Compartmentation of cellular activities

Abstract

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, almost one third of cellular function is concerned with maintaining the compartmentation of cellular activities. From classic studies in yeast genetics we have come to understand a great deal of the processes driving the delivery of proteins into these compartments and the metabolic advantages that this provides. With the publication of the yeast genome sequence, ?-omics? level studies began to provide further detail on the compartmentation of yeast cells. Very recent technological advances, including new applications in mass spectrometry, NMR, cryo-electron microscopy and the use of live-cell imaging have also been applied to yeast, because of the comparative analyses that can be done on yeast mutants. The mitochondrion is a complex compartment, carrying more than a thousand proteins that must be transported into and then distributed between, four sub-mitochondrial compartments. Essential molecular machinery in the outer and inner membranes, the intermembrane space and the matrix of mitochondria, drive protein transport, sorting and assembly. A glimpse of how S. cerevisiae and other microbes have provided understanding of cellular compartments is the aim of this review.