Signaling at the Golgi

The protein processing and trafficking function of the Golgi is intimately linked to multiple intracellular signaling pathways. Assembly of Golgi trafficking structures and lipid sorting at the Golgi complex is controlled and coordinated by specific phosphoinositide kinases and phosphatases. The intra-Golgi transport machinery is also regulated by kinases belonging to several functionally distinct families, for example, MAP kinase signaling is required for mitotic disassembly of the Golgi. However, the Golgi plays an additional, prominent role in compartmentalizing other signaling cascades that originate at the plasma membrane or at other organelles. This article summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the signaling network that converges at the Golgi.The Golgi apparatus is a dynamic structure that constantly exchanges proteins and lipids with other organelles. It is critical for organellar homeostasis that the different trafficking routes at the Golgi are precisely regulated. For example, the sorting and transport functions of the Golgi must be correctly coordinated with the overall activity of the secretory pathway. In addition, changes in Golgi structure and morphology are tightly controlled, which is particularly critical during mitosis, when the Golgi complex becomes disassembled for proper distribution between the dividing cells. It is therefore not surprising that diverse sets of signaling factors localize at the Golgi and control its function and shape.Phosphoinositide lipids have emerged as particularly important regulators of Golgi function. Reversible phosphorylation of the inositol headgroup of phosphatidylinositol creates seven distinct phosphoinositide species (Di Paolo and De Camilli 2006). These molecules serve as signal transducers at virtually every cellular membrane but have a particularly important role in controlling membrane traffic (Di Paolo and De Camilli 2006). A critical property of phosphoinositides is their tightly regulated spatial distribution. Recent studies have uncovered concentrated pools of these lipids at individual membranes including the Golgi (Roy and Levine 2004; De Matteis et al. 2005; Varnai and Balla 2008). Phosphoinositides often act in cooperation with small Ras-type GTPases and the interplay between phosphoinositides and GTPases from the ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) and Ras-related in brain (Rab) families is essential for Golgi function (Behnia and Munro 2005; Mayinger 2009). How the lipid kinases and phosphatases that regulate Golgi phosphoinositides interact with other signaling pathway remains a challenging area of research.Whereas phosphoinositide signaling pathways are mainly controlled via extracellular signals that transmit metabolic status and growth conditions, Golgi function can also be regulated by signals that originate at other secretory organelles. Enhanced biosynthesis and processing of secretory proteins at the ER induces the activation of a signaling network that modulates intra-Golgi traffic and overall capacity of secretion (Sallese et al. 2009).Finally, there is mounting evidence that the Golgi serves as an important signaling platform for numerous signaling cascades that originate at the plasma membrane. The discovery that components of the Ras and the protein kinase A (PKA) pathways reside at the Golgi indicates that this organelle plays an important role in compartmentalizing signal transduction pathways (Quatela and Philips 2006; Sallese et al. 2009). This article will review our current understanding of signaling at the Golgi and also highlight the relevance of these processes for human disease.