What is the Difference Between Cisternal Maturation and Vesicular Transport?

The difference between cisternal maturation and vesicular transport lies in the way proteins and secretory cargos are transported through the Golgi complex, a vital cell organelle in eukaryotic cells. The two models are:

1. Cisternal Maturation:

• In this model, new cis Golgi cisterna forms, matures into medial and trans cisternae, and carries proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cell membrane.
• Vesicles move in a retrograde manner, from the trans-Golgi to the cis-Golgi.
• Resident Golgi proteins are carried back to the ER in vesicles, a process known as retrograde transport.
• This model is supported by overwhelming in vitro data through quantitative proteomics.

1. Vesicular Transport:

• In this model, the cis-, medial-, and trans-Golgi cisternae are more static structures.
• COPI vesicles transport biosynthetic cargo from stationary cisternae, allowing their cargo to be processed.
• Vesicles move towards the trans-Golgi, and resident Golgi proteins do not bud off in vesicles.

In summary, the main difference between cisternal maturation and vesicular transport is whether the cisternae are dynamic (forming and maturing) or static, and how proteins and secretory cargos are transported between the different Golgi compartments.

Comparative Table: Cisternal Maturation vs Vesicular Transport

The difference between cisternal maturation and vesicular transport can be summarized in the following table:

In summary, cisternal maturation involves the movement of cisternae within the Golgi apparatus, while vesicular transport occurs through the budding and fusion of vesicles to move secretory cargos between cisternae.