title: Organellar channels and transporters.
abstract: Decades of intensive research have led to the discovery of most plasma membrane ion channels and transporters and the characterization of their physiological functions. In contrast, although over 80% of transport processes occur inside the cells, the ion flux mechanisms across intracellular membranes (the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, endosomes, lysosomes, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles) are difficult to investigate and remain poorly understood. Recent technical advances in super-resolution microscopy, organellar electrophysiology, organelle-targeted fluorescence imaging, and organelle proteomics have pushed a large step forward in the research of intracellular ion transport. Many new organellar channels are molecularly identified and electrophysiologically characterized. Additionally, molecular identification of many of these ion channels/transporters has made it possible to study their physiological functions by genetic and pharmacological means. For example, organellar channels have been shown to regulate important cellular processes such as programmed cell death and photosynthesis, and are involved in many different pathologies. This special issue (SI) on organellar channels and transporters aims to provide a forum to discuss the recent advances and to define the standard and open questions in this exciting and rapidly developing field. Along this line, a new Gordon Research Conference dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of intracellular membrane transport proteins will be launched this coming summer.
authors: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 3089 Natural Science Building (Kraus), 830 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA. Electronic address: haoxingx@umich.edu.
authors: Haoxing
authors: H
authors: Xu
authors: Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zürich, Zollikerstr. 107, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland. Electronic address: Enrico.Martinoia@botinst.uzh.ch.
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Martinoia
authors: Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy; CNR Neuroscience Institute, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy. Electronic address: ildi@bio.unipd.it.
authors: Ildiko
authors: I
authors: Szabo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: Intracellular channels; Ion channels and transporters; Organellar channel targeting; Organelle membranes