title: Mitochondrial lipid transport at a glance.
abstract: Lipids are the building blocks of cellular membranes and are synthesized at distinct parts of the cell. A precise control of lipid synthesis and distribution is crucial for cell function and survival. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the major lipid-synthesizing organelle. However, a subset of lipids is synthesized within mitochondria, and this aspect has become a focus of recent lipid research. Mitochondria form a dynamic membrane network that is reshaped by fusion and fission events. Their functionality therefore depends on a continuous lipid supply from the ER and the distribution of lipids between both mitochondrial membranes. The mechanisms of mitochondrial lipid trafficking are only now emerging and appear to involve membrane contact sites and lipid transfer proteins. In this Cell Science at a Glance article, we will discuss recent discoveries in the field of mitochondrial lipid trafficking that build on long-standing observations and shed new light on the shuttling of membrane lipids between mitochondria and other organelles.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genetics, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scharwey
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatsuta
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Langer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020675:Peroxisomes / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins