The Exocyst Defrocked, a Framework of Rods Revealed

The exocyst complex is required for the interaction of vesicles with the plasma membrane in preparation for exocytic fusion. Recent crystallographic studies indicate that at least four of the eight subunits contain long, rod-like domains formed from helical bundles. These rods may pack against one another to generate the framework of the complex. How this complex assembles, how it responds to various GTPases and how it is ultimately displaced to allow bilayer fusion are key questions for the future.