Functional implications of the Golgi and microtubular network in gonadotropes

• The overall shape of the Golgi apparatus in pituitary gonadotropes is spherical.
• The symmetrical Golgi is formed based on the isotropic microtubular network.
• The symmetry of the Golgi is impaired by intensive stimulation to GnRH receptor.
• The symmetrical organization of the Golgi is advantageous for experimental purposes.
• The positioning of the MTOC possibly determines the location and shape of the Golgi.

In contrast to the widely accepted images of the Golgi apparatus as a cup-like shape, the Golgi in pituitary gonadotropes is organized as a spherical shape in which the outer and inner faces are cis- and trans-Golgi elements, respectively. At the center of the spherical Golgi, a pair of centrioles is situated as a microtubule-organizing center from which radiating microtubules isotropically extend toward the cell periphery. This review focuses on the significance of the characteristic organization of the Golgi and microtubule network in gonadotropes, considering the roles of microtubule-dependent membrane transport in the formation and maintenance of the Golgi structure. Because the highly symmetrical organization of the Golgi is possibly perturbed in response to experimental treatments of gonadotropes, monitoring of the Golgi structure in gonadotropes under various experimental conditions will be a novel in vivo approach to elucidate the biogenesis of the Golgi apparatus.