Cited by 453Cellular transport and secretionIon Channels and ReceptorsLipid Membrane Structure and Behavior

Organization and Function of Membrane Contact Sites

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Helle, Sebastian C.J., Kanfer, Gil, Kolar, Katja, Lang, Alexander, Michel, Agnès H., Kornmann, Benoît·2013·Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research

Abstract

Membrane-bound organelles are a wonderful evolutionary acquisition of the eukaryotic cell, allowing the segregation of sometimes incompatible biochemical reactions into specific compartments with tailored microenvironments. On the flip side, these isolating membranes that crowd the interior of the cell, constitute a hindrance to the diffusion of metabolites and information to all corners of the cell. To ensure coordination of cellular activities, cells use a network of contact sites between the membranes of different organelles. These membrane contact sites (MCSs) are domains where two membranes come to close proximity, typically less than 30nm. Such contacts create microdomains that favor exchange between two organelles. MCSs are established and maintained in durable or transient states by tethering structures, which keep the two membranes in proximity, but fusion between the membranes does not take place. Since the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the most extensive cellular membrane network, it is thus not surprising to find the ER involved in most MCSs within the cell. The ER contacts diverse compartments such as mitochondria, lysosomes, lipid droplets, the Golgi apparatus, endosomes and the plasma membrane. In this review, we will focus on the common organizing principles underlying the many MCSs found between the ER and virtually all compartments of the cell, and on how the ER establishes a network of MCSs for the trafficking of vital metabolites and information. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Functional and structural diversity of endoplasmic reticulum.

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Authors
Helle, S. C. J., Kanfer, G., Kolar, K., Lang, A., Michel, A. H., & Kornmann, B.
Affiliations
ETH Zurich (CH)
Venue
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-11
Volume
1833
Issue
11
Pages
2526-2541
ISSN
0167-4889 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2032362466
Cited by
453
References
181
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 42 · 2016: 55 · 2015: 49 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 14
FWCI
5.67
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Swiss National Science Foundation (PP00P3_13365)
  • ETH (ETH 21 11-2)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular transport and secretion
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Ion Channels and Receptors
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
Keywords
membrane contact sites, endoplasmic reticulum, organelle tethering, ER-mitochondria contact sites, inter-organelle communication, lipid exchange
MeSH terms
Animals, Cell Membrane, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Apparatus, Humans, Intracellular Membranes, Organelles, Protein Transport

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