ER-to-Golgi Transport: The COPII-Pathway

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the starting site of the journey of newly synthesized proteinsto the apoplast, plasma membrane and to the vacuolar compartments. Transport between these membranecompartments of the secretory pathway in eukaryotic cells is mediated by vesicles, which are producedby a budding mechanism involving coat proteins that capture specific cargo molecules and helppackage them into coated vesicles. These vesicles are known as COPII-coated vesicles, and are usuallyisolated after their induction in vitro using microsomal membranes, cytosol and a non-hydrolyzableGTP-analogue. COPII-coated vesicles are formed at specific sites in the ER known as ER-exit sites(ERES). ERES a…