An experimental evaluation of coordination of gene expression in organelle biogenesis

A key feature of eukaryotic cells is their division into subcompartments known as organelles. One of the many factors that a cell must regulate in the process of organelle biogenesis is gene expression. This leads us to ask the following question: what principles dictate gene expression in organelle biogenesis? Here, we present experimental results that suggest coordination in gene expression in organelle biogenesis.Using widefield fluorescence imaging at the scale of single organelles within their host cells, we have measured the intracellular variance in protein concentration for mitochondria, lipid droplets, golgi, peroxisomes, and vacuoles. Our results suggest that the mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of each organelle play a significant role in regulating the variability in protein composition from one organelle to another within the cell.