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Related Concept Videos

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...

Exocytosis

Exocytosis

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

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...

Receptor-mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis is when bulk amounts of specific molecules are imported into a cell after binding to cell surface receptors. The molecules bound to these receptors are taken into the cell through inward folding of the cell surface membrane, which is eventually pinched off into a vesicle within the cell. Structural proteins, such as clathrin, coat the budding vesicle.
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis of LDL
One well-characterized example of receptor-mediated endocytosis is the...

Receptor-mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis is when bulk amounts of specific molecules are imported into a cell after binding to cell surface receptors. The molecules bound to these receptors are taken into the cell through inward folding of the cell surface membrane, which is eventually pinched off into a vesicle within the cell. Structural proteins, such as clathrin, coat the budding vesicle.
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis of LDL
One well-characterized example of receptor-mediated endocytosis is the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Imaging FITC-dextran as a Reporter for Regulated Exocytosis

Imaging FITC-dextran as a Reporter for Regulated Exocytosis

Published on: June 20, 2018

Introduction: regulated exocytosis.

¹Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany. eneher@gwdg.de

|June 8, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Calcium ions are crucial for cell secretion, triggering rapid vesicle release and controlling preparation steps. High-time-resolution assays are essential to differentiate these calcium-dependent roles in cellular processes.

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Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

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Last Updated: May 21, 2026

Imaging FITC-dextran as a Reporter for Regulated Exocytosis

Imaging FITC-dextran as a Reporter for Regulated Exocytosis

Published on: June 20, 2018

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Published on: September 16, 2020

Automated Detection and Analysis of Exocytosis

Automated Detection and Analysis of Exocytosis

Published on: September 11, 2021

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Physiology

Background:

Calcium ions (Ca2+) are critical intracellular messengers regulating numerous cellular functions.
Secretory processes, essential for communication and transport, rely heavily on precise calcium signaling.
Understanding the distinct roles of calcium in secretion is key to deciphering cellular communication.

Discussion:

Calcium ions (Ca2+) play dual roles in exocytosis: triggering rapid vesicle fusion and regulating slower priming mechanisms.
Distinguishing between these calcium-dependent events requires methodologies with high temporal resolution.
The cooperative nature of calcium in triggering release suggests complex molecular interactions at the vesicle-plasma membrane interface.

Key Insights:

Calcium ions (Ca2+) act as primary triggers for the rapid release of vesicle contents.
Calcium ions (Ca2+) also govern the preparatory 'priming' steps essential for subsequent vesicle release.
High-time-resolution assays are indispensable for dissecting the distinct kinetic profiles of calcium's roles in secretion.

Outlook:

Further investigation using advanced imaging and electrophysiological techniques will refine our understanding of calcium dynamics in secretion.
Exploring the molecular machinery underlying calcium-dependent priming and triggering could reveal novel therapeutic targets.
Comparative studies across different secretory systems will illuminate the universality and specificity of calcium's regulatory functions.