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Review
. 2013 Aug;25(4):483-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2013.02.018. Epub 2013 Mar 17.

The journey of the organelle: teamwork and regulation in intracellular transport

Kari Barlan  1 , Molly J Rossow, Vladimir I Gelfand
Affiliations
Review

The journey of the organelle: teamwork and regulation in intracellular transport

Kari Barlan et al. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Specific subsets of biochemical reactions in eukaryotic cells are restricted to individual membrane compartments, or organelles. Cells, therefore, face the monumental task of moving the products of those reactions between individual organelles. Because of the high density of the cytoplasm and the large size of membrane organelles, simple diffusion is grossly insufficient for this task. Proper trafficking between membrane organelles thus relies on cytoskeletal elements and the activity of motor proteins, that act both in transport of membrane compartments and as tethering agents to ensure their proper distribution and to facilitate organelle interactions.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Membrane organelles require multiple motors and cytoskeletal filaments for their distribution. Long distance transport generally occurs along microtubules (purple), via the molecular motors kinesin (yellow) and dynein (green). Myosin motors (pink, gray) move along actin filaments (orange), and contribute mostly to short-range transport of cargoes. Microtubules and actin also provide scaffolding where organelle interactions can take place (inset A), as attachment to a filament restricts three-dimensional diffusion of organelles to movement in one dimension. Organelles are often moved on filaments by multiple copies of motors, including motors of opposite polarity (inset B). The activity of these motors, and the way in which individual cargoes are transported, is likely regulated by specific factors on individual organelles, to allow for rapid changes in distribution and motility.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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