Actin patches (green) around endocytosed material (red) ride actin cables out of the bud (left to right).

On page 519, Huckaba et al. show that endosomes ride an actin-based conveyor belt from bud to mother cell in yeast. This passive mode of transport may replenish membrane fusion components needed for polarized secretion.

Lots of polarized secretion is needed to build a new bud. Secretory vesicles are brought into the bud via active transport along actin cables. These cables are actin bundles that are lengthened by the addition of new actin at the bud site, which thereby produces a rearward flow of actin into the mother cell.

This rearward flow is now shown to carry another actin structure, called an actin patch, into the mother cell. Using an endocytosed label, the authors demonstrate that patches are the actin-rich coats of endosomes. After budding off the...

The Rockefeller University Press
2004
The Rockefeller University Press
2004
You do not currently have access to this content.