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COP Coated Vesicles

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Membrane-enclosed structures called vesicles transport proteins and lipids across the cell. The vesicles derive their cargo from the plasma membrane, Golgi, ER, or endosome. Coated vesicles are spherical, protein-coated carriers with a 50–100 nm diameter that mediate bidirectional transport between the ER and the Golgi. The distribution of proteins between the ER and Golgi complex is dynamic and is maintained by different coated vesicles. Their formation is driven by the assembly of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 7, 2025

Purification of Extracellular Trypanosomes, Including African, from Blood by Anion-Exchangers Diethylaminoethyl-cellulose Columns

Purification of Extracellular Trypanosomes, Including African, from Blood by Anion-Exchangers Diethylaminoethyl-cellulose Columns

Published on: April 6, 2019

Stage-Specific COPII-Mediated Cargo Selectivity in African Trypanosomes.

Mohamed Sharif¹, James D Bangs²

¹Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.

|June 21, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

African trypanosomes alter their COPII vesicle transport machinery between life stages. Selectivity for GPI-anchored protein export is lost in insect stage parasites, impacting protein trafficking.

Keywords:

COPII ER exit glycosylphosphatidylinositol trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein

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Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome

Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome

Published on: August 19, 2014

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Parasitology

Background:

Eukaryotic cells utilize a secretory pathway for intracellular transport, with COPII-coated vesicles mediating ER to Golgi transport.
African trypanosomes possess stage-specific secretory pathways crucial for their parasitic life cycle and surface coat synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the functional differences in COPII vesicle coat complex assembly and cargo selectivity between bloodstream and insect stages of African trypanosomes.
To determine the essentiality and specific roles of Sec23/24 paralogs in COPII transport in procyclic insect-form trypanosomes.

Main Methods:

RNA interference (RNAi) knockdowns were employed to assess the essentiality of TbSec23 and TbSec24 isoforms in procyclic trypanosomes.
Analysis of cargo trafficking, including glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) and lysosomal proteins, following RNAi silencing.

Main Results:

All TbSec23 and TbSec24 isoforms are essential for procyclic trypanosome survival.
Loss of cargo selectivity for GPI-APs was observed in insect-stage parasites compared to bloodstream-stage parasites.
Silencing of the TbSec23.2/TbSec24.1 heterodimer significantly impacted the trafficking of soluble proteins like TbCatL.

Conclusions:

COPII-mediated transport selectivity is altered between bloodstream and insect stages of African trypanosomes, suggesting adaptation to their digenetic life cycle.
These findings highlight stage-specific adaptations in the secretory pathway of African trypanosomes, impacting surface protein dynamics and host-parasite interactions.