{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Short-distance vesicle transport via phase separation.
{Author}: Qiu H;Wu X;Ma X;Li S;Cai Q;Ganzella M;Ge L;Zhang H;Zhang M;
{Journal}: Cell
{Volume}: 187
{Issue}: 9
{Year}: 2024 Apr 25
{Factor}: 66.85
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.003
{Abstract}: In addition to long-distance molecular motor-mediated transport, cellular vesicles also need to be moved at short distances with defined directions to meet functional needs in subcellular compartments but with unknown mechanisms. Such short-distance vesicle transport does not involve molecular motors. Here, we demonstrate, using synaptic vesicle (SV) transport as a paradigm, that phase separation of synaptic proteins with vesicles can facilitate regulated, directional vesicle transport between different presynaptic bouton sub-compartments. Specifically, a large coiled-coil scaffold protein Piccolo, in response to Ca2+ and via its C2A domain-mediated Ca2+ sensing, can extract SVs from the synapsin-clustered reserve pool condensate and deposit the extracted SVs onto the surface of the active zone protein condensate. We further show that the Trk-fused gene, TFG, also participates in COPII vesicle trafficking from ER to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment via phase separation. Thus, phase separation may play a general role in short-distance, directional vesicle transport in cells.