title: Membrane tethering.
abstract: Membrane trafficking depends on transport vesicles and carriers docking and fusing with the target organelle for the delivery of cargo. Membrane tethers and small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) mediate the docking of transport vesicles/carriers to enhance the efficiency of the subsequent SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor)-mediated fusion event with the target membrane bilayer. Different classes of membrane tethers and their specific intracellular location throughout the endomembrane system are now well defined. Recent biochemical and structural studies have led to a deeper understanding of the mechanism by which membrane tethers mediate docking of membrane carriers as well as an appreciation of the role of tethers in coordinating the correct SNARE complex and in regulating the organization of membrane compartments. This review will summarize the properties and roles of membrane tethers of both secretory and endocytic systems.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health 30 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-4340 USA.
authors.forename: Pei Zhi Cheryl
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.affiliation: The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute 30 Flemington Road, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gleeson