A coatomer-coated vesicle is a small, membrane-bound compartment found within cells that is coated on its outer surface with a complex of proteins known as coatomer. This specialized coating gives the vesicle its distinctive shape and enables it to carry out its function in intracellular trafficking.
The coatomer complex is composed of several different proteins, including the subunits alpha, beta, beta', gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, and two large subunits, and is responsible for the formation and budding of vesicles from the Golgi apparatus, as well as their subsequent transport to various destinations within the cell.
The coatomer-coated vesicle plays a crucial role in intracellular transport by mediating the transport of proteins and lipids between different compartments of the cell, such as from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus or from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane. It also facilitates the retrieval of proteins from the Golgi apparatus back to the ER and helps maintain the integrity and functionality of these organelles.
Overall, coatomer-coated vesicles are essential components of the cellular machinery that ensure efficient and specific cargo transport within cells. Their formation, docking, fusion, and recycling processes are tightly regulated and fundamental for a wide range of cellular functions, including secretion, maintenance of organelle identity, and signal transduction.
