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Updated: May 18, 2026

Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Imaging by Correlative Light and Volume Electron Microscopy
Published on: July 20, 2019
Mitofusin-2 independent juxtaposition of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria: an ultrastructural study
Pierre Cosson1, Anna Marchetti, Mariella Ravazzola
1Department for Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Centre Médical Universitaire, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland. Pierre.Cosson@unige.ch
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.
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