Tether Me, Tether Me Not-Dynamic Organelle Contact Sites in Metabolic Rewiring

Abstract

Membrane contact sites (CSs) are specialized cellular regions where distinct organelles are actively positioned very close to each other, at a distance of just a few nanometers. Structurally, CS formation depends on tether proteins that physically link organellar membranes to each other. Functionally, these structures act as hotspots for communication and material transfer. In recent years, we are starting to understand that the cellular CS landscape is not static but instead responds dynamically to diverse metabolic cues. This review describes the interplay between cellular metabolism and CS-based organelle communication and discusses molecular mechanisms of contact modulation in cellular adaptation to changing metabolic requirements.

Keywords: CERT; ERMES; NVJ; OSBP; TMEM24/C2CD2L; extended synaptotagmin; vCLAMP.