The Road not Taken: Less Traveled Roads from the TGN to the Plasma Membrane

Abstract

The trans-Golgi network functions in the distribution of cargo into different transport vesicles that are destined to endosomes, lysosomes and the plasma membrane. Over the years, it has become clear that more than one transport pathway promotes plasma membrane localization of proteins. In spite of the importance of temporal and spatial control of protein localization at the plasma membrane, the regulation of sorting into and the formation of different transport containers are still poorly understood. In this review different transport pathways, with a special emphasis on exomer-dependent transport, and concepts of regulation and sorting at the TGN are discussed.

Keywords

• membrane transport
• vesicle transport
• trans-Golgi network
• exocytosis
• secretion
• adaptor complex
• small GTPase