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Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Single-molecule Super-resolution Imaging of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the Plasma Membrane with Novel Fluorescent Probes
Published on: October 15, 2016
Phosphoinositides as regulators of membrane contact sites
Håvard S Haukaas1, Harald Stenmark1
1Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0379 Oslo, Norway.
Abstract:
Membrane contact sites (MCSs) between the different compartments of the cell play important roles in lipid, protein and ion transfer. Phosphoinositides are crucial for the functions of many MCSs, either as membrane anchors for MCS proteins, or as part of a countertransport mechanism driven by phosphoinositide dephosphorylation in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we review the involvement of phosphoinositides in MCSs between the endoplasmic reticulum and other organelles such as the plasma membrane, mitochondria, endosomes, lysosomes, autophagosomes and the Golgi complex. These phosphoinositide-containing MCSs mediate transfer of Ca2+, phospholipids, cholesterol, and a motor protein, and thus are of great importance for cellular physiology.
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