Abstract :
[en] Understanding the mode of action of membrane contact sites (MCSs) across eukaryotic organisms
at the near-atomic level to infer function at the cellular and tissue levels is a challenge scientists are
currently facing. These peculiar systems dedicated to inter-organellar communication are perfect
examples of cellular processes where the interplay between lipids and proteins is critical. In this
mini review, we underline the link between membrane lipid environment, the recruitment of
proteins at specialized membrane domains and the function of membrane contact sites. More
precisely, we want to give insights on the crucial role of lipids in defining the specificity of plant
endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) MCSs and we further propose approaches to
study them at multiple scales.
Our goal is not so much to go into detailed description of MCSs, as there are numerous focused
reviews on the subject, but rather try to pinpoint the critical elements defining those structures and
give an original point of view by considering the subject from a near-atomic angle with a focus on
lipids. We review current knowledge as to how lipids can define MCS territories, play a role in the
recruitment and function of the MCS-associated proteins and in turn, how the lipid environment can
be modified by proteins.
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