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Related Concept Videos

Exocytosis00:50

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...
Exocytosis00:51

Exocytosis

Exocytosis is used to release material from cells. Like other bulk transport mechanisms, exocytosis requires energy.
Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis01:18

Vesicular Trasport: Endocytosis, Transcytosis and Exocytosis

Vesicular transport is a cellular process that encompasses the engulfment of particles or dissolved substances by cells. It involves endocytosis, transcytosis, and exocytosis.
Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism that involves the inward folding of the cell membrane to create vesicles that capture and transport large drug molecules. This process comprises two distinct methods: pinocytosis (often referred to as "cell drinking") and phagocytosis (often referred to as "cell eating"). Pinocytosis is...
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies01:38

Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies

Intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) are small vesicles 50-80 nm in diameter formed during the maturation of early endosomes. A specialized endosome containing numerous ILVs is called a multivesicular body (MVB). ILVs contain internalized molecules such as antigens, nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. Some of these molecules are released from the MVBs inside exosomes and are transported to other cells. Other MVBs contain molecules that are retained in the ILVs and are later degraded within the...
Export of Misfolded Proteins out of the ER01:32

Export of Misfolded Proteins out of the ER

After folding, the ER assesses the quality of secretory and membrane proteins. The correctly folded proteins are cleared by the calnexin cycle for transport to their final destination, while misfolded proteins are held back in the ER lumen. The ER chaperones attempt to unfold and refold the misfolded proteins but sometimes fail to achieve the correct native conformation. Such terminally misfolded proteins are then exported to the cytosol by ER-associated degradation or ERAD pathway for...
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

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...

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Purification of the Membrane Compartment for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Exogenous Antigens in Cross-presentation
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Exorcising the exocyst complex.

Margaret R Heider1, Mary Munson

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.

Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark)
|March 17, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The exocyst complex, crucial for vesicle tethering, plays a key role in cell secretion. Recent studies reveal its broader functions in cellular processes, development, and disease.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Protein Complexes

Background:

  • The exocyst complex is an evolutionarily conserved eight-subunit protein complex.
  • It is essential for tethering secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane during exocytosis.
  • Its precise molecular functions have been challenging to fully elucidate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on the exocyst complex's architecture, assembly, and regulation.
  • To discuss the exocyst's roles in various cellular trafficking pathways.
  • To highlight recent findings on its functions beyond exocytosis, including roles in development and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on the exocyst complex.
  • Analysis of research from diverse eukaryotic systems, including budding yeast.
  • Synthesis of data on protein and lipid interactions of exocyst subunits.

Main Results:

  • Significant progress has been made in understanding the exocyst's structure and subunit organization.
  • The exocyst acts as a spatiotemporal regulator through extensive molecular interactions.
  • Emerging evidence indicates exocyst involvement in additional trafficking steps and cellular processes.

Conclusions:

  • The exocyst complex is vital for exocytosis and has broader implications in cellular functions.
  • Understanding exocyst architecture and regulation is key to deciphering its diverse roles.
  • Further research into the exocyst complex is crucial for understanding development and disease.