Mitochondria-ER Contact Sites as a Platform Determining Cell Fate and Regulating Metabolism
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Mitochondria".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 1590
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mitochondrial metabolism; oxidative stress; organelles interactions; metabolic diseases
Interests: cancer; cancer biology; inflammation; mitochondria; endoplasmic reticulum; NLRP3 inflammasome; signal transduction; cell signaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Research carried out by many laboratories in recent years has focused on the physical interaction between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. These two organelles form specific membranous domains termed mitochondria–ER contact sites (MERCs) or mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs), endowed with specialized proteomic machinery that provides a platform for signalling pathways regulating different processes, which is crucial for proper cell functioning and can even decide cell fate. The role played by mitochondria–ER contact sites ranges from phospholipid synthesis and transfer in the cell, to the coordination of calcium homeostasis, autophagy, and apoptosis, as well as the regulation of inflammation and immune responses.
Moreover, since mitochondria are the organelles where the energy metabolism meets the redox homeostasis, the correct communication between ER and mitochondria and ER-derived signals are the key regulators of mitochondrial metabolism and redox balance. Interactions between mitochondria and ER will therefore play a significant role in the response to both extracellular and intracellular physiological or stress stimuli. A growing body of evidence shows that disturbances of mechanistic or/and functional interactions between ER and mitochondria affect the cell physiology and, consequently, the entire organism. For this reason, disturbances in the communication between the mitochondria and ER are studied in cancer, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases and many other pathologies. It is extremely important to make every effort to investigate and describe the mechanisms and signalling pathways which involve the interactions of ER and mitochondria. Such knowledge may help to understand the role of these relationships in the proper functioning of the cell and the entire organism.
The aim of this Special Issue is to collect the latest reports on the role of the interactions between the ER and mitochondria in physiology and pathology, with particular emphasis on the redox homeostasis and metabolism regulation in which ER–mitochondria contact sites are involved. This Cells Special Issue welcomes original research articles and review articles describing the regulatory mechanisms at the ER–mitochondria interface and ER–mitochondria contact sites’ role in multiple functions in various scientific biological models.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Magdalena Lebiedzinska-Arciszewska
Dr. Sonia Missiroli
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- mitochondria
- endoplasmic reticulum
- ER–mitochondria contact sites
- mitochondria associated membranes
- oxidative stress
- redox homeostasis
- calcium signalling
- inflammation
- metabolism
- apoptosis
