Session 5: Membrane organization at the cellular level
The Golgi complex: an unusual example of membrane organization - what is it good for?
Vivek Malhotra
Why are Golgi membranes organized into stacks of cisternae? Why are they held together and near the centrioles in some cell types (mammals and Drosophila) and not others (yeast, plants and early embryos)? How is the boundary of the Golgi stacks determined, and why should there be 40-100 separate stacks rather than one giant stack? Only the pericentriolar Golgi complex undergoes complete vesiculation during mitosis; why is this? What prevents these stacks from complete vesiculation during protein transport? Does protein transport across a Golgi stack occur through vesicles, tubes or neither? The Golgi complex has a 'complex organization' that is maintained amidst a tremendous flux of membranes during protein transport, destroyed during mitosis and re-established post-mitosis. This organization must have a physiological relevance, and addressing these questions will help to gain a comprehensive understanding of the significance of compartmental architecture/dynamics in the overall cellular physiology.
Further reading
Sutterlin, C., Hsu, P., Mallabiabarrena, A. & Malhotra, V. Fragmentation and dispersal of the pericentriolar Golgi complex is required for entry into mitosis in mammalian cells. Cell 109, 359-369 (2003)
Short, B. & Barr, F. A. Membrane traffic: a glitch in the Golgi matrix. Curr. Biol. 13, 311-313 (2003)
Colanzi, A., Suetterlin, C. & Malhotra, V. Cell cycle-specific Golgi fragmentation: how and why? Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 15, 1-6 (2003)
Glick, B. S. & Malhotra, V. The curious status of the Golgi apparatus. Cell 95, 883-890 (1998)
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Full list of key questions