The aging of ER-mitochondria communication: A journey from undifferentiated to aged cells

The complex physiology of eukaryotic cells requires that a variety of subcellular organelles perform unique tasks, even though they form highly dynamic communication networks. In the case of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, their functional coupling relies on the physical interaction...

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Published inFrontiers in cell and developmental biology Vol. 10; p. 946678
Main Authors Morgado-Cáceres, Pablo, Liabeuf, Gianella, Calle, Ximena, Briones, Lautaro, Riquelme, Jaime A., Bravo-Sagua, Roberto, Parra, Valentina
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Frontiers Media S.A 19.08.2022
Subjects
aging
Cell and Developmental Biology
cellular diffentiation
chronic diseases
endoplasmic reticulum
mitochondria
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Summary:The complex physiology of eukaryotic cells requires that a variety of subcellular organelles perform unique tasks, even though they form highly dynamic communication networks. In the case of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, their functional coupling relies on the physical interaction between their membranes, mediated by domains known as mitochondria-ER contacts (MERCs). MERCs act as shuttles for calcium and lipid transfer between organelles, and for the nucleation of other subcellular processes. Of note, mounting evidence shows that they are heterogeneous structures, which display divergent behaviors depending on the cell type. Furthermore, MERCs are plastic structures that remodel according to intra- and extracellular cues, thereby adjusting the function of both organelles to the cellular needs. In consonance with this notion, the malfunction of MERCs reportedly contributes to the development of several age-related disorders. Here, we integrate current literature to describe how MERCs change, starting from undifferentiated cells, and their transit through specialization, malignant transformation (i.e., dedifferentiation), and aging/senescence. Along this journey, we will review the function of MERCs and their relevance for pivotal cell types, such as stem and cancer cells, cardiac, skeletal, and smooth myocytes, neurons, leukocytes, and hepatocytes, which intervene in the progression of chronic diseases related to age.
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Prasanna Katti, Clinical Center (NIH), United States
Reviewed by: Mariya Sweetwyne, University of Washington, United States
These authors have contributed equally to this work
Edited by: Antentor Hinton, Vanderbilt University, United States
This article was submitted to Cellular Biochemistry, a section of the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Samantha Lewis, University of California, Berkeley, United States
ISSN:2296-634X
2296-634X
DOI:10.3389/fcell.2022.946678