Diverse Functions and Signal Transduction of the Exocyst Complex in Tumor Cells

The exocyst complex is a large conserved hetero-oligomeric complex that consists of Sec3, Sec5, Sec6, Sec8, Sec10, Sec15, Exo70, and Exo84 subunits. It has been implicated in the targeting of vesicles for regulated exocytosis in various cell types, and is also important for targeted exocytosis of post-Golgi transport vesicles to the plasma membrane. The exocyst complex is essential for membrane growth, secretion, and function during exocytosis and endocytosis. Moreover, the individual components of the complex are thought to act on specific biological processes, such as cytokinesis, ciliogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). As a result, recent studies suggest that the exocyst complex may be involved in several diseases such as kidney disease, neuropathogenesis, diabetes, and cancer. In this review, we focus on the diverse functions and cellular signaling pathways of the exocyst complex in various tumors. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.