title: Mitofusin-2 independent juxtaposition of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria: an ultrastructural study.
abstract: Besides its role in controlling the morphology of mitochondria, mitofusin-2 has been proposed to tether mitochondria to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), based largely on light microscopic analysis. In this study we have examined by electron microscopy the organization of ER and mitochondria in cells expressing or not mitofusin-2. Contrary to previous studies, we observed that loss of mitofusin-2 increased ER-mitochondria juxtaposition. These results suggest that mitofusin-2 does not play a critical role in the juxtapostion of ER and mitochondria, and highlight the essential role of ultrastructural analysis to visualize and measure contact between two intracellular compartments.
authors.affiliation: Department for Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Centre Médical Universitaire, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland. Pierre.Cosson@unige.ch
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cosson
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravazzola
authors.forename: Lelio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; C488751:Mfn2 protein, mouse