inside the cell either via gated transport or by protein translocation.  In gated transport, folded...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
Introduction to Membrane Traffic01:44

Introduction to Membrane Traffic

The ER, Golgi apparatus, endosomes, and lysosomes work in tandem to modify, sort, and package proteins and lipids. An integrated membrane trafficking network facilitates the back and forth shuttling of molecules within different organelles in the same cell or across the cell membrane.
The transport of soluble and membrane proteins is mediated by transport vesicles that collect cargo from one cellular compartment and deliver it to another by fusing with the target organelle membrane. The Rab...
Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters01:19

Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters

Enzymes like flippase, floppase, and scramblase transfer phospholipids from one layer to another in the membrane, thereby affecting membrane asymmetry.
Flippase
Eukaryotic flippases are type-IV P-type ATPases or P4-ATPases belonging to P-type ATPase family proteins that are membrane-bound pumps involved in the ATP-mediated transport of ions and molecules across the membrane. Flippases flip specific phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of a membrane. All P4-ATPases have one...
Post-translational Translocation of Proteins to the RER01:27

Post-translational Translocation of Proteins to the RER

A sizable fraction of proteins destined for ER are first synthesized in the cell cytosol and then transported across the ER membrane–a process called post-translational translocation. Similar to cotranslationally translocated proteins, these proteins also use the Sec translocon complex to enter the ER lumen.
Targeting proteins to the ER
Hsp40 and Hsp70 chaperone molecules bind the translated proteins in the cytosol to prevent their folding. The chaperone binding helps to keep the signal...
COP Coated Vesicles00:59

COP Coated Vesicles

Membrane-enclosed structures called vesicles transport proteins and lipids across the cell. The vesicles derive their cargo from the plasma membrane, Golgi, ER, or endosome. Coated vesicles are spherical, protein-coated carriers with a 50–100 nm diameter that mediate bidirectional transport between the ER and the Golgi. The distribution of proteins between the ER and Golgi complex is dynamic and is maintained by different coated vesicles. Their formation is driven by the assembly of different...

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Related Experiment Video

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Analyzing the Function of Small GTPases by Microinjection of Plasmids into Polarized Epithelial Cells
09:38

Analyzing the Function of Small GTPases by Microinjection of Plasmids into Polarized Epithelial Cells

Published on: May 31, 2011

Protein trafficking in polarized cells.

Amy Duffield1, Michael J Caplan, Theodore R Muth

  • 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.

International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology
|December 17, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Epithelial cells maintain distinct apical and basolateral membrane surfaces essential for regulating transport. Recent advances illuminate the mechanisms controlling protein and lipid trafficking in these polarized cells.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Physiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Epithelial cells form critical interfaces between the body's interior and exterior.
  • These cells possess structurally and functionally distinct apical and basolateral membrane surfaces.
  • This polarization is vital for regulating the passage of substances into and out of the body.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding epithelial cell polarity.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms governing protein and lipid trafficking in epithelial cells.
  • To highlight shared sorting and retention mechanisms with other polarized cell types like neurons.

Main Methods:

  • Focuses on recent research and literature review.
  • Examines molecular mechanisms of membrane protein and lipid sorting.
  • Investigates cellular trafficking pathways.

Main Results:

  • Identifies key sorting and retention mechanisms that establish and maintain epithelial polarity.
  • Details how these mechanisms regulate the distinct composition of apical and basolateral membranes.
  • Highlights the dynamic nature of protein and lipid trafficking in response to cellular needs.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding these trafficking mechanisms is crucial for comprehending epithelial function.
  • Epithelial polarity relies on sophisticated and conserved cellular processes.
  • Recent advances provide deeper insights into the generation, maintenance, and regulation of cell polarity.