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Review
. 2021 Feb;288(3):740-755.
doi: 10.1111/febs.15451. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Better to keep in touch: investigating inter-organelle cross-talk

Michela Rossini  1 , Paola Pizzo  1   2 , Riccardo Filadi  1   2
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Better to keep in touch: investigating inter-organelle cross-talk

Michela Rossini et al. FEBS J. 2021 Feb.
Free article

Abstract

The strategic importance for cellular organelles of being in contact with each other, exchanging messenger molecules, is nowadays well established. Different inter-organelle cross-talk pathways finely regulate multiple physiological cellular mechanisms, and their dysregulation has been found to underlie different pathological conditions. In the last years, a great effort has been made to study such organelle interactions, to understand their functional roles within the cell and the molecules involved in their formation and/or modulation. In this contribution, some examples of organelle cross-talk and their contributions in regulating physiological processes are presented. Moreover, the pro and cons of the available methods for a proper, reliable investigation of membrane contact sites are described.

Keywords: calcium; endoplasmic reticulum; intracellular signaling; lipids; membrane contact sites; microscopy; mitochondria; organelle contacts; organelles.

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