The trans Golgi Network: Sorting at the Exit Site of the Golgi Complex

The Golgi complex is a series of membrane compartments through which proteins destined for the plasma membrane, secretory vesicles, and lysosomes move sequentially. A model is proposed whereby these three different classes of proteins are sorted into different vesicles in the last Golgi compartment, the trans Golgi network. This compartment corresponds to a tubular reticulum on the trans side of the Golgi stack, previously called Golgi endoplasmic reticulum lysosomes (GERL).