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Role of ER in the Secretory Pathway

Role of ER in the Secretory Pathway

Eukaryotic cells have a special pathway that enables communication between various intracellular membrane-bound compartments and also with the extracellular environment. This pathway is termed as the secretory pathway.
Components of the secretory pathway
About a third of proteins synthesized in the cell are sorted via the secretory route. They shuffle between different compartments in membrane-bound vesicles until they reach their final destination. The main intracellular compartments involved...

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...

ER Retrieval Pathway

ER Retrieval Pathway

In the secretory pathway, vesicles transport proteins from one cellular compartment to another in forward transport to deliver the protein to its correct location. Occasionally, misfolded proteins and incorrect proteins escape their original compartments, and a retrieval pathway is used to return the escaped proteins to their original compartment.
The ER uses many checkpoints to prevent the entry of incorrectly folded or a resident protein as cargo onto a transport vesicle. These mechanisms...

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...

Transport Across the Golgi

Transport Across the Golgi

While it is unclear how molecules move between adjacent Golgi cisternae, it is apparent that the molecules move from cis- cisterna, the entry face, to the trans- cisterna, the exit face. Experiments initially suggested vesicles that bud from one cisterna and fuse with the next cisterna to transport proteins between the cisternae. This vesicular transport model describes the Golgi apparatus as a relatively static structure with a unique enzyme composition in each cisterna. Molecules are...

Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane

Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane

The translocon complex situated on the ER membrane is the main gateway for the protein secretory pathway. It facilitates the transport of nascent peptides into the ER lumen and their insertion into the ER membrane.
Sec61 protein conducting channel
In eukaryotes, the translocon complex comprises a core heterotrimeric translocator channel called the Sec61 complex. This channel includes three transmembrane proteins, Sec61α, Sec61β, and Sec61γ, and is the largest subunit of the translocon complex.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Visualization of Endoplasmic Reticulum Subdomains in Cultured Cells

Visualization of Endoplasmic Reticulum Subdomains in Cultured Cells

Published on: February 18, 2014

An evolving paradigm for the secretory pathway?

Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz¹

¹Cell Biology and Metabolism Program, Eunice Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. lippincj@mail.nih.gov

Molecular Biology of the Cell

|November 1, 2011

Summary

The classic secretory pathway model, involving stable organelles and vesicles, is evolving. New imaging technologies reveal dynamic cellular processes that challenge and refine this established biological paradigm.

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

The established secretory pathway model, supported by 1980s research, describes a system with a stable endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.
This model relies on discrete transport vesicles for the exchange of cellular contents between organelles.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine how new imaging technologies impact our understanding of the secretory pathway.
To investigate the dynamic cellular processes revealed by advanced imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

Utilized groundbreaking biochemical and genetic studies from the 1980s for historical context.
Employed advanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) imaging technologies to observe cellular dynamics.

Main Results:

New imaging data revealed dynamic cellular processes not fully explained by the existing paradigm.
Observed cellular transport mechanisms that appear more fluid than previously understood.

Conclusions:

The traditional model of the secretory pathway is being challenged by new technological insights.
The paradigm is evolving to incorporate dynamic cellular processes, reflecting advancements in imaging and cell biology.