Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

4.0K
Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
4.0K
Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane01:22

Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane

2.5K
Cell division and enlargement are processes that require precise control. The control ensures that cell division cannot proceed unless the cell has grown to a specific size. A spherical, dividing cell requires an approximately 1.6X increase in its surface area to double its volume. The secretory pathway also has a significant role in cell membrane enlargement. Secretory vesicles that bud off from the Golgi apparatus and later fuse with the plasma membrane during exocytosis are a major source of...
2.5K
Endoplasmic Reticulum01:39

Endoplasmic Reticulum

112.7K
The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in eukaryotic cells is a substantial network of interconnected membranes with diverse functions, from calcium storage to biomolecule synthesis. A primary component of the endomembrane system, the ER manufactures phospholipids critical for membrane function throughout the cell. Additionally, the two distinct regions of the ER specialize in the manufacture of specific lipids and proteins.
112.7K
The Endoplasmic Reticulum01:43

The Endoplasmic Reticulum

22.2K
The endoplasmic reticulum or ER makes up for more than half of the membranes in a cell and accounts for 10% of total cell volume. It is also the primary protein and lipid synthesis factory for most cell organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, secretory vesicles, and the plasma membrane. Despite being the most extensive and functionally complex subcellular organelle, ER was the last to be discovered. After years of deliberation, Keith Porter and George Palade in the year 1954,...
22.2K
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

19.7K
A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries...
19.7K
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

48.1K
Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
48.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Phosphoinositide Depletion and Compensatory Phospho-Signaling in Angiotensin II-Induced Heart Disease.

Circulation research·2026
Same author

Disruption of the PIKfyve complex unveils an adaptive mechanism to promote lysosomal repair and mitochondrial homeostasis.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

A STIMulating new view of activity-dependent membrane contact architecture.

Trends in cell biology·2025
Same author

Phosphoinositide Depletion and Compensatory β-adrenergic Signaling in Angiotensin II-Induced Heart Disease: Protection Through PTEN Inhibition.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

14-3-3 promotes sarcolemmal expression of cardiac Ca<sub>V</sub>1.2 and nucleates isoproterenol-triggered channel superclustering.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

α1<sub>C</sub> S1928 Phosphorylation of Ca<sub>V</sub>1.2 Channel Controls Vascular Reactivity and Blood Pressure.

Journal of the American Heart Association·2024
Same journal

Peptidomics in the Spotlight: Advanced Sample Treatment Techniques and Analytical Insights.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2026
Same journal

Methods for the Investigation of Protein-Ligands Interactions.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2026
Same journal

Sample Preparation Strategies for Microbial Cell Surface Proteomics: Integrating Shaving and Shotgun Approaches.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2026
Same journal

Proteomic Sample Preparation for the Petroleum Industry: A Biocorrosion Case Study.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2026
Same journal

Proteomic and Functional Comparison of Extracellular Vesicles from Wild-Type and Lyn-Deficient Stromal Cells.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2026
Same journal

Proteomic Analysis of Histone Sequence Variants and Post-translationally Modified Forms.

Advances in experimental medicine and biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Author Spotlight: Regulation and Dysregulation of ER-Mitochondria Contacts &#8212; Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis
09:09

Author Spotlight: Regulation and Dysregulation of ER-Mitochondria Contacts — Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis

Published on: October 11, 2024

3.1K

Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Contacts Regulate Cellular Excitability.

Eamonn J Dickson1

  • 1Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA. ejdickson@ucdavs.edu.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|August 18, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sarco-/endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites are crucial for cellular communication and function in excitable cells. These specialized junctions regulate excitation-contraction coupling in muscle and control ion channels.

Keywords:
ER-PM contact sitesEndoplasmic reticulumExcitation-contraction couplingIon channelsMembrane-membrane contact sitesPI(4,5)P2PhosphoinositidesTethering proteins

More Related Videos

Direct Imaging of ER Calcium with Targeted-Esterase Induced Dye Loading TED
09:32

Direct Imaging of ER Calcium with Targeted-Esterase Induced Dye Loading TED

Published on: May 7, 2013

19.6K
Study of Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria Interactions by In Situ Proximity Ligation Assay in Fixed Cells
09:34

Study of Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria Interactions by In Situ Proximity Ligation Assay in Fixed Cells

Published on: December 10, 2016

25.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Author Spotlight: Regulation and Dysregulation of ER-Mitochondria Contacts &#8212; Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis
09:09

Author Spotlight: Regulation and Dysregulation of ER-Mitochondria Contacts — Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis

Published on: October 11, 2024

3.1K
Direct Imaging of ER Calcium with Targeted-Esterase Induced Dye Loading TED
09:32

Direct Imaging of ER Calcium with Targeted-Esterase Induced Dye Loading TED

Published on: May 7, 2013

19.6K
Study of Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria Interactions by In Situ Proximity Ligation Assay in Fixed Cells
09:34

Study of Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria Interactions by In Situ Proximity Ligation Assay in Fixed Cells

Published on: December 10, 2016

25.5K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Muscle Physiology

Background:

  • Excitable cells, such as neurons and myocytes, use membrane potential changes for signaling.
  • Specialized subcellular structures, including membrane contact sites, are vital for translating electrical signals into cellular events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the role of sarco-/endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites in cellular excitability.
  • To highlight the importance of these sites in excitation-contraction coupling and ion channel regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on membrane contact sites.
  • Analysis of protein organization and function at these junctions.

Main Results:

  • Sarco-/endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites are critical for cellular communication.
  • These sites are organized by specific tethering proteins and contain numerous functional proteins.
  • They play essential roles in excitation-contraction coupling in striated muscle.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane contact sites are key regulators of cellular excitability.
  • They are essential for controlled excitation-contraction coupling and the function of lipid-dependent ion channels.