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The Open University

Intracellular transport

The Open University via OpenLearn

Overview

This course covers the learning outcomes of understanding intracellular transport processes, including the cytoskeleton, cellular compartments and traffic, trafficking vesicles, signals for compartmentalization, motor proteins, endocytic pathways, and exocytosis. Students will learn about microtubules, actin polymerization, vesicle formation, membrane fusion, signal sequences, and the role of motor proteins. The teaching method includes lectures, readings, and summaries. This course is intended for individuals interested in cell biology, molecular biology, or biochemistry.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 The cytoskeleton
  • 1 The cytoskeleton
  • 1.1 Microtubules and microfilaments
  • 1.2 Polymerisation and depolymerisation of actin
  • 1.3 Polymerisation and depolymerisation of tubulin
  • 1.4 Specialised intermediate filaments
  • 1.5 Summary
  • 2 Cellular compartments and traffic
  • 2 Cellular compartments and traffic
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Traffic in the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi network
  • 2.3 Sorting for the basolateral and apical zones of the plasma membrane
  • 2.4 Exocytosis and the secretory pathways
  • 2.5 The endocytic pathways and lysosomes
  • 2.6 Transcytosis
  • 2.7 Summary
  • 3 Trafficking vesicles
  • 3 Trafficking vesicles
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Formation of clathrin and COP-coated vesicles
  • 3.3 Fusion of vesicles with the target membrane
  • 3.4 The function of Rab proteins in directing traffic
  • 3.5 Cycling and re-use of membranes and traffic proteins
  • 3.6 Membrane fusion mediated by viral proteins
  • 3.7 Summary
  • 4 Signals for compartmentalisation
  • 4 Signals for compartmentalisation
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 Peptide signal sequences
  • 4.3 Glycosylation sequences and protein glycosylation
  • 4.4 Lipidation
  • 4.5 Summary
  • 5 The cytoskeleton and motor proteins
  • 5 The cytoskeleton and motor proteins
  • 5.1 The role of the cytoskeleton in intracellular transport
  • 5.2 Motor proteins
  • 5.3 Summary
  • 6 Endocytic pathways
  • 6 Endocytic pathways
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Endocytosis
  • 6.3 Uncoupling and receptor recycling
  • 6.4 Phagocytosis
  • 6.5 Lysosomes
  • 6.6 Special endosomal compartments
  • 6.7 Summary
  • 7 Exocytosis
  • 7 Exocytosis
  • 7.1 Introduction
  • 7.2 Triggering systems
  • 7.3 Regulation of secretion
  • 7.4 Summary
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

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