ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

INTRODUCTION
 In the year 1945- The lace like membranes of the endoplasmic
reticulum were first seen in the cytoplasm of chick embryo
cells.
 These are membrane bound channels, seen in the form of a
network of delicate strands and vesicles in the cytoplasm.
 These are single membrane cell organelles.
 These form an interconnected network of tubules, vesicles
and cisternae with in cells.
 ER are considered as one of the components of cytoskeleton
along with microtubules,microfilaments and intermediate
filaments.
 These are first of all observed by Porter, Claude and Fullam in
(1945) as a network.
 The term ”Endoplasmic reticulum” was first used by Porter
and Fullam (1952)
 Location
 Present in almost all eukaryotic cell.
 These are found to be absent in mature
erythrocytes,ova,embryonic cells and prokaryotes.
 The ER often occupies most of the cytoplasm.
Amount
• The ER varies in amount from cell to cell. In spermatocytes, it
is represented by a few vacuoles only.
• In the cells of adipose tissue, it is quite simple, having the form
of a few tubules.
• The cells that are actively synthesizing proteins, such as liver
and pancreatic cells and fibroblast, have abundant ER.
• Endoplasmic reticulum forms 30-60 % of the total membrane
in a cell.
Origin of endoplasmic reticulum
 At present manner of origin of the endoplasmic is not
definitely known. The most concrete hypothesis is that
the ER is “budded” off from the nuclear envelope
(wischnitzer, 1974).

 The ER appears to arise from the outer membrane of

the nuclear envelope by out folding , or from the
plasma membrane by in folding.

 The smooth ER seem to arise from the rough ER by

detachment of ribosomes.
 There are two basic morphological types of ER namely
RER and SER.
 The ER membrane is thinner (50 Ǻ) than that of
plasma membrane (80-100Ǻ thick)
PHYSICAL STRUCTURE-
 The ER is 3-dimensional network of intracellular. It is
formed of three types of element:
1-Cisternae
2-Tubules
3-Vesicles
Cisternae-
 These are flattened , unbranched, sac-like element.
 They lie in stacks parallel to one another.
 They bear ribosomes on the surface that, therefore,
appears rough.
 It contain glycoproteins named ribophorin-I &
ribophorin-II that bind the ribosomes.
Tubules-
 These are irregular branching element which form a
network along with other element.
 These are often free of ribosomes.
Vesicles-
 These are oval and rounded ,vacuole like element.
 These are also free of ribosomes.
 All the element of ER freely communicates with one
another, and contain a fluid called endoplasmic matrix, in
the ER lumen.
 These matrix is different from cytoplasmic matrix outside
the ER
 The ER may pass from one cell to another through the
plasmodesmata in the form of desmotubules.
Molecular structure
 The membrane of ER are composed of two layers of
phospholipid molecules sandwiched by two layers of
proteins molecules like other membrane in the cell.
Types
 The endoplasmic reticulum is of two types:

1-Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER)

2-Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER)

Endoplasmic Matrix

 The space inside the tubules and vesicles is filled with

a watery medium that is different from the fluid in the
cytosol outside the ER.

 Their walls are constructed of lipid bilayers

membranes that contains large amount of proteins ,
similar to the cell membrane.
 Smooth ER
 Smooth ER is an arrangement of tubules,vesicles
and sacs.
 The size and structure of the SER varies between
the cells.
 There are no ribosome’s attached to the membrane
surface.
 The network of the SER allows there to be
enough surface area for the action or storage of
key enzymes or the products of the enzymes.

 The SER is less stable.

 The SER is characteristic of cells in which

synthesis of non-protein substances takes place.
ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC RETICULIM (RER)

 The surface of the RER is studded with ribosome, giving

it a rough appearance.
 It mainly consists of cisternae.
 RER is very imp. in the synthesis and packaging of
proteins
 Binding site of the ribosome on the RER is the
translocon .
 Ribosomes are constantly being bound and released
from the membranes.
 Ribosomes only binds to the RER once a specific
protein-nucleic acid complex forms in the cytosol.
 This special complex forms when a free ribosome
begins translating the mRNA of a protein destined for
the secretory pathway.
 The first 5-30 amino acid polymerized encode a single
peptide, a molecular message that is recognized and
bound by a signal recognition particle (SRP).
Protein Transport
 Proteins are formed in the endoplasmic reticulum,
they are transported through the tubules toward
proteins of the SER that lie nearest to Golgi apparatus.
 Small transport vesicles composed of small envelopes
of smooth ER continually break away and diffuse to
the deepest layer of Golgi apparatus.
 The synthesized proteins and other product from the
ER is enclosed in the vacuoles is transported to GA.
Transport vesicles
 They are surrounded by coating protein called COP I,
COP II.(Coat Protein complex)
 COP II targets vesicles to the Golgi apparatus.
 Transport proteins from the RER to Golgi apparatus.
 This process is termed as anterograde transport.
 COP I transports proteins from the cis end of the Golgi
complex back to the RER.
 This process is termed as retrograde transport.
 FUNCTION OF RER-
 Surface for Ribosomes- The RER provides space and
ribophorins for the attachment of ribosomes to itself.
 Surface for protein synthesis
 Formation of Glycoprotein- Linking of sugars to form
glycoprotein starts in the RER and is completed in
Golgi complex.
 Synthesis of precursors- The RER produce enzyme
precursors for the formation of lysosomes by Golgi
Complex.
 Smooth ER formation- The RER gives rise to the
smooth ER by loss of ribosomes.
FUNCTION OF SER

 The smooth endoplasmic

reticulum lacks ribosomes and
functions
in lipid metabolism, carbohydrate
metabolism, and detoxification
and is especially abundant in
mammalian liver and gonad cells.
 It also synthesizes phospholipids.
Cells which secrete these
products, such as those in the
testes, ovaries, and skin oil glands
have a great deal of smooth
endoplasmic reticulum.
 Detoxification-The SER brings about detoxification in
the liver , i.e., converts harmful materials(drugs,
poisons) into harmless ones for excretion by the cell.
 Formation of organelles- The SER produces Golgi
apparatus , lysosomes and vacuoles.
 It also carries out the attachment of receptors on cell
membrane proteins and steroid metabolism.
 In muscle cells, it regulates calcium ion concentration
 The smooth endoplasmic reticulum also contains the
enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase, which
converts glucose-6-phosphate to glucose, a step
in gluconeogenesis.