STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF GOLGI APPARATUS
E. S. Snigirevskaya, Yu. Ya. Sokolova, Ya. Yu. Komissarchik
Institute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg;
e-mail: snigir@mail.cytspb.rssi.ru
This review is dedicated to the structure and function of Golgi apparatus (GA). It summarizes contemporary data
published in numerous experimental papers and in several reviews. Possible ways of intra-Golgi transport of proteins,
existent models of structural and functional organization of Golgi organelle, as well as the issues of its
biogenesis, posttranslational modification and sorting of proteins and lipids, and mechanisms of their trafficking
are discussed. Special attention is paid to the role of coatomer proteins (COPI, COPII and clathrin), fusion proteins
(SNAREs), and small GTPases (ARF, SARI) in the secretory pathway. In addition, the phenomena of ultrastructural
alterations of GA due to various functional conditions and physiological stimuli are specifically accented. We
included in this review our original data on a probable involvement of GA in water transport, and on the organization
of atypical GA in microsporidia - intracellular parasitic protists.
Key words: Golgi apparatus, intracellular transport, cell ultrastructure, epithelium, microsporidia,
immunocytochemistry, electron and confocal microscopy
Back
Contents
Main