What's special about secretory lysosomes?
Lysosomes are organelles specialised for their role in intracellular protein degradation. A small number of cell types also use their lysosomes as regulated secretory organelles. These secretory lysosomes package additional secretory products, respond to extracellular stimuli and fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents. Recent research has identified unique components of the secretory machinery in these cells. However, studies on conventional lysosomes in non-secretory cells reveal that even their lysosomes can fuse with the plasma membrane in response to membrane damage. What then is special about secretory lysosomes?
Griffiths
Gillian
G
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3RE, Oxford, UK. gillian.griffiths@path.ox.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000502:physiology*; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000502:physiology*