COPII-mediated traffic in plants

The secretory pathway encloses functionally interlinked organelles for the synthesis and deposition of most of the building blocks of eukaryotic cells, such as lipids, proteins and sugars. The coat protein complex II (COPII) is a specialized protein complex for the transport between secretory organelles, specifically from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus. This review focuses on the developments on COPII research in the plant system. Here, we address the most recent advances in the distribution and regulation of ER-to-Golgi protein transport intermediates and functional analyses of COPII isoforms. New studies support that such isoforms might not be functionally redundant and that they might have unanticipated roles in maintaining the integrity of the ER.