Illuminating the membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and the trans ‐Golgi network

AbstractMembrane contact sites (MCSs) between different organelles have been identified and extensively studied over the last decade. Several classes of MCSs have now well ‐established roles, but the contacts between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the trans‐side of the Golgi network (TGN) have long remained elusive. Until recently, the study of ER‐TGN contact sites has represented a major challenge in the field, due to the lack of suitable visualization and isolation techniques. Only in the last five years, a combination of advanced technologies and innovative approaches has permitted the identification of new molecular players and functions of ER‐TGN MCSs that couple lipid metabolism and anterograde transport. While much has yet to be discovered, it is now established that ER‐TGN MCSs control phosphatidyl‐4‐phosphate (PI4P) homeostasis by coupling the cis and the trans activity of the ER‐resident 4‐phosphatase Sac1. In this review, we focus on recent advances on the composition and function of ER‐TGN MCSs.

Source: FEBS Letters - October 13, 2019 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Maria Chiara Masone, Valentina Morra, Rossella Venditti Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research