Deconstructing Golgi inheritance

Eukaryotic cells use a variety of strategies to inherit the Golgi apparatus . During vertebrate mitosis, the Golgi reorganizes dramatically in a proces s that seems to be driven by the reversible fragmentation of existing Golgi structures and the temporary redistribution of Golgi components to the end oplasmic reticulum. Several proteins that participate in vertebrate Golgi i nheritance have been identified, but their detailed functions remain unknow n. A comparison between vertebrates and other eukaryotes reveals common mec hanisms of Golgi inheritance. In many cell types, Golgi stacks undergo fiss ion early in mitosis. Some cells exhibit a further Golgi breakdown that is probably due to a mitotic inhibition of membrane traffic. In all eukaryotes examined, Golgi inheritance involves either the partitioning of pre-existi ng Golgi elements between the daughter cells or the emergence of new Golgi structures from the endoplasmic reticulum, or some combination of these two pathways.