Protein and lipid sorting from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane in polarized cells

The targeting of proteins and lipids to the cell surface domains of polariz ed cells is not a simple bulk flow process but requires sorting into distin ct apical and basolateral pathways from the trans-Golgi network. Here, we d escribe the sorting determinants in the cargo molecules, the cellular sorti ng machineries responsible for the hierarchical read-out of the signals, an d the mechanisms of cargo delivery. Furthermore, we discuss the implication s of these findings for protein-lipid interactions in other cellular machin eries.