Abstract The Golgi apparatus expands during differentiation and increased secretory demand, yet the transcriptional mechanisms governing its biogenesis remain poorly defined. To investigate this process, we developed an enzymatic approach to ablate preexisting Golgi and induce large-scale de novo organelle formation. Transcriptional profiling of cells rebuilding the Golgi revealed a coordinated induction of a broad gene network, coinciding with structural and functional maturation of the organelle. This network spans all Golgi subcompartments and activities, supporting the existence of a unified “Golgi regulon” that synchronizes expression of components required for organelle integrity. Failure to activate this regulon impaired Golgi reassembly. Promoter analysis and RNAi screening identified CREB3L1 as a central transcription factor for Golgi gene activation. Following Golgi loss, CREB3L1 translocates to the nucleus and activates its target genes, thereby driving biosynthesis of the components that are essential for organelle assembly. These findings demonstrate that Golgi biogenesis is governed by a coordinated transcriptional program that promotes organelle regeneration and enables secretory-pathway plasticity. This mechanism may support physiological remodeling by coupling Golgi biogenesis to cellular demand.
Forno et al. (Sat,) studied this question.