TY - JOUR AU - Martin-Urdiroz, Magdalena AU - Deeks, Michael J. AU - Horton, Connor G. AU - Dawe, Helen R. AU - Jourdain, Isabelle PY - 2016 M3 - Review TI - The Exocyst Complex in Health and Disease JO - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2016.00024 VL - 4 SN - 2296-634X N2 - Exocytosis involves the fusion of intracellular secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane, thereby delivering integral membrane proteins to the cell surface and releasing material into the extracellular space. Importantly, exocytosis also provides a source of lipid moieties for membrane extension. The tethering of the secretory vesicle before docking and fusion with the plasma membrane is mediated by the exocyst complex, an evolutionary conserved octameric complex of proteins. Recent findings indicate that the exocyst complex also takes part in other intra-cellular processes besides secretion. These various functions seem to converge toward defining a direction of membrane growth in a range of systems from fungi to plants and from neurons to cilia. In this review we summarize the current knowledge of exocyst function in cell polarity, signaling and cell-cell communication and discuss implications for plant and animal health and disease. ER -