Regulated secretion of conventional lysosomes

Abstract

Regulated secretion has been traditionally regarded as a specialized process present in only a few cell types. Similarly, the secretory lysosomes of hematopoietic cells have been viewed as 'modified' organelles that acquired the machinery for regulated exocytosis. However, there is evidence that conventional lysosomes can, in many cell types, respond to rises in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration by fusing with the plasma membrane. These findings profoundly change the current view of lysosomes as a 'final' station of the endocytic pathway and suggest a previously unsuspected active role for this organelle.