Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Membrane trafficking and vesicle fusion

Post-Palade era researchers win the Nobel Prize

  • General / Article
  • Published:
Resonance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The functions of the eukaryotic cell rely onmembrane-bound compartments called organelles. Each of these possesses distinct membrane composition and unique function. In the 1970’s, during George Palade’s time, it was unclear how these organelles communicate with each other and perform their biological functions. The elegant research work of James E Rothman, Randy W Schekman and Thomas C Südhof identified the molecular machinery required for membrane trafficking, vesicle fusion and cargo delivery. Further, they also showed the importance of these processes for biological function. Their novel findings helped to explain several biological phenomena such as insulin secretion, neuron communication and other cellular activities. In addition, their work provided clues to cures for several neurological, immunological and metabolic disorders. This research work laid the foundation to the field of molecular cell biology and these post-Palade investigators were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2013.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Suggested Reading

  1. B Alberts, A Johnson, J Lewis, M Raff, K Roberts and P Walter, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Garland Science, Chapters 12–13, p.695–812, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  2. J H Hurst, Richard Scheller and Thomas Sudhof receive the 2013 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, J. Clin. Invest, Vol.123, pp.4095–4101, 2013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. A Claude, Fractionation of Mammalian Liver Cells by Differential Centrifugation, J. Expt. Med., Vol.84, pp.51–89, 1946.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. K R Porter, A Claude, and E F Fullam, A Study of Tissue Culture Cells by Electron Microscopy: Methods and Preliminary Observations, J. Expt. Med., Vol.81, pp.233–246, 1945.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. D D Sabatini and M Adesnik, Christian de Duve: Explorer of the cell who discovered new organelles by using a centrifuge, PNAS USA, Vol.110, pp.13234–13235, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. A Claude, The Coming Age of the Cell, Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  7. D de Duve, Exploring Cells with a Centrifuge, Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  8. G E Palade, Intracellular aspects of the process of protein secretion, Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  9. G Blobel, Protein targeting, Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  10. W E Balch, W G Dunphy, W A Braell, and J E Rothman, Reconstitution of the transport of protein between successive compartments of the Golgi measured by the coupled incorporation of Nacetylglucosamine, Cell., Vol.39, pp.405–416, 1984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. J E Rothman and L Orci, Molecular dissection of the secretory pathway, Nature, Vol.355, pp.409–415, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. P Novick and R Schekman, Secretion and cell-surface growth are blocked in a temperaturesensitive mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, PNAS USA, Vol.76, pp.1858–1862, 1979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. R Schekman, Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. SEC mutants and the secretory apparatus, Nat. Med., Vol.8, pp.1055–1058, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. P Novick, C Field and R Schekman, Identification of 23 complementation groups required for post-translational events in the yeast secretory pathway, Cell, Vol.21, pp.205–215, 1980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. C A Kaiser and R Schekman, Distinct sets of SEC genes govern transport vesicle formation and fusion early in the secretory pathway, Cell, Vol.61, pp.723–733, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. V Malhotra and S D Emr, Rothman and Schekman SNAREd by Lasker for trafficking, Cell, Vol.111, pp.1–3, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. L Orci, B S Glick and J E Rothman, A new type of coated vesicular carrier that appears not to contain clathrin: its possible role in protein transport within the Golgi stack, Cell, Vol.46, pp.171–184, 1986.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. C Barlowe, L Orci, T Yeung, M Hosobuchi, S Hamamoto, N Salama, M F Rexach, M Ravazzola, M Amherdt and R Schekman, COPII: a membrane coat formed by Sec proteins that drive vesicle budding from the endoplasmic reticulum, Cell, Vol.77, pp.895–907, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. D Jensen and R Schekman, COPII-mediated vesicle formation at a glance, J. Cell Sci., Vol.124, pp.1–4, 2011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. T Sollner, S W Whiteheart, M Brunner, H Erdjument-Bromage, S Geromanos, P Tempst and J E Rothman, SNAP receptors implicated in vesicle targeting and fusion, Nature, Vol.362, pp.318–324, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. R C Lin and R H Scheller, Structural organization of the synaptic exocytosis core complex, Neuron, Vol.19, pp.1087–1094, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. T Weber, B V Zemelman, J A McNew, B Westermann, M Gmachl, F Parlati, T H Sollner and J E Rothman, SNAREpins: minimal machinery for membrane fusion, Cell, Vol.92, pp.759–772, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. W T Wickner, Profile of Thomas Sudhof, James Rothman, And Randy Schekman, 2013 Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine, PNAS USA, Vol.110, pp.18349–18350, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. J E Heuser and T S Reese, Evidence for recycling of synaptic vesicle membrane during transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction, J. Cell Biol, Vol.57, pp.315–344, 1973.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. W S Trimble, D M Cowan and R H Scheller, VAMP-1: a synaptic vesicle-associated integral membrane protein, PNAS USA, Vol.85, pp.4538–4542, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. M K Bennett, J E Garcia-Arraras, L A Elferink, K Peterson, A M Fleming, C D Hazuka and R H Scheller, The syntaxin family of vesicular transport receptors, Cell, Vol.74, pp.863–873, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. G A Oyler, G A Higgins, R A Hart, E Battenberg, M Billingsley, F E Bloom, and M C Wilson, The identification of a novel synaptosomal-associated protein, SNAP-25, differentially expressed by neuronal subpopulations, J. Cell Biol., Vol.109, pp.3039–3052, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. M Geppert, Y Goda, R E Hammer, C Li, T W Rosahl, C F Stevens and T C Sudhof, Synaptotagmin I: a major Ca2+ sensor for transmitter release at a central synapse, Cell, Vol.79, pp.717–727, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. M S Perin, V A Fried, G A Mignery, R Jahn and T C Sudhof, Phospholipid binding by a synaptic vesicle protein homologous to the regulatory region of protein kinase C. Nature, Vol.345, pp.260–263, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. A Maximov, J Tang, X Yang, Z P Pang and T C Sudhof, Complexin controls the force transfer from SNARE complexes to membranes in fusion, Science, Vol.323, pp.516–521, 2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Y Hata, C A Slaughter T C Sudhof, Synaptic vesicle fusion complex contains unc-18 homologue bound to syntaxin, Nature, Vol.366, pp.347–351, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. T C Sudhof and J E Rothman, Membrane fusion: grappling with SNARE and SM proteins, Science, Vol.323, pp.474–477, 2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. I Mellman and S D Emr, A Nobel Prize for membrane traffic: vesicles find their journey’s end, J. Cell Biol., Vol.203, pp.559–561, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. P Gissen and E R Maher, Cargos and genes: insights into vesicular transport from inherited human disease, J. Med. Genet., Vol.44, pp.545–555, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. V M Olkkonen and E Ikonen, When intracellular logistics fails-genetic defects in membrane trafficking, J. Cell Sci, Vol.119, pp.5031–5045, 2006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. M S Marks, H F Heijnen and G Raposo, Lysosome-related organelles: unusual compartments become mainstream, Curr. Opin. in Cell Biol., Vol.25, pp.495–505, 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. J S Bonifacino and B S Glick, The mechanisms of vesicle budding and fusion, Cell, Vol.116, pp.153–166, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560 012, India

    Riddhi Atul Jani & Subba Rao Gangi Setty

Authors
  1. Riddhi Atul Jani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Subba Rao Gangi Setty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Subba Rao Gangi Setty.

Additional information

Riddhi Atul Jani is a graduate student in Subba Rao’s Lab at MCB, IISc. She is interested in studying the SNARE dynamics during melanosome biogenesis.

Subba Rao Gangi Setty is an Assistant Professor at the MCB, IISc, Bangalore. He is interested in understanding the disease associated protein trafficking pathways in mammalian cells.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jani, R.A., Setty, S.R.G. Membrane trafficking and vesicle fusion. Reson 19, 421–445 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-014-0047-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-014-0047-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation