Endoplasmic reticulum membrane contact sites: cross-talk between membrane-bound organelles in plant cells

A review highlighting structural organization, dynamics, and physiological functions of membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and various organelles, and their function in development and response to environment. Eukaryotic cells contain organelles surrounded by monolayer or bilayer membranes. Organelles take part in highly dynamic and organized interactions at membrane contact sites, which play vital roles during development and response to stress. The endoplasmic reticulum extends throughout the cell and acts as an architectural scaffold to maintain the spatial distribution of other membrane-bound organelles. In this review, we highlight the structural organization, dynamics, and physiological functions of membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and various membrane-bound organelles, especially recent advances in plants. We briefly introduce how the combined use of dynamic and static imaging techniques can enable monitoring of the cross-talk between organelles via membrane contact sites. Finally, we discuss future directions for research fields related to membrane contact.

Automated summary

This review focuses on the structural organization, dynamics, and physiological functions of membrane contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and various organelles, particularly in plants. Membrane contact sites play a vital role in development and response to stress by facilitating highly dynamic and organized interactions among organelles. The endoplasmic reticulum acts as an architectural scaffold to maintain the spatial distribution of other membrane-bound organelles. Future research directions related to membrane contact sites are also discussed.