Eukaryotic cells need their membrane-enclosed compartments to be in communication with each other and with the environment. Vesicular and non-vesicular transport of proteins and lipids between these compartments is crucial for all tissue and organ function, to maintain the protein and lipidic homeostasis of membranes required for signaling and a variety of cellular processes, such as autophagy, endocytosis, exocytosis, etc. Recent advances in elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of these events have deepened our knowledge and understanding of how they are altered in disease. In this context, it is relevant to review and discuss latest advances on functioning of membrane contact sites (MCS) between membrane compartments, including lipid droplets and their cross-talk with other organelles, unconventional secretion mechanisms involving autophagy, and the role of tethers and new families of proteins such as annexins, sorting nexins and aster proteins, etc.
The aim of this Research Topic is to discuss recent and novel research trends in vesicular and non-vesicular transport of proteins and lipids between different cellular compartments, with a focus on how they are altered in disease and how it is possible to modulate them to alleviate their impact. A better understanding of membrane trafficking pathways and their essential functions at the cell, tissue, and organism level, will improve our understanding of how their deregulation plays a role during initiation and development of different human diseases to improve treatment.
Specific themes to be addressed include but are not limited to:
• Vesicular and non-vesicular transport, including membrane contact sites between organelles;
• New insights in lipid droplet biology and its cross-talk with lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria;
• Unconventional secretion involving the autophagy machinery;
• Role of tethers, SNAREs and new families of proteins such as annexins, sorting nexins and aster proteins, among others.
Eukaryotic cells need their membrane-enclosed compartments to be in communication with each other and with the environment. Vesicular and non-vesicular transport of proteins and lipids between these compartments is crucial for all tissue and organ function, to maintain the protein and lipidic homeostasis of membranes required for signaling and a variety of cellular processes, such as autophagy, endocytosis, exocytosis, etc. Recent advances in elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of these events have deepened our knowledge and understanding of how they are altered in disease. In this context, it is relevant to review and discuss latest advances on functioning of membrane contact sites (MCS) between membrane compartments, including lipid droplets and their cross-talk with other organelles, unconventional secretion mechanisms involving autophagy, and the role of tethers and new families of proteins such as annexins, sorting nexins and aster proteins, etc.
The aim of this Research Topic is to discuss recent and novel research trends in vesicular and non-vesicular transport of proteins and lipids between different cellular compartments, with a focus on how they are altered in disease and how it is possible to modulate them to alleviate their impact. A better understanding of membrane trafficking pathways and their essential functions at the cell, tissue, and organism level, will improve our understanding of how their deregulation plays a role during initiation and development of different human diseases to improve treatment.
Specific themes to be addressed include but are not limited to:
• Vesicular and non-vesicular transport, including membrane contact sites between organelles;
• New insights in lipid droplet biology and its cross-talk with lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria;
• Unconventional secretion involving the autophagy machinery;
• Role of tethers, SNAREs and new families of proteins such as annexins, sorting nexins and aster proteins, among others.
