Advances in Membrane Contact Sites and Lipid Transfer
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules: Lipids".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2021) | Viewed by 6250
Special Issue Editors
Interests: lipids; membrane traffic
Interests: peripheral membrane proteins; yeast genetics; biochemistry; biophysics; membrane dynamics; intracellular trafficking
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Internal membrane compartments are the hallmark of eukaryotic cells. The membrane of each organelle has a specific protein and lipid composition, which are important determinants of organelle identity and function. The organization of cellular membrane systems, and their communication via vesicular trafficking, have been intensely studied. Recently, another important form of inter-organelle communication has emerged: the exchange of lipids and calcium ions at regions of close contact between membrane organelles, particularly between the endoplasmic reticulum and almost every other membrane-bound organelle. In these regions, named membrane contact sites (MCSs), the small distance between the membranes of the two contacting organelles allows for direct exchange of signals and molecules. Membrane contact sites result from the assembly of molecular complexes, which tether the membranes of two distinct compartments. Lipid transfer proteins are recruited to MCSs through various molecular interactions, and they contribute to maintaining the lipid identity of organelles by transferring lipids between compartments without membrane fusion.
We are learning more on the molecular basis of MCS assembly and function, and it is now evident that the molecular organization and nature of MCSs are extremely diverse within eukaryotic cells.
The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight some recent advances in membrane contact sites and lipid transfer research. We propose to focus our interest on the following topics: membrane tethers and MCS assembly and dynamics, recruitment and function of lipid transfer proteins at MCSs, intracellular lipid transport, and organelle-specific functions of lipid transfer. We will particularly appreciate contributions concerning the future challenges of MCS biology, in particular the discovery of new types of MCS, the physiological role of lipid transfer at MCSs, and the new methods being developed to study MCS regulation and function in cells and tissues.
Prof. Jean-Marc Verbavatz
Dr. Alenka Copic
Dr. Mélina Heuzé
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Membrane Tethers
- Membrane Contact Sites Assembly and Dynamics
- Lipid Transfer Proteins
- Lipid Transport
