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AAT Bioquest

What is endosomal pH?

Posted May 18, 2020


Answer

Compared to the neutral cytoplasmic pH (of about 7.0), the endosome maintains an acidic pH due to the activity of the ATP-dependent proton pumps present in the membrane of endosomes. The endosomal pH is associated with the stage of endosomal maturation. Early endosomes maintain pH at about 6.5, while late endosomes are at about 5.5. When endosomes fully mature into lysosomes, pH is at about 4.5.

Additional resources

Intracellular pH

Hu, Y.-B., Dammer, E. B., Ren, R.-J., & Wang, G. (2015). The endosomal-lysosomal system: from acidification and cargo sorting to neurodegeneration. Translational Neurodegeneration, 4(1). doi:10.1186/s40035-015-0041-1

Cell Structures and Organelles