Molecular organisation of the secretory and endocytic pathways

所有的动物细胞都向周围的液体中释放蛋白质并吸收蛋白质。它们还在内部隔间之间运输蛋白质，每个隔间都有独特的组成和特定的功能。进出细胞以及细胞间的运输对细胞的正常功能至关重要，对所有动物都至关重要的细胞间通讯也是如此。这些运输步骤的缺陷与许多疾病有关。因此，了解这种转运如何在分子水平上运作是很重要的。本应用的目的是应用高分辨率电子显微镜技术，结合各种现代分子方法，增加我们对一些关键传输步骤的理解。这将使我们能够深入了解运输途径在健康细胞中的功能，从而了解这种运输的特定方面的缺陷如何导致疾病。

All animal cells release proteins into and take up proteins from the surrounding fluid. They also transport proteins between internal compartments, each of which has a unique composition and a specific function. Transport out of and into cells, and between internal compartments, is crucial for the normal functioning of cells, as well as the inter-cellular communication that is essential in all animals. Defects in these transport steps are associated with many diseases. It is therefore important we understand how this transport operates at the molecular level. The aim of the work in this application is to apply the technique of high-resolution electron microscopy, combined with a variety of modern molecular approaches, to increase our understanding of a number of key transport steps. This will allow us to gain insights into how the transport pathways function in a healthy cell, and consequently how defects in particular aspects of this transport may contribute to disease.