{"title":"Editorial on Special Collection in <i>Contact</i>: Lipid Transfer Proteins: From Molecular Mechanisms to Functional Validation.","authors":"Bruno Mesmin","doi":"10.1177/25152564251322628","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564251322628","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"8 ","pages":"25152564251322628"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11843700/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143485345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mitochondrial-ER Contact Sites and Tethers Influence the Biosynthesis and Function of Coenzyme Q.","authors":"Noelle Alexa Novales, Hadar Meyer, Yeynit Asraf, Maya Schuldiner, Catherine F Clarke","doi":"10.1177/25152564251316350","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564251316350","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is an essential redox-active lipid that plays a major role in the electron transport chain, driving mitochondrial ATP synthesis. In <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (yeast), CoQ biosynthesis occurs exclusively in the mitochondrial matrix via a large protein-lipid complex, the CoQ synthome, comprised of CoQ itself, late-stage CoQ-intermediates, and the polypeptides Coq3-Coq9 and Coq11. Coq11 is suggested to act as a negative modulator of CoQ synthome assembly and CoQ synthesis, as its deletion enhances Coq polypeptide content, produces an enlarged CoQ synthome, and restores respiration in mutants lacking the CoQ chaperone polypeptide, Coq10. The CoQ synthome resides in specific niches within the inner mitochondrial membrane, termed CoQ domains, that are often located adjacent to the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria encounter structure (ERMES). Loss of ERMES destabilizes the CoQ synthome and renders CoQ biosynthesis less efficient. Here we show that deletion of <i>COQ11</i> suppresses the respiratory deficient phenotype of select <i>ERMES</i> mutants, results in repair and reorganization of the CoQ synthome, and enhances mitochondrial CoQ domains. Given that ER-mitochondrial contact sites coordinate CoQ biosynthesis, we used a Split-MAM (Mitochondrial Associated Membrane) artificial tether consisting of an ER-mitochondrial contact site reporter, to evaluate the effects of artificial membrane tethers on CoQ biosynthesis in both wild-type and <i>ERMES</i> mutant yeast strains. Overall, this work identifies the deletion of <i>COQ11</i> as a novel suppressor of phenotypes associated with <i>ERMES</i> deletion mutants and indicates that ER-mitochondria tethers influence CoQ content and turnover, highlighting the role of membrane contact sites in regulating mitochondrial respiratory homeostasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"8 ","pages":"25152564251316350"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792030/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143191653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Remodeling of ER Membrane Contact Sites During Cell Division.","authors":"Fang Yu, Khaled Machaca","doi":"10.1177/25152564241309207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25152564241309207","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Membrane contact sites (MCS) provide specialized conduits for inter-organelle communications to maintain cellular homeostasis. Most organelles are interconnected, which supports their coordination and function. M-phase (mitosis or meiosis) is associated with dramatic cellular remodeling to support cell division, including the equal distribution of organelles to the two daughter cells. However, the fate of MCS in M-phase is poorly understood. Here we review recent advances arguing for differential remodeling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) MCS with the plasma membrane (PM, ERPMCS) and the mitochondria (MERCS) during cell division.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"8 ","pages":"25152564241309207"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11775993/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143070547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mitochondria-Associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Membranes in Microglia: One Contact Site to Rule Them all.","authors":"Elisa Navarro, Jorge Montesinos","doi":"10.1177/25152564241312807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/25152564241312807","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), play a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis by monitoring and responding to environmental changes through processes such as phagocytosis, cytokine production or synapse remodeling. Their dynamic nature and diverse functions are supported by the regulation of multiple metabolic pathways, enabling microglia to efficiently adapt to fluctuating signals. A key aspect of this regulation occurs at mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM), specialized contact sites between the ER and mitochondria. These structures facilitate the exchange of calcium, lipids, and metabolites and serve as metabolic and signaling hubs. This review synthesizes current research on how MAM influence microglial physiology, with an emphasis on their role in immunometabolism, offering new insights into the integration of metabolic and immune functions in the CNS and its impact in the context of neurodegeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"8 ","pages":"25152564241312807"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11775980/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143070481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J Jose Corbalan, Karla K Frietze, Joseph Nickels, Stephen L Sturley
{"title":"Arv1; a \"Mover and Shaker\" of Subcellular Lipids.","authors":"J Jose Corbalan, Karla K Frietze, Joseph Nickels, Stephen L Sturley","doi":"10.1177/25152564251314601","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564251314601","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The composition of eukaryotic membranes reflects a varied but precise amalgam of lipids. The genetic underpinning of how such diversity is achieved or maintained is surprisingly obscure, despite its clear metabolic and pathophysiological impact. The Arv1 protein is represented in all eukaryotes and was initially identified in the model eukaryote <i>Sacccharomyces cerevisiae</i> as a candidate transporter of lipids from the endoplasmic reticulum. Human Arv1 has been shown to directly bind cholesterol and fatty acid affinity probes. Murine <i>in vivo</i> studies point to a role for ARV1 in regulating obesity, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and brain function. Multiple human ARV1 variants have been associated with epileptic encephalopathy, cerebellar ataxia, and severe intellectual deficits. We hypothesize that Arv1 acts as an energy independent, lipid scramblase at the endoplasmic reticulum thereby modulating membrane lipid asymmetry and thus the trafficking of sterols and the substituents of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol and sphingolipid biosynthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"8 ","pages":"25152564251314601"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11748065/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143026268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Channels, Transporters, and Receptors at Membrane Contact Sites.","authors":"Maria Casas, Eamonn James Dickson","doi":"10.1177/25152564241305593","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564241305593","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are specialized regions where two or more organelle membranes come into close apposition, typically separated by only 10-30 nm, while remaining distinct and unfused. These sites play crucial roles in cellular homeostasis, signaling, and metabolism. This review focuses on ion channels, transporters, and receptors localized to MCSs, with particular emphasis on those associated with the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We discuss the molecular composition and functional significance of these proteins in shaping both organelle and cellular functions, highlighting their importance in excitable cells and their influence on intracellular calcium signaling. Key MCSs examined include ER-plasma membrane, ER-mitochondria, and ER-lysosome contacts. This review addresses our current knowledge of the ion channels found within these contacts, the dynamic regulation of MCSs, their importance in various physiological processes, and their potential implications in pathological conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"7 ","pages":"25152564241305593"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11686659/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142916811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Vacuole Lipid Droplet Contact Site vCLIP.","authors":"Duy Trong Vien Diep, Maria Bohnert","doi":"10.1177/25152564241308722","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564241308722","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lipid droplets frequently form contact sites with the membrane of the vacuole, the lysosome-like organelle in yeast. These vacuole lipid droplet (vCLIP) contact sites respond strongly to metabolic cues: while only a subset of lipid droplets is bound to the vacuole when nutrients are abundant, other metabolic states induce stronger contact site formation. Physical lipid droplet-vacuole binding is related to the process of lipophagy, a lipid droplet-specific form of microautophagy. The molecular basis for the formation and function of vCLIP contact sites remained enigmatic for a long time. This knowledge gap was filled when it was found that vCLIP is formed by the structurally related lipid droplet tether proteins Ldo16 and Ldo45, and the vacuolar surface protein Vac8. Ldo45 additionally recruits the phosphatidylinositol transfer protein Pdr16 to vCLIP. Here, we review the literature on the lipid droplet-vacuole contact site in light of the progress in our understanding of its molecular basis and discuss future directions for the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"7 ","pages":"25152564241308722"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11664512/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142884000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rajendra Kumar Angara, Margaret F Sladek, Stacey D Gilk
{"title":"ER-LD Membrane Contact Sites: A Budding Area in the Pathogen Survival Strategy.","authors":"Rajendra Kumar Angara, Margaret F Sladek, Stacey D Gilk","doi":"10.1177/25152564241304196","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564241304196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lipid droplets (LDs) are essential organelles involved in lipid synthesis, storage, and transport. Physical membrane contacts between the ER and LDs facilitate lipid and protein exchange and thus play a critical role in regulating cellular lipid homeostasis. Recent research has revealed that ER-LD membrane contact sites are targeted by pathogens seeking to exploit host lipid metabolic processes. Both viruses and bacteria manipulate ER-LD membrane contact sites to enhance their replication and survival within the host. This review discusses the research advancements elucidating the mechanisms by which pathogens manipulate the ER-LD contacts through protein molecular mimicry and host cell protein manipulation, thereby hijacking host lipid metabolic processes to facilitate pathogenesis. Understanding the crosstalk between ER and LDs during infection provides deeper insight into host lipid regulation and uncovers potential therapeutic targets for treating infectious diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"7 ","pages":"25152564241304196"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11653285/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142857512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Store-Operated Ca<sup>2+</sup> Entry in Fibrosis and Tissue Remodeling.","authors":"Ahmed Emam Abdelnaby, Mohamed Trebak","doi":"10.1177/25152564241291374","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564241291374","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fibrosis is a pathological condition characterized by excessive tissue deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, leading to scarring and impaired function across multiple organ systems. This complex process is mediated by a dynamic interplay between cell types, including myofibroblasts, fibroblasts, immune cells, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells, each contributing distinctively through various signaling pathways. Critical to the regulatory mechanisms involved in fibrosis is store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), a calcium entry pathway into the cytosol active at the endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites and common to all cells. This review addresses the multifactorial nature of fibrosis with a focus on the pivotal roles of different cell types. We highlight the essential functions of myofibroblasts in ECM production, the transformation of fibroblasts, and the participation of immune cells in modulating the fibrotic landscape. We emphasize the contributions of SOCE in these different cell types to fibrosis, by exploring the involvement of SOCE in cellular functions such as proliferation, migration, secretion, and inflammatory responses. The examination of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis and the role of SOCE in these mechanisms offers the potential of targeting SOCE as a therapeutic strategy for mitigating or reversing fibrosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"7 ","pages":"25152564241291374"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11629433/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142808984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Better Together: Interorganellar Communication in the Regulation of Proteostasis.","authors":"Andreas Kohler, Verena Kohler","doi":"10.1177/25152564241272245","DOIUrl":"10.1177/25152564241272245","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An extensive network of chaperones and folding factors is responsible for maintaining a functional proteome, which is the basis for cellular life. The underlying proteostatic mechanisms are not isolated within organelles, rather they are connected over organellar borders via signalling processes or direct association via contact sites. This review aims to provide a conceptual understanding of proteostatic mechanisms across organelle borders, not focussing on individual organelles. This discussion highlights the precision of these finely tuned systems, emphasising the complicated balance between cellular protection and adaptation to stress. In this review, we discuss widely accepted aspects while shedding light on newly discovered perspectives.</p>","PeriodicalId":101304,"journal":{"name":"Contact (Thousand Oaks (Ventura County, Calif.))","volume":"7 ","pages":"25152564241272245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11462569/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142396602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}