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Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Author Spotlight: Regulation and Dysregulation of ER-Mitochondria Contacts — Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Pathogenesis
Published on: October 11, 2024
Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Contact Sites: Regulators, Mechanisms, and Physiological Functions
Chenlu Li1, Tiantian Qian1, Ruyue He1
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
Abstract:
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms direct membrane contact sites with the plasma membrane (PM) in eukaryotic cells. These ER-PM contact sites play essential roles in lipid homeostasis, ion dynamics, and cell signaling, which are carried out by protein-protein or protein-lipid interactions. Distinct tethering factors dynamically control the architecture of ER-PM junctions in response to intracellular signals or external stimuli. The physiological roles of ER-PM contact sites are dependent on a variety of regulators that individually or cooperatively perform functions in diverse cellular processes. This review focuses on proteins functioning at ER-PM contact sites and highlights the recent progress in their mechanisms and physiological roles.
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