Micro- and Nanotechnologies for Study of Cell Secretion

Cell secretion or exocytosis is a fundamental and ubiquitous cell function in which intracellular vesicles (50-100 nm in diameter) fuse with the plasma membrane and release their content into the extracellular space. Constitutive exocytosis occurs constantly as a housekeeping activity to release proteins, metabolites, etc. Regulated exocytosis, on the other hand, is only triggered by specific stimuli to release signaling molecules. A classic example is Ca2+ triggered neurotransmitter secretion at neuronal synapses.