Intracellular Compartments and Protein Transport

Flashcards based on lecture notes about Intracellular Compartments and Protein Transport.

Cytosol

Contains many metabolic pathways; protein synthesis; the cytoskeleton.

Nucleus

Contains main genome; DNA and RNA synthesis.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)

Synthesis of most lipids; synthesis of proteins for distribution to many organelles and to the plasma membrane.

Golgi apparatus

Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins and lipids for either secretion or delivery to another organelle.

Lysosomes

Intracellular degradation.

Endosomes

Sorting of endocytosed material.

Mitochondria

ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation.

Peroxisomes

Oxidative breakdown of toxic molecules.

Signal Sequence

Short sequence of amino acids, usually 15-60 residues long, that directs the protein to a specific cellular compartment.

Nuclear Pore Complex

A complex of proteins that mediates the transport of molecules across the nuclear envelope.

Clathrin

The coat protein responsible for vesicle formation during transport from the Golgi apparatus to lysosomes (via endosomes) or from the plasma membrane to endosomes.

Adaptins

Proteins that bind to the cytosolic side of a donor membrane and facilitate the assembly of a clathrin coat.

SNAREs

Proteins involved in vesicle targeting and fusion.

Exocytosis

The regulated release of intracellular molecules into the extracellular space by fusion of transport vesicles with the plasma membrane.

Endocytosis

The process by which cells internalize molecules (such as proteins) by the inward budding of plasma membrane vesicles.

Pinocytosis

The uptake of material into a cell by invagination of the plasma membrane and its internalization in membrane-bound vesicles.

Phagocytosis

The engulfment of large particles or cells by a phagocyte.

Lysosome

An organelle containing hydrolytic enzymes that degrade ingested materials and cellular debris.