Common Assays in Mammalian Golgi Studies

The GolgiGolgi is a complex structure characterized by stacks of tightly aligned flat cisternae. In mammalian cells, Golgi stacksGolgi stacks often concentrate in the perinuclear region and link together to form a ribbon. This structure is dynamicDynamics to accommodate continuous cargo flow in and out of the GolgiGolgi in both directions and undergoes morphological changes under physiological and pathological conditions. The fine, stacked Golgi structureGolgi structures makes it difficult to study by conventional light or even super-resolution microscopySuper-resolution microscopy. Furthermore, efforts to understand how GolgiGolgi structural dynamicsDynamics impact cellular processes have been slow because of the knowledge gap in the protein machinery that maintains the complex and dynamicDynamics Golgi structureGolgi structures. In this methodMethods article, we list the common assays used in our research to help new and established researchers select the most appropriate methodMethods to properly address their questions.