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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Mitochondria-associated ER Membranes MAMs and Glycosphingolipid Enriched Microdomains GEMs: Isolation from Mouse Brain
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Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) are involved in Bax mitochondrial localization and cytochrome c release

Alexandre Légiot1, Claire Céré1, Thibaud Dupoiron1

  • 1Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095 CNRS & Université de Bordeaux, Campus Carreire, CS61390, 1 Rue Camille Saint-Saëns, 33077 Bordeaux, France.

Microbial Cell (Graz, Austria)
|May 23, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) regulate apoptosis by influencing Bax protein localization. Disrupting MAMs affects Bax

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The pro-apoptotic protein Bax's localization to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) is critical for apoptosis regulation.
  • Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs), specialized endoplasmic reticulum (ER) domains associated with the OMM, are involved in cellular signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of MAMs in Bax localization and function.
  • To explore how the ER-Mitochondria Encounter Structure (ERMES) component MDM34 influences Bax-mediated apoptosis.

Main Methods:

  • Expressing human Bax in a yeast mutant lacking MDM34.
  • Analyzing Bax mitochondrial localization and cytochrome c release.
  • Assessing the size of incompletely released, MAMs-associated cytochrome c pools.

Main Results:

  • Deletion of MDM34 destabilized MAMs, altering Bax mitochondrial localization.
  • The MDM34 deletion decreased Bax's capacity to release cytochrome c.
  • A reduction in the MAMs-associated pool of incompletely released cytochrome c was observed.

Conclusions:

  • MAMs play a significant role in regulating Bax localization and subsequent cytochrome c release during apoptosis.
  • The ERMES complex, through MDM34, is important for maintaining MAM structure and function in apoptosis.
  • Targeting MAMs could be a strategy for modulating apoptotic pathways.
Keywords:
BaxERMESSaccharomyces cerevisiaeapoptosiscytochrome cdensity gradientsmitochondriamitochondria associated membranes

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