scholarly journals Deciphering the molecular architecture of membrane contact sites by cryo-electron tomography

2017 ◽  
Vol 1864 (9) ◽  
pp. 1507-1512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Collado ◽  
Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Membrane Contact

scholarly journals Tricalbin-mediated contact sites control ER curvature to maintain plasma membrane integrity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Collado ◽  
Maria Kalemanov ◽  
Antonio Martínez-Sánchez ◽  
Felix Campelo ◽  
Wolfgang Baumeister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Membrane Curvature ◽  
Quantitative Modeling ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Cryo Electron Tomography ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Mediated Contact

SummaryMembrane contact sites (MCS) between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM) play fundamental roles in all eukaryotic cells. ER-PM MCS are particularly abundant in S. cerevisiae, where approximately half of the PM surface is covered by cortical ER (cER). Several proteins, including Ist2, Scs2/22 and Tcb1/2/3 are implicated in cER formation, but the specific roles of these molecules are poorly understood. Here we use cryo-electron tomography to show that ER-PM tethers are key determinants of cER morphology. In particular, Tcb proteins form peaks of extreme curvature on the cER membrane facing the PM. Semi-quantitative modeling and functional assays suggest that Tcb-mediated cER peaks facilitate the transport of lipids from the cER to the PM, necessary to maintain PM integrity under stress conditions. ER peaks were also present at other MCS, implying that membrane curvature enforcement may be a widespread mechanism to expedite lipid transport at MCS.

scholarly journals Remodelling of Nucleus-Vacuole Junctions During Metabolic and Proteostatic Stress

Contact ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 251525642110166
Author(s):  
Verena Kohler ◽  
Sabrina Büttner
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Internal Stress ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Adaptation To Stress ◽  
Semipermeable Membranes ◽  
Cellular Adaptation ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Intracellular Compartments ◽  
Membrane Contact

Cellular adaptation to stress and metabolic cues requires a coordinated response of different intracellular compartments, separated by semipermeable membranes. One way to facilitate interorganellar communication is via membrane contact sites, physical bridges between opposing organellar membranes formed by an array of tethering machineries. These contact sites are highly dynamic and establish an interconnected organellar network able to quickly respond to external and internal stress by changing size, abundance and molecular architecture. Here, we discuss recent work on nucleus-vacuole junctions, connecting yeast vacuoles with the nucleus. Appearing as small, single foci in mitotic cells, these contacts expand into one enlarged patch upon nutrient exhaustion and entry into quiescence or can be shaped into multiple large foci essential to sustain viability upon proteostatic stress at the nuclear envelope. We highlight the remarkable plasticity and rapid remodelling of these contact sites upon metabolic or proteostatic stress and their emerging importance for cellular fitness.

scholarly journals Membrane Contact Sites between Apicoplast and ER inToxoplasma gondiiRevealed by Electron Tomography

Traffic ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1471-1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cveta Tomova ◽  
Bruno M. Humbel ◽  
Willie J. C. Geerts ◽  
Rolf Entzeroth ◽  
Joost C. M. Holthuis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact

scholarly journals Supramolecular architecture of endoplasmic reticulum–plasma membrane contact sites

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 534-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Striated Muscle ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Molecular Organization ◽  
Supramolecular Architecture ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms membrane contact sites (MCS) with most other cellular organelles and the plasma membrane (PM). These ER–PM MCS, where the membranes of the ER and PM are closely apposed, were discovered in the early days of electron microscopy (EM), but only recently are we starting to understand their functional and structural diversity. ER–PM MCS are nowadays known to mediate excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) in striated muscle cells and to play crucial roles in Ca2+ and lipid homoeostasis in all metazoan cells. A common feature across ER–PM MCS specialized in different functions is the preponderance of cooperative phenomena that result in the formation of large supramolecular assemblies. Therefore, characterizing the supramolecular architecture of ER–PM MCS is critical to understand their mechanisms of function. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a powerful EM technique uniquely positioned to address this issue, as it allows 3D imaging of fully hydrated, unstained cellular structures at molecular resolution. In this review I summarize our current structural knowledge on the molecular organization of ER–PM MCS and its functional implications, with special emphasis on the emerging contributions of cryo-ET.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans Junctophilin has tissue-specific functions and regulates neurotransmission with extended-synaptotagmin

Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A Piggott ◽  
Zilu Wu ◽  
Stephen Nurrish ◽  
Suhong Xu ◽  
Joshua M Kaplan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Calcium Channel ◽  
Tissue Specific ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Pharyngeal Muscles ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Null Mutants

Abstract The junctophilin family of proteins tether together plasma membrane (PM) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, and couple PM- and ER-localized calcium channels. Understanding in vivo functions of junctophilins is of great interest for dissecting the physiological roles of ER-PM contact sites. Here, we show that the sole C. elegans junctophilin JPH-1 localizes to discrete membrane contact sites in neurons and muscles and has important tissue-specific functions. jph-1 null mutants display slow growth and development due to weaker contraction of pharyngeal muscles, leading to reduced feeding. In the body wall muscle, JPH-1 co-localizes with the PM-localized EGL-19 voltage-gated calcium channel and ER-localized UNC-68/RyR calcium channel, and is required for animal movement. In neurons, JPH-1 co-localizes with the membrane contact site protein Extended-SYnaptoTagmin 2 (ESYT-2) in soma, and is present near presynaptic release sites. Interestingly, jph-1 and esyt-2 null mutants display mutual suppression in their response to aldicarb, suggesting that JPH-1 and ESYT-2 have antagonistic roles in neuromuscular synaptic transmission. Additionally, we find an unexpected cell non-autonomous effect of jph-1 in axon regrowth after injury. Genetic double mutant analysis suggests that jph-1 functions in overlapping pathways with two PM-localized voltage-gated calcium channels, egl-19 and unc-2, and unc-68/RyR for animal health and development. Finally, we show that jph-1 regulates the colocalization of EGL-19 and UNC-68 and that unc-68/RyR is required for JPH-1 localization to ER-PM puncta. Our data demonstrate important roles for junctophilin in cellular physiology, and also provide insights into how junctophilin functions together with other calcium channels in vivo.

scholarly journals Synaptotagmins at the endoplasmic reticulum–plasma membrane contact sites maintain diacylglycerol homeostasis during abiotic stress

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noemi Ruiz-Lopez ◽  
Jessica Pérez-Sancho ◽  
Alicia Esteban del Valle ◽  
Richard P Haslam ◽  
Steffen Vanneste ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Abiotic Stress ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Abstract Endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites (ER-PM CS) play fundamental roles in all eukaryotic cells. Arabidopsis thaliana mutants lacking the ER-PM protein tether synaptotagmin1 (SYT1) exhibit decreased plasma membrane (PM) integrity under multiple abiotic stresses such as freezing, high salt, osmotic stress and mechanical damage. Here, we show that, together with SYT1, the stress-induced SYT3 is an ER-PM tether that also functions in maintaining PM integrity. The ER-PM CS localization of SYT1 and SYT3 is dependent on PM phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate and is regulated by abiotic stress. Lipidomic analysis revealed that cold stress increased the accumulation of diacylglycerol at the PM in a syt1/3 double mutant relative to wild type while the levels of most glycerolipid species remain unchanged. Additionally, the SYT1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion preferentially binds diacylglycerol in vivo with little affinity for polar glycerolipids. Our work uncovers a SYT-dependent mechanism of stress adaptation counteracting the detrimental accumulation of diacylglycerol at the PM produced during episodes of abiotic stress.

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