TRANSPORT FROM THE ENDOPLASMIC-RETICULUM TO THE GOLGI

Two crucial aspects of transport vesicle function have recently been r econstituted using purified proteins and chemically defined lipid bila yers. The reconstituted steps are the assembly of a polymeric protein coat on the cytosolic surface of the membrane, and bilayer fusion base d on the pairing of proteins in the Vesicle and target membrane. These advances now set the stage to address major unresolved questions of h ow vesicle budding and vesicle fusion are regulated, how specific carg o molecules are incorporated into vesicles, and how vesicles find thei r target membrane.