The endomembrane system is composed of compartments that process proteins for export from the cell, transport to lysosomes, or entry into the cell from the cell surface. Once proteins enter the endoplasmic reticulum, they are transported between compartments via vesicle transport and never return to the cytosol. This vesicle transport between the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and cell surface is highly regulated and involves clathrin-coated vesicles for Golgi to cell surface transport and COPI- and COPII-coated vesicles for transport between other compartments.