Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2010;280:79-184. doi: 10.1016/S1937-6448(10)80003-6. Epub 2010 Mar 18.
Due to their well-defined pathways of vesicle trafficking and manyfold mutants ciliates have served as good model systems. Further studies required the development of databases, now available for Paramecium and Tetrahymena. A variety of key players have been identified and characterized based on BLAST search, domain analysis, localization, and gene-silencing studies. They include NSF (N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor), SNAREs (soluble NSF attachment protein [SNAP] receptors), the H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) and actin, while Arf (ADP-ribosylation factor) and Rab-type small GTPases, COPs (coatamer proteins) and many others remain to be elucidated. The number of SNAREs, H(+)-ATPase subunits, and actins ever found within one cell type are unexpectedly high and most of the manifold vesicle types seem to be endowed with specific molecular components pertinent to trafficking. As in higher eukaryotes, multifactorial targeting likely occurs. It appears that, in parallel to higher organisms, ciliates have evolved a similar structural and molecular complexity of vesicle trafficking.
纤毛虫由于其囊泡运输途径明确，且存在多种突变体，因此成为了良好的模式生物系统。进一步的研究需要开发数据库，现在已经可用于草履虫和四膜虫。通过 BLAST 搜索、结构域分析、定位和基因沉默研究，已经确定并描述了多种关键因子。这些因子包括 NSF（N-乙基马来酰亚胺敏感因子）、SNAREs（可溶性 NSF 附着蛋白 [SNAP] 受体）、H(+)-ATPase（V-ATPase）和肌动蛋白，而 Arf（ADP-核糖基化因子）和 Rab 型小 GTPases、COPs（衣壳蛋白）和许多其他因子仍有待阐明。在一种细胞类型中发现的 SNAREs、H(+)-ATPase 亚基和肌动蛋白的数量之多出人意料，而且大多数囊泡类型似乎都具有与运输相关的特定分子成分。与高等真核生物一样，多因素靶向可能发生。似乎与高等生物一样，纤毛虫已经进化出了类似的囊泡运输的结构和分子复杂性。
