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Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Investigating Mast Cell Secretory Granules; from Biosynthesis to Exocytosis
Published on: January 26, 2015
Maturing secretory granules: Where secretory and endocytic pathways converge
Cheng-I Jonathan Ma1, Jason Burgess2, Julie A Brill3
1Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, PGCRL Building, Room 15.9716, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Room 2374, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
Abstract:
Secretory granules (SGs) are specialized organelles responsible for the storage and regulated release of various biologically active molecules from the endocrine and exocrine systems. Thus, proper SG biogenesis is critical to normal animal physiology. Biogenesis of SGs starts at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), where immature SGs (iSGs) bud off and undergo maturation before fusing with the plasma membrane (PM). How iSGs mature is unclear, but emerging studies have suggested an important role for the endocytic pathway. The requirement for endocytic machinery in SG maturation blurs the line between SGs and another class of secretory organelles called lysosome-related organelles (LROs). Therefore, it is important to re-evaluate the differences and similarities between SGs and LROs.
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