Molecular mechanisms in the disassembly and reassembly of the mammalian Golgi apparatus during M-phase.

The mitotic disassembly and reassembly of the mammalian Golgi apparatus is an ideal system to study the molecular mechanisms involved in biogenesis and maintenance of membranous organelles. As cells enter M-phase, Golgi stacks are converted into Golgi clusters of small membrane fragments, which are dispersed throughout the cytoplasmic space during metaphase. Disassembly is dependent on the action of cdc2-kinase and at least two distinct pathways contribute to the fragmentation: one involves the budding of COP I-coated vesicles from Golgi cisternae, the other is a less well characterised COP I-independent pathway. During telophase, the Golgi fragments reassemble and fuse into a fully functional Golgi stack, using at least two distinct ATPase-mediated fusion pathways.