Theory of cargo and membrane trafficking

TL;DR

This paper reviews a theoretical framework explaining how microscopic interactions of endosomes lead to the macroscopic behavior of cargo trafficking, with experimental validation and potential applications in understanding signal trafficking crosstalk.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theoretical approach linking microscopic endosome interactions to overall cargo trafficking, validated by experiments and applicable to in vivo systems.

Findings

The theory accurately predicts dependencies of microscopic processes.

Experimental data supports the inferred parameter values.

The approach can be used to study signal-trafficking crosstalk.

Abstract

Endocytosis underlies many cellular functions including signaling and nutrient uptake. The endocytosed cargo gets redistributed across a dynamic network of endosomes undergoing fusion and fission. Here, a theoretical approach is reviewed which can explain how the microscopic properties of endosome interactions cause the emergent macroscopic properties of cargo trafficking in the endosomal network. Predictions by the theory have been tested experimentally and include the inference of dependencies and parameter values of the microscopic processes. This theory could also be used to infer mechanisms of signal-trafficking crosstalk. It is applicable to in vivo systems since fixed samples at few time points suffice as input data.