Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
09:38
Isolation and Purification of Plant Extracellular Vesicles from Arabidopsis Leaves Using an Optimized Apoplastic Wash Collection Method
Published on: March 24, 2026
Transport vesicle formation in plant cells.
Inhwan Hwang1, David G Robinson
1Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea. ihhwang@postech.ac.kr
Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|October 27, 2009
Summary
Plant cells use vesicle transport for protein trafficking, similar to animal cells but with unique features. Key molecular players and vesicle types (COPI, COPII, CCV) are conserved, yet plant cells exhibit distinct protein isoforms and pathways.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Protein trafficking relies on vesicle formation for cargo transport between cellular compartments.
- Vesicle-mediated transport is crucial for maintaining cellular function in both plant and animal cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare and contrast vesicle-mediated protein transport mechanisms in plant and animal cells.
- To highlight the similarities and unique aspects of protein trafficking in plant cells.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of molecular players involved in vesicle formation and fusion.
- Identification of conserved and unique protein isoforms and regulatory mechanisms in plants.
- Examination of plant-specific cellular conditions influencing transport pathways.
Main Results:
- Plant cells utilize conserved vesicle types (COPI, COPII, CCV) and molecular machinery for protein transport.
- Plant cells possess a greater number of isoforms for coat proteins, ARF GTPases, regulatory proteins, and SNAREs compared to mammals.
- Plant cells exhibit unique subfamilies and transport pathways, potentially due to the absence of an ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and combined TGN/early endosome functions.
Conclusions:
- Vesicle-mediated protein transport in plant cells shares fundamental similarities with animal cells.
- Plant cells display significant differences in protein trafficking, including expanded protein isoform diversity and unique pathway adaptations.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the physiological roles of these proteins and pathways in plant cells.
Related Concept Videos
01:45Vesicular Tubular Clusters
After budding out from the ER membrane, some COPII vesicles lose their coat and fuse with one another to form larger vesicles and interconnected tubules called vesicular tubular clusters or VTCs. These clusters constitute a compartment at the ER-Golgi interface known as ERGIC (Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment). The ERGIC is a mobile membrane-bound cargo transport system that sorts proteins secreted from ER and delivers them to the Golgi.
With the help of motor proteins such...
With the help of motor proteins such...
01:59The Phragmoplast
Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...
The...
01:59The Phragmoplast
Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...
The...
02:12Short-distance Transport of Resources
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
01:12Clathrin Coated Vesicles
Clathrin-coated vesicles use endocytosis to transport receptors and lysosomal hydrolases from the Golgi to the lysosome in the late secretory pathway. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was the first described endocytic process, and Clathrin-coated vesicles remain one of the most well-studied transport vesicles. The molecular machinery that generates clathrin-coated vesicles comprises over 50 proteins that precisely coordinate vesicle formation. Cell surface receptors concentrated in indented sites...
01:32Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles
Vesicle budding is orchestrated by distinct cytosolic proteins such as adaptor proteins, coat proteins, and GTPases. To initiate vesicle budding, membrane-bending proteins containing crescent-shaped BAR domains bind to the lipid heads in the bilayer and distort the membrane to form a protein-coated vesicle bud. Adaptors proteins such as AP2 for clathrin-coated vesicles can nucleate on the deformed membrane. Finally, coat proteins such as clathrin or COPI and COPII assemble into a coat forming...