Recent advances in plant endomembrane research and new microscopical techniques

Abstract

SummaryThe endomembrane system consists of various membrane‐bound organelles including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, trans‐Golgi network (TGN), endosomes, and the lysosome/vacuole. Membrane trafficking between distinct compartments is mainly achieved by vesicular transport. As the endomembrane compartments and the machineries regulating the membrane trafficking are largely conserved across all eukaryotes, our current knowledge on organelle biogenesis and endomembrane trafficking in plants has mainly been shaped by corresponding studies in mammals and yeast. However, unique perspectives have emerged from plant cell biology research through the characterization of plant‐specific regulators as well as the development and application of the state‐of‐the‐art microscopical techniques. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the plant endomembrane system, with a focus on several distinct pathways: ER‐to‐Golgi transport, protein sorting at the TGN, endosomal sorting on multivesicular bodies, vacuolar trafficking/vacuole biogenesis, and the autophagy pathway. We also give an update on advanced imaging techniques for the plant cell biology research.

Genome-Wide association study uncovers pea candidate genes and pathways involved in rust resistance

“…Several of the candidate genes containing or closely related to the associated markers are related to vesicle trafficking and cell wall biosynthesis suggesting the importance of the cell wall and cell trafficking in response to rust. Among them, three genes (127087512, 127102730, and 127115771) encode proteins of the coat protein complex I (COPI), coat protein complex II (COPII), and clathrin-mediated endocytosis vesicles that mediate basic functions of protein export/import to the ER in plant cells (Zeng et al 2023). COPII has been directly involved in the process of autophagy, which enable the ABA-mediated cell nutrient recycling in response to stress (Li et al 2022).…”

Logistics of defense: The contribution of endomembranes to plant innate immunity

“…From the ER, COPII carriers are transported to the Golgi apparatus for further post-translational modifications ( Hadlington and Denecke, 2000 ). Retrograde transport from the Golgi to ER is facilitated by COPI coat proteins ( Zeng et al, 2023 ). Unlike mammalian systems, a defined ER–Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) is not evident in plant cells, and ERES and Golgi stacks are closely associated, although live-cell imaging analyses have raised the intriguing possibility that the cis-most cisternae of the plant Golgi stacks may share some functions with the ERGIC ( Ito et al, 2018 ).…”