scholarly journals Quantifying inter-organelle membrane contact sites using proximity ligation assay in fixed optic nerve sections

2021 ◽  
pp. 108793
Author(s):  
Jared Ching ◽  
Andrew Osborne ◽  
Richard Eva ◽  
Julien Prudent ◽  
Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
Keyword(s):  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Proximity Ligation Assay ◽  
Proximity Ligation ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Organelle Membrane

scholarly journals Mitochondria Endoplasmic Reticulum Contact Sites (MERCs): Proximity Ligation Assay as a Tool to Study Organelle Interaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Benhammouda ◽  
Anjali Vishwakarma ◽  
Priya Gatti ◽  
Marc Germain
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Fluorescence Probes ◽  
Proximity Ligation Assay ◽  
Proximity Ligation ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Endogenous Proteins ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Organelles cooperate with each other to regulate vital cellular homoeostatic functions. This occurs through the formation of close connections through membrane contact sites. Mitochondria-Endoplasmic-Reticulum (ER) contact sites (MERCS) are one of such contact sites that regulate numerous biological processes by controlling calcium and metabolic homeostasis. However, the extent to which contact sites shape cellular biology and the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. A number of biochemical and imaging approaches have been established to address these questions, resulting in the identification of a number of molecular tethers between mitochondria and the ER. Among these techniques, fluorescence-based imaging is widely used, including analysing signal overlap between two organelles and more selective techniques such as in-situ proximity ligation assay (PLA). While these two techniques allow the detection of endogenous proteins, preventing some problems associated with techniques relying on overexpression (FRET, split fluorescence probes), they come with their own issues. In addition, proper image analysis is required to minimise potential artefacts associated with these methods. In this review, we discuss the protocols and outline the limitations of fluorescence-based approaches used to assess MERCs using endogenous proteins.

scholarly journals Fluorescent Tools to Analyze Peroxisome–Endoplasmic Reticulum Interactions in Mammalian Cells

Contact ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 251525641984864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexa Bishop ◽  
Maki Kamoshita ◽  
Josiah B. Passmore ◽  
Christian Hacker ◽  
Tina A. Schrader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Proximity Ligation Assay ◽  
Reporter System ◽  
Peroxisomal Membrane ◽  
Proximity Ligation ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact

Peroxisomes (POs) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cooperate extensively in lipid-related metabolic pathways, and the ER also provides phospholipids to enable the peroxisomal membrane to expand prior to division. Recently, we identified peroxisomal proteins, ACBD5 and ACBD4, and the ER protein vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein-B (VAPB) as tethering components, which physically interact to foster PO–ER associations at membrane contact sites. Overexpression or loss of these tether proteins alters the extent of PO–ER interactions, impacting on lipid exchange between these two compartments. To facilitate further studies into PO–ER associations at the level of membrane contact sites, their role, composition, and regulation, we have developed two fluorescence-based systems to monitor PO–ER interactions. We modified a proximity ligation assay and a split-fluorescence reporter system using split superfolder green fluorescent protein. Using the proximity ligation assay, we were able to measure the changes in PO–ER interactions while the split-fluorescence reporter was more limited and only allowed us to label PO–ER contacts. We show that both techniques can be useful additions to the toolkit of methods to study PO–ER associations and explore the relative merits of each.

scholarly journals Inter-Organelle Membrane Contact Sites and Mitochondrial Quality Control during Aging: A Geroscience View

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Picca ◽  
Riccardo Calvani ◽  
Hélio José Coelho-Junior ◽  
Francesco Landi ◽  
Roberto Bernabei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Mitochondrial Quality Control ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Bidirectional Communication ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Organelle Membrane

Mitochondrial dysfunction and failing mitochondrial quality control (MQC) are major determinants of aging. Far from being standalone organelles, mitochondria are intricately related with cellular other compartments, including lysosomes. The intimate relationship between mitochondria and lysosomes is reflected by the fact that lysosomal degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria is the final step of mitophagy. Inter-organelle membrane contact sites also allow bidirectional communication between mitochondria and lysosomes as part of nondegradative pathways. This interaction establishes a functional unit that regulates metabolic signaling, mitochondrial dynamics, and, hence, MQC. Contacts of mitochondria with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) have also been described. ER-mitochondrial interactions are relevant to Ca2+ homeostasis, transfer of phospholipid precursors to mitochondria, and integration of apoptotic signaling. Many proteins involved in mitochondrial contact sites with other organelles also participate to degradative MQC pathways. Hence, a comprehensive assessment of mitochondrial dysfunction during aging requires a thorough evaluation of degradative and nondegradative inter-organelle pathways. Here, we present a geroscience overview on (1) degradative MQC pathways, (2) nondegradative processes involving inter-organelle tethering, (3) age-related changes in inter-organelle degradative and nondegradative pathways, and (4) relevance of MQC failure to inflammaging and age-related conditions, with a focus on Parkinson’s disease as a prototypical geroscience condition.

scholarly journals Inter-organelle membrane contact sites: implications for lipid metabolism

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean E. Vance
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Initial Discovery ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Organelle Membrane

Abstract This article supplements a recent Perspective by Scorrano et al. in Nature Communications [10 [ (1)]:1287] in which the properties and functions of inter-organelle membrane contact sites were summarized. It is now clear that inter-organelle membrane contact sites are widespread in eukaryotic cells and that diverse pairs of organelles can be linked via unique protein tethers. An appropriate definition of what constitutes an inter-organelle membrane contact site was proposed in the Perspective. In addition, the various experimental approaches that are frequently used to study these organelle associations, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods, were considered. The nature of the tethers that link the pairs of organelles at the contact sites was discussed in detail and some biological functions that have been ascribed to specific membrane contact sites were highlighted. Nevertheless, the functions of most types of organelle contact sites remain unclear. In the current article I have considered some of the points raised in the Perspective but have omitted detailed information on the roles of membrane contact sites in biological functions such as apoptosis, autophagy, calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial fusion. Instead, I have provided some background on the initial discovery of mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum membrane contact sites, and have focussed on the known roles of membrane contact sites in inter-organelle lipid transport. In addition, potential roles for membrane contact sites in human diseases are briefly discussed.

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