title: Shaping the Endoplasmic Reticulum into a Social Network.
abstract: In eukaryotic cells, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is constructed as a network of tubules and sheets that exist in one continuous membrane system. Several classes of integral membrane protein have been shown to shape ER membranes. Functional studies using mutant proteins have begun to reveal the significance of ER morphology and membrane dynamics. In this review, we discuss the common protein modules and mechanisms that generate the characteristic shape of the ER. We also describe the cellular functions closely related to ER morphology, particularly contacts with other membrane systems, and their potential roles in the development of multicellular organisms.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: hongzhang@ibp.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: huj@ibp.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D021381:Protein Transport
keywords: endoplasmic reticulum; membrane fusion; membrane shaping; multicellular development; organelle contacts