secretoryrelated

Secretoryrelated is a broad term used to describe the biological processes, structures, and research themes involved in secretion—the movement of molecules from cells to the extracellular space or to the plasma membrane. It encompasses the cellular pathways that traffic proteins and lipids, the organelles that modify and sort cargo, and the regulatory networks that control when and how release occurs.

Most eukaryotic secretion follows the classical pathway: proteins enter the endoplasmic reticulum, travel in COPII-coated vesicles to the Golgi apparatus for processing, and are sorted into vesicles that fuse with the plasma membrane to release cargo. Key components include COPII and COPI coats, Golgi enzymes, and SNARE proteins that drive vesicle fusion. Secretion can be constitutive or regulated, the latter stored in secretory granules and released upon stimulation.

Non-classical routes include direct translocation across the plasma membrane, secretory lysosomes, and the release of extracellular vesicles such as exosomes that carry cargo without passing through the conventional secretory route. In bacteria, specialized secretion systems (Type I–VI) transport proteins across membranes and are central to virulence and adaptation.

Clinical and biotechnological relevance includes diseases linked to secretory defects, such as impaired insulin release in diabetes or mistrafficking of CFTR in cystic fibrosis. Secretory pathways are targets for therapy and are exploited in the production of therapeutic proteins, vaccines, and drug delivery systems using exosomes and other secreted vesicles.