title: The endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria connection: one touch, multiple functions.
abstract: The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are tubular organelles with a characteristic "network structure" that facilitates the formation of interorganellar connections. The ER and mitochondria join together at multiple contact sites to form specific domains, termed mitochondria-ER associated membranes (MAMs), with distinct biochemical properties and a characteristic set of proteins. The functions of these two organelles are coordinated and executed at the ER-mitochondria interface, which provides a platform for the regulation of different processes. The roles played by the ER-mitochondria interface range from the coordination of calcium transfer to the regulation of mitochondrial fission and inflammasome formation as well as the provision of membranes for autophagy. The novel and unconventional processes that occur at the ER-mitochondria interface demonstrate its multifunctional and intrinsically dynamic nature. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Dynamic and ultrastructure of bioenergetic membranes and their components.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Inflammation (ICSI), Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Inflammation (ICSI), Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patergnani
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Inflammation (ICSI), Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: pnp@unife.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D058847:Inflammasomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D063154:Mitochondrial Dynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D058847:Inflammasomes; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Autophagy; Calcium; Endoplasmic reticulum; Inflammation; MAM; mitochondria