scholarly journals ER-PM Contact Sites – SNARING Actors in Emerging Functions

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bailey Hewlett ◽  
Neha Pratap Singh ◽  
Christian Vannier ◽  
Thierry Galli
Keyword(s):  
Cell Types ◽  
Molecular Signature ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Vital Functions ◽  
Molecular Components

The compartmentalisation achieved by confining cytoplasm into membrane-enclosed organelles in eukaryotic cells is essential for maintaining vital functions including ATP production, synthetic and degradative pathways. While intracellular organelles are highly specialised in these functions, the restricting membranes also impede exchange of molecules responsible for the synchronised and responsive cellular activities. The initial identification of contact sites between the ER and plasma membrane (PM) provided a potential candidate structure for communication between organelles without mixing by fusion. Over the past decades, research has revealed a far broader picture of the events. Membrane contact sites (MCSs) have been recognized as increasingly important actors in cell differentiation, plasticity and maintenance, and, upon dysfunction, responsible for pathological conditions such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Present in multiple organelles and cell types, MCSs promote transport of lipids and Ca2+ homoeostasis, with a range of associated protein families. Interestingly, each MCS displays a unique molecular signature, adapted to organelle functions. This review will explore the literature describing the molecular components and interactions taking place at ER-PM contact sites, their functions, and implications in eukaryotic cells, particularly neurons, with emphasis on lipid transfer proteins and emerging function of SNAREs.

scholarly journals The structure and flexibility analysis of the Arabidopsis Synaptotagmin 1 reveal the basis of its regulation at membrane contact sites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Luis Benavente ◽  
Dritan Siliqi ◽  
Lourdes Infantes ◽  
Laura Lagartera ◽  
Alberto Mills ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Function ◽  
Lipid Extraction ◽  
Membrane Lipid ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
C2 Domains ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Cellular Environment ◽  
Synaptotagmin 1

Cell function requires the maintenance of membrane lipid homeostasis as changes in cellular environment unbalance this equilibrium. The non-vesicular lipid transfer at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membrane (PM) contact sites (CS) is central to restore it. Extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts) are ER proteins that play a central role in this process as they act as molecular tethers with PM and as lipid transfer proteins between these organelles. E-Syts are constitutively anchored to the ER through an N-terminal hydrophobic segment and bind to the PM via C-terminal C2 domains. In plants, synaptotagmins (SYTs) are orthologous of E-Syts and regulate the ER-PM communication by the activity of their two C2 domains in response to abiotic stresses. We have combined macromolecular crystallography, small-angle X-ray scattering, structural bioinformatics and biochemical data to analyze the regulation of plant synaptotagmin 1 (SYT1). Our data show that the binding of SYT1 to the PM is regulated by the interaction of the first C2 domain through a Ca2+-dependent lipid binding site and by a site for phosphorylated forms of phosphatidylinositol in such a way that two different molecular signals are integrated in response to stress. In addition, our data show that SYT1 is highly flexible by virtue of up to three hinge points, including one that connects the two C2 domains. This feature provides conformational freedom to SYT1 to define a large and complementary interaction surface with the PM. This structural plasticity, in turn, may facilitate lipid extraction, protein loading and subsequent transfer between PM and ER.

scholarly journals The Hob Proteins: Putative, Novel Lipid Transfer Proteins at ER-PM Contact Sites

Contact ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 251525642110523
Author(s):  
Sarah D. Neuman ◽  
Amy T. Cavanagh ◽  
Arash Bashirullah
Keyword(s):  
Structural Models ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Lipid Transfer Proteins ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Bona Fide ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Critical Process

Nonvesicular transfer of lipids at membrane contact sites (MCS) has recently emerged as a critical process for cellular function. Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) mediate this unique transport mechanism, and although several LTPs are known, the cellular complement of these proteins continues to expand. Our recent work has revealed the highly conserved but poorly characterized Hobbit/Hob proteins as novel, putative LTPs at endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane (ER-PM) contact sites. Using both S. cerevisiae and D. melanogaster model systems, we demonstrated that the Hob proteins localize to ER-PM contact sites via an N-terminal ER membrane anchor and conserved C-terminal sequences. These conserved C-terminal sequences bind to phosphoinositides (PIPs), and the distribution of PIPs is disrupted in hobbit mutant cells. Recently released structural models of the Hob proteins exhibit remarkable similarity to other bona fide LTPs, like VPS13A and ATG2, that function at MCS. Hobbit is required for viability in Drosophila, suggesting that the Hob proteins are essential genes that may mediate lipid transfer at MCS.

scholarly journals Endoplasmic Reticulum–Mitochondria Contact Sites—Emerging Intracellular Signaling Hubs

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeko Aoyama-Ishiwatari ◽  
Yusuke Hirabayashi
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Cooperative Networks ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Form Complex ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Mammalian Proteins

It has become apparent that our textbook illustration of singular isolated organelles is obsolete. In reality, organelles form complex cooperative networks involving various types of organelles. Light microscopic and ultrastructural studies have revealed that mitochondria–endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contact sites (MERCSs) are abundant in various tissues and cell types. Indeed, MERCSs have been proposed to play critical roles in various biochemical and signaling functions such as Ca2+ homeostasis, lipid transfer, and regulation of organelle dynamics. While numerous proteins involved in these MERCS-dependent functions have been reported, how they coordinate and cooperate with each other has not yet been elucidated. In this review, we summarize the functions of mammalian proteins that localize at MERCSs and regulate their formation. We also discuss potential roles of the MERCS proteins in regulating multiple organelle contacts.

scholarly journals Reconstitution of autophagosome nucleation defines Atg9 vesicles as seeds for membrane formation

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 369 (6508) ◽  
pp. eaaz7714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Sawa-Makarska ◽  
Verena Baumann ◽  
Nicolas Coudevylle ◽  
Sören von Bülow ◽  
Veronika Nogellova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Membrane Formation ◽  
Selective Autophagy ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Phosphatidylinositol 3

Autophagosomes form de novo in a manner that is incompletely understood. Particularly enigmatic are autophagy-related protein 9 (Atg9)–containing vesicles that are required for autophagy machinery assembly but do not supply the bulk of the autophagosomal membrane. In this study, we reconstituted autophagosome nucleation using recombinant components from yeast. We found that Atg9 proteoliposomes first recruited the phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate kinase complex, followed by Atg21, the Atg2-Atg18 lipid transfer complex, and the E3-like Atg12–Atg5-Atg16 complex, which promoted Atg8 lipidation. Furthermore, we found that Atg2 could transfer lipids for Atg8 lipidation. In selective autophagy, these reactions could potentially be coupled to the cargo via the Atg19-Atg11-Atg9 interactions. We thus propose that Atg9 vesicles form seeds that establish membrane contact sites to initiate lipid transfer from compartments such as the endoplasmic reticulum.

scholarly journals Contact-ID, a tool for profiling organelle contact sites, reveals regulatory proteins of mitochondrial-associated membrane formation

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (22) ◽  
pp. 12109-12120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chulhwan Kwak ◽  
Sanghee Shin ◽  
Jong-Seok Park ◽  
Minkyo Jung ◽  
Truong Thi My Nhung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Regulatory Proteins ◽  
Live Cells ◽  
Strong Activity ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Specific Proteins ◽  
Molecular Components ◽  
Organelle Membrane

The mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM) has emerged as a cellular signaling hub regulating various cellular processes. However, its molecular components remain unclear owing to lack of reliable methods to purify the intact MAM proteome in a physiological context. Here, we introduce Contact-ID, a split-pair system of BioID with strong activity, for identification of the MAM proteome in live cells. Contact-ID specifically labeled proteins proximal to the contact sites of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, and thereby identified 115 MAM-specific proteins. The identified MAM proteins were largely annotated with the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and ER membrane proteins with MAM-related functions: e.g., FKBP8, an OMM protein, facilitated MAM formation and local calcium transport at the MAM. Furthermore, the definitive identification of biotinylation sites revealed membrane topologies of 85 integral membrane proteins. Contact-ID revealed regulatory proteins for MAM formation and could be reliably utilized to profile the proteome at any organelle–membrane contact sites in live cells.

scholarly journals Lipid transfer proteins do their thing anchored at membrane contact sites… but what is their thing?

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 517-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise H. Wong ◽  
Tim P. Levine
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Transmembrane Helices ◽  
Lipid Transfer Proteins ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Multiple Contacts ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Organelle Communication ◽  
Lipid Binding Proteins

Membrane contact sites are structures where two organelles come close together to regulate flow of material and information between them. One type of inter-organelle communication is lipid exchange, which must occur for membrane maintenance and in response to environmental and cellular stimuli. Soluble lipid transfer proteins have been extensively studied, but additional families of transfer proteins have been identified that are anchored into membranes by transmembrane helices so that they cannot diffuse through the cytosol to deliver lipids. If such proteins target membrane contact sites they may be major players in lipid metabolism. The eukaryotic family of so-called Lipid transfer proteins Anchored at Membrane contact sites (LAMs) all contain both a sterol-specific lipid transfer domain in the StARkin superfamily (related to StART/Bet_v1), and one or more transmembrane helices anchoring them in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), making them interesting subjects for study in relation to sterol metabolism. They target a variety of membrane contact sites, including newly described contacts between organelles that were already known to make contact by other means. Lam1–4p target punctate ER–plasma membrane contacts. Lam5p and Lam6p target multiple contacts including a new category: vacuolar non-NVJ cytoplasmic ER (VancE) contacts. These developments confirm previous observations on tubular lipid-binding proteins (TULIPs) that established the importance of membrane anchored proteins for lipid traffic. However, the question remaining to be solved is the most difficult of all: are LAMs transporters, or alternately are they regulators that affect traffic more indirectly?

Chloroplast lipid synthesis and lipid trafficking through ER–plastid membrane contact sites

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Wang ◽  
Christoph Benning
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Photosynthetic Membrane ◽  
Lipid Trafficking ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Envelope Membranes ◽  
Thylakoid Lipids

Plant chloroplasts contain an intricate photosynthetic membrane system, the thylakoids, and are surrounded by two envelope membranes at which thylakoid lipids are assembled. The glycoglycerolipids mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol, and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol as well as phosphatidylglycerol, are present in thylakoid membranes, giving them a unique composition. Fatty acids are synthesized in the chloroplast and are either directly assembled into thylakoid lipids at the envelope membranes or exported to the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) for extraplastidic lipid assembly. A fraction of lipid precursors is reimported into the chloroplast for the synthesis of thylakoid lipids. Thus polar lipid assembly in plants requires tight co-ordination between the chloroplast and the ER and necessitates inter-organelle lipid trafficking. In the present paper, we discuss the current knowledge of the export of fatty acids from the chloroplast and the import of chloroplast lipid precursors assembled at the ER. Direct membrane contact sites between the ER and the chloroplast outer envelopes are discussed as possible conduits for lipid transfer.

scholarly journals Yeast Vps13 promotes mitochondrial function and is localized at membrane contact sites

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (15) ◽  
pp. 2435-2449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Sook Park ◽  
Mary K. Thorsness ◽  
Robert Policastro ◽  
Luke L. McGoldrick ◽  
Nancy M. Hollingsworth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Mitochondrial Function ◽  
Protein Sorting ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Membrane Contact

The Vps13 protein family is highly conserved in eukaryotic cells. Mutations in human VPS13 genes result in a variety of diseases, such as chorea acanthocytosis (ChAc), but the cellular functions of Vps13 proteins are not well defined. In yeast, there is a single VPS13 orthologue, which is required for at least two different processes: protein sorting to the vacuole and sporulation. This study demonstrates that VPS13 is also important for mitochondrial integrity. In addition to preventing transfer of DNA from the mitochondrion to the nucleus, VPS13 suppresses mitophagy and functions in parallel with the endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondrion encounter structure (ERMES). In different growth conditions, Vps13 localizes to endosome–mitochondrion contacts and to the nuclear–vacuole junctions, indicating that Vps13 may function at membrane contact sites. The ability of VPS13 to compensate for the absence of ERMES correlates with its intracellular distribution. We propose that Vps13 is present at multiple membrane contact sites and that separation-of-function mutants are due to loss of Vps13 at specific junctions. Introduction of VPS13A mutations identified in ChAc patients at cognate sites in yeast VPS13 are specifically defective in compensating for the lack of ERMES, suggesting that mitochondrial dysfunction might be the basis for ChAc.

Building lipid ‘PIPelines’ throughout the cell by ORP/Osh proteins

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 1465-1470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Moser von Filseck ◽  
Bruno Mesmin ◽  
Joëlle Bigay ◽  
Bruno Antonny ◽  
Guillaume Drin
Keyword(s):  
Secretory Pathway ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Transport Mechanisms ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Oxysterol Binding Protein ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Lipid Species ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Phosphatidylinositol 4

In eukaryotic cells, a sterol gradient exists between the early and late regions of the secretory pathway. This gradient seems to rely on non-vesicular transport mechanisms mediated by specialized carriers. The oxysterol-binding protein-related protein (ORP)/oxysterol-binding homology (Osh) family has been assumed initially to exclusively include proteins acting as sterol sensors/transporters and many efforts have been made to determine their mode of action. Our recent studies have demonstrated that some ORP/Osh proteins are not mere sterol transporters, but sterol/phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P] exchangers. They exploit the PI(4)P gradient at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi interface, or at membrane-contact sites between these compartments, to actively create a sterol gradient. Other recent reports have suggested that all ORP/Osh proteins bind PI(4)P and recognize a second lipid that is not necessary sterol. We have thus proposed that ORP/Osh proteins use PI(4)P gradients between organelles to convey various lipid species.

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